Set Your Sights
Colossians 3:1-4 New Living Translation
3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your[a] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
I. Set Your Sights
a. Sighting a rifle
i. Set your sights - Zeteo (G2212)
1. Seek to find/aim for
2. Seek, require, demand, crave
b. In life, you can only hit what you aim for
i. What ARE you aiming for in life?
1. Being a good person?
2. Being rich?
3. Getting married?
4. Just getting through the day/week/month/year?
5. Just getting through COVID/college/etc…
ii. If you’re not aiming for anything, you won’t accomplish anything
iii. If you’re aiming for the wrong things, you will accomplish them, and still be miserable
c. What does Paul tell the Colossians to aim for/set their sights on?
i. Heavenly Realities where Christ sits at the place of honor at the right hand of God
1. We are setting our sight on Christ, because He is what we are supposed to become
Romans 8:29 New Living Translation
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[a]among many brothers and sisters.
2 Corinthians 3:15-18 New Living Translation
15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
a. We are to become Christ if Christ were to live our life
i. Parent, spouse, student, contractor, salesman, doctor, teacher, etc.
d. If you want to hit what you’ve decided to aim for, you must eliminate variables – bi/tripod and a shoulder stock mount/sand bag
i. You want similar consistency when setting your sights on Christ
1. Daily, SCHEDULED, secret place time with Holy Spirit
a. In the word and in prayer
b. Holy Spirit shows up to prepared environments
e. Take some shots and examine how accurate your sights are
i. The word of God will let you know how accurate your sights are
James 1:22-25 New King James Version
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
1. Jesus is the target and He is the Word made flesh
a. Back to reading your BIBLE
2. Put into practice what you read and trust Holy Spirit
a. The FEAR OF FAILURE, reasoning, and little faith
b. You will miss, but Holy Spirit, the body, and your spiritual leadership will lovingly correct and guide you
i. More on this a little later
f. Adjust where you need to – two adjustents – (up/down – left/right)
i. Heavenly Realities where Christ sits…
1. The mercy Seat – up and down – The Work of Jesus
a. The lid of the Ark of the Covenant, where Yahweh would appear to communicate with Israel, and where the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sin offering on the day of atonement to atone for the sins of the people of Israel committed in ignorance
b. Hebrews chapter 9
2. The Judgement Seat – left and right – The Work of Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 4:5 New King James Version
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the [a]counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
2 Corinthians 5:10 New King James Version
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
a. Just like the mercy seat, the judgement seat is for Christians only. It is where the work we have done on earth will be rewarded.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 New King James Version
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
ii. Whenever we are missing the mark, it is so important that we remind ourselves of these two seats,
1. the mercy seat where the blood of Jesus was spilled, forgiving us all sin and cleansing us of unrighteousness when we confess
a. Jesus made us righteous, we don’t have to strive for that, He did it already, we can rest in that finished work.
2. the judgement seat where what we did in this life will be judged and rewarded or destroyed
a. This is to spur us on to love and good works for the kingdom
g. Why is it important to aim specifically for where Jesus sits?
i. At the place of honor at the right hand of God
1. Greatest Authority & Power - Jesus
1 Peter 3:22 New King James Version
22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
a. When you gain revelation of the authority and power of Jesus, there is little you will fear or worry about in this life
i. “My father is” testimony
2. Greatest Blessing - Jesus
Genesis 48:17-19 New Living Translation
17 But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.”
a. When you understand the blessing and favor that comes with living for and pleasing Jesus, the fear of man will disappear.
i. “Favor aint fair”
3. Pleasures Forevermore - Jesus
Psalm 16:11 New King James Version
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
a. We believe the lie that kingdom living is without pleasure, this is the biggest lie of the enemy.
i. Marital intimacy is the better than any other kind
h. What happens if I don’t stay dead/keep missing the mark? – SINNING
i. Sin vs iniquity vs Transgression
1. Missing the Mark
2. Bent toward Missing
3. Rebellion – not even aiming for the target
ii. Practicing Sin vs Struggling in Sin
1. Keep aiming and shooting
2. You can learn from your sin (missed baskets/shots), adjust, continue to set your sights and train to hit the mark.
3. Basketball Analogy – Steph Curry (is he just lucky?)
2 Timothy 3:16-17 English Standard Version
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Proverbs 22:6 New King James Version
6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.Psalm 144:1 New King James Version
144 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—Hebrews 5:11-14 New American Standard Bible
11 Concerning [a]him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become [b]poor listeners. 12 For though [c]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the [d]elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil.
iii. If you don’t stop setting your sights on Jesus, and training in partnership with the word of God and Holy Spirit, you WILL hit your mark and begin to live like Jesus
