A New Year to Seek Things Above
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Pastor Jojo Ma
Weekly Bulletin | Song Lyrics | Nicene Creed
Colossians 3:1-4
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
What are you seeking in life? What is your mind fixed on? What does your heart regularly long for?
1 Jn 2:15-16 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions -- is not from the Father but is from the world.
Jam 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Charles Spurgeon: “One reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church.”
So worldliness, then, is disproportionate desire (too much desire) for the things of this fallen world. The worldly person loves the values and pursuits of this passing world. If you are worldly, your goal is to move forward rather than upward, to live horizontally rather than vertically.
2 Tim 4:10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.
Iain Murray: “Worldliness is departing from God. It’s a man-centered way of thinking. It judges the importance of things by the present and material results. It weighs success by numbers. It covets human esteem and wants popularity. It knows no truth for which it is worth suffering. It declines to be a fool for Christ’s sake. Worldliness is the mindset of the unregenerate. It adopts idols and is at war with God.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “The first call which every Christian experiences is the call to abandon the attachments of this world…Discipleship is not an offer that man makes to Christ.”
Ps 73:25-26 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
The Comparative Test / The Integrated Test
When you really love God and when you really treasure Him above all, you can faithfully enjoy all His blessings and gifts to you without being idolatrous and without being indifferent and without feeling guilty.
Tim Keller: “You don’t know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”
Col 3:1-4 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5-7 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
When Paul says to set your mind on things above, he is saying that God’s Word and heavenly priorities should govern your life, should have your primary and ultimate attention and affection.
If you are seeking things above, if you have your mind set on heavenly things, you’ll actually be very earthly-minded. You will care about your witness for Christ, you will think how to love and reach your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You will aim to live well, speak graciously, be humble, be prayerful, be evangelistic.