The Heavenly World

Let's lift them up and wave them around, make Jesus glad and the devil mad, and let's say this together say Heavenly Father.

Wednesday night is so important to me that I've taken time to listen for the Word of God to change my heart and my life.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing.

I never get tired of the Word, I never get tired of learning, I never get tired of growing, and I intend to exceed and excel in all that you've set before me in Jesus' name, amen, amen, alright, let's look at Colossians, chapter three tonight.

I was just reading these verses the other day.

In my normal reading, a lot of times I'm reminded of things that I want to share with you.

This message, this message entitled the Heavenly World, the Heavenly World, and so we'll tell you why.

Let's start reading with verse one.

I'm reading out of the King James first, but I am going to read out of the message, and some out of the amplified.

If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ siteth at the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is, our life shall appear then.

Shall you also appear with Him in glory?

Oh, what a powerful group of verses that is.

And I, like you know, in verse one you know, seek those things which are above.

When I look that up in my linguistic key to the Greek New Testament, it says it's talking about the heavenly world.

That's where I get the title from the linguistic key to the Greek New Testament.

You know, as I've been mentioning here recently the Greek and the Hebrew.

Both are languages for which English sometimes doesn't translate well.

It takes sometimes more than one word, it takes different words to bring the meaning to you.

The Jewish rabbis had the idea of the earthly world and the heavenly world, and then there's a Psalm there that talks about Jerusalem is a city that's compact together.

In other words, in the millennium, heaven is going to come down and rest upon top of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is going to act as an entrance into heaven from the earth.

I don't know if you knew that, but that's what's going to happen down the road, and so they knew that all these years ago.

That's why they revered Jerusalem.

And so the heavenly world is what I'm talking about tonight.

And then in verse two, let me read that to you out of the amplified it says and set your minds and keep them set on what is above, that is, the higher things, not on things that are on the earth.

That's good in it.

Now I've got, I want to read to you out of the message, because I think it's a powerful Way of looking at these verses.

I know it's not a true Translation, but it is.

Gives you the sense of the Hebrew or the excuse me the Greek, and so the message puts these four verses this way.

I like this.

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.

Pursue the things over which Christ presides.

Don't shuffle along eyes to the ground.

Absorb with the things right in front of you.

Look up and be alert to what's going on around Christ.

That's where the action is.

See things from his Perspective.

In that good.

Your old life is dead.

Your new life, which is your real life, even though invisible to spectators, is with Christ, in God.

He is your life.

And when Christ your real life, remember say Christ with your real life, remember Shows up again on this earth, you will show up to the real you, the glorious.

You meanwhile be content with obscurity Like Christ isn't that good.

So we're talking about the heavenly world and we need to see things from God's perspective.

You know, back in 2019, when God gave me the revelation of 2020 the greatest year yet I began speaking to you about position and and power and perspective.

And you know, if we don't have God's Perspective, we're gonna be out of position to receive his power.

You know Ephesians 3 20 how God is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all, that we dare ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.

And so if there's things that are falling short, it's always on our end, it's always on a faulty connection, it's always a faulty way of thinking, it's always a faulty perspective, it's always a faulty position.

So here in this, in this, in this epistle, he's Paul is writing to believers.

He's he's making a case.

He says, since you're risen with Christ, see, then continually and Habitually aim and seek the heavenly world.

And that is not just a mind, that is an action.

Say act like it.

I like what the message Bible said act like it.

Act like you're risen with Christ and continually and habitually set your mind the seat of your emotions and priorities.

You've got to make sure your mind is, so to speak, locked in to the heavenly world.

What exactly do I mean?

Well, we've been talking a lot recently about the internal dialogue.

You know, internal dialogue many times is habitual.

It's something that you've been used to thinking for a long time.

I like it to an eight track tape.

Your brain is a series of neurological cells that have a memory.

They're electrical in nature and, you know, once you start thinking in a certain way, then you think that way until you change it.

It takes a lot of effort to change the way you're thinking.

That pattern goes around, a certain like an eight track tape.

It never ends.

It's a loop, an endless loop of thoughts that are not really God, they're not God's perspective, they're your own failings, it's your own shame, it's your own guilt, it's your own.

You know woulda, coulda, shoulda, you're rear view mirror.

All of those things are involved in an internal dialogue.

You know it takes quite a bit of discipline to change that dialogue to something like we're talking about tonight the heavenly world, the heavenly world.

That's where we should be thinking.

We should be thinking about the heavenly world.

It's not that we're ignoring the things on the earth.

Yes, there's an earthly world that we need to know about, but we don't think about it and meditate on it.

Instead, we meditate in the heavenly world and that way we've got answers to the things that we're seeing down here.

So your life it says here, your life is hidden with Christ in God.

So it's hidden from what it's hidden from this world.

I mean it's like you're a secret.

People can't really know, they don't know all about you.

They look at you but they don't see you.

They see your body, they see your outward shell, they see the house your spirit lives in.

Just because you got saved, you know you've got the same body you had when you were in high school.

I mean, I went to a number of my high school reunions.

They all relate to me like they did 50, 60 years ago.

Well, you know what?

I'm not interested in those relationships at all.

I've witnessed to every one of them.

They all know I'm a pastor.

They all know I have a life change.

All my closest friends, I gave them my testimony and now you know there's nothing left.

Really, I don't really seek to hang out with them or hang around them or try to, you know, befriend them.

Why?

Because my life is hidden with Christ and God.

I don't really have anything in common with them except the past, and that guy died.

So it's hidden.

You know, your life is hidden with Christ and God is hidden from what, hidden from this world and so, but all of that that's hidden now the Bible says is going to be gloriously revealed when you appear with him.

And Gloria, don't forget.

I mean he's coming for the church and then he's coming back with the church.

And let me tell you something Everybody is going to see something.

They're going to see what's been hidden.

They are going to see what's been hidden.

So until then, until that time and we don't know when it's going to be, but I suspect it's sooner than any of us really suspect Until then, let us heed or pay attention to the instructions of this epistle to the Colossians it's really to us and let us see all things from Christ's perspective.

Concerning two things I want to talk about tonight, just two things.

Let's make sure that we see things from Christ's perspective concerning our authority number one, our authority, and then the number two thing that I will get to is our union with Christ.

Those two things are so important because we need to have the proper internal dialogue about our authority.

You know we're not weak worms of the dust.

We're not just bumping along like the message Bible talking about, with our heads down, you know, ignoring the heavenly realm.

I mean the heavenly world, I mean that is.

Our authority is rooted at the right hand of God and we do have that great authority.

We're seated with him far above, and every word that we speak is with the perspective of our God given authority.

You need to, you know, you need to meditate on.

He said all authority in heaven and earth.

Jesus said this in Matthew 28.

All authority in heaven and in earth is given unto me.

Go ye, therefore.

So he delegated all authority in heaven and earth to the church to preach the gospel.

When we get hooked up with kingdom business, when we get hooked up with the spreading of the gospel, I'm telling you our authority is so real and we don't have to doubt that.

And 2 Corinthians 413, it says as it is written we believed, therefore we spoke.

Paul said we also believe and therefore speak, we having the same spirit of faith.

See, we having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken.

We also believe and therefore speak.

So speaking is the initial action of what we believe, but it's not left there.

We also have to act like it's true.

We have to act like what we say when we say the word.

We have to act like what we say is true.

I know you hear me say all the time act like the Bible is true, but when you know your authority, you can begin to act like what you say is going to come to pass.

Isn't that the definition of faith?

That is the definition of faith we believe what we say comes to pass, according to Mark 11, 23.

I didn't say it, jesus said it.

You'll have whatever you say and of course we know that that's a systematic discourse.

It's not just saying it one time, it's what you keep on saying, it's what you hold fast to saying.

One of my favorite examples of this Brother Hagin writes about the time that his uncle Benny, who was his mother's brother, called his mother and said listen, my daughter is in the hospital.

The doctors have given her up to die.

I want you to have Ken pray.

And so she said, of course.

And so she hung up the phone and called Brother Hagin and she told him you know, your cousin is in the hospital.

Uncle Benny wants you to pray for her.

And he didn't even have to pray, he didn't pause, he didn't take any time, he just said tell Uncle Benny that my cousin said that.

Tell him that I said my cousin will live and not die.

That's what he said.

Tell him that I said my cousin will live and not die.

She said oh, son, isn't that wonderful.

God gave you a word.

Oh, I'm so delighted God gave you the word.

He said yeah, mother, god gave me Mark 11-23.

She said oh, oh.

He kind of disappointed that he didn't have a word of knowledge.

He didn't have a, you know, he didn't have a word of knowledge.

He didn't have a prophecy.

He had Mark 11-23 that he was going to be able to basically speak her alive.

He just said she'll live and not die.

Tell him.

I said he didn't say tell him.

God said he said tell him.

I said they didn't Uncle Billy have some faith in Brother Hagin?

He might not have had much faith in God, but he had faith in Brother Hagin's prayer, didn't he?

So he didn't say tell him.

God said no.

He said tell him.

I said she'll live and not die.

Well, son, you think that'll work?

Do I think that'll work?

Does the multiplication table work?

Is 12 times 12, 144,.

Did it change?

No, of course it'll work.

Well, I don't know.

He spoke pretty bold to his mama.

He might have had to write a letter of apology later, but I mean, she got it over and she called Uncle Benny and she did live and she didn't die.

And he talked about how many times we're able, with our faith, to get our relatives healed or blessed in some way.

And then once that happens, then the next time it happens, they're gonna have to have a part to play.

They're gonna have to trust God a little bit themselves at least.

Agree with somebody that's praying and whatever.

But what a testimony of our authority.

That's the kind.

And we don't start off like that right away.

We have to work ourselves in position.

You might not have such a dramatic result first on, but you can use it on headaches, you can use it on the minor things of life.

I mean, let's realize that we're people of authority and let not this internal dialogue stop you from claiming God's best.

We have that authority, hallelujah.

So we need to see things from God's perspective.

It'll change you from praying about things and you'll do more of decreeing and declaring about things.

It's not wrong to pray, but a lot of times praying is just like unbelief disguised.

You know, when you start begging God for something he already gave you the authority to take care of.

For instance, the Bible says by the stripes you were healed.

We don't have to pray for healing.

We don't ever have to pray for healing, we just claim healing.

We demand sickness to get out of our bodies, we demand pain to leave and we claim God's healing power.

See, that's not prayer, that's just using your authority.

Hallelujah, all right.

And then the second thing I'm talking about the heavenly world and thinking that way, thinking that way.

So, the heavenly world, let's see things from Christ's perspective and see, this is what this whole letter is talking about.

See things from Christ's perspective concerning our union with Christ.

We really are literally one with Him.

You know, it just says it right off the bat.

It says since you're risen with Christ, if you are, well, we know we are Not.

If we are, it doesn't mean.

If it means sense, sense, you're risen with Christ.

Seek those things which are above, where Christ has seated at the right hand of God.

See, pay attention to heaven, pay attention to the heavenly world, pay attention to what God has already said through His Word our union with Christ.

You see, christ is the head of the church and we are members, in particular, of His body.

So where the head goes, the body goes.

Where the body goes, the head goes.

There's no distance apart.

We're in Him.

As far as God is concerned, when he sees you, he sees His Son, he sees Christ.

As far as God is concerned, I mean, that's what he sees, christ, and that's the way we ought to see each other.

You know, make it a lot easier for us to forgive one another when we need to forgive.

We wouldn't hold these grudges and be so hard on people when they make errors.

Everybody's gonna make a few errors from time to time.

Everybody's gonna get their feet stepped on.

Well, hey, your sister in Christ is Christ really.

We're so much in Him.

See, we need to think like from the heavenly side of things instead of way down here.

And so it says here, and that's a continually and habitually, see, it's not just one time you have to maintain a discipline in your thought life and it's my job to help you to grow from one level to the next.

And we can get lazy, disciplining the way we think we can let our mind just run wild.

We can let our mind get off and think about Terrible things, horrible things.

We can think ourselves into depression.

We can think ourselves into poverty.

We can think ourselves into sickness.

I've seen people get so worried, they got sick.

And no, no, let's.

Let's develop an internal dialogue that will help you then also develop a consistent Confession or profession of faith.

Your confession of faith needs to be more consistent, and so what it says here, it says your life is hid with Christ in God.

It's hidden.

It's hidden where from the world.

Why is it hidden?

So you know you look up that phrase Hidden with Christ in God.

It's in the Greek.

And so again I go to my little book.

I bought her on Amazon.

I didn't even buy at the Christian bookstore.

They didn't have one.

I Went to look for it there and they didn't have one.

So I just ordered off Amazon.

I mean you know what Christian bookstore get with it?

Come on, have the right kind of books for me.

You know I don't like buying holy books from a secular place, but I did and I found it.

I got it.

They mailed it to me the next day.

I had it the next day and I read it a lot.

I look up phrases.

When I looked up this phrase hidden with Christ in God in my linguistic key To the Greek New Testament, this suggests this phrase suggests three thoughts.

Number one secrecy.

The believer's life is nurtured listen to this the believer's life is nurtured by secret springs.

You know, like Jesus said in John, chapter 4 to the woman at the well, he said if you come to me, I'll give you water to drink and it'll become like wells, like Springing up well, a well of water springing up in you into everlasting life.

John 4 · chapter mention

You know, there's, there are, there are springs of Zoey.

It's hidden, nobody knows where you're getting it, but there's springs.

We have such an amazing new birth.

That part of that coming to Jesus and being one with him Means that we have his springs of life coming up, their secret springs watering us, bringing us Zoey in our mind, zoey in our bodies, where our bodies.

You know what his Zoey.

He said I came, I came to give you life and have it more abundantly.

Parisos, which means super abundant and quantity superior in quality, those secret springs are springing up on the inside of you, giving you ideas from heaven, giving you all kinds of wisdom and knowledge and confidence.

And he's giving you things.

It's a secret spring.

The world doesn't know what's going on.

They don't even know why You're able to speak with such wisdom.

They couldn't figure that out about Jesus.

How is it that he knows all these things?

Well, he had, he had those secret springs coming up from his father.

He said I only, I only say the things I hear my father say, I only do the things I see my father do.

Well, we can be the same way.

So three things a secrecy, these, these Welles of water springing up into everlasting life.

Number two safety.

You know, with Christ and God it marks a double protection.

You're protected and then Christ is protected.

I mean, do you think Christ is worried about the devil attacking him?

He's the one that stepped on him.

He's the one that defeated him.

He's the one that led a trail of vanquished foes at the resurrection.

I mean, he crushed him, he thoroughly defeated him.

We're in the one that defeated and rendered the devil null and void.

His power is null and void.

So not only do we have protection, but we have protection because we're in Christ.

We have a double indemnity.

Come on, lift your hand right now.

I've got double indemnity.

Glory to God From anything the devil can dish out.

Praise God.

And so, thirdly, these three thoughts about being hidden with Christ and God suggest secrecy, which is those secret springs of of Zoë, the safety which is double indemnity because we're in Christ.

And then, finally, the identity.

The believer is identified with the risen Lord, fully identified.

You know, you go to the airport.

If you're going to get on that airplane, you've got to show identity, that you've got to show identification.

You've got to show a driver's license with your picture on it.

You've got to show a passport.

If you're going overseas, you've got to.

You've got to prove that you are who you are and it's got your picture on it.

Well, you know we have an identity in Christ, so that when we present that identity in Christ, the devil really thinks we are Christ.

We're no different, we're in Him.

We look identical to Him when we're filled with the Holy Ghost, filled with His Word.

You've heard it said but now you know why.

You know why we are fully identified with Him.

We have no fear.

When we speak, it's Christ speaking.

You know, paul got a revelation of this.

He said it's no longer the eye that liveth, but Christ liveth in me For the life that I now live in the flesh.

I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

See that's Galatians 2, 26.

I'm telling you right now he knows how to live His life down here.

Nobody stole His life.

You know he was martyred, but he didn't, they didn't steal His life.

He laid His life down, just like Jesus did.

They didn't, they didn't come kill Jesus.

They didn't murder Jesus.

Jesus laid down His life.

They couldn't have murdered Him.

So you know, we're in charge.

We're in charge, we don't have anything.

We have fully identified with a risen Savior.

Just think about what impact that has in our everyday life.

You know, in 1 Corinthians 3-3, the Apostle Paul was kind of rebuking the Corinthian church.

He said I can't believe you people.

It's come to my attention that you've got factions and cliques and you're bragging on each other.

I was Paul, I was of Apollos.

You're acting like mere unredeemed men.

Don't live like a mere man.

Live like, live like the risen Savior lives.

I mean live with that idea that you're fully identified with Him.

Praise God, and so, as we act and think in line with the heavenly world, we shall manifest the very life of the one who has called us.

Come on, lift your hands and receive the heavenly world.

Praise God.

I hope this challenges you to come up to the next level and praise God.

I just love the Word of God, don't you?