Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Pastor Roy Jones taught Wednesday night Bible study straight through the third chapter of Colossians — his topic, in his own words: the things Jesus want you to do.
Opening in prayer, he set the letter in its frame: Paul writing from a Roman prison to a church tangled up in false teaching — legalism, philosophy, partiality, witchcraft, things that do not bring glory to the Lord. Then he walked the church verse by verse through the whole chapter: what it means to be raised with Christ, what to put to death, what to put off, what to put on — and how to carry it all into marriage, family, and work.
1If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:1–4 (NKJV)
5Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Colossians 3:5–11 (NKJV)
12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:12–17 (NKJV)
18Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
22Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
23And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
25But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Colossians 3:18–25 (NKJV)
Pastor Jones began where Paul began: the Colossian church was operating in legalism, philosophy, and partiality, following men who required deeds for salvation that the Lord never required. So Paul writes from prison to tell them their faith must be in Christ Jesus alone — He is preeminent, and everything the believer needs is already in Him. Then chapter 3 turns to the life that faith requires. If you have been raised with Christ, there is a standard for how you carry yourself, the way a royal family has a standard for its own. Seek the things above. Set your mind above, not on the earth — because where your treasure is, your heart and your focus will follow. Put to death the earthly members: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness — kill them before they kill you. Put off the old man's clothes yourself — anger, wrath, malice, filthy language, lying — nobody can do it for you, not even the pastor. Put on the new man: tender mercies, kindness, humility, forgiveness, and above all love. Let the peace of God rule in your heart, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, and carry it into your house — wives, husbands, children, fathers, workers — doing everything heartily, as to the Lord. Stay with the plan.
He opens in prayer for understanding and alignment with God's will, then states the topic — the things Jesus wants you to do — and gives the backdrop: Paul in a Roman prison, writing to correct a church that had drifted into teachings that do not glorify God.
Verse by verse through the chapter's hard middle: raised with Christ means your focus leaves the earth; the old man's appetites must be put to death and put off — by you, yourself. Along the way he illustrates it with his own week: the mind set on the kingdom, the 3 o'clock temptation, the $100,000 truck nobody takes to heaven.
He lands on the new man's wardrobe — mercy, kindness, humility, forgiveness, love — the peace of God ruling, the word of Christ dwelling richly, and the household code: whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Get out of your feelings, and stay with the plan.
Don't focus on the earth — focus on kingdom things first.
"If you been born again, your whole focus should be for the kingdom of God." You still live, work, and eat on earth — but your mind stays set on things above (Colossians 3:1–2).
Christ must be your treasure.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If Christ is your treasure, your heart is with Him; if the material things of this world are your treasure, that is where your focus will go (Matthew 6:21).
You must be raised with Christ — the old man died, and your life is hidden in Him.
As Christ was resurrected from the grave, you were raised from the baptismal waters: the old man died, the new man came alive, and your new purpose is hidden with Christ in God — revealed through nobody but Christ Himself (Colossians 3:3–4).
Put to death what is earthly in you — kill it before it kills you.
"Look at your neighbor and say, kill it." Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness — which is idolatry — and the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience because of these things (Colossians 3:5–7).
You yourself must put off the old man's clothes.
Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, lying. "Is God telling you He's gonna do that for you? No — you do it. You yourself." Stop saying "I ain't there yet" and start saying "I'm already there" (Colossians 3:8–9).
Put on the new man — and above all, put on love.
Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another and forgiving one another, "even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" — and above all these, love, the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:12–14).
Let the peace of God rule, and do everything heartily as to the Lord.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, be thankful, and carry it into your house — wives, husbands, children, fathers, workers: "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Colossians 3:15–25).
The whole chapter in two lists — what comes off, and what goes on. Pastor Jones's charge: you yourself do the putting off; Christ does the remaking.
Stay with the plan.
Get out of your feelings.
If I don't kill you, they're gonna kill me.
You can't be born again, delivered, and everything you're doing for God is a struggle.
The devil ain't using no new tricks.
The 3 o'clock call. Every Wednesday he works through the day with one thing on his mind: getting situated, in position for the kingdom when it's time to be in position. One Friday his mind was already set — his son's football team was playing at home, and he was going. Then a 3 o'clock call: a last-minute job, good money, the devil knowing exactly how to entice him. "There is no temptation such as is common to man — and with every temptation, God already gave you a way of escape." He called somebody else, gave them the blessing, and stayed with the plan. When your mind is set on things above, you don't leave the plan for money.
The $100,000 truck. He pictured people up in age, knowing they don't have long, buying a brand-new $100,000 truck just to enjoy themselves — and he kept asking, what did it do for you? Two or three years and the Lord calls you home: everything you attained on this earth, you're going to leave it here. Set your mind on giving God more of your time now, so that when you get to heaven you'll have attained something up there instead of everything down here.
21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21 (NKJV) — quoted in the message
13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) — quoted in the message
9Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
Mark 10:9 (NKJV) — he cited "the Book of Mark"
24“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”
John 5:24–25 (NKJV) — referenced in the message ("when he read to you from the book of John")
Study — Read Colossians 3:2: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." What two directions is Paul contrasting, and which one is your mind set on right now?
Observe — The word "set" means fixed, locked in — the way his mind was set every Wednesday on being in position for the kingdom. What does a "set" mind look like, versus a drifting one?
Interpret — Pastor Jones said where your treasure is, your heart and your focus follow. What earthly thing has most of your focus right now — and what does that say about your treasure?
Live — Name one earthly chase you will put to death this week, and one kingdom thing you will put first.
1. Read Colossians 3:1–25 every day this week. Each day, write down one thing to "put off" and one thing to "put on."
2. The household code (verses 18–25): pick the verse that names your role — spouse, parent, worker — and live it on purpose this week.
3. "Get out of your feelings" — where are your feelings currently overruling what the Word commands? What would obedience look like there?
Before next Wednesday, take one member of the old man — your anger, your mouth, or your appetite — and put it to death: name it, starve it, and replace it with its new-man opposite. Stay with the plan.
Father, we thank You for raising us with Christ and hiding our lives in Him.
Set our minds on things above — not on the earth, not on our feelings, not on what we can attain and leave behind. Give us the strength to put to death what is earthly in us and to put off the old man, and clothe us in tender mercies, kindness, humility, forgiveness, and love.
Let Your peace rule in our hearts, let Your word dwell in us richly, and let everything we do be done heartily, as to You and not to men. In Jesus' name, amen.