I. Introduction
A. Abundance or Scarcity
1. Over the last few weeks, some in our country went from experiencing abundance to scarcity. Thankfully, for many, it was a short-lived experience.
2. It may have been a reminder that true abundance does not consist of the things we have.
B. Abundant Life
1. In John 10, Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd.
2. He reveals that part of what He has made possible for us as our Shepherd is an abundant life.
3. Jesus provides the abundant life, but what does that look like?
4. In our passage this morning, Paul provides some clues on how to equip ourselves for the abundant life.
II. The Abundant Life
A. Elevated (1-2)
1. To live the abundant life, we must elevate our mindset to seek fulfillment in the right with the right .
2. Keep seeking
a. What are you looking for in life, and where are you looking for it?
b. When we seek fulfillment only in this , we ultimately find disappointment.
c. …where Christ is seated…This is the place where we are to start our search. It is a call to seek the things that Christ has commanded from His place of authority.
d. Have you placed Him in the highest place in your life?
e. Illustration: 14 billion DAILY searches on Google and 66 million daily prompts in ChatGPT.
f. In this new life, we seek our answers from the ultimate source: .
3. Set your minds
a. Owen Olbricht makes an interesting observation when he states, “They were to do more than seek to go to heaven; the godly nature of heaven was to be at the center of their thoughts.”
b. The new life is about more than just a destination; it’s also about the journey we travel on our way there.
c. Setting our minds is about .
d. Matthew 6:21
e. We chase after the things we treasure. Do we treasure the things that God treasures?
4. Having an elevated mindset means we are seeking answers from the ultimate source and focusing on chasing after the things that matter to God.
B. Elevated (3-4)
1. To live the abundant life, we must know we are by knowing we are.
a. Paul reminded them that they had died to their old lives.
b. Colossians 2:11-15
c. There had been a struggle with understanding what the new life looked like for the Colossian brethren. Their identity was to be found in Christ, not the old identifiers of the Law (i.e., circumcision).
2. Hidden Life
a. The Christian finds safety and in God.
b. Illustration: When our children were young, we sometimes played hide-and-seek. When it was my turn to hide, I would find the perfect hiding spot, but they would always find me super quick because our dog would be barking at me, wondering why I was hiding from the kids.
c. Satan loves to try and steal our safe places as Christians. He does this by shaking our confidence in the God who is our hiding place.
d. Psalm 27:5 For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.
3. Christ Who is Your Life
a. Jesus is the “…source, center, and wellspring of life. Not only is life from Him and share with Him, but He is life for the Christian.”
b. Philippians 1:21
c. Galatians 2:20
4. Elevated identity gives you a greater purpose, perspective, and .
III. Conclusion
A. IF…
1. Our passage this morning begins with a conditional phrase, “If.” (Some translations use “since.”)
2. Living the abundant life is a choice. Paul’s challenge to us is to think seriously about our call to live the new life.
3. If we can elevate our mindset and identity, we will appear with Him in glory.
B. Invitation