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  SET YOUR MINDS ON THINGS ABOVE
  by Donny Coulter
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of living a life of
holiness as God's children, focusing on putting to death the earthly,
sensual nature within us. It delves into practical steps to separate
ourselves from sinful desires and behaviors, highlighting the need to
pursue holiness and glorify God in all aspects of our lives.

Topics: "Holiness", "Overcoming Sinful Desires"
Scripture References: Colossians 3:1, Romans 6:1, 1 Timothy 1:8, Ephesians 4:17, John 3:36, Romans 1:21

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of living a life of holiness as
God's children, focusing on putting to death the earthly, sensual nature
within us. It delves into practical steps to separate ourselves from
sinful desires and behaviors, highlighting the need to pursue holiness
and glorify God in all aspects of our lives.

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CONTENT
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Is it on time? Logan's testimony gives us It gives us food for thought.
I hope that it gives you food for thought That there is a reason Why
that God has called his children to a walk and a life of holiness
Because with his actions And his words in public his father was saying
one thing Look at me. I'm a called-out one.

I am a separate one and with his actions in Private he was saying
something extremely different And to me That speaks volumes as to why?
Here is this young boy Confused young man confused as to what does it
really mean to have a relationship with Jesus and If all of God's
children are walking around with that kind of attitude towards their
walk with God Then they're gonna be all kinds of people walking around
going. What does it mean to have a relationship with Jesus? Do you
understand why God gives commands like we've been talking about? There's
a reason why because God Remember we said not a couple of weeks ago that
God called the children of Israel He called Abraham to to and we've been
telling the story of Jacob who was the father of of the Israelites he
the twelve tribes of Israel I came from Jacob and who was later named
Israel and And He called them out so that and made them a separate
people a holy Nation and he gave them laws by which they were to operate
him So for the very purpose of showing that he was God Above all other
gods in that same principle applies to us as God's children We are
called to a life of holiness Not a mundane life of well It's okay. It's
forgiven and so we have been speaking of The practical side of this and
we are going to get really practical today Colossians chapter 3 let's
read and then we'll pray we're gonna read through verse 17 again and I
want you to pay attention again to the negative side and then the
positive side on the negative there are ten things that we should not do
and Then on the positive side.

There are ten things that we should do and How we should do them
Colossians 3 Verse 1 if then you were raised with Christ Seek those
things which are above Where Christ is? Sitting at the right hand of God
Set your mind on things above and not on the things on the earth For you
died and Your life is hidden with Christ in God You remember the
illustration last week with the donkey and the top Verse 4 when Christ
who is our life appears Then you also will appear with him Look at this
transition verse verse 5 there for and We discovered therefore is there
because of verses 1 through 4 Because we have been raised with Christ
Because we have died and our life is hidden Christ Because we are to
have our mind on things above and not of things of the earth because
Christ is our life and all of our life and because someday we will
appear with him as him When Christ is our life Appears then you also
appear with him in glory Therefore put to death your members which are
on the earth Put to death your members which are on the earth It
literally means that we are to kill this sensual worldly nature That we
have lurking within every one of us I'll speak to that in a moment
therefore put to death your members which are of the earth are on the
earth fornication or sexual immorality uncleanness or impurity passion
evil desire and Covetousness, which is idolatry because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience in which You
yourselves once walked when you lived in them, did you hear what he
said? There is a difference between you Without Christ and you with
Christ and that's what we're talking about verse 7 Again in which you
yourselves once walked when you lived in them But now you yourselves are
to put off all of these there are no Exception clause in any of these
put off all of these anger wrath Malice blasphemy filthy language out of
your mouth Do not lie one to another Since you have put off the old man
with his deeds and have put on the new man Who is renewed in the
knowledge according to the image of him who created him? Where there is
neither Greek or Jew circumcised or earned uncircumcised barbarian
Scythian slave or free by Christ, but Christ is all and in all now now
we're going to look at the positive Therefore as the elect of God holy
and beloved put on tender mercies kindness humility Meekness long-
suffering bearing with one another forgiving one another if anyone has a
complaint against another even as Christ Forgave you so also you must do
but above all these things put on love Which is the bond of perfection
and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which you also were
called in one body And be thankful Let 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
and whatever you do in word or deed Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus
giving thanks to God the Father through him father I pray in these next
few moments. We have may your Holy Spirit do his work to teach us I pray
that our hearts and our ears would be open that we might be able to
receive from you what you would have Said that you would have said to us
God, I pray that we would be sensitive enough to listen and then respond
by the power of your Holy Spirit May you do this work in Jesus name. We
pray.

Amen He says now put to death verses 1 & 2 1 & 2 speak of things above
verse 5 transitions to this earthly This this earthly nature that is
bent towards sin and he says now we are to put to death those members of
that are earthly or that earthly Sensual nature that we have that we all
wrestle with we are to kill that earthly sensual nature Now death is
separation, right? That's the word the word actually means Separated. So
when we die, our spirit is separated from our body. I remember going to
the funeral home when my way Are we having problems? It is glitching
out.

Are we there? Can you hear me? All right, I won't move arm I remember
going to the funeral home after my dad passed away When dad When dad
passed away, they wrote they willed his body in I got there the day
after he had died and they willed his body in for me to say goodbye, and
I remember sitting and looking at the body and There was literally no
emotion for me because that was not my father He was he was gone. He was
in the very presence of God in Inside and I remember thinking that the
The funeral home attendant said to me, would you like me to stay and I
said no, it's just fine. This is not my dad It's just a shell He from
his body death is about separation and so when it's here to feel to put
to death your your Wesley nature he's you and All of those sensual
things that come along with that nature that desires that therefore
separate yourselves from the Nature die to needs old nature the old
Power is dead It's dead.

It's gone It no longer has power over you if you are a child of God it
no longer has over Problem is is we fail to recognize that one truth and
because of that we Constantly Over and over again Turn to Romans chapter
6. I'm gonna read this out of the the NASB If you will allow me that
Romans chapter 6. We're just gonna read. I'm not gonna do a lot of
teaching. I want you to hear the Word of God What should we say then are
we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be? How
shall we who died to sin? still live in it or Do you not know what all
of us that all of us who have been baptized into Christ? Jesus have been
baptized into his death Therefore we have been buried with him through
baptism Into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through
the glory of the Father So we too might walk in the newness of life For
if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death Certainly
we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection Knowing this that
our old self that is that old sensual nature that earthly nature was
Crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with
So that we would no longer be slaves to sin now.

We sang the song I'm no longer a slave to fear. I always for because
this verse is a memory verse for me It always comes out in my mouth. I'm
no longer a slave to sin But he says I we would no longer be slaves to
sin for he who has died is freed from sin Now if we have died with
Christ We believe that we shall also live with him knowing that Christ
having been raised from the dead is never to die again Death no longer
is master over him That is Christ for the death that we that he died He
died to sin once for all but the life that he lives he lives to God even
so Consider yourselves to be dead To be dead to sin and alive to God in
Christ Jesus therefore Because you are dead Because the old nature has
been crucified with Christ Because you are dead the old nature is dead.

The old man is dead. Look what he says Therefore do not let sin reign in
your mortal body so that you obey its lust and Do not go on presenting
the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness But
present yourself to God as those alive from the dead and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God For sins shall not be master over
you for you are not under the law but under grace What's what then shall
we shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace may it
never be Do you do you not know that when you present yourselves to
someone as slaves for obedience? You are the slaves of the one whom you
to whom you obey either of sin resulting in death or of obedience
Resulting in righteousness, but thanks be to God though You were slaves
of sin you became obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to
which you were committed and Having been freed from sin you have become
slaves of righteousness I am speaking in human terms because of the
weakness of your flesh for just as you Presented your members as slaves
to impurity and to lawlessness Resulting in further lawlessness. So now
present your members as slaves to righteousness resulting in
Sanctification which is what we've been talking about for when you were
slaves of sin You were free in regard to righteousness Therefore what
benefit? Were you then deriving from the things of which you are now
ashamed for the outcome of those things is death But now having been
freed from sin and enslaved to God you desire your are you derive your
benefit? Resulting in sanctification and the outcome is eternal life Now
turn back over to Colossians Do you see why he says to mortify not I
would love to spend four hours with you walking through what we just
read But we're not going to do that.

The Holy Spirit is good enough that when you hear the Word of God He can
make it come alive the point of all of that reading is that you are dead
to sin and when he says To mortify the deeds of the flesh to kill the
deeds of the flesh are the fleshly nature. It's already been done It's a
matter of exercising that by faith in your life It is a matter of faith
That we kill the old nature So you understand when we do this it is an
unreserved decision of the will that you are carrying out I Will I must
I must I will put to death all Of these things it is a decisive decisive
action with urgency in your life It is also necessary For you to access
to be able to do this It's necessary for you to access the very power
that God has given you and we read that in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 18
and 19 last week Therefore you do not have an excuse You do not have an
excuse When it comes to fornication or sexual immorality We do not have
an excuse when it comes to malice and anger We do not have an excuse to
say well, you know It's because she did this I did this because he did
this I did this because my neighbor did this I'm doing this Well, you
don't understand how hard this is. We are without excuse anymore You
can't say I just can't beat it if its power is too strong its pull is
too hard I can't overcome I Can't do it if we can say I can't do it
knowing that we have access to the very power of God to do it and To
live that out by faith, then it's no longer about I can't but it is
about I want Now I want you to remember as we talk through these five
things that we're going to talk about today Keep in mind that this is
not about keeping your relationship with God this is not about
maintaining a Relationship with God if you are not able to do this and
you are God's children God is not going to kick you out of the family if
you are a child of God Then the this is not being sinless and less
sinful is Not give you any more position with God He has saved you and
you were saved It will never be more saved tomorrow if you are less
sinless tomorrow than you are today in your sinfulness If you are a
believer and you're a child of God Then this is not about maintaining
your position with God It is about putting to death Those things that
are there so that we can represent and glorify God in a proper way So
let's look at the list it begins with sexual immorality look at verse 3
I'm sorry verse 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the
earth your fleshly nature on the earth and its deeds and Here are the
deeds of the fleshly nature Fornication or sexual immorality.

This is the word porno Nia You obviously can understand where we get the
word pornography from It comes from this Greek word porno Nia This word
sexual immorality is a word that can be translated fornication Sexual
deviancy Before we define sexual immorality That which is immoral sex.
We must define what is moral. Do you understand what I'm saying when I
say that? We must find what is moral where do we find what is moral
about our sexuality? Where do we find that? Oh Come on silence in the
room Where do we find what it how do we define? What is moral? about
sexuality Come on now help me out This is where we find out what is
moral about sexuality now today.

I'm going to say some things That some people are not going to like if
they hear this But we are going to I've said that I will not avoid
issues when we get to them in the Word of God And I will not do so. I
Will stand on the Word of God and teach the Word of God sexual
immorality moral sex is defined by God within the confines of Marriage
between a man and a woman That is the the definition of moral sex with
God Anything outside of that relationship is defined as immoral sex our
sexual immorality Marriage is defined by God, of course as Between one
man and one woman We can't go into all of the verses and all of the
scriptures that teach us this But we can say with authority that the
Word of God that teaches that That marriage is between a man and a woman
and within the marriage Hebrew says that within the marriage the bed is
Undefiled the sexual relationship that we have with our husband and our
wife is undefiled because of marriage Now therefore that means that
sexual immorality would include any kind of premarital sex Therefore we
are to have are not to participate in any premarital sex the Bible calls
that fornication sex outside of marriage or before marriage is outside
of the confines of what God has defined as his moral sex Also, there is
to be no extramarital sex We would define that as adultery any sex
outside of the marriage relationship is sexual immorality there's no
messing around with another person's wife or another person's husband or
being faithless to your own spouse that Is adultery? There is also to be
No, same-sex sex We call that sexual homosexuality. I Like that term
same-sex sex Because it really defines it.

It takes away the pretty of the word Homosexuality and it gives the
truth of what we are seeing. It is same-sex sex Homosexuality is clearly
defined in scripture as sinful sex Let me read to you 1st Timothy
chapter 8 verses 1st Timothy chapter 1 verses 8 through 11 Once again,
I'm going to read from the NASB But we know that the law is good if one
uses it lawfully realizing the fact that the law is not made for the
righteous person, but those who are lawless and rebellious for the
ungodly sinners for the unholy and Profane now you notice that he is
just defined Who the law is for the kind of people that the law is for
and now he's going to describe the actions of those lawless people Look
what he says for those who kill their fathers or mothers for murderers
And immoral men in Homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and Perjurers
and whatever at whatever else is contrary to sound teaching or sound
doctrine According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which
I have been entrusted Paul says now Homosexuality was included in that
lawlessness and We are as God's children Not to participate in same-sex
sex He says to mortify those deeds sex outside of marriage fornication
before marriage and outside of the marriage relationship and sex with
with those of the same sex We are to kill those deeds of the flesh We
are to stay away from those it would also include any other illicit or
immoral sex such as pedophilia Bestiality prostitution orgies and etc,
etc anything that is outside of the confines of what God has defined as
moral godly sexual relationship we are to kill to mortify to put a
Separation between us you understand now when when he says put to death
We are to put a separation between us and these things We are to put
them to death Look at the second thing. He says uncleanness or Impurity,
this is a more broader term than porno Nia.

It can include other things besides just sexual sins It includes With it
the thoughts of the mind as well as the actions of the body Ephesians
chapter 4 turned with a feet to Ephesians chapter 4 verses 17 through 20
This I say therefore and testify in the Lord verse 17 this I say
therefore and testify in the Lord That you should no longer walk as the
rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds having their
understanding Darkened becoming alienated from the life of God Because
of the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart
Who being past feeling? have given themselves over to the lewdness and
to all uncleanness or impurity with greediness You see that you would
love to have the time to walk through this. I'm not going to do it Who
is being past feeling who being past feeling have given themselves over
to lewdness They have given themselves over To work all uncleanness With
greediness There's so much motivation behind those things, but look at
verse 20, but you have not so learned Christ You have not learned Christ
this way Impurity It begins with the lust of the heart Romans chapter 1
verse 21 through 25 for although they knew God they did not honor him as
God or give Thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and
their foolish hearts were darkened Claiming to be wise they became fools
and exchanged the glory of an immortal God for the images Resembling
mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things Therefore God gave
them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity To uncleanness to the
dishonoring of their bodies among themselves because they exchanged the
truth about God for a lie and Worship worship and serve the creature
rather than a creator who is blessed forever and ever we as God's
children are to put to death put a separation between us and Those
things that are impure and unclean and it begins in the lust of the
heart It can have impurity can happen in the mind It begins in the mind
and it begins to act out in the body. The third one is passion a Passion
here is a drive or a force that doesn't rest until it's satisfied.

I Have a passion now we can have a passion. That is a good passion. I
want to have a passion for God, don't you? I want to have a a holy
passion for God and if I understand that a drive or a force that doesn't
rest until it's Satisfied I am never going to be satisfied until I cross
over.

I want to I want to I want more and more But this is about an inward
emotion that is aroused over an external object and Then we become
slaves to our passions Now within its context we are again speaking of
sexual passion men and women We always say what men let me speak to the
men We always say well, you know, it's just the way I'm made We say
well, I'm I'm driven by the big T Testosterone, but this passion Is to
be put to death So that you are not driven to cause harm. I Can't tell
you how many times that I've been in a situation. I'm speaking to men
right now How many times I've been in a situation? where I've been
speaking with with a Husband and a wife about their relationship and
there has come a coldness in the relationship and the coldness comes
because the husband is always driven by that passion and It's a it has
to be satisfied He's always driven by that and that's just the way I'm
made It's just the way I'm made and it ends up hurting and causing a
disrespect and a closing of the spirit of the wife And we have to be
careful that we are not Keeping that alive that we can't offer that
excuse anymore.

It's just the way I'm made Husbands, we must live in honor to our wives
and dwelling with them with understanding Number four, I'm hurrying. I'm
so sorry. I'm not sorry It is the Word of God evil desire strong desires
impulses Longings Cravings that are directed towards that which is evil
again.

There is nothing wrong with desires But when they are evil desires, we
are directed towards those things which are evil and wicked It is a
wicked passion towards something that is evil evil desires become a
dominant force in your life when you are ruled by passion and evil
desires and once again the Context speaks of evil sexual desires number
five covetousness Covetous says when we are covetous. It says that I
need more. I Have to have more.

I have to have that which I do not have. I Want more and I want more and
I want more. I may have more But I have this need inside to possess more
in other words My desires are never completely satisfied and when we
begin to covet in this way To covet a man or a woman When we begin to
covet in this way covet anything It's the Bible.

Look what it says in verse 5 at the end of verse 5, which is idolatry
Covetousness is Idolatry and that simply means that there is something
that you are wanting more than you are wanting God that thing that
person that you are desiring has become greater to you in Necessity than
God has become You are desiring something apart from God more than you
desire God It is taking the place of God. God is no longer enough We
covet what we do not have because we are not satisfied with what we have
We are not satisfied with God and therefore we covet other things. We
are not satisfied with our husband Therefore we covet another man.

We are not satisfied with our wife. Therefore we covet another woman We
are not satisfied with being single. Therefore we covet being with a
woman or a man Paul James says that when we covet like that it causes
fighting and wars among us The results again are seen in that verse that
we read in Romans chapter 1 Now look and see I'm again.

I'm trying to hurry Look at what it says verse 6 because of these things
the wrath of God Will come is coming upon the sons of disobedience The
wrath of God is coming. This is written in such a way that this is a
guarantee. It will happen It is not something that somehow some way
we're going to avoid outside of Christ This is going to happen the sons
of disobedience John chapter 3 verse 36 says he who believes in the Son
has eternal life But he who does not obey the Son shall not see life But
the wrath of God abides With him or on him The wrath of God is coming on
those who live in such a way Who live according to the earthly nature?
the sensual nature they are as God and Jesus said they are the children
of the devil and Therefore because they are a child of the devil they
will Experience the wrath of God the wrath of God will come on those who
practice These kinds of things in their life Now look what he says in
verse 8 our verse 7 in Which you yourselves? once walked When you lived
in them There is a separation for me and for you and this is what we've
been calling you to this is the this is what we've been calling on us to
to to understand and then pursue and that is a different kind of life a
different kind of lifestyle because that is who I used to be I Am no
longer that person that person has died.

That is no longer me I am now free from that person and therefore he
says You used to walk in these things and you used to live in them Do
not live in them any longer the the the reverse of that is you used to
live in it? Therefore do not live in them. You see this How important it
is it's all about position Do not live in the sin because your position
is in Christ. Remember the illustration I am hid in Christ Mine I have
died and my life is hidden Christ It's all about the position the old
position is the old man the the one that is ruled by the old nature and
the new position is the new man or the new person that is ruled By
Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives within it's all about position and
he says therefore Do not walk in those things kill those things that you
used to walk in We have to put separation between them How much
separation do you put between yourself and the things that we've just
talked about I know that When we when we talk about these to me these
are plain and simple things And when we talk about these there can be a
piercing of the Holy Spirit and I hope he has done so I Hope that he has
done a work in you to say that I need to put separation between me and
This life now.

I said last week. I was going to give you some practical things. I don't
have time I'm gonna give you practical things after Logia gets done
preaching If you'll hang on I'll give you some practical things and then
we're gonna talk about the other five things Some of those we've already
talked about But I want us do you see why we need to be different Why
we've called to be different to be holy it's not optional a Pursuit of
holiness a pursuit of God ought to be the drive and motivation of our
lives while we're here Let's pray father Thank you for your word It's
beautiful and challenging all at the same time, thank you for the
challenge of the Holy Spirit Lord, I pray that that most of these things
are not part of our lives because we have become followers of Christ And
they shouldn't be if we are following and pursuing you Most of all of
these things should not be a part of our lives.

I pray that you would help us God if they are I pray that you would help
us to be overcomers Help us Lord to put separation to put to death the
actions of this sensual nature Lord, I pray that we would live apart and
separate That we would no longer walk in the things that we used to be
in Make us separate God I pray for that one who's feeling the guilt and
shame. I The power of the cross that relieves that shame there is
therefore now coat no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus I
pray that they would not walk out of here condemned, but they will walk
out of here refreshed knowing that there is a power available. I Pray
that you would

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/1WsygZhg7Fg.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/donny-coulter/set-your-minds-on-things-above/
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