I was so, so excited to visit Chora Church in Istanbul last month. I had been studying and thinking about and meditating on a specific painting there for a couple of years and I finally got to see it with my own eyes.
[image: Chora 1] Chora Church was built in the early 4th century but it was decorated with magnificent Byzantine frescoes in the medieval period. [images: Chora 2-3] The whole building is full of paintings and mosaics of biblical scenes and heroes of the faith. It’s spectacular.
But the fresco I had come to see is called the “Anastasis,” depicting the resurrection of Christ. It’s the image we’ve been exploring all month.
The fresco is at the end of a part of the building called the “paracclesion.” [image: paracclesion] Basically it’s a chapel off to the side where they held funerals. And right at the front of the chapel is the Anastasis fresco [image: Anastasis 2], this powerful image of Christ raising Adam and Eve - humanity - from the dead.
But what I didn’t realize until I was standing right there was that to the right and the left of the Anastasis are more depictions of resurrection. [images: raising the dead 1-2] Frescos of two scenes from the gospels. Jesus raising the widow’s son on one side and of him raising the dead girl on the other.
I couldn’t help but imagine being an illiterate Byzantine peasant 600 years ago standing right there for the funeral. They can’t read. They don’t know the Bible beyond what they’ve heard, but they can learn the truth through these images.
So think about it. They’re in a chapel dedicated to death, they’re grieving the loss of someone they loved. But everything they see above them tells a story of life.
They lift their eyes from the body and see resurrection. Isn’t that profound?
I bring this up because we live in a world filled with death. Not just literal death, but social death. A world filled with violence and injustice and hate and greed and evil and tribalism. Just turn on the news. Just open your phone. And you are bombarded by the brokenness of our world.
There is a lot to grieve about the state of things today. And it is easy to get hopeless. To give up.
And yet, I believe like those Byzantine peasants laying their loved ones to rest in Chora Church, we are being invited to lift our eyes. To look up and see resurrection.
Today we’re going to talk about how - in a world filled with all kinds of death - to become people defined by life.
Before we go any further, let’s pray together.
[PRAY]
SERIES RECAP
This is the final week of our series “Christ Above All.” Over the last few weeks we have been exploring the book of Colossians, where the Apostle Paul is urging the church in Colossae to stop mixing their faith in Jesus with the worship of other spiritual powers.
Remember, Paul wants the church in Colossae to know Christ, to live like Christ, and to love like Christ. To bear good fruit, in other words, as we talked about last week.
But their Syncretism - the merging and mixing of different religions - was preventing that from happening. By following the rules of the world and mixing their allegiances with other spiritual powers, they were stunting their growth and corrupting their witness.
This is an important message for us to consider today in the American Church. Not because we’re obsessing over New Moon festivals or worshipping elemental spirits like the Colossian Church, but because we’re giving in to a dangerous syncretism of our own.
We are mixing our worship of Christ with the worship of the powers of our world. Specifically, we are worshipping what I’ve called
The god of Self
The god of Domination
We are selfishly putting our needs, our desires first, and we are allowing hatred and tribalism to define us.
We believe in Jesus, no doubt, but our behavior proves that we’re worshipping other powers. And, like the Colossians, this syncretism is stunting our growth in Jesus and corrupting our witness.
Which is why in week 1 we talked about recovering the single-minded devotion of a people fully surrendered to Jesus. Christ as supreme over the powers of our world. Christ above all.
And last week we talked about beginning to change our behavior. About rejecting the lies of the gods of Self and Domination, and to abandon what Paul calls the
Colossians 2:8
…empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.
Today, as we bring this series to a close, I want to get really personal and answer this question for each one of us: How do I start to live differently today?
THE REALITIES OF HEAVEN
So, turn with me to Colossians 3, Page ______ and we’ll get into it.
While you’re turning there, I have one random fun fact to share with you about Chora Church.
Below the Anastasis they have depictions of different Eastern Orthodox saints. [image: Santa 1] The one on the left is apparently a man named Nicholas of Myra. [image: Santa 2] He was a bishop who lived in the 4th century about 300 miles due south of that spot.
You may have heard of him by another name. Saint Nicolas, a.k.a. Santa Claus. I just think that’s so cool.
By the way, if anyone wants to know what this hand gesture means in Eastern Orthodox art, come find me and I’ll explain it.
Ok enough about Santa and Byzantine gang signs. Let’s get into the passage.
Colossians 3:1-4
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
What I find fascinating about Paul’s theology when it comes to living in Christ, is that he sees so much of it in the present tense.
So often we talk about our faith in future terms. “We’ll go to heaven when we die. We’ll be resurrected. We’ll be redeemed.” But that’s not how Paul talks about it at all.
Look again at what we just read. The only thing in the future tense here is that when Christ is finally revealed, then we will share in his glory. Everything else is about something that has already taken place or is currently taking place.
“You have been raised to new life.”
“You died to this life.”
“Your real life is hidden with Christ.”
And it’s not just here. It’s all throughout the letter.
Colossians 1:13
[God] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
Colossians 1:22
He has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Colossians 2:13-15
God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
Colossians 1:17
Christ lives in you.
This is not taking place some day in the future. If you have surrendered your life to Christ, you are a new creation. Right now.
It makes sense, then, why Paul is so fervent in getting the Colossians to rid themselves of all this ridiculous syncretism. Why mix your faith with the powers of this world who have already been defeated?
You’ve left the grave. Why are you going back to it? Or, as Paul himself says it,
Colossians 2:20
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world?
When you put your trust in Jesus, things fundamentally changed. So stop living like they didn’t.
This is why I find the Anastasis fresco so compelling as a way of understanding what Christ accomplished through his death and resurrection. Because it’s way more than just a picture of an empty tomb.
[image: Anastasis] In the image, Christ is surrounded by this almond-shaped light. It’s what’s called a “mandorla.”
Whenever you see a mandorla in Eastern Orthodox art, it’s an indication that what you’re seeing is transcendent. In other words, this image isn’t just describing some historical event. It’s describing reality.
As Paul says in verse 3. “You died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
You - just like Adam and Eve in the image - were in the grave because of your sin and selfishness and rebellion. You were dead. But Jesus Christ, the one human who did not deserve death willingly joined you in it.
Why? So that you could join him in his resurrection.
[image: Hades] He went to the grave so that he could shatter the gates of Hades, the realm of the dead, for you, so that he could bind and humiliate the powers of this world for you, [image: grave 1-2] and so that he could pull YOU, limp-wristed and helpless, out of the tomb of your own making.
As Paul says in verse 1, “you have been raised to new life with Christ.” [image: Anastasis] This is now. You’re not in the grave anymore.
So, “Set your sights on the realities of heaven…” Or, more literally, “seek the things that are above.” Verse 2. “Set your minds on things above, not the things of earth.”
Like those Byzantine peasants mourning in a chapel of death, Lift your eyes and find life.
Then you can start to live in it.
REJECTING SYNCRETISM
To me, this mindset is everything, especially right now, with the chaos of the world around us.
When we see deep-seated tribalism, political violence, broken small groups, shattered families, and rage filled social media tirades… When we see our friends and neighbors choking in the smog of selfishness and hate… it can be really easy for us to start choking on it as well.
When our eyes are fixed on the things of this world, we start looking out for number 1. We protect ourselves. We isolate ourselves. We indulge ourselves. We start bowing to the god of Self.
When we spend day after day breathing in this miasma of resentment, it becomes all too easy to give in to bitterness and fury and condemnation in our own lives. To buy the lie that “Christianity must win,” when Christ has already been victorious.
When we add our hate to the social pollution around us, the god of Domination is glorified.
All of this is the natural result of thinking about the things of this earth. Of doom-scrolling in our hearts and minds.
This is what happens when we allow our allegiance to Christ to mix with allegiance to the powers of this world.
But my friends, we do not have to give in to this cesspool of death. We don’t have to be defined by the cultural squalor of our times.
We can show our broken world that there is another way to live by remembering what Christ has already done for us and by starting to live in that truth.
Lift your eyes. Seek the things that are above; not the things below.
STRIP OFF DEATH
How do we do that? Well, in verse 5, Paul spells it out. Two very practical next steps for the Colossians, and for us:
First, we must 1) Put to death whatever in us is earthly. The things that come creeping out of our graves like zombies to pull us back down. Put them to death.
Second, we must 2) Clothe ourselves with the characteristics of Christ. Wear our new lives like a garment to shine the love of Jesus into our world.
In both cases he gives lists of examples of what that might look like. I believe that in each of those lists there is a specific invitation that God has just for you.
But here’s the problem with biblical lists like these. Whenever I hear one of these lists being read, with idea after idea being thrown out there, it all turns into a jumble like the teacher in Charlie Brown.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah…”
You can’t keep them all in your mind. Which is why I don’t want you to keep them all in your mind.
Instead, as I read, I simply want you to listen carefully with the Spirit’s help for just one word or phrase that jumps out at you. Pay attention to that one idea (whatever it is) and then ask God, “What is your invitation to me?”
First, let’s begin with the “things of this earth” which so often capture our attention.
Spirit, we invite you to speak.
Colossians 3:5-9
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
Take a moment with God. Breathe the clean air of resurrection and consider what one thing Christ is asking you to put to death today as he pulls you from the grave.
[pause]
CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH LIFE
Ok. Now hold onto that idea as we consider what we are meant to put on. To dress ourselves with, now that we have been transferred to the kingdom of Christ.
Again, pay attention. What word or phrase does the Spirit want you to hear?
Colossians 3:10-15
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Again, take a moment to do business with God. What is his invitation to you right now?
[pause]
In a few moments, we are going to do something which I believe will help to “bind us together” as a community, even in this very divided time.
You were handed a notecard on your way in today. On that card I’d like you to write two prayer requests for yourself. Someone else here is going to pray for them, so don’t put your name. But be honest.
The first prayer request should have to do with whatever you felt God asking you to take off - to put to death. The things of the earth you are still clinging onto.
The second should have to do with what you feel led to put on - the characteristic of Christ you feel led to clothe yourself with.
In a moment I’ll invite you to drop your card at one of these tables and to pick up the card of another. And then start praying for them as someone else in this spiritual family starts praying for you.
GRACIOUS AND ATTRACTIVE
As you write, I want to share just a few final thoughts to close out this series.
We’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve talked about syncretism, about ancient cultures, and Byzantine artwork. We’ve called out some of dangerous idolatry within the American Church, and we have wrestled with the many ways each of us has allowed selfishness and hate to infect our lives.
Bottom line: We now know that if we - followers of Christ - allow the god of Self and the god of Domination to rule over us, they will only corrupt our witness. They’ll compromise our gospel message.
That is a sobering truth for the Church of our day.
However, I want us to end this series by recognizing that the opposite is also true.
If we - followers of Christ - reject the lies of the powers of our world and instead focus our whole-hearted devotion on the supremacy of our Savior… if we dedicate ourselves to Christ above all and let his self-giving love define our lives as we stand (present tense) with him in the presence of God, then our message of hope will be irresistible.
In the conclusion of his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul says this:
Colossians 4:5-6
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
We are here on this planet as representatives of the self-giving love of Christ. And wow does our world need that love right about now.
“Make the most of every opportunity,” Paul says. Just look at the brokenness around us. What an opportunity!
This is our chance - right now - to bring hope and healing to our world. Because we serve the God of hope and healing and he has already defeated death. [image: Anastasis] That is the gospel we declare.
Let me remind you: You don’t need to be rescued out of this time that we’re living in. Because you’ve already been pulled from the grave.
Colossians 3:1
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven…
Put to death selfishness and hate. Clothe yourself with love. Not just for yourself. But for your family, your friends, your classmates, your coworkers, your neighbors.
Lift your eyes and find life so they can find it in you.
[PRAY]