16 Colossians: The Mystery of Christ - The Happiest Funeral Ever

Date: August 24, 2025 Lord’s Day: 34 Series: Colossians the Mystery of Christ Title: Happiest Funeral You Will Ever Attend Text: Colossians 3:1-5   Introduction:   Clarence Forbes was born in 1901. Coming from a farming and snowy background in northern New Hampshire, he entered Bates College in Maine. For his freshman year he registered for five courses in Latin, Greek, German, French, and English, to the consternation of his classmates (who didn’t think he could survive such a rigorous schedule). He not only survived, but earned his Phi Beta Kappa key and became enamored of a lovely coed, Florence le Maire, from a French family in Maine.     In 1924 they began 63 years of married life, raising five children. Clarence always referred to his wife as “the Best of Maine.”   After his marriage, he received his master’s degree while studying under William Abbott Oldfather, the distinguished professor of classics at the University of Illinois. Clarence continued his graduate work and earned his PhD four years later. He then took a position in the Classics Department at the University of Nebraska. After twenty years at Nebraska, he moved to Ohio State because he feared that Nebraska was about to make him a dean. As he wrote at the time, “I just wanted to teach!” He remained at Ohio State as a faculty member until his retirement in 1971.   Calrence Forbes died in August of 2001, only a month and a half short of his hundredth birthday.  I was at that funeral in 2001 and I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was the happiest funeral I had ever attended.    You may ask, in what way was it happy.  Dr. Forbes was days away from being 100.  The wife he met in college was wearing a red sweater when they were first introduced.  After her death in 1987 every day he wore Santa Clause red socks, in memory of her. He had lived 14 years after the love of his life had died.  Additionally, he had outlived all of his friends.  He was ready to go and everyone knew it.    This was the happiest funeral I had ever attended.  There were some tears, he was a beloved family member.  But at the same time, there were many smiles.    We come to our text today and see a funeral that even tops Dr. Forbes.  How is this a happy funeral? “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  Yes, this is a most joyous reason to be happy.    We have spend much time in Colossians chapter 1 that sets up the foundation for this letter.  Then in Chapter 2 spells out the problem.  We discussed various theological matters along the way.   Specifically, I have shared all of the things that as believers we could not do.  We cannot earn our salvation.  That even the faith that it took for you to believe is a gift of God.  Last week we spent much time discussing how Christ filled you.  That you did absolutely nothing to save yourself.   Where does that leave us?  Do we continue to do nothing?  Are we continually passive?    Our passage today links the doctrinal portion of the letter to the practical portion of the letter.  There is a NEW NATURE that occurs in the believer and it becomes a motivating factor in their growth.   Let us pray before we dig into the text:   Back in 2012 I had a clean up job.  It was clearing out a unit and I came upon this baggie of goodies.    The owner of the unit was obviously a retired deputy as well as a fire chief.  It appears as if he had both jobs and this bag was full of his police and fire ID’s.    It took me back to when I was in high school and there was this show on NBC, Miami Vice.  If God would give me another life back then, I wanted to be Sunny Crocket.  Sometimes, even today, when we check in at a restaurant and there is a wait list, I will give them the name, Sunny Crocket.    Sunny Crocket was handsome, I was not.  Sunny Crocket drove a sweet car and dressed nice and had great hair.  What he also had on occasion was his police badge that he wore around his neck on a dog chain necklace.   Guess what was in the bag?  Oh yes, my chance to be a little closer to Sunny Crocket. I would put that on my neck and Tina would see it, “What are you doing?  Get that thing off before you end up in the clinker impersonating a police officer.” For a brief moment, I was Sunny.    Now, I ask the question, and I know the answer.  Does this badge make me Sunny Crocket?  Does this badge make me a deputy?  The answer is no, and in fact, if I were to pretend, in public, in anyway that I am a police officer, I have committed a serious crime.   Even though I have the badge I have no authority.  We give authority to certain people to uphold the law.  So much is this the case that in older films or on tv, during a police chase they would say, “Stop! In the name of the. . . .law.”   This is the authority that they have. Because these officers have gone through a process where they get trained and make oaths they become representatives of the law.   We begin to see this same principle in our text today.  We have spent much time in chapter 1 and 2.  We see the authority of Christ in these passages.  We have labored quite a bit on how our relationship with Christ began and there is NOTHING we can do.   Jesus fills the cup.  We don’t fill it at all.  He filled your cup and my cup from start to finish in this work in our lives.    But last week, for those who were here, you may have seen the glass of water and you heard my words.  You heard my deliberations in my head from 30 years ago. I have to do something in order to be saved right?  Do I not play a part?   In terms of salvation, new birth, regeneration, new creation, your life as a Christ follower, disciple of Christ, it began 100% without you.  It is by grace.  This is that which we have been discussing.    God says, in this new covenant, I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean.  He did it.  He says in this new covenant I will take your rock hard resistant heart and give you a heart that does not resist me.    See that?  Without the work of God we would resist Him.  I will put my Spirit in you and cause you obey me.   See that?  Without the Spirit, we have no desire, no ability to obey.  This is the work of God.  It is a beautiful work of God.  This is the jar filling the cup.  Bottom to top.   What about now?    “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)   Sanctified.  What does that mean?  Set apart for holy use.  You were made holy.  Just like the instruments in the tabernacle were set apart for holy use.  They were sanctified.  God set them apart.   You have been sanctified.  In the name of the the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is your authority.    We come to our text,” IF then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (3:1)   Here is a switch.  It is something you can do.  Up until now we have been solely speaking in terms of what has been done for us. These opening 4 sentences reveal to us what we are now.   When you have been taken hold of by Jesus Christ himself, then at that very moment you:   Obtain faith and by that faith they receive Justification and the adoption as children (Rom. 3:22, 24; 4:5; 5:1; Gal. 3:26; 4:5) The Assurance of sonship by the witness of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:15–16; Gal. 4:6; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30) Those who are called are also immediately, by faith, included in fellowship with Christ, buried & raised (Rom. 6:3ff.) Made alive with him (Eph. 2:1, 5) Conformed to his image (Rom. 8:29–30; 1 Cor. 4:15–16; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19). Christ lives in them and they live in Christ (Gal. 2:20). Since by his resurrection Christ was made a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17) Has received the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 5:5; 8:15; 1 Cor. 2:12; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 3:2; 4:6; 5:18), The Spirit lives in them (Rom. 8:11) They live in the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:2, 4–5, 9). By faith Christ or his Spirit is the author and origin of new life in those who are called (Gal. 3:2; 4:6)                         They are very different, new, and spiritual people. The old has gone; all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17).              They have passed from death into life (Eph. 2:5; 5:14; Col. 3:1). They have been crucified to the flesh and to the world (Gal. 5:24; 6:14). They themselves no longer live, but Christ lives in them (Gal. 2:20). They are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10). They walk in newness of life, are now temples of the Holy Spirit, and are led by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:4; 8:14; 1 Cor. 6:19; Gal. 5:25).   This is every believer.  You have been deputized.  You have been given authority IN CHRIST.  I can’t look at this and not get a little excited.    “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, no on things that are on earth. FOR YOU HAVE DIED . . .” (1:1-3a)   That old you is no longer you.  In fact the old you compared to the new you:                         Alive in the world but dead in Christ                         Alive in Christ but dead to the world   The is the happiest funeral you ever attended was when you died to this world.   Everything you could not do before Christ, you have been set totally free to do now.