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Colossians, Chapter One.
All the apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother.
The Saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which our philosophy grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and other love which He had for all the things, for the hope which is laid out for you in heaven.
Drug he heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come unto you as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit as it does also when you since the day he heard of it, and knew the grace of God and truth.
As he also learned of Epifra, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto us your love and the Spirit for this 'cause we also, since today we heard it, do not need to pray for you. And the desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Strengthened with Almighty, according to His glorious power unto all, patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. Given thanks unto the Father, which hath made us need to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in life, who have delivered us from the power of darkness and have translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin, who is the image of the invisible God.
The first born of every creature, or by Him were all things created. These are in heaven, these are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrown, or dominions, or principalities, or power. All things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.
For at least the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell.
That haven't made peace through the blood of his cross by Him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked work, yet yet now has He reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you wholly and unblameable and unreprovable in his sights, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the godful.
Would he have heard?
So which was priest to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I fall, and need a minister who now rejoiced in my sufferings. For you can fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for His body state, which is the Church.
Where Albine may administer according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now has made manifest to his thing, to whom God would make known. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles? Which is Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach, warning every man that heating every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Where I'm due, I also labor driving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
It has been said that in season one we have the highest truth, and in a sense that's true, the place of blessing that we are brought into. But in Colossians, in another sense we have the highest because it brings before us that Christ is all and in all.
It's the glory of his person that is particularly brought before us in Colossians as the head of the body, the church. And Mr. Darby translates it in the third chapter. For our translation is Christ is all and I'll he says Christ is everything. And that's what we need to learn, brethren. And if we learn that and lay hold of it in our souls by the Lord or everything else into its right place, our difficulty is when other things come in between and Christ is not given his rightful place.
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Told me the result of these meetings and reading this chapter give us to give Him that place that is rightfully He is in our hearts and in our lives.
And I just like to also say that it begins in this chapter by showing the wonderful standing that we are brought into in Christ, in salvation, and then goes on to develop the truth of the Church because we need to enjoy the knowledge of our full salvation. And then we can enter into this wonderful place of nearness near to Christ as members of His body.
It's helpful to see what the impossible is trying to do in this epistle. He says in the season, he's telling the believers there what they are to Christ. And in this epistle their hearts are wandering a little bit and they're looking at other things. And so he's bringing their hearts back to go to their hearts, to bring Christ before their hearts, that Christ would be the object for their heart.
That was the tendency and we can see that it is fiscal the 2nd chapter in the first verse.
Or I would that she knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them that are at latest here, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. And then in the last chapter he tells them to the 13 first for a bears and record, that he had a great deal for you and them that are in latest years. And then in Hierophilus these assemblies were not far from each other. And in the 16th verse he said, And when this epistle is read among you causes it all to be read.
And the church is the latest. Likewise, you read the epistle from later here. I think Mr. Darby, that is no, that is simple. That was athletic and he suggested maybe that would be a Pitbull to be a reason. But the point was that the need that there were similar latest amines after the tradition to the customs of the lay people. And so they got their eyes off of Christ and he's trying to turn their eyes back to Christ. If you want a wonderful object for faith we have.
In the second verse, let's be careful that we don't make two classes out of the people of God, the Saints. And then there's the faithful brethren. That's not correct, and it reads in the AMD translation to the Holy and Faithful brethren. It's true of the two things were true of the brethren.
No, even if you take the reading thing, uh, it isn't that some are Saints, uh, and some are faithful brethren. It's uh.
Really characteristic of all the Lord's people, isn't it? And that's not a question. We, we look at ourselves and say, well, holy and faithful brethren and far from it. But uh, this is looking at it in grace, isn't it? As God, uh, viewed them as holy and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus. I just say that because there's a great tendency and I heard a man not too long ago belabor the point that.
There are Saints and then there are faithful brethren and you have to, uh, hope that you're part of the faithful brethren as well as part of this thing.
As to our standing, we are all in that place.
Faith and, uh, faithful brethren, that is brought into that position by faith. It's by faith we stand. So there we are. And uh, we're holy and then we're told in faith and faith and to walk has become a thing. That's the practical side of it, but we need to see what our standing is first.
And enjoy that then the exhortation to walk worthy of the calling for what we are called for, as we have here worthy of God unto all pleasing.
That's important that it's now the officials are written and said he sent before them, they're standing and he brings practical exhortation at the end of the pitfall. And generally speaking, the world has a religion of somebody said a few to get and that's not Christianity. We've been placed in reposition by faith in Christ and therefore there are practical exertations that flow from that, but we need to be clear as to what our standing is.
You have that expression, Oh brother, any price does that bring before us in our privilege, and the expression sometimes in the Lord for our responsibility?
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I just mentioned too, it says by the will of God, and it's good for us, for us, and to realize that the will of God in the heart of God are the source of all our blessings. It's not our will, but the will of God. We think of a back in the past eternity, God had eternal purposes and that was that His Son should have the central place.
The the head of all things, and there would be a people associated with him brought into that place of blessing, and we need to remember this.
And originally I would enjoy it. Every believer in this room can say the will of God concerning me is that I would be brought into the enjoyment of the fullest blessing that is in the heart of God for me. And that's the work of the Spirit. Now that's what the Word of God brings before us, that we might know it. And the work of the Spirit is to bring us into the enjoyment of it, that the love of God would be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us.
I noticed after the greeting in verse two that.
Paul says that he gives thanks to God, to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ continually.
And praying for them.
And I sometimes wonder, brethren, why it is that we get so critical of one another? I think we've stopped giving signs for the same. I found in my own heart what a blessing it is to be able to think of the Saints and think of something you can thank the Lord for. Thank them. Thank the Lord that they are His.
And it guards our hearts against developing a critical spirit. I just think that this is put here for our instruction, brother, that we might learn.
To thank the Lord for those Saints that God has privileged us to not.
I think that's a very good thought. Years ago, the certain brother was always, uh, it was another brother that was a thorn in his side and he kept condemning him and, and so someone said to him, have you ever prayed for him?
That was a that was a a touch to his conscience. Have you ever prayed for him? He said if you pray for him, you will see him in a different perspective. You see him as God sees him. So pray for him. Very good.
For them, we'll see the blessing that they are. David prayed that the Lord would require him. Good for Jimmy's railing on him. And the Lord, I believe, did that. And we pray and thank the Lord for the one that perhaps you think irritating us. This blessing will come out for us and for them too.
The only failure of an Old Testament St. recorded in the New Testament is what we have in Romans where it says Elias made intercession for God to God against Israel, not for them, but against them. And that's the only failure recorded in the New Testament of an Old Testament claim. We should indeed pray for the Saints, never against them. We may feel things false, felt things very deeply.
But he always interceded for the same, didn't he?
I remember saying your brother one time, he was falling into that kind of.
Period. I even I am left alone.
That when Elias got to that point.
Lord said I can't use you anymore, don't annoy Elisha prophet in your stead and took him up. And I believe that if we lose that spirit of praying for our brethren and thanking the Lord for them, I believe we're finished as far as earthly ministry is concerned. Now God is gracious. I realize that the brother I mentioned it too is still active in ministries, but.
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Uh, it it strikes me that.
What happened here is that news came of the work of God in the heart of these Colossians.
And since Paul heard of it, he didn't stop praying for them and thanking God for them. And I think that's an important thing. So often I hear about a work and I, I thank the Lord for it, come back from Argentina with my heart full with thinking about mistakes and thanking the Lord for them. And in two months, I've forgotten even a lot of their names that I was praying for the first week. I don't know if anybody else has that problem, but I do.
And.
It's, it's sad because.
I know that Paul here didn't stop.
He prayed for them. Now, I used to think that it was against the rules to have a prayer list. I don't think that anymore because I think the Apostle Paul must have had a very large prayer list. I'm not talking about you got to be formal about it. But not everybody has been. I realize it more and more as I get older. No, not everybody has a good memory. And you begin to forget names and people and and things that you really want to present before the Lord.
Now the word is a way of reminding us about it, maybe through a sad circumstance that we hear about or whatever, but it should be a fresh daily exercise to pray for the different ones that we've heard about. Now we all pray today about Mozambique. How many of us will be praying about the work in Mozambique 3 months from now? When the Lord took Michael Walsh be home, everybody was praying for Theresa.
But are we still praying for Teresa Washy? She still needs it, doesn't she? And there's a lot to thank the Lord for in her, in her pathway. I just mentioned that as a practical thing rather than not. Maybe nobody else has this problem, but I get four months away from an event or, uh, people and.
They're out of my mind. There's new things I'm praying for and, uh, I think it's nice to keep remembering that they still need the, the prayer, the enemy is still busy and the prayer that Paul prayed for them was a very specific prayer. If you go on further here, you'll see that, uh, that, uh, if you go down to first, uh.
10/11.
Uh, you see very specific prayers, you know, we have a tendency to say blessed Harry and.
Well, what does that mean by tiring? Uh, it's nice that the word request hiring Mary or whatever, but I believe there are specific needs that the Lord makes us aware of and goals that need to be prayed for, things that need to be presented to the Lord.
Sexual circumstances that our brethren are passing through.
I'm very interested in one of the things. Of course, it doesn't mean that we're not aware of things that need to be corrected. Paul was very aware of this situation there in Colossi and he prayed particularly. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit and so on. And so there are particular things and it isn't contrary to the mind of the Lord that.
We've mentioned all things and feel them and exhort in connection with them, pray in connection with them too. I say that because what we love all the same, umm, we're aware of certain needs, help the president are aware of needs that they see a million praise especially for them. And so we have that side of things that we don't make intercession against the faith. So we do notice things that require special prayer.
An intersection the Lordy on the with dear Peter, he said, I have praised for thee that thy faith fail not. He saw Peter treading a slippery path, and he was perfect in all things.
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I think so. I'm just a lot of things, doesn't it?
1St Corinthians 13 says love seeketh not her own. And the big thing is, is that, you know, we need to, we need to see them as one instead from the top of the rock with the vision of the Almighty. And I really believe rather divine love does that.
Receive God's people and and then we can pray, I believe, for those specific things because we see them as He sees them. And that's so very important. You read that chapter and what does it say? Love never fails.
And if our hearts are really occupied with the love of God, I think our prayers are going to be specific for things that need to be, need to be said, need to be asked for credit growth.
Also, I mean their colostomy. He saw faith, he saw love.
And you saw and it's good for us to remember that that these three things fit in the the reading through the epistles to find Paul usually grouping those things together. Faith, hope or faith, love and hope. And I think the three things are brought out here, as it says, and we give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray all for you. Pray for whom since we heard of your faith.
In Christ Jesus.
And of the love which you have to all the things, and for the whole food is laid up for you in heaven. Beautiful, isn't it? To think that if you look back at that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and love goes out to those around, as he says here, we're off the earth. The love for the hope which is laid up in heaven, whereof you heard before the word of truth, and the love which you have to All Saints.
And then that hope of the soon coming Lord. Well, are there gonna be any fault there? Do we need any prayers and glory?
No, I think he's calling our attention to the fact that if Christ is the object, if he is a, if he is truly our life, then we're gonna be directing our thoughts to the Lord Jesus, to God our Father, for the Saints of God.
With homework suspenders, countless ages of eternity. Very interesting.
Just taking the measure of that love is brought up naturally in first Peter one, isn't it? And loved one another first Peter one and verse 22.
They, uh, purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. I was thinking of that verse, the first part of that we're seeing. You have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. That's important, isn't it? While we're living in the good of enjoyment of Christ in our souls walking in the truth then.
This other follows through, doesn't it? Allow this manifest and then it gives us the measure with a pure heart improvement.
That's like I mentioned too in the second verse.
Is exhortation and almost all the pistols that are to an assembly raised beyond the UNT from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we remember that we ourselves are the objects of grace and grace is the undeserved favor of God is not one of us in this room, but if we got what we deserved, it would be eternal judgment. We're not one bit better. It's only what grace has done for us. And if we live in the sense of that, so he says grace be unto you. And I believe, brethren, that in the measure in which we appreciate grace, in that measure there is peace.
Not only peace with God, as long as the Sinner is looking in for feelings or feeling that he has to do something in himself, he's he never finds peace, peace with God. But when he rests entirely upon the work of Christ and the salvation is totally undeserved. It's by grace alone that he has peace with God. And isn't it true also in our practical circumstances of life?
That if we ourselves are walking in the enjoyment of grace, that every favor that we have had since we are saved is all undeserved. It's pure grace. And then when difficulties arise, we don't say, why did this happen to me? I thought I deserve something better than this. Instead of this, we recognize that all God sways with us are undeserved in the goodness toward us. And this is what gives us peace in the midst of.
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UN shall I say, unpleasant circumstances that come in our lives.
We are peace because we know that you know a God of love who is abounded toward us in his grace, and now grace in the enjoyment of grace has to salvation. And as to our floss, since we are saved, it's all undeserved, and that gives us peace in the midst of difficult circumstances.
When our brother Charles was reading about the love to all those things, I was thinking how easy it is for our hearts to become sectarian in love and how careful we need to be that that doesn't happen now. I have no doubt the Lord has told us to have passed. It involves the being apart from many of our brethren in a practical sense.
But does our love flow out to them?
When you hear somebody use the name of Christ, does it warm your heart and do you love them because of it? I think that's an important thing, and I feel the need in my own soul to be kept in that.
Uh, in that spirit that the Lord might.
Increased my love towards those even that I can't talk with. In fact, sometimes I was just remarking to my wife about some Christians I met a couple of weeks ago. I said, you know, I'm very, very thankful that I'm going to be an eternity with those dear ones, even though we don't walk together here.
But I'm also glad the Lord has called me.
To a path where I can carry out the truth of God.
You see, that's the thing, we sometimes become very narrow in our affection towards the Lord's people.
And the Lord has a way of, of, uh, admonishing us about that. Here is the love to all the Saints.
And that's not a sentimental thing. That's a very real love, isn't it?
It's not sentiment, it's just not, uh, going up and throwing your arms around and kissing them and everybody's standing up and hold hands together and that sort of thing. That's much more than that. Judas did that. Yes, yes, I was thinking too, Uh, brother Richard, love is not just a word.
It's an exercise of heart.
We use the word all the time. We're all I love. Do we really love you? The first thing the search is the heart, doesn't it? Where is my heart? What is my affection for that individual? Are those those ones that may be in the wrong path? We, we can't go along with them, but we certainly can love them. That's a fine line, isn't it? And that line means that we've got to be near to the Lord Jesus himself to see his.
Uh, his love, which was an unrequited love. He did not require something from us. His love sold out to us when we were so unloved.
Did they say that the uh.
One and the two are brought together. The fact of it and the enjoyment of it in John chapter 15 and verse 9.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye and my love. That's an absolute, unconditional love. As a Father hath loved me, the Father loved the Son perfectly. And he said so have I loved you. That's unconditional. That's grace and grace alone.
But now the uh, 10th of 11 First, bring the practical side of it, if also the word if, if he keeps my commandments, he shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things have I written unto you, have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full? That's the practical side of it. Let's put it in a simple way. We understand that in family relationships.
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If you're a father, you love everyone of your children. You love the most disobedient and rebellious child. You love that child because he is your child and you love him. But that child doesn't enjoy your love. If he self will, he perhaps will say, I don't think my father loves me as much as somebody else because he's not walking in your will. He self will. And so if we're going to walk in the enjoyment of that unchanging love, there needs to be obedience. There needs to be that walking in communion with the Lord.
And then as it says, our joy will be full. No human love is perfect, but the love of God is so perfect, so wonderful. It's like a vast ocean. You can never, never measure it, but it's toward us present, and it's toward everyone in this room. And if I'm not enjoying it, it's my fault, not the fault of the heart of God. That's unchanging. And said that obedience and.
Submission are the healing principles of Christianity.
Why are there so much? Why is there so much hatred and, uh, diversity? Because the love isn't there.
So submission and obedience are the healing principles of Christianity, and I believe it's something to take into consideration, isn't it, that we might be found walking in that manner?
Is it not as cool on earth either that can't know in that kitchen work those things better, you know?
That's that's a great thing. I'm thinking the the second Peter chapter one, uh, before we turn there, I'd just like to look at the third chapter of the Colossians and the expectation in there.
First step 12 put on there for is the elective God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind there.
Interesting point. Meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another, that any man have a quarrel against any. Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Verse 14 And above all these things, notice that put on charity, which is a bond of perfectness. There it is. So we have to grow up in these things. I got saved, but I have to grow up in these things.
And let's turn over now to Second Peter chapter one.
Uh, let's start here from verse 5.
Second Peter chapter one and verse five. And beside this, given all diligence, head to your face virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge, temperance and to temperance, patience and the patience, godliness, and the godliness, brotherly kindness, and the brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that he shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But.
See that lack of these things is blind and cannot see a far off has forgotten that he was purged from his old skin. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, he shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But thinking too of of the end there of first Corinthians chapter 12. What does it say It says Speaking of the spiritual gifts it says.
And yes, show I am to you are more excellent way. And what is it? It's divine love, isn't it?
One time I was challenged on that verse and mentioned in the 13th Business Love Never failed and.
This man, I don't know whether he doesn't think he was large, he said. It does fail. Look at all the breakups, look at all the all the divorces, look at all the animosity that man is going through.
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I said love never fails.
And you looked at me and I said, you know why? Because God's love, not to say that man fails, but God's love will never fail. Never. He's not turned aside because of the wickedness of man's heart. It's still God's love is still there.
That's how the apostles are heart attacked him because that's where he is. That was in John 15 and in the chapter first. If you just read in the first Peter. We also find it on our chapter in connection with our standing in the second verse of state and faithful brethren. But when it comes to a possible state in the 22nd verse, 21St verse, 22nd verse, first chapter in the body is blessed reconciled.
Through death to present you wholly and unblameable and unreprovable. The land of sight, if you continue interface ground is settled. So again, it brings in our responsibility. The Lord doesn't change because love doesn't change.
We have to continue in these things.
Speaking of that expression, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
We have a very.
Hard semantic problem in our minds with the word host.
Immediately we think there's doubt in connection with it.
If I say to you, I hope that next Tuesday we're gonna head up to Saranac Lake that has doubts connected with it, A lot of doubt because I may get sick or my wife might get sick or, umm, the car might break down or the piece might go up instead of the whole family's sick. Don't come. Uh, there's many things that are doubtful about it. But hope in Scripture, and this is something we ought to take firmly into our souls. Hope in Scripture is deferred, certainly.
It's deferred certainly because it doesn't depend on us or on any circumstances. It depends on God. That's why in Hebrews 6 it says we hope we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast.
Hope can be an anchor.
Yes, because it's God who does the the doing Christ has entered in for us, and therefore our hope is an anchor, the grip, the rock. And there's nothing doubtful about it. I just say that because I think in general our minds are accustomed to think of hope with a doubt connected with it.
Umm, are you going to go to the Sunday School picnic tomorrow? I hope.
What do you mean by that? You mean there's a doubt? You might not. But if you say you're going to be in heaven, I hope to be there and I will be there because that hope is dependent on God, doesn't depend on me. He is faithful who is promised. So I think that's important to get a hold of it. I just stress that especially some of our young people will get a hold of that concept in their minds. Hope.
In Scripture is a deferred certainty. It's something we don't have yet.
Why does the man hope for it if he has it?
But the hope we have has no doubt connected with it whatsoever. That hope is reserved up there for us, and we're kept down here for it. This is a beautiful good thing, that.
Whether whether it's faith, whether it's love, or whether it's hope.
Where did we get it? Who gave it to us?
Even the faith to believe we've given you a God.
And God's love has been important to you. Put in your heart, and the hope of glory is before us. As you mentioned, those verses in Hebrews 6, I believe, are very, very good verses. Our hope is there. Either it's an anchor of the soul and it's the person of Christ business. Can anything happen to him? Can that hope be turned aside in any way? Never, never.
It's all God, isn't it? And what he wants us to do is to lay hold of this.
Embrace it as we find in, uh, that's, I think it's Thessalonians, the love of the truth. Or is it Timothy, the love of the truth? Make it good to your own soul. I'll say, well, that's the truth and I believe it. That's not enough. We should embrace the truth and make it good to our souls. Well, then those three things, faith, hope and love, The question is where they are centered.
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If I have faith in my fellow man that he's going to do something, that's faith in man. I may disappoint me, I may have love towards another person, but something may happen. And if it's not divine love, activity may spoil the enjoyment of that love, and so is the hope. So the words are properly used with uncertainty whenever they have to do with man, but whenever they have to do with God, then there is absolute certainty. Does God's love ever change?
I love you with an everlasting love. Having loved his own, which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. And so with the hope that we have been Speaking of when it's a man, why there is an uncertainty. You may not be able to fulfill what he promised, but everything that matters in God that is pure and certain. And so whether it's faith or hope or love, if it's connected with man, there's uncertainty.
I was connected with God then there's absolute certainty the eternal God is thy rescued, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
So very important to see that because we live in a day and age, you know, where people have a tendency to look at God through circumstances. And ourselves were guilty of that too. And somebody had said when we look at God through circumstances, we're really acting in unbelief.
What we need to do is we need to look beyond the circumstances, so to speak, the second causes and see the one who has ordered everything. Sometimes in the shaking of our world, you know, we turn and and we realize that it's the Lord who is shaking it, that our confidence, you know, might be in him and not in ourselves or in anyone else, but in the living God instead, who gives us rich, we all think to enjoy.
Where do we hear about this? Oh, I think it's important to see here in this verse, verse five that we heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. It isn't something that came out of somebody's imagination. We've been enjoying second Peter in our readings in Mount Tabor and, uh.
We've just specially been enjoying that. We have not followed cunningly devised fables. Then there'd be no UN, no certainty at all if it was a cunningly devised fable. But we heard about it in the word of the truth of the gospel, The word of the truth of the gospel. If you're resting on experience, forget it. There's no place to rest. And, and the sad thing is that thousands and thousands of living Christians are resting on experience today.
Rest on the on the word of the truth of the gospel. God's word is reliable. I know some of objected to that little hymn of the Bible stands like a rock undaunted meets the raging storms of time. I want to tell you it's one of my favorites. Uh, it's pages burned with the truth eternal and they glow with the light supply.
Bible stands of the hills may tumble, it will firmly stand on the earth shall crumble. I will plant my feet on its firm foundation for the Bible stands, It's the word of God that gives assurance to our souls. And uh, there's been a tendency to take the emphasis off the word of God and put it on to experience. That's a very shaky place to rest because our experiences are subject to many influences.
Other than the Word of God. But if you're resting on the Word of God, what can you shake it? Nothing can shake it. It's a rock. It's the word of the truth of the gospel.
Someone has said that Colossians brings this the positive side of the gospel. Although Paul was writing to the Colossians, there was a there was a problem there. They were they were going a little bit into heresy. They were turning away. They were not holding the head. And so I think it's beautiful. As you mentioned here at the end of that fifth verse, notice the opening of the sixth verse.
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The word of the truth of the Gospel, which is come unto you.
Every child of God hears come unto you.
And also in the world that has the world received it? No, the world has rejected it. Does that take away from the truth of the gospel? No, it does not. It says here, which is come unto you as it is in all the world. Now notice the next clause and bring it forth root. God is looking for fruit in each one of our lives and the only way that we can bear fruit. Someone has said true fruit is what our affections are for the person of Christ before God.
True fruit. Repeat that charster. That's nice. A true fruit is our affections for the person of Christ before God. That's what truth would be. That's what God is looking for. And I think of it here. He says and bringeth forth proof as it does also in you, since the day he heard of it. And know the grace of God and truth. Well, it's an assured thing, isn't it? Beautiful and beautiful, precious truth.
I believe there's an emphasis here too, laid out for you in heaven, not on earth, because very much of Christendom is involved in world government, taking part in big movements to try and improve the conditions of the world, and that they feel that Christianity is intended to do this here in this world. Well, in a certain sense it may have that effect, but that isn't what our hope is. Our hope is laid up in heaven for heaven. We have to expect that things in this world are going to get worse and worse. The world is going to ripen for the judgment of God.
There's no use painting the sinking ship. It's going down. But we have this whole thing in our blessings are all heavenly, not particularly brought out here and collage and so much as in Ephesians. Ephesians were seated in heavenly places, blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, but we're still here on earth, umm, in Colossians. But our hope and ours, our brother's been saying it's sure uncertain hope, no doubt about it. It's not here.
Hello Snoopy. Disappointed if we see the breakdown of things in this world and shall I say with sadness, even among the people of God. The last state of the church is not like the day of Pentecost. But the hope is laid up for us in heaven and we can enjoy these things and we can seek to encourage one another as we look at what we have in Christ and walk in the enjoyment of it. Rather not so important for us and that will enable us to go on an evil day.
I mentioned that because it is quite surprising to see how much of, uh, Christian effort is put into, uh, improving the world and trying to stop the, uh, course of evil that's going on. What they need is the gospel. It's the power of God unto salvation. When they believe it, they won't be improving the world. At least that won't be their effort. It will have some effective improvement, but that isn't the effort. The effort is to bring sinners to Christ. They might know salvation.
And then have a hope laid up for them in heaven, which they're in the enjoyment and good up.
You mentioned the fact that the evil surgeon said, my Lord, the latest was coming and began to beat the men's servants. I was thinking of why were the children of Israel 400 years in Egypt? Because the iniquity of the Amorite was not yet full. And so we may try to restrain them in the progress of evil in the world. But it really is until the full manifestation of it is that that was why the children of Israel were in Egypt in that last period of time because.
Evil is not God doesn't judge a thing until it's right, and so it really has a practical effect of trying to set the world straight is really practically is delaying the Lord's coming.
It only magnified his grace when you stop and think that here we are in 1996 right down at the close and every day that the Lord doesn't come in just one more one more statement to this world in grace. This world is responsible to accept and and to believe that which God has set forth in connection with the person of his son. But I I just thinking of the grace of God in that way.
If it's, if it's even possible to turn back the hands of time that the center might be saved, God would even do that. Absolute confidence in the grace of God in that way. And uh, but it's wonderful to see that every day that goes by just one more statement to this world of his love and grace be seeking the Sinner to come. I love second Peter chapter 3 long-suffering to us word not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.
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I'll prepare the unbelievers too. We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God, he said. He doesn't say get saved and your life will run smoothly and everything will go wonderfully. No, He said, we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. This is not our rest. We're not to expect it. So Lord said to the disciples in the world, he shall have tribulation, but be a good cheer. I have overcome the world.
And if these difficulties turn our hearts heavenward, make us enjoy our heavenly portion, the Lord, But then they're used to God for a divine purpose. But let us not be weary in well doing. There is a service for us to perform, but it's not hating the ship. It's telling sinners that there is a light bulb. There is an escape from the judgment, and it provided, it's a full and free salvation. It's a great salvation to whosoever will.
Seems, uh, interesting here to note that the Lord had used other than the Apostle Paul for the blessing of these people.
Paul doesn't say, well, that's not my work, I won't get involved in it at all. There is a sense in which one doesn't build on another man's foundation, and that's a biblical principle too. But I believe that as a true servant of Christ, Paul rejoiced in whatever work God was doing.
And this dear man, Mephipurous, a fellow servant of Paul's, was for them a faithful minister of Christ. That's an expression that just blows my mind. I just think about it and I think of how unfaithful I am. And I think, wouldn't it be nice if that could be said, a faithful minister of Christ? Does that mean that apricots never made any mistakes? I don't think that's it. I think he went on faithful in what was given to him to do.
In the service. That's what ministry means, ministering Christ to these dear ones. And the fruit of it was.
This company of Christians in Colossae, the as the assembly in Colossae, uh.
And, uh, it's nice that, uh, I prefer it's not only ministered to them, but he carried the news of the work of God in their hearts to fall and told him about it. And, uh, he said, Paul, you want to see they're loving the Spirit, how God has worked in that little company there. And, uh, there's real love in the Spirit there. What does that stir and fall?
Jealousy. Envy. No.
It says verse 9 for this cause also. Since the day we earned it, we had ceased to pray for you.
And then he outlines what is specific prayers were.
Now just let your mind go to some place.
Near or far where God has worked and, uh, you've heard about the work of God?
The steer ones over there. Mozambique. When shall we forget about them now?
No, we want to pray for them, don't we? We've, uh, in our prayers, we kind of emphasize heights, I think because we know Heinz. But, uh, you must not forget Lineo either. Uh, whether the worst son-in-law, who, uh, is a faithful man of God and I believe, uh, has a real desire for those Christians. What are we going to pray for, for them? Look at us that they might be filled with the knowledge of his will.
What a wonderful prayer.
That they might be filled with the knowledge of His will. Sometimes we kind of narrow in His will in our minds to being gathered on scriptural ground. That's part of His will. But let's not think that's all of His will. His will is all that He's expressed for us in His Word. His will is that we might walk in a holy path.
That we might walk separate from all the evil around us. That's part of his will too, isn't it?
Beautiful. The thing is apartheid. He must have been a very outstanding, uh, person because it says in our verse, as he also learned of Epipress, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ. I'm just turning over to the 4th chapter what was part of his ministry.
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4th chapter and the 12Th verse. Epiphone, who is one of you, a servant of Christ.
Deluded, you always laboring.
Fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in the will of God. Was God gonna answer his prayers? Indeed he was because he stood firm in the truth of God. He was a man of prayer. He just didn't go out and say, well I've got to get everybody saved and the whole world is going to get saved. Didn't say that. He was a man of prayer. He prayed and God answered his prayers. He gave us verse 13, two. So if you don't mind.
For I bear him record that he hath a great deal for you, and them also that are in the play of the piano, those in Hieropolis. So it's the deal of of one who.
I, I believe mainly his ministry was the ministry of prayer. That's very important in our Christian life. If you're not praying, if you didn't pray for these meetings this morning.
I feel sad about that. You should be praying about it. God is the one that can, can make arrangements for meetings like this. And if we're not praying about it, sometimes we, we, we make the arrangements ourselves and, and there's, there's failure, but not with God. So it's good to remember to be in prayer before God before we do any, any acts at all.
His name comes up again.
And Philemon and where Paul is writing there uh, uh, epipress, that is in verse 23 of Philemon.
It says there, so look, the Epipress, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. Now obviously this man must have suffered some hardship. It's quite possible that he was imprisoned or whatever too. So it's interesting, you know, sometimes people say, well, the trials of life, why does God allow them, brethren, God allows them to make it that we might be more cast upon him, that we might realize that true, our world may be turned upside down.
But he's using, he uses these things.
That's what we've been looking at there next, you know, through much tribulation and so on, we enter into the Kingdom of God. You know, wherever the cross is, the shadow of the cross, that that's like the Kingdom of heaven. But the Kingdom of God is, is righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. We might have that joy in faith, in believing, but the mountains in our Christian experience, and God put them there and by his grace, he can help us to climb over them.