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Senator Colossians, Chapter 1 And this day when man is setting himself so much forward, it's wonderful to think of that one of whom we read that chapter, that in all things he might have the preeminence. Have someone read it for us.
Colossians, chapter 1.
Fall and Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother to the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which are at glossy grace beyond 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.
Now the love what she have through all the Saints.
For the whole which is laid up for you in heaven, where have you heard before? In the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come unto you as it is in all the world, bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day you heard of it.
And knew the grace of God and truth, as you also learned of Epifras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit for this 'cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and do desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will.
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, giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the.
Of the Saints in life, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Where is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature?
For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth.
Visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, 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 preeminent.
Or please the Father, that in Him should all fullness dwell, and having 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 there were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works. Yet now hath he reconciled.
And the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight, if he continue in the faith grounded and settled, be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which he have heard, which was preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof I fall, and made a minister.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and Philip, that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.
And my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church, whereof I am a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God. Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest, is seen.
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, and teaching every man and all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Where unto I also labor strive according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
00:05:14
There are two epistles which particularly bring before us the Church truth.
And I believe they are Ephesians and Colossians. In Ephesians, that's what the church is to Christ. He's had over all things to the church, which is his body. And so we see his care for the church, providing for all the deeds and so on. That is particularly brought out in Ephesians, whereas I believe in Colossians. It's what Christ is to the church, that is.
What the church is, what Christ is to the church, yes.
That is, the glory of his person is particularly brought before us in this epistle. And if we might illustrate it in this way, if a man was to talk about what his wife means to him, how he do anything for her, and how much he loved her, and so on, and that means to her.
And all that she sees in him, Well, the first one is Ephesians, what the church is to Christ. And so the two expressions, I think, bring this out. In Ephesians we have he's head over all things to the church. Whereas in Colossians he's head of the body, the church. And the glory of his person, I say again, is particularly brought out in Colossians, whereas in Ephesians it's what the church.
To him and what he has done, gave himself for it, loved it, nourishes and cherishes it. Well, I just mentioned this because I think what we need in this day when there's so much of the setting forward of man and all that he's accomplishing and all that he's doing.
Good for us to be occupied with the one in whom all fullness dwells, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him. And I just thought I'd just mention this because I think this is the theme of this particular chapter.
There are two expressions found in each of the books that bear out what has been said.
Lord has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ, That's in Ephesians.
But when we get to Colossians, it is Christ and you, the hope of glory. So there you have these two characteristics of what?
Christ what the church is to Christ. We are in him there and and he is in US and Colossians, but but he is to us. I believe we see also that there's just a minimal mention of the Spirit of God is there not in verse eight of our chapter.
And we noticed too an expression I don't know that we have anywhere else, and that is in chapter 3 and verse 16 where it says, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom and so forth. It is the word of God, but Christ is God. But it's the way it's expressed, the word of Christ. So we see how that the Spirit of God is focusing upon him, giving him that preeminence.
Would it be the fulfillment of that verse?
In John where it says he shall not speak of himself, but he shall glorify me. And so in this particular epistle where we have the glory of Christ brought before us, but not so much the mention of the Spirit, He's doing his work. He's occupying us with Christ and all the glory that's in him as a person, and that's very precious to our souls.
Another thing that's noticeable and that is that.
He gets the the double glory. You might say we have a double headship here, a double reconciliation and a double ministry. So the Spirit of God would magnify those things as to the person of Christ.
Relative to the word of Christ dwelling in you literally, would that not suggest that which Christ has spoken from heaven? He went there as a man, and He has revealed to the apostle here in our chapter that which completes the revelation of God. And so that which He would have us, with which He would have us occupied, is that which the Lord Jesus Christ has risen.
And glorified has set down in His word as Christianity, as we haven't revealed in the Apostles ministry, is. Could we mention something else that I have enjoyed in Colossians one and two in connection with what our brother Gordon has said? And that is that it's a day when man is exalting himself and judging everything and looking at everything from his own vantage point.
00:10:21
Well, it's most blessed in the ministry of the Apostle.
To see that even with the believer, God does not begin with you and me. He begins with his beloved Son. And I've enjoyed the thought of this first chapter particularly brings before us the glories of Christ. And although you and I of necessity are included in the picture because that is part of the fullness of him, that is part of the result of his work, yet it's really.
The 2nd chapter, that is the fullness of the head with respect to the body. But the first chapter brings before us more the fullness of Christ from God's vantage point and from his purposes and councils and His beloved Son. And so when the apostle Paul, for example, preaches the gospel, when he brings it before people, he doesn't start particularly with man's need, although that is of course brought in, but.
With God's purposes in Christ, he starts with the glories of Christ, and that theme runs throughout the ministry of the apostle Paul. Well, I have enjoyed that because even as believers, there's a strong tendency, if we're not careful, to be occupied with our own blessings, with our own portion in Christ. And that's a wonderful thing. We wouldn't take away from that. But there's something even more blessed than that, and that is to see things as.
Sees them to see God's purposes and His counsels and His beloved Son, and to enjoy that first and foremost.
Would you agree with that?
It's nice to see the very first verse, the will of God is mentioned, and certainly that has to do with what we've been hearing. I noticed it's mentioned in the ninth verse as well, that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will. Isn't it wonderful, brethren, in a day when human will is so evident in our world, to be able to turn from it for a brief moment and to consider.
The eternal councils of the will of God and whether it's Ephesians or whether it's Colossians, it both has to do with what is God's thoughts, God's counsels, God's purposes of blessing His will for us. It's interesting, I noticed in the 1St chapter of Ephesians, I think the will of God is mentioned four times.
And it's only when you get down to the second chapter.
And the first verses that you get the will of the flesh.
Mentioned the desires of the flesh and the mind. Mentioned what a contrast. Oh brethren, the Lord help us to discern the times we're passing through. We do live in man's world, where man's will is so evident and if we don't watch it, we get a under the influence.
Of man's thinking. How wonderful to get back into the Scriptures. See something of the will of God and His eternal purposes of blessing.
That's so necessary because those purposes are never frustrated. Man's purposes are frustrated. He may set out on an agenda and they're trying to change the map in Europe today and on different continents through wars and summits and peace pacts and agendas and all this kind of thing. But their purposes are more often than not frustrated and they don't bring what they had planned to fruition.
But when we speak of the will of God and the counsels of God, I think it's good to get ahold of it in our souls that those purposes and those councils are never frustrated. And whether it's his eternal purposes and councils in connection with this earth, whether it's in connection with the church or.
Bring it down very practically, whether it's in connection with the everyday circumstances of life. He is on the throne. Our brother Bill read to us in Ecclesiastes this morning how there's one that's above all the arrangements of man, and he's greater than they. And I think that's very good to get ahold of. And so as we take up these things that we have in Colossians 1, to see that God is above everything. And brethren, he is working everything after the council of his own will.
00:15:16
If I could just make this very practical for a moment, maybe there's brethren here this morning and you say, well, I don't understand why God has allowed this in my life or why He has arranged this. I just don't see His purpose. Well, we need to just realize that, well, we don't perhaps always see His purpose. Now He knows the end from the beginning and He's arranging everything. If we're just willing to turn everything to commit our way under the Lord, it says commit.
The Lord trust also in Him and he shall bring it to pass, maybe not to pass in the way that we had planned, but His purpose and His way is always the best. In all my ways. Acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. I think that's so helpful for those who are too in the world like we're living in, because so often I find young believers who.
Very sincerely desire to do the will of God, but they don't have much knowledge.
Of what the will of God is and that's why I think it brings out in our verse 9. It might be filled with the knowledge of his will because that will will stand. Nothing is going to frustrate God's purposes of blessing and if I can understand the knowledge of his will and be guided by it then.
What I do will stand forever, but there's many who have their own purposes.
Nice purposes, but they don't square with the big picture of God's will. Even though their purpose is their sincere desire, it will not stand in the end. And so we need to seek to leave our thoughts and man's ideas to one side and get God's picture.
The 10th verse to notice that in Galatians.
At the beginning.
It not only says the will of God was said, and our Father be brought into the knowledge of who he is for us. Inflation.
Read verses 3 and 4. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. It's precious. What do you think of? God is our Father and it just helps us.
To be able to go forward in the circumstances that God allows.
Realizing that he is our father.
The Saints of the Old Testament could have known and should have known, perhaps didn't know the will of God as it was revealed then. But now in the New Testament we have the added relationship and that makes it very precious and delightful for process His children.
Colossians in the.
10th verse in Mr. Darby's translation, it says that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good word, and increasing by the knowledge of God. It's increasing by the knowledge of God. In other words, the only way we can be sure that we are doing that which is pleasing to Him is when it's in accordance with His Word. It's something like Joshua because I think this answers in some measure to the Old Testament.
Joshua was the one who was leading the people of God, and when that.
Angel appeared to him, and he said, Art thou for us or our adversaries? He said Nay, but as captain of the Lords, host of mine, now come. And Joshua took off his shoes from his feet, and did reverence. And we need to know that in all our plans and all our purposes, that in all things he must have the preeminence. We may have plans. Joshua no doubt had plans in connection with the strategy they were going to.
Used to take the land. He knew that it was God's will. They should have it, but there was a captain who was going to lead in all those things, and he must acknowledge him. And brethren, that's the thing for us, and it's just what our brother has been talking about, recognizing that there is one who can direct us, who is willing to direct us. And as our brother has just said, to the knowledge of God and of the Father, because I and my father are one.
00:20:15
So God we we have God the Father and counsels the Lord Jesus.
Who carries out the counsels of God and the Spirit of God, the power by which they are carried out?
And the will of God made known to us in his Word for our direction.
And to set our own wills aside, because I think sometimes when we don't know the mind of the Lord in something in our lives, it's because our own will is at work. And in John 7, the Lord Jesus said if any man desire to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. And if I don't know the mind of the Lord, it's not a hindrance on his part, because He wants us to know what his mind and will, what his counsels and purposes are.
But the difficulty is, my own will stands in the way. But when I submit my own will to the will, to His will, then He wants to show me. That's why I quoted that verse. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he might direct thypass. No, that's not what it says. And he shall direct thy paths.
Again, the psalmist said in 100 and 43rd Psalm, teach me to do thy will. That is not just to know it, but to walk in the good of it. And as we walk in what He does reveal to us, then He gives us further light. Is that right?
It's nice to compare.
Paul's prayer verse 9 with what we have an epipress. I'll read verse 9 again for this cause. We also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Now in the 4th chapter, verse 12, Epifras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluted you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Beautiful to see how the the teacher and the taught were in harmony in their prayers. And we should pray more for the full growth, the full development, the full perfection of the Christian. There's so many that just stop at the beginning of the the truth of God in the gospel, wonderful as it is.
But he has his counsels. I just want to read two more verses. Connection with councils Isaiah 14. This is a particular instance here, but it it illustrates the point.
Isaiah 14.
And verse 26, this is the purpose that is purpose upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannow it, and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back. And again in the 40th chapter of Isaiah, beautiful verses. They just thrill your soul, as you realize that everything that happens here.
Is under his direct control.
He has just created things and then retired and let man run it. It's not the way it is. God is over everything. And verse 13 who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord?
Or being his counselor hath taught him. What a question do we teach God, or does He teach us?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding. And notice the next verse. Behold the nations man with all his pride.
With all his self exaltation, with all of his promotion of himself and his.
Intellect and his achievements. Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance. Some of us have been in physics labs and you have the balance scale and they always wipe off the the platen there, but the small dust of the balance is so insignificant and weightless.
00:25:25
That it really wouldn't make much difference in the reading.
And that's what he compares this to. They're counted as the small dust of the balance. Behold, he taketh up the aisles as a very little thing, and Lebanon is not sufficient to burn.
Nor the beast thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing. And vanity, emptiness.
When we think of the greatness of God, that's what this chapter brings out, doesn't it? The greatness of God. He purposes, He wills, and He will do it in His time. The will of man cannot frustrate or set aside the will of God. Never.
It might be helpful to just back up in that chapter for a moment connection with what you say, something I've enjoyed here. If you just noticed in the 40th of Isaiah and verse 4, it says every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places playing, And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord have spoken it well. This looks.
Not to a future day when he takes control.
His man thinks he's in control today and the Lord is behind the scenes, but he doesn't outwardly have his rightful place yet and things are not going to be straightened out in this world. All the NATO and the allied forces and the superpowers think they're doing to bring about peace and arrange things on the global stage. It's not going to happen until the Lord comes and every valley is going to be exalted and every mountain made low and the crooked are going to be made straight and the rough places playing.
But I just want to bring this down to our to us today because was mentioned earlier that sometimes we don't see the fruition of all of God's purposes in our lives right away. But I've enjoyed this little expression. The crooked shall be made straight and the rough place is playing.
All flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. Because again, there might be someone here and you say life is just a tangle of circumstances. It's so crooked and mixed up, I just can't make any sense of it. I don't see how the Lord is arranging things in my life. But isn't it nice to look on because I believe we probably won't see the fruition of all God's purposes in our lives down here? There's many things rather than perhaps you're going to have to wait for until we get to the judgment.
Christ. And then isn't it wonderful to think that that seemingly tangle of circumstances is all going to be shown from His perspective? I sometimes use this little illustration. Sometimes when my wife is with me, she keeps a little handiwork to do while we travel and visit. And I don't know anything about handiwork, but I do know that some types of handiwork, if you look at the back of the canvas, it just seems like a tangle of threads and maybe you can't even discern what the picture.
Pattern is from the back of the canvas, you say. How can these threads all have a purpose? But when the work is done and you turn the canvas over, then you see that all of those seemingly tangled threads had a purpose to make up that pattern, and you see it all in its completion. You say, oh, I understand what those threads meant now, what they were for.
Brethren, we look at the backside of the canvas now. It might just seem like a tangle of circumstances, but brethren, there's a day when we're going to see it from His perspective. We're going to see it from the other side of the canvas, and we're just going to praise Him for all His ways and purposes and all the way He walled those circumstances together. It takes faith to count on that now, but I believe it gives us real piece of soul if we can just realize that the crooked will be.
Straight and the rough place is playing. I'd just like to read three more verses right following where you left off. Verse 6 of Isaiah 40. The voice said cry, and he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it.
00:30:10
Surely.
The people is grass, the grass withereth the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever. And I was thinking of a verse in Job verse 34. I'm going to read it as it reads, I think in the new translation if verse 14.
Job 34 If he only thought of himself.
And gathered unto himself.
His spirit and his breath. All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn unto dust. If God was like we are thinking only of ourselves so often.
We don't perish, but He is the one that is the upholder, the sustainer of the Creator of all things. But and just one more verse in Isaiah, and then I'll be quiet. Isaiah 2. To me, these are thrilling verses as we consider God's will and God's glory.
Verse 17 of Isaiah 2. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
Verse 22 See she from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of, as we are in this first chapter of Colossians, where God is everything, Christ is everything, and man is nothing. And how good to have that perspective in a day when man has set God aside and is exalting himself. The Tower of Babel all over again.
I wonder, brethren, if before we.
Go from this thought of will that God's will that we've been considering if we could look.
I had a couple verses. What I have on my heart is that we have received very stirring and very important in the street this morning to help us to remember and be reminded that God's will is going to stand. The scene that we're in is a passing scene. Everything about it is a passing scene.
But no doubt there are a brethren here of all ages who have had this question and frequently asked this question. How do I know for sure what God's will is for me? And I want to read because I believe His will is going to stand. I want to know what His will is. I want to follow His will.
Just a little word on that. Let's look at 2:00. Well known verses, but look in Psalms 119 and the second.
Verse Psalms 119.
And verse 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart. Now in Proverbs 23.
Proverbs 23.
Verse 26 My son, give me thine heart. What I just want to suggest in a little simple thought is that God's will will be done. If we're going to be blessed, we want to be walking in and according to His perfect will. How do I know what that will is? This is the answer.
To daily be finding my acquaintance with him.
Giving my heart to him.
In full and free happy liberty to be spending time. I think it was Mr. Darby that said something like if someone had asked him that and he said if a child habitually neglected the presence of his father.
If he habitually neglected, think of that, brethren, is that so with me, that there are those days in my life that I don't find time to be in the presence of my father, to give him my heart? And then I wonder what is his will for me today? What should I be doing today? I have serious decisions, young people. You have decisions about your careers, about a life's companion. Those who are older have decisions about raising families. Those who are even older have to have other.
Every stage of our life we have decisions. What's the Father's will? What's God's will for us? His will is going to be done. Brother. We can go into the presence of the one who is the fullness and know Him as our friend, as our Savior and, and know and give our heart to him. And that's the way I submit before we leave this thought that we've heard about the will, I submit that all that we might give our hearts to him fully.
00:35:30
And then we're going to have that will, that sense, not always the Bible verse, though the word of God is so critical, but we'll have that sense, won't we, as we walk daily in our life of what his thoughts, what his will for our lives are. I think, Bob, you said earlier that we might have that will fulfilled in our life.
Beautiful thought, but I can't do it if I'm a stranger to him daily, can I? I can't expect that though he's going to work his counsels and purposes of blessing. I can't expect perhaps that knowledge, that joy, that peace and certainty, if I'm not daily in His presence, giving him my heart. Mr. Agee's rule, asked Mr. Darby one time. How can I know of a will of the Father? He says I never forgot.
Never forget his answer, he said.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear the secret of the Lord.
Well, that's getting that's being in his presence isn't being in communion with him.
Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and going on with him.
The rest of that first two plans, the 25th of Psalms.
Claim is quoting and I was thinking of the same verse.
2514 Once man is giving us the secret of the Lord is with them that fears the rest of us says that he will show them his covenant, his covenant, he shall make them know it, says the margin.
What's referred to in the 119th Psalm is to be fulfilled.
In the day when God writes the covenant on the restored Israel tribes, they don't teach every man saying know the Lord, for all of them shall know it. God's going to make them know. The 119th Psalm is God writing the Word on the heart and in the minds of those in that millennial day.
Wonderful to think of an Old Testament St.
Who is?
Read out he was the friend of God. Well, it's a wonderful thing to have to have God as our friend. Oh how sweet that is. How many lovely hymns have been written.
I found a friend, oh such a friend. So he loved me here. I knew him, but for God to have.
One as his friend. Oh, that's and that was Abraham, a friend of God. And in that wonderful chapter where he finds Abraham sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day, and Abraham looks up and there's three men out there.
And he recognizes one of them as the Lord.
The other two are angels. Well, then, Abrahams. He serves them a very.
Patient very wonderful meal and.
Then the two angels, they go on their way to the work. They're going on their way to Sodom.
And what a song. What a song trip that was. But.
Abraham he the Lord seems to stay. He wanted to talk to Abraham. He wanted to he wanted to have a conversation with him and Abraham as they walked together way. God says hell, I withhold from Abraham the thing that I shall do. A friend will tell you things that he he won't tell anybody else.
He'll tell you, he'll talk to you about things that perhaps they don't concern you particularly, but he just likes to.
He just likes to talk to you and tell you about things, things that he is interested in. Friend. Well, the Lord Jesus is in John. He tells us that he says I have called you friends.
He's called a serve, He'd call him servants, but I said I'd call you friends. So how wonderful it is to have a friend and he'll tell us. And so the secret of the Lord is with them to fear him. And so he goes on. He speaks about.
00:40:07
He speaks about here that mine eyes are ever towards the Lord.
Well, that's that's one. That's one thing that every one of us, even even and the youngest believer can ever have the Lord.
See please the Lord and and to ever have the Lord before him.
And I believe that the Lord will tell us things, that He will speak to us and tell us things, and He'll help us along through our pathway and He make Himself precious to us, A friend. I'd like to read a couple verses in connection with the will of God as well, because I think it's so important, especially for young who are taking direction and light.
It's in Romans chapter 12, the 1St 2 verses.
We want to get back to Colossians, but just a brief moment here, brother.
Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren.
Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2.
By the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that he may prove what is that good.
And acceptable and perfect.
Will of God.
We've been talking about living in the world where man's will is increasingly evident and directly opposing many times the direct will of God. But how important it is, Young people, if you want to get a picture of God's will is first of all to realize that He has.
All claims over us and it's a willing rendition.
Of our bodies in a living sacrifice to God. So often, as Jim brought out, our wills are in the picture. Our hearts are deceitful above all things, and we can actually persuade ourselves that we want God, when really underneath it might be our own will that we want to do. And we say we want to know the will of God, but we only want to know it if it's convenient for us, if we think it's convenient for us to do.
Let's not trust our own hearts in this matter. But in verse 2 is what I wanted to draw attention to be not conformed to this world. This world is a sphere where man exalts himself.
And we need to do what is mentioned here, the renewing of your mind. And it's a continual thing as we pass through this world, we are affected by young people.
And you get a hold of human wisdom in your thinking, and you need to renew your minds. You need to challenge our ways of thinking. Think of the apostles who were with the Lord Jesus and heard him announce so often that he was going to be crucified and rejected and killed and rise again the third day. They could not get a hold of that in.
Why couldn't they get a hold of that in their minds? Why did they never understand what he said is because they had another frame of thinking, their frame of thinking that he was come to establish his Kingdom right here and now. And so when he was rejected and killed, they were totally devastated. They.
Weren't thinking according to God's thoughts, and that's so often happens in our lives.
Our thinking is faulty and so we need to have our minds continually renew. So often I've been thankful for older brethren who have challenged me as to my own thinking. It wasn't right, it just was. Maybe not what you would call directly wrong, but it was not the thinking that God has in His Word and I needed my mind.
Renewed.
And then notice what it says at the end of that verse 2 That he may prove It doesn't say that he may know.
00:45:06
That you may prove it is when we do this young people that we've proved in ourselves in practical reality and obedience to his word. We may not understand it all at a moments notice, but it's as we walk in this way that we are LED in a direction and we.
Prove that God's will is.
Not only good, not only acceptable, but actually is perfect.
How wonderful to come to them. Question. You talk about walking, talking with the Lord and fellowship with him, walking close to Him. How many hours of the day should this be done, and can it be done unconsciously?
How important is it to be conscious?
Of this and how much of the time that we're doing this do we need to maintain this consciousness, this purposeful consciousness that I want to do this? That's a very important question.
In connection with what our brother was saying too, I think there is the two sides and I just like to notice the 139 some which seems to bring the two together. That is knowing the Lord knows all about us.
But being willing to let him search our hearts. Psalm 139 just like to read the.
First 3 verses and then the last couple in that chapter. O Lord, thou has searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compasses my path, my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
And the last two verses search me, O God, and O my heart, try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Been talking a lot about how the Lord knows all about us and that's a very very important thing for us to realize that He has a positive will for our pathway marked out in His Word and also discerned in communion with Him.
But sometimes when there's a hindrance on our part and we don't realize that hindrance, and I believe that's what the psalmist is expressing in this last two verses of this 139 Psalm. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Sometimes there are thoughts and motives and things in our hearts that we're not aware of, brethren.
Only as we get into the light of his presence are those manifested. And we wonder why we don't discern the will of God. But there's something working in us that isn't right, something that we need to judge. And I believe this is a private prayer. It isn't something that we make public, so to speak. But each one of us can get before the Lord individually and say, Lord, why is it that I don't discern thy will in this matter? And maybe there's something in my heart that's a hindrance, a certain amount of my will that I.
I'm not aware of. And if we do that, is the Lord willing to show us? Oh indeed He's most willing. What does he desire? He desires to have our company. He said to Abraham, looked before me and beat all perfect. He wants, as our brother was saying, he wants to count us as his friends.
That we might know him and that enter into that that he can make known his mind to us. There's some people you're afraid to make known your mind because they wouldn't understand. But if there's a person that you can freely talk to that's a real friend. It is a wonderful. There's those two sides that there's the will of God made known in his word that God is willing to reveal. But very often there's this hindrance in ourselves and this brethren, we need to watch.
Not that we make a big public thing out of it, but get quietly into the presence of the Lord.
And search what, what is the matter? What's what? Is there something? David wanted to build a house for the Lord. That was a good desire that he had, but he also had to get before the Lord and see that it wasn't God's will that he should build that house. Someone else was to do it, not him. Though that must have been kind of humbling for him because he really didn't want, did the Lord want a house built? Yes, but he wasn't the one to do it. Isn't that beautiful to see? And so there's always the two sides, aren't there?
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To the truth is that which reveals to us the mind and will of God through his word, which we learned in communion, but also that we learn what we are in ourselves. In me that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. How we need to learn that and what we do learn that then there's an inlet God can show us when we haven't got a will of our own and truly seek his will only well takes a lot of grace, but the Lord is able and He's willing.
We had that one thought touched on in the 25th song, or rather we didn't say too much about it, but I believe where it comes, verse 9, it says the equally guide and wisdom and the meek will he show his way. I believe that that's in keeping with Colossians because there was.
A a philosophic type pride that must have been coming in amongst them.
And that was anything but meekness. And I believe this is what will characterize the godly remnant in a coming day. They will be looked upon as the meek. There's such arrogance in all in connection with man's pride and what's going on even today. But.
He'll reveal His mind and His will to those godly ones, and we certainly ought to learn a lesson for ourselves that if they're fried there, it's going to stand in his way of making known his will to us.
In answer to the question that was put to us, I think of the verse where Paul says I exercise myself to have a conscience void of offense towards God and man. And that was every day, wasn't it?
I was thinking too Brother Chuck of a portion in the 73rd Psalm make this very practical, particularly for those who are younger.
Again, in connection with the question that was raised, and let me just say before I read this that I believe 1 hindrance in not understanding the will of God in our lives is neglect of His Word. Because young people will never know the mind of the Lord for us in any step of our lives if we're neglecting daily, orderly, consistent reading of the Word of God.
David said in the 27th Psalm, Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path. And I trust that's the desire and prayer of each of our hearts. But when you come over to the 119th Psalm, he says by word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. In other words, the psalmist recognized that if he was going to be LED in that plain path that he desired, he was going to have to find that path marked out in the Word of God.
And it's not just from sporadic reading of the Word of God. It's from orderly, daily, consistent reading. I believe that's how God the Lord directs our footsteps. You're reading in your regular portion, and the Spirit of God takes that portion and answers the question or gives you guidance and direction for just that step that you needed.
And let me say this to it also says in the Psalms that will guide me with thine eye and that leads up to what I want to read here in this 73rd Psalm because I suggest to not to take away from what I have just said. They're infallible guidelines in the word to guide them in every step of our pathway and it will do it until the Lord takes us home. But I also suggest that there are some steps in our Christian pathway that are only discerned in the relationship to.
Nearness to the Lord Jesus and that's why he says I will guide thee with mine eye. I've illustrated this way. If my children were here with me this morning and one of my children is sitting three seats away and they're doing something that I don't want them to do, I don't have to speak to them. I can look at them and as long as they're looking at my face, I can speak with my eyes. And they get the message from the expression of my eyes of what I am trying to.
Tell them, but they're not going to get that unless they're looking right at my face. And rather we need to be looking at the face of the Lord Jesus, who's seated on the right hand of God. And if we're walking in the conscious sense of His presence, then he can direct us in steps as the right time comes.
Just notice this 23rd verse of the 73rd Psalm. Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee. Thou hast hold in me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. And so the psalmist says I'm conscious of him holding me by his right hand. By my right hand. And if someone is holding you, someone takes your hand. I might be out with one of my girls.
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And they might be somewhat conscious of my presence, but if we come to a rough spot and I reach out and I take their hand so they don't stumble or fall, then they're more conscious of my presence with them. Are we conscious of our hand in his as we go through the path of faith and service? And he says as a result.
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel. That's this book we hold in our hands. It's all here, everything to answer every question in our lives, personally, in the family, in the assembly. This book is the present truth that's relevant to what is happening and what we are facing in 1999. And I say it will do the same until the Lord takes us home. And so he says, Oh, guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
He said I'll have a direction for the whole pathway if I'm walking in the conscious sense of the Lord's presence and listening to his counsel. Well, these things are very practical. They're very instructive. Christianity is a very practical thing. It's a step by step going on in the conscious sense of the presence of the Lord from day-to-day in John 829.
The Lord said the Father hath not left me alone.
For I do always those things that please him. And then John, who wrote those words, also wrote these words. He that saith, He abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. First, John 2. If we were in the conscious sense. Now listen to this, if we were in the conscious sense of the Lord's presence.
Every moment of every day.
There are many things that we do do that we wouldn't do.
And there are many things that we don't do that we would do now. Think about that.
Brother Gordon, would you tell us what is it? Autumn meat?
Well, I've often thought a lowly person is a person who takes the low place. A big person is a person who doesn't resent it when he's put in the low place.
Good. And I think, Chuck, here's the thinking about a child.
The Lord and all his pathway down here He walked as in the presence of his father. As he walked every step of the way, we always in the presence of his father. Every word that he spoke, everything that he did was always there as the one who did it in the presence of his father.
And bringing all of this into our chapter.
We read the first perhaps 8 or 10 verses of our chapter in Colossians here, and don't we see a picture that each one of us would covet? Don't we see an A laying out of things, a way of doing things that we say? My, I would love to have that. I would love to be rejoicing in the hope that is set before us. I would love to have that knowledge of the Lord's will and all the wisdom.
Spiritual understanding. I would love to be able to walk worthy of the Lord and all pleasing. Surely we would all say that, wouldn't we? But then what does God set before us? Oh, He sets before us His thoughts concerning his beloved son. Brother Jim has been laying emphasis on the word of God and we need that, we surely do. But as someone has said in our good written ministry, it spoke very much to my own heart. He.
We need more than right principles. We need God, we need the Lord Himself. And so I've enjoyed it here that on the one hand, in verse 13, the apostle draws our attention to the Lord Jesus Christ. But how is he referred to?
Half translated us into the Kingdom of his dear son, or the Son of his love, as J&D puts it in his translation.
That is, there's the affection drawn out.
To our love for Christ, no, to His love for us, Wonderful although that is God says. But there's something even more blessed than that. My love for my beloved Son. And when we gaze on that, when we see that, it lifts us right above everything that has to do with ourselves. And then going on. We didn't read the first 3 verses of the 2nd chapter, but properly they connect with the first chapter.
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And we notice and I enjoyed brother Chuck's laying emphasis on this at the end of verse 2. It says in the acknowledgment of the mystery of God. And really the last phrase should be left out and of the Father and of Christ. You'll notice that isn't in a better translation. It could read to the acknowledgement of the misery of God in not in whom, but in which.
Are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?
God would draw out your affections in mind and at the same time remind us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in the acknowledgement of that mystery of God that is in all the purposes that He has concerning His beloved Son. Well, I don't know whether Brother Tom, that ties in with what you were saying or Brother Tom Kieber's question, but I've enjoyed it for my own soul that on the one hand, the heart is drawn out and on the other hand.
And the mind is properly kept in the right place by the acknowledgement of the mystery of God. And then what happens? All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are opened up unto us.
The will of God is not a hard thing to the heart that's engaged and has its object sometimes said to the young people, there's really only one way to be a true disciple, a true follower of the Lord Jesus, and that's to have a heart where there's only one object in it. Because I believe where our hearts are, then our feet will fall. And that's why the Lord Jesus in the upper room said to the disciples, If you love me, keep my commandments. He said, My commandments are not grievous.
The will of God is not a grievous or difficult thing when the heart is engaged. And I didn't read it. I perhaps should have read on in that 73rd Psalm, because in the very next verse it says Whom have I or it says.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire.
Beside me, that's was the heart going out there was a person. He saw his counsel and will. He sought to live in the presence of this one. And what was the result? Oh, there's none upon earth that I desire beside thee. His heart went out to the Lord. Well, in the measure in which we walk in the presence of this one, won't our hearts go out to Him, so that our feet will follow in His counsel?