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And if I want to give me.
Good, I could leave the all light gracious.
Ever came back to my soul?
I live in the as I goodness my.
Heart shall grow.
Duration by my brethren.
I have had Colossians chapter 2 on my heart and I'll explain briefly why.
We have often been told and enjoyed the fact that.
Probably we get the highest truth as to the church in Ephesians.
But the highest truth as to the person of Christ in Colossians chapter one.
But there in the first chapter, it's more Christ and His glory in respect of what He is in Himself and what He is to the Father.
And you and I brought in only to round out the picture, so to speak.
But then in the second chapter, it's the fullness of the head, the fullness of Christ and all that he is in respect of us.
And that is always God's order, first of all, what he is to the Father, and what Christ is in himself, in the counsels of God. But then you and I are brought into the picture.
And I have enjoyed in that chapter that there is a ministry both for the heart and for the conscience and.
I suggest the chapter. What do my brethren think of that?
Good.
Sounds good.
Chapter 2.
For I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the pledge.
That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joy, and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk he in him.
Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Or in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him.
Through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, had he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
Plotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his frog.
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And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in it.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of in holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.
You have your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, not holding the head, from which all the body, by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together, increases with the increase of God.
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances, touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men, which things have indeed a show of wisdom and will, worship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
I know that there are many others here who can expound this chapter better than I, but.
Just to mention a couple of things, as we did earlier in the first chapter. As we said, it's Christ that is before us in all His glory, and that is paramount, isn't it? God's purposes, God's counsels in Christ, and He would have us to see those and to get hold of them if we could say it this way, because of the love that the Father has to the Son.
And it's a wonderful thing to see things from God's side and to get into the purposes and counsels of God concerning His Son.
And so that's why I suggest the 1St chapter is brought in in the way that it is and brings Christ before us. But then God always has two before him, the practical side for you and for me, what Christ is to us. And as we see in the beginning of the chapter here, there's conflict involved, there's combat involved, isn't there? Because when it's a question of God's purposes, there never needs to be conflict or anything like that.
Same way in Ephesians, we don't have to have any endeavoring or any using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace until we get to the practical side of things in the 4th chapter. But here in this second chapter, it's wonderful that all the fullness of Christ is ours as members of His body and in our practical laying hold of that and walk through this world.
And so it's something that has a very practical side to it. We sometimes hear among believers and especially among young people, make it practical for us, Make it fit, as they say, where the rubber hits the road. If I could use that expression. Well, God's Word does that for us. And I suggest in this chapter, it brings it right down to the things that have to do with our practical walk down here.
But always, always directed to the person of Christ and his all sufficiency for us.
It helps to see going back to the first chapter, the last verses of the first chapter. He's speaking here about the mystery, the verse 26, which had been hid from ages and generations, but now has made manifest to His Saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery.
Among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you?
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The hope of glory, Ephesians, is our position in Christ here. It is Christ in us. A little different focus.
Whom we preach, he says, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect.
And full grown in Christ Jesus. Then he says in verse 29, Where unto I also labor?
Striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily and that word striving is the same word in verse one of our chapter that is translated conflict the same word and I think it helps me to see in the figurative teaching of the Old Testament Ephesians is across the Jordan River.
In possession of the land.
Colossians is across the Jordan River. We are dead and buried with him and risen with him, but the land is before us and it is an area of combat. You're going to enjoy these things. It's going to mean spiritual warfare and that's what we have. Just to give one more place where that word combat is used is in the 4th chapter.
And the 12Th verse in connection with Epiphras.
Who is one of you? A servant of Christ? Saluteth you, always laboring fervently. There's that same word again. Combat. What was he doing? Where was he combating?
For you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
He was a warrior, a prayer warrior, so there's real combat to be brought into the enjoyment of our position in Christ in general.
Christians have lost sight, and I include myself here. Brethren, it is so easy in the day that we live in to lose sight of our heavenly calling, of our present position in Christ in heavenly places. And so there is going to be combat as soon as you want to enjoy that place of privilege and favor.
There's combat involved and so.
That's what the Apostle starts out with in this chapter.
The conflict that he had.
In prayer here seems to be twofold. First of all, it was in regard to the fact that he would like to see the Saints practically knit together in love. That's the first part of verse 2. But then it says, and there's a second part to this conflict, and that is that they might stand in a full assurance of understanding of the mystery.
So one is more the practical getting on together. The other is the entrance into the understanding of God's purposes with regard to Christ in the church. Both are necessary if we're going to reach a full maturity, which is what he was seeking to do. Going back to the first chapter in verse 28 that was already read to us. He says here that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. That word perfect is.
The same idea as full growth or full maturity. And so Paul was interested in not just taking people across the line of salvation, but he desired that they would come to full Christian growth. And that required, as I've just said in the second chapter, the practical being knit together in love, but also the, the understanding of the, the mystery.
So these two things were a conflict for him in prayer.
And I think that if we're going to get a hold of the truth of the mystery, there's going to be a conflict as well, as you've just said.
It's interesting to realize that before the Apostle Paul was saved as Saul of Tarsus, his whole Benton energy was to persecute the Christians, to stop the gospel from going forth, and if he could have to stamp out the name of Christ. But after he got saved, that same zeal and energy that he used against the Church of God was just as fervent in not only the preaching of the gospel, but his desire that the Saints would grow in their souls.
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And that they would go on together and that there would be that spiritual progress of which we've just been speaking.
And it's interesting in that connection to trace through Paul's epistles and notice the times that he prays for the Saints of God.
You know, when we pray for the Saints of God, we often pray about physical needs. Sometimes we pray for our brethren who are sick, our brethren who are going through some trial, physical trial or difficult circumstance. And brethren, don't misunderstand me. That's all good and proper. And we certainly have plenty of scriptures to encourage us and exercise us to pray for one another as to natural and temporal things. But I think it's remarkable to see that when the apostle Paul prayed for the Saints.
It wasn't so much concerning practical or temporal things, but it was concerning spiritual things. And when you trace his prayers in Ephesians, in Colossians, in Philippians and some of the other epistles, what was his main exercise and desire for the Saints? It was, first of all, that they would prosper in their souls spiritually and brother. And I would just suggest on a very practical note that if we were exercised to pray for one another more in this regard.
That it would preserve us from many things and that there would be that spiritual growth and unity. Not just spiritual growth in our individual lives, in our personal lives, but that there would be that growth collectively and that love manifests and that practical unity. Not that we want to ignore the fact that our brethren have many physical and temporal needs. But brethren, is our desire really for the spiritual well-being of one another?
This was what Paul desired for these Colossians Saints, this great exercise, that they would be knit together in love, that there would be a deepening of their appreciation of Christ, and that the result would be practically manifest in their lives and in the assembly. Well, brethren, it exercises my own soul. Let's get into the presence of God. And like Epiphras, who's been mentioned later on, that we would pray that the Saints of God would stand perfect and complete.
In the will of God.
It is interesting that Laodicea is mentioned in verse one along with those that colossi, and evidently there were those who had not seen his face in the flesh, and still he had that interest for them, like you said. And how wonderful it is to see brethren with a real burden to pray for God's people. It is a real spiritual warfare out there, brethren.
Satan is not interested in having God's people enjoy their heritage.
And there's real warfare going on. He'll use anything he can to.
Keep that from happening, from their hearts being knit together like a.
Was brought out that we might be practically walking in the enjoyment of it. That's why it's so important brethren, when we read the word is to let it get down into our souls. Let it sink down. That takes meditation and that's when we enjoy the precious truth of God that it will have a practical effect in our lives. It is amazing to me to see how the Lord is working in other areas of the world and we should be interested.
And what the Lord is doing, He's working in a wonderful way in many parts of the world, probably in areas that we have little understanding of what he's doing, and yet He's working. We should be interested and in any way we can be practically involved, take an interest in God's people. I often find that going down to South America and sitting down in some of their homes and just talking to them.
Maybe I don't say a whole lot, but just doing that is a practical demonstration that we are one body in Christ.
And even though separated in a social level or perhaps by we can say.
Economically, still, there is that mutual interest, beautiful lesson that is taught not so much by words, but simply by that practical interest in their war, in their welfare.
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Lord, help us to be encouraged in that way, brethren.
Just like to say too, in connection with Laodicea, Laodicea in the seven churches in Revelation is characterized by indifference to the glory of Christ. And another thing that comes out so strongly in that epistle of John to the Laodiceans is that they.
Were self-centered and.
He said I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. They formed their own evaluation as to their state. Oh, brethren, the Lord deliver us from that. We think we're all right. That's our evaluation. What is the Lord's evaluation?
Fact that this is connected here in the Epistle of Colossians with the latest sins, not only here in the second chapter, but also.
In the fourth chapter is a lesson. What is the remedy for Laodicea?
Let atheism that is so evident in the Christian testimony today.
And I say that, brethren, I think we understand. I'm not talking about those gathered the Lord's name alone. I'm saying the whole great House of Christendom. What is so evident is that indifference. What is the remedy? It is to be occupied with that glorious person that's going to fill the whole universe with His glory. It's not what we are, it's what He is that we need to get before our souls, brethren.
And that is presented here in the book of Colossians.
But you agree, Brother Bruce, in your remarks, that the love is connected with the acknowledging of the mystery and the full knowledge of it. The two are not at odds with one another, are they? They go together and as Bob was saying, what is needed so much, I feel it in my own soul among the Saints of God. And I agree with Bob's comment. We speak of all the Saints, not merely those that we are happily connected with is gathered to the Lord's name, but.
The love, the knitting together must be with the acknowledging, the full knowledge of that mystery. And then what does that do? It directs our hearts to Christ. We don't become self-centered. It isn't my little interest or your little interest or my way of doing things or your way of doing things, but everything comes and flows from that one. Is that what you were bringing out, Bruce?
The danger is that we, we get lopsided. We lean to one side or the other. You know, there are those that think that the, the pinnacle of experience and the object of Christian life is that we, we are knit together in love. That is, we all get along together. It doesn't matter what we hold as the doctrine as long as we all love one another and get along together. I'm afraid that's wrong. Then there's the other side where there are those who are occupied with the truth of the mystery but don't know how to walk with their brother.
And there isn't that practical.
Love and demonstration. So we need both of them if we're going to reach this Christian maturity that he was praying about.
Appreciated what our brother Bill said. He said we have the harmony of the Godhead in the first chapter. And what a harmony that is. There's no glitch, there's no differences and so on. And then you said, and then he brings us in.
Think of bringing us in. We don't have any sympathy, naturally, for the harmony of the Godhead. We have to be reconciled to God through Christ.
I was thinking I believe someone has said that.
Laodicea and Colossi were only 11 miles apart so that they would have had exchange of fellowship and it's wonderful when assemblies that are close together can be.
In harmony one with another. But it can also be the other way. It can be the source of a lot of trouble and conflict because there's differences in a party spirit starts and the issues are flowing and and the Saints of God are depressed and so on. Clear out of touch with the harmony of heaven. But to think of the grace and the heart of God to pick us up.
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And to bring us into that harmony and to have the power to reflect it one with another, and to be able to get on together and to hold fast to the truth of God and walk in it, as it's been mentioned.
So the practical side of things, and I feel we need this, brethren.
There will be practical love and unity displayed, as has already been said, in the measure in which Christ is the object. And I suppose that's why in the next chapter he says seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. But also too in connection with what we have at the end of the previous chapter, the 1St chapter, it's realizing what Christ is to the body, and He's the head of the body. It's looking to Him for direction.
And I might just say a practical note on this, because I wonder, brethren, if sometimes the reason there are problems and difficulties arise not only in the local assembly, but, as Brother Ron said, sometimes in nearby assemblies, because sometimes there are difficulties that affect more than one assembly in a geographical locality. But I wonder sometimes, brethren, if the difficulty is because we're not looking to Christ as the Head, and sometimes, especially in the day in which we live.
We get this idea in our minds that the assembly is a democracy. The assembly is a place where the majority rules. And maybe we don't express it in quite those words, but you know, whatever the spirit of the age is, it always eventually affects the people of God. And this is a day when democracy and human rights are not only practiced, but they're preached and glorified. And brethren, we need to be very careful that this spirit of things does not seep in.
Amongst the people of God, the assembly is not a democracy, it's where Christ's authority is to be owned and maintained. And so if we're looking to Christ as the head, if we come with the difficulties and problems that arise and we spread the matter before the head of the body, maybe sometimes there isn't immediate light or even power to deal with the difficulty, but we spread it before Him, we wait on him.
And if there is that real exercise, then he will come in, in his own time and way and make it clear so that when we act, we don't simply act because this is what the majority feels should be done, but we act on the authority of God's Word with Christ as the head. And I would suggest that if we do this, then there would be more and more that that being knit together in love, there would be that practical unity exhibited.
I'd like to just say this too, in connection with what we mentioned about Paul's desire and praying for one another. You know, brethren, sometimes I feel exercised because in my personal prayer life or even in the assembly, we come together and we tend to pray for those who are having difficulties, whether it's physical or spiritual.
Pray for those who have drifted away from attending the assembly meetings.
We pray for those who perhaps left the Lord's table for one reason or another. We pray for those who have, perhaps because of a course of things have to be dealt with by the assembly and discipline and so on. And again, that's very right and proper. But when you notice the apostle Paul praying for the Saints, it was usually prayer as a preventative measure. It was usually praying for the Saints when they were going on well.
Because the apostle Paul understood very clearly that Saints who were going on well both individually and assemblies collectively, they were going to be special targets of the enemy. He knew that the Saints at Ephesus who could receive that wonderful truth, he knew that they were specially vulnerable. And so he prays for them, that their eyes would be open to see the power available to them and that they would go on in the enjoyment of their heavenly position and what they haven't had in Christ.
The Philippians were going on well, and there was a testimony and an outreach connected with the assembly there. He prays for them that this will continue. He prays for the Saints of colossi, that they will be preserved and that they will go on in practical unity. And again, I just want to suggest on a very practical note, brethren, that if we would pray for one another before the difficulties arise or before the indifference in the lukewarmness, or maybe even, sad to say, sin comes in, perhaps it would preserve us from many things.
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And a sister make a very interesting comment to me after a prayer meeting, an assembly I was visiting many miles from here. She made this comment. She said, Jim, why do they never pray for those who are out to the assembly meetings and those in the assembly who are seeking by grace to go on? She said, I believe those are ones that need special prayer. I thought was a good exercise.
That was the case in verse five, wasn't it Jim, like you say, I am with you in the spirit join and behold in your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. They were going on well, even though there needed to be some things addressed. Still that was the case and so we need to be exercised to pray for all God's people. I I must say rather than when I we're.
Talk about love in that second verse.
Being nicked together in love, it helps to understand the character of love.
That we are commanded not merely exhorted about brethren, but commanded seven times in John's Gospel and his epistles. We are commanded to love one another, and.
It's the agape love. It's the love not of mere emotion. It's the love of decision. I think that helps to see. It's loving when there's nothing lovable in the object. That is not natural love. That's the love that God had toward this world. For God so loved the world. Why did he love it? Because God is loved. There is no other explanation.
But that's the character of the love that now we have as well. If we are born into God's family, that's the love that you have towards your brethren in the Lord Jesus.
And it's a love not merely of decision, but it's a love of sacrifice.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. What a sacrifice.
You know, it's easy to say I love you.
But it's not by mere words that you know there's love in that person.
It's by their actions. What they do is their sacrifice. That's where you see love in the Scriptural sense of it and how we need to be stirred up in our desires always, as has been said, in the context of the truth of God. But the love goes out to everyone of God's people.
And we should be interested in their welfare, seek to do what we can. Maybe we don't walk in practical fellowship. Maybe we don't break bread with them, But there still should be that interest in them and to seek to be a help in whatever way we can to bring them into the enjoyment of the truth of God as well. I think it's such a blessing to see from place to place cottage meetings where brethren get in some of the neighbors.
And enjoy the simple truth of God one place member. They went through the book of Romans and it was a tremendous blessing to those who had never heard of that book expounded before. So may the Lord help us and exercise this to be knit together in love always in the context of this full assurance of understanding and the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.
But.
May we be stirred, brethren, to love one another. That's what characterizes Christianity.
Connect 3 verses in John, Bob, have exercised my own soul in regard to what you say, and perhaps it'll exercise others. But go first of all to John's Gospel chapter 3.
John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 35. The Father.
Loveth the Son. Now this is the first thing, and I believe rather than that the springboard for everything else and connected with love in connection with love is to realize that the Father loveth the Son. Think of the measure of the love of God the Father for the Son. And in John, first John, when it says the Father sent the Son, isn't that more than if it just said God sent Jesus? It's true that God did send Jesus, but there was a relationship there from the apost eternity.
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It was the father sending the son, and think of the love of the father.
For the Son, the father loveth the Son. Now, keeping that in mind, go over to the 15th chapter.
Chapter 15 and verse 9. As the Father hath loved me.
So have I loved you. Now if a statement like that doesn't affect your heart, I don't know what goes on within your heart to think that the very same love.
Of the Father for the Son is the very same love now that is commended to us by the Lord Jesus. He loves us His own.
With the very same love that the father loves the son. But now my own soul is so exercising about this and I thought of it in connection with Bobby words. Just notice the 12Th verse. This is my commandment that ye love one another. But now he doesn't stop there. Sometimes in quoting this verse or having it as a little motto on our wall, we stop there. But he doesn't just exhort his own to love one another, but he says.
As I have loved you now, brethren, God accepts no lower standard of love for one another as the people of God as brethren, than the love of the Father for the Son and the Son for His own, in that tremendous to think about.
Do we have that love I know that we've had before us? It cannot be. We cannot have love at the expense of righteousness and truth, the practical love, because that's compromise. But brethren, is the love in our hearts and the love we seek and the measure we can to express to one another in our interaction with one another? Is it the standard that is laid out for us in John's Gospel? The love of the Father for the Son, the love of the Son for his people?
He exhorts us to love one another with that same love as I have loved you. But now I want to just follow up by going to Romans because I I thought of this in connection again with Bobby's remarks in Romans 12.
Because as Bob said, love has to do with sacrifice. Someone might tell you, well, I love you and you watch to see their reaction. And over a period of time you say, well, that person says they love me, but they don't show it in their actions, in their, perhaps even in their words, they don't show that love. They say they love me. You know, the Lord Jesus, God not only says he loves us, he proved it in giving his Son. The Lord Jesus not only tells us he loves us.
But he proved it in giving himself at Calvary's cross. But let's just read the 1St 2 verses of Romans 12. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly 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 you may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Well, the first thing we have then is self sacrifice. And brethren, we may never be called upon in love to the Lord Jesus or to His people to give our lives as a sacrifice in connection with martyrdom. Many of our brethren have, and this very day laying down their lives in that way. But we are called to lay down our lives for the brethren in service, a service of love to Himself and one another in the context of what we have here.
Giving ourselves a living sacrifice. Do you love your brother or sister in Christ enough to set some interest in your life aside? To go over and help that brother or sister? Do you love that brother or sister enough that you're willing to set aside time that you had hoped to spend for something else? Because you know that brother or sister has a practical need? Maybe all they do need is just for you to go over and sit beside them and hold their hands.
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Maybe as I said, it won't. It's not a lot of words, but just to give yourself as a living sacrifice. It does cost, but are we willing to do that? And then we find in the next verse be be not conformed to the world. Now, brethren, we apply this often and I have no problem with the application. We apply this often to many practical things. But in the context of the portion here, I would suggest what this is saying is.
In the world, the spirit of the world and the natural man is that he's the center of his world. He puts himself in the center. He draws this circle around himself and he does everything for self-interest. He lives for himself. And I've sometimes said to the young people in this day and age, this is not, this is not just the me first generation, this is the me only generation. My generation was the me first generation. We've got beyond that. It's the me only.
Generation where everything has to do with me and how do I benefit from this? And even in reaching out to someone else, the thought is how am I going to ultimately benefit from this, from this action? But brethren, what he's saying in this verse is that now that we belong to Christ and we're part of the body of Christ now, it's not to be me first or me only. It's not to be me as the center of my world and everything done for self, but now it is to be.
Christ and His interests, 1St and brethren, are Christ and his interests, His people, really what is first and foremost in our lives? Again, it takes that motive of love. It must spring from a motive of love. It takes self sacrifice. But oh what a blessing. It's more blessed to give than to receive. And to have Christ and His interests at the center of our lives is not only going to be a blessing to others.
But it will ultimately be a blessing to our own souls.
Those practical things are what knits us together, let me encourage.
Young people.
To think about the older ones.
In your assembly.
A little visit.
Sister.
And I sometimes think that it would be really nice to young people go up and shake hands with some of the older ones. Sometimes maybe you think, well, they're not interested in us. I think they really are. But sometimes we kind of tend to keep to ourselves. Can I encourage you to go up and shake hands with some of the older ones? Be interested in them. There's an old sister that needs her windows washed. There is a good practical thing that will knit the people of God together.
Look for reasons to.
Be of service to somebody else, that is. Like you say Jim, it's not the self centeredness of our culture that we live in, but it is truly a rewarding thing.
Isaiah 8 and verse 16 says bind up the testimony.
These acts of kindness and self sacrifice just point out and I know my brethren would agree.
It's not in me naturally to do that, is it?
When we see the ME Only generation, and I thoroughly agree with Jim that that is where we are.
And as has already also been pointed out, the attitude and spirit in the world around has always been that which unhappily spilled over into the Church of God. And so we live and move in that generation, and pretty soon that's the way we tend to think.
And the antidote is here in this chapter, isn't it? What does it say in the end of our second verse?
To the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and.
We just point out that the verse really should end there. The words of the Father and of Christ really are not there in the original.
It should simply read to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and then in verse 3, not in whom although the thought is right, but rather in which that is, in the full acknowledgement of the mystery, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What does that do? It takes me outside of myself and gets me to see things from God's side, because the emphasis in Colossians is on the mystery of God, that is, that God has in His purposes.
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The honor and glory of His beloved Son. The emphasis in Ephesians is more on the mystery of Christ. We don't want to start getting technical about it, but when it's bringing in the mystery of God, it's particularly the honor and glory that God has in His purposes for His beloved Son and His purposes that He is to be had over all things. Well, and that is before us if that really gets a grip on our souls.
Then it takes me right out of myself and then my thoughts, as we've already heard, are going to be for Christ and His interest down here. I'm going to ask Brother Jim a question. If the Me Only generation is wrong, what happens to me if I honor Christ and give my life for others?
Where do I get something? What do I get out of it? Am I going to be the the unhappy person that has nothing left by the time he spent himself for everybody else? What's the answer, Jim? I see that water if this watered all to himself.
And as the Lord said, it's more blessed to give than receive. And you find many scriptures that show that a life lived for self is a life of sorrow. A life lived for others is a life of joy. But it has to be with the realization that we're dead to the first man if we don't walk in newness of life. And what the new life that we have in Christ, because the new life that the life that we have in Christ, it it desires to serve.
It desires to please others. It desires Christ and his interest. But so often I let the flesh take over and I live in the flesh and the flesh wants to be served. The flesh wants self to be the center. And so if we're not walking in newness of life, if we're not walking with practically reckoning ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, it's going to be a life of sorrow, but a life lived in the in the.
Power of the Newman and the power of the Spirit. That's a life of joy. I say he that Watereth is watered all to himself. Might take a little effort, and maybe you have to sacrifice a Saturday to go over and wash that sister's windows that Bob was Speaking of. But not only will you encourage that sister, but you'll go away encouraged and refreshed yourself.
Whose approval do we want? That's the question. And you think as a widow who cast in her might into treasury, he got the approval of the Lord Jesus?
He's in it, in the relationship.
Himself, isn't he? And it says in John 10, the hireling flees.
Why? Because he's a Harvard. You know, if we enter in a relationship, whether it's miracle or whether it's in the assembly, whatever relationship we enter into.
Are we into it because of the Lord's approval? And I think if we are, then we'll cast in all our living to like Bruce reminded us to bind up the testimony like that widow reminds us to support the testimony with all her living to be into the relationship as a Christian fully and devotedly and.
Opposite of that of the higher link. The opposite of the higher link is what is shepherd.
And through the world and the world's approval, what we've been Speaking of, it's an abomination. The shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptian, but to the Lord, a shepherd's heart is his heart, a heart that is one who is self sacrificing.
A heart that is interested in what He can do for others, and He has for us because the Good Shepherd.
I am the Good Shepherd, the Lord said. And the Good Shepherd giveth his light for the sheep as he viewed that widow. He gave her life for the testimony would say. And how wonderful and how important for you and I to be fully devoted to this one who loved us and gave himself for us to have a heart as a shepherd, not as a hireling, a hireling. We're going to get into a situation going to be a little bit rough and we're going to get out of there.
But with a shepherd, the shepherd is fully devoted to the sheep. So I think that's very good, Brother George, Because suppose, and to go back to Bob's illustration for a moment, suppose you decide to go over and wash his sister's windows on Saturday. What is your motive? Is it so you'll get a nice meal at the end of it and maybe she'll press a $10.00 bill into your hand? Is it because maybe on Lord's Day she's going to tell some of the brethren, You know, so and so came over and I so appreciated it. What is our motive if our first motive is to do it for Christ?
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Then that's where the reward is going to be in our souls. If you do it for some other motive and she doesn't press that $10.00 bill into your hand or she doesn't tell anybody at meeting the next day that you came over and did it, you're going to be disappointed. You're going to be discouraged. But if you realize that it's jotted down in God's book of remembrance.
And that it was his approval you were seeking. That's where the joy and refreshment is going to be in your soul.
Now sometimes thought of the Apostle Paul in serving the Saints, he was misunderstood.
The Corinthian brethren, they questioned his authority as an apostle, they questioned his ministry and so on. But what did he say to them? He said, that's all right. He said, the more I love you, the less I be loved. And he said, We labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. What he really wanted in serving the Saints was the Lord's approval. Whatever his brethren might blame, he said, well, I just leave that with the Lord.
Because I'm seeking at the end of it all, his well done. And I believe that's why the Apostle Paul could say I have finished my course with joy. He'd fulfilled his ministry and finished his course with joy because he had a sense in his soul not of his brethren's approval in his service for Christ, but he had a sense in his soul of the Lord's approval. And brethren, as Brother George said, that's what really counts in the end. I hope all our young people are taking notice because.
It really.
Is sad to see so many young people of our generation that are so totally sought they they use the word bored. I'm bored don't know what to do. There's lots to do around but.
That stop and step back and think in a different direction.
Not pleasing yourself, but pleasing the Lord. Like Jim says, do it for him.
And I often I often.
Rather.
That nothing is said if I do something because I'd rather have his approval at the end than do it for something I get down here. Down here. Like you said, they may appreciate it, they may not.
But there's one who will always evaluate things properly and it's the Lord and in that day is the final evaluation. Sometimes, you know, we evaluate things down here. Not saying that's wrong, but the evaluation of things down here is never completely right evaluation. They're proper and final evaluation is future and we should labor in view of that day.
We think of those who live for themselves, and like you say, Jim, it's such an empty thing in our culture, people that live for themselves. It's one of these signs of the last days. Men shall be lovers of their own selves. You want to have an empty life, live for yourself. You're going to be an empty person. Think of a lot in the Old Testament.
Evidently a real believer, because Scripture says in the New Testament that he vexed his righteous soul.
Still, he chose first.
Should have given deference to his uncle Abraham, but no, he chooses first and he chooses what he likes. Anything wrong with that? Didn't seem to be anything wrong with those nice well watered planes, but they were leading in the wrong direction. It was a wrong philosophy of life, if I can put it that way. Pleasing himself. What's the end of Lot's career? Lost everything. Everything, even its testimony.
Total loss. He's a saved soul, but a lost life. I can't think of anything more tragic. Young people, we desire better things for you than that. The Lord challenge our hearts.
Our time is nearly gone and it would be nice to complete the thought in the third verse here.
When it says in whom? Or, as we pointed out, in which are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?
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It's a wonderful thing that you and I have been born into this dispensation of God's grace, and it's only in the understanding, the full understanding of that mystery of God that you and I will have wisdom and knowledge in our path.
That's important because, and again, I hope no one thinks that we're.
Hitting at young people, we all need this, but it's a day when there is much uncertainty as to the pathway of many dear believers and particularly dear young people. And our hearts go out to you because it is a very complicated world. Technology and many other things have made it very difficult to navigate through the world of today. It was so much simpler when I was your age. But what do we find here?
All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in the acknowledging of that mystery. Now that's basic.
What we're talking about, but it goes all the way when we take a look at world affairs. How can we understand what's going on?
Everything subtends from the acknowledging of the mystery of God that God has in His purposes the honor and glory of Christ and our association with Him. It ties in, I believe, with what we get in Second Timothy 2 where Paul says to Timothy, consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding in all things.
And so God doesn't intend that you and I practically should have a lack of direction in our lives or a lack of understanding of what His will is, or a lack of understanding of why things are the way they are in the world today or why they are such a state among the people of God. I believe that we can have understanding. We can see things clearly. We can know why things are the way things are the way they are, and we can have that.
Full understanding as it sits here, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Yes, they are found in Christ. I don't take away from that thought at all. But if we see where we are in God's purposes and how we are connected to Christ, in whom all God's purposes are centered, then I believe it will give us practical direction. Practical.
Shall we say intelligence as to what God would have us to do? And we won't be, as Bob is saying, bored and wondering what the Lord was Have us do and go this way and go that way, and maybe spend time and energy and money and then find out that it didn't work out, or perhaps that it didn't.
It wasn't the mind of the Lord. We can have guidance, we can have intelligence for our path. Is that right?
Not the full assurance of salvation.
Full assurance of understanding and acknowledgement of the mystery. And the reason why he brings this in is because the Colossians Saints were being bombarded with the Gentile philosophy and those that became later called Gnostics having some higher knowledge. They boasted that they knew things that were beyond what was given in the revelation to the Colossians Saints and their temptation was to go after these things and he wants to build them up and understanding that they have everything.
That they need in the mystery, all it says here, all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, not some of them. So they had no need to lean aside, to go aside, to turn aside to what these philosophical ideas were being bantered around at that time. You must have been brave words, Bruce, what the mystery is.
Christ in the church. That would be about the briefest I could give.
Good. It's it's, it's helpful if we're going to live meaningful lives, is to understand where we are in God's thoughts. And that's the point.
It's something that going back to the first, first chapter in the 26th verse, it says the mystery which has been hid from ages and generations. It's a mystery that was not understood in Old Testament times. You do not get it there.
It may be there in figure because God knows everything beforehand, but it was not there. It's something that is revealed especially through the instrumentality of the apostle Paul, the heavenly calling, the association you said with Christ. But look at chapter one of Ephesians where the mystery is mentioned as well, just to read a couple of verses.
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One of Ephesians and verse 9 having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, that's the millennial day, He might gather together in one all things in Christ Bush, which both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him in whom also we have obtained a an inheritance so.
It's us in conjunction, in union with Christ, in that position of glory.
Then in the third chapter he mentions it again of the Ephesians.
For it speaks at the end the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed into His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. What was that? That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body.
The promise in Christ by the gospel. So it's the calling into association with Christ in heavenly glory. That's the mystery. Beautiful to think of our place. Now if that's the case, it doesn't belong to me to get into involved in politics. There's a big push in Christian circles to get involved in politics. Christians should do their Christian duty is said.
And you're looked down on if you don't. But brethren, I suggest that if we do, we are really not living in the enjoyment of the calling wherewith we've been called to association with Christ in heavenly glory. The Lord help us to understand where we are.
Now it's time to close, but just one last comment the hid here in verse 3.
Is really the idea of being hid from the searchings of the natural mind, which is what they were being faced with, which is a little different than what we had what you referred to in Ephesians 3, where it was hid in the heart of God and now disclosed. So it's disclosed to those who have the revelation, but it's still hid to the searchings of the natural mind. And so all of the philosophical reasonings of the natural man cannot enter into and tap into these treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
#17.
May the grace of Christ.
Our Savior.
And the father.
The last Love.
With love.
Communion.
Joy.
Oh.