Address—D. Bilisoly
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Head of the Church triumphant, we joyfully adore these devout peer by members here would sing like those in glory. We lift our hearts and voices in blessed anticipation and cry aloud and give to God the praise of our salvation.
By faith we see the glory of which thou dost assure us the world despise for that high prize which thou has set before us, and may we tell it worthy to meet the Son from heaven. There see our Lord by all of us to us in the Lord #165.
Head of the church.
I believe our hearts and love my pleasant and glad and never strong.
And cry aloud and hear.
And having.
The fire.
Now, I've said the whole day, the whole day beginning.
I know my name is.
Very long.
Dear thy Graeme.
Harvesting forever.
God bless the sun, darkness, lighting, falls and the lingerie and the rest of the middle of all the walls. And then there's a chance that I'm real with your head.
Hard nearer thyroid.
And shine.
The world listen and.
Said.
Letters right before.
Shall break them all and join the heavenly.
God.
Now let's turn to the book of Colossians.
Colossians Chapter 2.
Let's just read through the chapter.
Colossians Chapter 2.
For I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you and for them that Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.
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 of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom.
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And knowledge.
And this I say, unless any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.
Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Beware.
Lest any man spoils it through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world were elements.
And not after Christ.
For 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 of the circumcision of Christ.
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are raised 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, happy, quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
Blotting 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 trust.
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 a 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. Let no man beguile you of 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 minds.
And not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment, ministered and knit together, increase it with the increase of God.
Wherefore if he be dead with Christ from the rudiments or elements of the world.
Why is still living in the world? Are you subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not? Which all are to perish with the use of after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in what will worship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to satisfying of the flesh. Now I'll tell you what.
Drew my attention to this chapter.
Is the frequent mention of the body.
You notice we have the body mentioned in verse nine. We have a body mentioned in verse 11.
We have the body mentioned in verse 17 and we have the body mentioned in verse 19 and the body mentioned in verse 23. And if we take each one of those instances where the body is mentioned.
It all has a different context which shows the importance of considering all scripture in its context. We would go entirely astray if we didn't carefully consider the context of such a passage.
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But let's think a little about this chapter, because.
The Apostle had a real burden for these Colossians and as we read on in the second chapter.
We discovered what was troubling his heart. It was something that was had a deceitful character to it. It was a thing that maybe he couldn't exactly put his finger on, except that it was a certain form of legality.
Judaizing teaching that took on a philosophic form.
But how are we going to get the benefit of these things unless we seek, with the Lord's help, to try and make some application for our present time?
Is there a possibility, brethren, we could get tripped up in philosophy and beige again? Don't think for one moment we couldn't. There's some real.
Questionable things.
That are coming up here and there that really make us wonder. And Paul was in a conflict over this matter. You see in verse one he says I for I would that she knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea. Now that was a nearby assembly, and even at the close of this letter he urges them to allow.
Delayed the scene assembly to.
Read this epistle and vice versa.
Do you think he had good reason to be in conflict about the Assembly of Laodicea? Oh, I think you know the answer to that if you get into Revelation chapter 3.
I think you'll see a good reason why Paul had such a conflict over that assembly.
He had not seen probably most of these Saints. He had not seen them, but he had a conflict for them. Oh brother, isn't that a lovely spirit? Isn't that a lovely attitude? I have to confess myself that I find it difficult to pray.
For assemblies where I don't know the brother. But when we do hear things, then I trust our hearts go out for our dear brethren. I've never met, for instance, the the Brethren in Peru, but we're hearing lately that they're having a hard time.
They had a change of government that with the intention of arresting the terrible rate of inflation. But what did it do? It made inflation far worse, so much so that it just almost zeroed out the income of some of the poor brethren, put them in a terrible economic Strait so that they hardly had enough income to buy food. Even so, I'm thankful.
To hear reports like Brother Bob, Tony and Ralph Dear going down, taking money with them from the brother in here to help out their brother in those places, I've never seen their faces, but some have. But if Paul had such a conflict about those for the most part that he hadn't seen.
Then certainly we ought to have.
Exercise apart about those that we do know and especially.
Our local assembly.
Now I try to make it a practice to pray for everybody in our assembly by name. We know. We know the assembly there, they know us, and we know a little better how to pray for our brother in our local assembly. How about you, President? How about ourselves here this afternoon? Do you pray?
With the assembly right here, you know matters. Here, you know matters in Sully, and perhaps even better in Des Moines than I would and how good it is to.
Praying for our brethren.
Paul was so concerned in verse two that their hearts might be.
Comforted being knit together in love.
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And unto all riches of the full assurance.
Of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God. I believe the other part is not really included there.
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge? Now why does he put it this way? Why does he make?
Such an expanded statement here. Well, I believe he's saying in simple words that God is all sufficient. The truth of God is all sufficient. The riches and the full assurance and the of the understanding of of these things is revealed. The mystery of God. God has made it known and we have the full revelation it was given to Paul.
Right here in Colossians chapter one.
Verse 25 It was given unto him to fulfill or to complete the word of God. So we have it all.
And it's pitiful to see.
Those advanced who are coming with false doctrine, who are adding to the word of God, who are talking about things.
Other revelations that are not a part of the word of God, even near.
And Betty's mother's place here. They're building a great new hall.
Well, I'll just be very plain Jehovah Witness. Great big new hall where we were struck. How quick that went up.
And what do they come door to door with? It's pitiful. It's tragic.
So he's saying to the Saints of God we have.
The full assurance, the riches, the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mysteries of God. The word of God is complete. We can rest upon it and thank God for it. In whom are hit all the treasures.
Of wisdom and knowledge. So we've got it in Him. There's nothing that need be added to the Word of God. We have all in Him. Are we satisfied with that?
Well, dear ones here this afternoon.
I think Paul's advice is extremely timely and good for ourselves in verse two, that our hearts might be comforted being lit together in love.
Brethren, where can we go? All about us. Everything is is in a terrible state. There's no comfort out in the world. People are distressed. They're in a turmoil.
We need each other. Where can we go truly outside of the assembly for true comfort?
For true fellowship, how important is that thought that our hearts might be be comforted being knit together?
In love.
Where can we get true comfort outside of the assembly?
Well, verse 4 is.
Is important to think about.
This I say that any man should beguile you with enticing words now.
Paul was beholding the assembly even though he was absent in verse 5, and he considered their order and steadfastness of their faith in Christ.
He dreaded, unsure to see anything come in that would spoil that dawning order.
Be driven to see that how long could this go on verse 5? How long could that be true?
If they were permitting a thing to come in amongst them that was threatening the assembly, how long could they go on in joy and order and steadfastness in their faith in Christ? How long could they go on that way, and with the this threatening thing upon the assembly? Well?
It's a very real thing and a concern that ought to be considered so he says in verse six. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye and him not as simple exhortation, isn't it, brother? How have we received? Are we walking and what we have received? That's that's the question.
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Well.
We don't need anything else but what we have received in Christ.
So what He in him rooted and built up in him verse 7 and established in the faith, as she had been taught, abounding therein to Thanksgiving, So all we have in Christ we trust being rooted and built up in Him.
That we should be abounding more and more on Thanksgiving. Well, God certainly values our expressions of Thanksgiving as we had this morning.
And we certainly ought to be as those that respond, considering what we have and are in Christ.
Let them redeem that the Lord say so. You know, we read in the Psalm, If they don't say, who will say? Certainly not the world and.
So there ought to be that returned to him, So walk you in him.
Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving. Now in verse eight he lays out this morning again.
He is disturbed over this thing that had crept into the assembly, so he says beware.
Lest 3 Man spoiled you through philosophy, and they deceived after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.
Well, that's that's really the origin of those things. It all, it all begins in the world, the element of the world. And someone that made this remark. I heard this a long time ago and that is that it seems as though eventually the assembly gets the backwash of the world.
Those things that become real prominent in the world, watch out that it doesn't begin to show up.
Well, brethren, I'm not just making insinuations or implications.
I'm just stating what I believe the word of God is suggesting to us here in Colossians, that it is a very real danger and the elements, as it were, of the world, can creep in among us and affect us and it can take on philosophies that.
Clever had to take on religious terminology.
We have to be extremely cautious about these things that might creep in and take a certain precedence and importance among us. Just as an example, let me just say this as a word of caution. Let's be extremely careful about some of this slant towards cycle therapy, cycle analysis. I really feel it's an exceedingly dangerous thing towards the Lord understands and knows where there may be chemical imbalances and what have you.
That's another thing and there are people of course trained that can handle things properly in the hospital.
But I really think we need to be extremely cautious.
These things, I fear, are having more of a place and recognition than they ought to have among us. I am extremely concerned.
Beware, he says.
And then verse 9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality in power. Isn't that an astounding statement of Scripture?
And I say reverently that that was not said.
Of any other person of the Godhead.
But it was said of the Lord Jesus Christ here in this world.
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Just consider the immense truth. There in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. What is Paul saying here? Well, I I believe he's saying that we have everything, absolutely everything in the Christ. There is no deficiency at all. And it says ye are complete in him. Now the word complete means just what it means, that there's nothing.
That can be added to that.
We are complete in Him and we're seeing in Christ. We have all things in and through Him and.
He's head over all things, and certainly over all things to the church, and we're complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. Well, just weigh those statements and consider what can be added to this kind of completeness.
So here we see an immense thought just in connection with the personal practice year completing him.
Verse 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Well, I believe this gives us one of the most spiritual definitions of circumcision. It links the thought with the depth of Christ.
The putting off of the body of sins. By the circumcision of Christ, the death of Christ, he was cut off. Even scripture uses that terminology. Messiah shall be cut off, and so.
We see that that through his death the true question of sins were cut off and so circumcision back in the Old Testament.
Looked on to the cross of Christ, Baptism looks back. They both figure the death of Christ. That might be helpful to consider.
Very helpful if we consider all aspects of this. But the circumcision looked on and the baptism looked back. So it says in verse 12 buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen.
With him through faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead. So baptism really is in itself a figure of death. There's no thought of life giving in baptism. Hold your place and turn into Romans chapter 6.
Romans chapter 6.
And verse three, know ye not that so many of us as we're baptized unto Jesus Christ?
Were baptized unto his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead for the glory of the Father, Even so we should walk in newness of life. You know, it's a striking thing, but I suppose.
Many linked baptism with what faith connection they may have up our way. They consider that extremely important. Whatever a person is baptized to, that's what they are linked with, and they attach a certain light to that. That's not the thought at all. We see that baptism here is entirely figurative of death and the key thought to baptism, verse 5.
Is identification that word planet could simply be identified.
That is, if we have been planet or identified together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
The mode of baptism we may not be too happy about.
I would have preferred immersion, but as a child I was only sprinkled and nothing can be accomplished by repeating that because it is a certain initiation. And I do believe that God holds Christendom responsible even on the basis of their Christmas. You have that in connection with His words to to Sardis there in Revelation chapter 2. But I believe that the immersion.
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Mode is by far the best because it pictures the going down into the waters and rising up again like it says in the long time and.
There was a young brother that wanted to be baptized and decided all of a sudden he was going through an exercise and he decided all of a sudden that night that he wanted to be baptized. And so we said we'll fire him and he said why not get the string of the pond?
And this was at night, so.
We went there and turned the car lights on and we had to break the ice away.
And that young fella went right down into those dark waters, so in effect you couldn't see them. And he rose up again out of that water.
Oh, it's a strong symbol of death, but it's the symbol of being identified with him in his death. So baptism is very important. The word of God has a lot to say about it, but it is not life giving.
But it certainly identifies with Christ, and it brings us into the Christian position outwardly. It It has nothing to do with the soul, but it brings us into that outward sphere, as it were, where Christ rules.
And so this identification is very important in that connection.
I believe that the Jews understood it better than the Gentiles. Now that we're thinking about this, turn back to Acts Chapter 3, and I believe we'll get the force of the thought there.
Here's the first preaching.
There at the very time of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God came down, and these are all Jews here.
All of Israel.
Peter was very pointed to them.
And lace it playing before them.
Verse 36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly.
Acts Chapter 2, verse 36.
Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom we have crucified.
Both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you.
In the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost for the promises unto you and to your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
This 40 And with many other words did he testify and absorb saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation, let's not get mistaken over these things that.
As soon as they believed in their hearts, as soon as they received Christ by faith in their hearts, they were secure for all eternity. But.
They were still identified with a very guilty nation who had been guilty of the crucifixion of their Messiah, and so the only way to get out of that guilty position now I don't mean for for eternal blessing.
But for the present.
Circumstances. The only way to get out of that guilty position was through baptism. That took them off of that guilty ground. That's why Peter says save yourselves from this untoward generation. If they refuse baptism, they were still identified with the guilt of that nation.
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And that was a serious matter. And so he first of all exhorts them to repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, in other words.
They were more or less.
Told that that the Spirit of God could not seal that work unless they positively identified themselves with Christ.
They otherwise were still identified with that nation, and so the Spirit of God would not seal that work until they were properly identified. It's not the same with the Gentile.
You and I in the Gentile position were not in that same position as guilt of guilt. But so when we receive Christ as our Savior, the Spirit of God seals that work.
But of course we ought to be baptized to be properly identified with him, if we have not of course, been baptized already.
But with the Jew, it was a very serious matter and I believe this passage here helps us to see.
That they they were identified with a guilty position of the nation and baptism got them off of that outwardly. So that's an important point in connection with baptism. And then identification is extremely important, as we had in Romans 6.
But there's one other thought that is good to take notice of while we're thinking about this.
Look at Galatians.
Chapter 3.
Now first of all, it declares plainly how we become the children of God. Verse 26 of Galatians 3.
For ye are all the children of God. How? By faith in Christ Jesus.
So that's the only way. Of course we can become the children of God. But now if this is true, that we are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, then we ought to be baptized. It's assumed.
For as many of you as have been baptized under Christ have put on Christ when you say what? I don't quite understand that terminology. Well, the best explanation I've heard of this passage is like a soldier wearing the uniform of his country. And already what? Are there something like 250,000 soldiers over in over there in in Arabia, Maybe more.
Well, I'm sure they all have the uniform of their country. And if you saw afraid of those soldiers, and in the midst of them you saw a man that did not have a uniform on, and if you were near enough, you might say, hey Mr. You shouldn't be there. That's a craze of soldiers, he said. But I am a soldier. I can prove it. And he may pull out his credentials and he may say, look, I'll show you, I can prove that I am a soldier.
You might say you don't look like a soldier.
Civilian clothes, you're not properly identified, so the thought of identification runs so strong.
With baptism. So it's very important from that standpoint. It's been so abused in the Christian world that it's somewhat lost sight of, but it is important.
Back to squashing.
Verse 13.
And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh.
Hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, I believe Paul is emphasizing here the fact that.
These things are all taken care of. It's not a thing to attain. We are forgiven.
He's blotted out all these things against us and he's taken it and nailed it to his cross.
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Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphantly over them in it. So these things have nothing more to say to us.
That's why he says here in verse 16.
Let no man therefore judge you, and meet or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or the new moon, or the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, But the body is of Christ. Now, Mike, the thought that comes before me.
In connection with so many dimensions of the body here.
Is to bring before us more, shall I say, the tangible thing.
Rather than the mystical thing, these Colossians believers were slipping into a certain kind of mysticism.
A very bad thing we can we can rest upon the revealed word of God and.
These things of mysticism are positively dangerous. We don't need that, even the shadow of those things. The law was a shadow of good things to come, but not the very image.
So it says the body is of Christ. The law would point ahead to a coming things. But now we have the truth of Christianity. We have Christ. We have the body, as it were, the tangible thing. The body is of Christ. Oh, I think that's so lovely. Oh brethren, we need to be careful not to put each other under rules and regulations, as it were.
But to follow the Word of God and the principles of the Word of God, let's test everything.
By God's precious word.
The things that were being imposed on the Saints as verse 21.
Were probably things really not even addressed in the law, maybe things that went beyond what the law required?
A strange thing indeed.
But.
We have been set free. Verse 16. Let no one judge you in these things. We're set free.
And then in verse 18, let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding in those things which you have not seen vainly puffed out by his fleshly mind. Well, here's something else that that came in through the the beguiling work of the enemy, and that was to get them to recognize in some way intermediate beings.
Now, of course, that's thoroughly happened in the Christian testimony.
I trust that that that would not come in among us, but the enemy is so subtle and we can see that it happened to these Colossians who? Paul says.
He beheld their order in the steadfastness of their faith in Christ, and yet the enemy succeeded in tricking them into this sort of thing. Well, if you follow the whole problem historically, you see what happened when they got to the point where not only were they worshipping angels, but Saints too, and all of that kind of thing, historically.
And what is the effect of this sort of thing not holding the head?
See, that's that's a failure to recognize his absolute authority, his absolute headship, our absolute dependence upon him. Just as our bodies, our human bodies, are absolutely dependent on the direction of the head, and so we can't conceive the thought of disregarding the hint and the hands or feet.
Acting independent, as it were, of the Him. Oh no, the thought here is the absolute total dependence upon the head, not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment, ministered and knit together, increase it with the increase of God. Now the body that we have in question here, of course, is the body of Christ that is.
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And the spiritual aspect of things, How did that begin? Oh, well, turn back to First Corinthians 12. You know, these things. That's. Let's just reconsider here.
First Corinthians chapter 12.
It seems as though the Spirit of God leads into this.
In connection with the way in which the Spirit of God would manifest himself, how the Spirit of God works.
And then?
Paul says here in verse 12.
Four as the body is 1 and half many members.
And all members of that one body, being many, are one body. So also is is the Christ.
We're given a little picture of that perfect unity and harmony.
And that was men of God right from the beginning. That is, we have the picture of the husband and wife. And as he took upon Adam's name, so also is the Christ.
4 By 1 Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles?
Whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit, well, this is all a unifying work of the Spirit of God, and it's a work that has taken place with each one individually. I believe the drinking in one spirit indicates a personal reception, each one individually. The Lord tied that thought together.
In John Chapter 17 or seven, you don't have to turn to it. Let's see if I can pin it down here.
Verse 37 In that last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.
Verse 39 But this spake he of the Spirit was they that believe on him should perceive.
So.
And then as we read on in verse 14 of First Corinthians 12.
It says for the body is not one member but many no.
The examples that he brings before us here of the body are its attitudes towards each other, that is, the member's attitudes toward each other.
You get, first of all, the thought of disdain.
Their discontent rather, I should say, and then you get the thought of disdain.
Either is bad, but there can be distinctive discontent even between prominent members of the ears and eyes and so forth.
But.
If the whole body as he says.
Or maybe I should just read a little of this. For the body. Verse 14 is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ears shall say, because I am not the eye, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the hole were hearing, where were the smelling but now?
Have God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it have pleased?
Yeah, and it worked. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now, are they many members yet? But one, five. And then on he goes to bring out this question of disdain, having no need, as it were. That's serious business. But God's tempered the body together as it had pleased him, and he wants to see that body.
Functioning in unity here in this earth, Well, we know in an overall way. It's not so when we see how.
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The Saints of God are divided and scattered, even right here in Pella. Consider how many different.
Groups of those that belong to Christ, all members of the Body of Christ, and yet they're all divided and indifferent groups. It's tragic, isn't it? It won't be so in the glory all of those differences will be.
Left behind. Thank God for them. Well, let's go on back here to Colossians.
In connection with.
These ordinances and things of that sort imposed on the Saints of God.
He says in verse 23 which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will, worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
Now we see how men would try to convey the thought that to neglect the body to humiliate it is a virtuous thing.
And that's why you have monasteries and all that type of thing.
Where we lived in Colorado, there were a group of folks that called themselves the Penitentiary.
And every year around Easter time, they would go out in the deserts and they would take turns whipping each other.
Inflicting.
Terrible suffering and pain upon their bodies.
Now.
These bodies are not viable. You know, in Philippians 3 it says you shall change our vile body. It's not. That's not really the thought, It's the body of humiliation. Our bodies have been humiliated through the fall. But the Lord is going to change these bodies that have been humiliated because of sin in the fall and fashioned them like unto his body of glory. So we certainly don't want to afflict these poor bodies.
No, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
No, it shows what this kind of extremism can lead to. But that's not the mind of God. No, the our bodies are naturally affected and afflicted by the ruin of sin. But we don't need to add to that. We don't need to add to the groanings of this creation. We will have that Anyway, there's no escape. So it's pitiful to see what how the mind can be conditioned.
To accept such extremity of things like this, and even by those that were outwardly going on well, but I believe that we should hearken to these things and.
The exercise by things that we read in the Word of God like this, Paul's ministry to the Colossians, and all the other Epistles too. Well shall we have this prayer our.