Book of Colossians - Ch. 1, Vs. 25-Ch. 2, Vs. 15 (10/07/2001)

Well, I believe he stopped at Colossians 1 .25, but whereof

I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God.

Dispensation. With Paul it was brand new, a new dispensation.

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest in all his saints.

Mystery, especially in scripture, means that God is revealing something that has not been revealed before.

It does not mean that he reveals the whole subject. He reveals enough of it that we know the facts but not the details.

The details come later. We'll never get all of the details.

To whom God would make known what is the riches of his glory in this ministry among the

Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

So what is the mystery? God in you, the hope of glory.

Clarence, what does that mean? Alright, the hope of glory.

If one is to commit one's life to live by faith, if you're going to commit your life to live by faith, then you must not live by sight.

Too much we live by sight and not by faith. We say we live by faith and we do, but still we have to see it, don't we?

I hope we get to the place where we don't have to see it to believe it. Whatever is done without conviction of its approval of God is sinful.

Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ.

The main objective in teaching is to present everybody to Christ perfect.

This was Paul's objective, it's our objective, it's everybody's objective to present everybody perfect in Christ.

The gospel is not only what you teach, it's who you teach. This is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, this is

Jesus Christ. Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily.

John said he had seen eternal life. How is that possible? Russell, how can you see eternal life?

When he came next to Christ, he saw him glorified to stay.

He also saw him present here on the earth. So, what are you saying?

He saw him through his work of eternal life. That's the key to it. He saw

Jesus. Jesus is eternal life. It's not something he gives you on a platter.

It's not something that you can call up and request it.

It is he himself. Colossians 2 verse 1.

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 flesh.

Great conflict in life. Now, what is this conflict in his life?

Greg, what's he talking about? Earnest care, agony, are concerns for other

Christians, and it must be sincere. That their hearts might be comforted in 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. That their hearts might be comforted in knowing that they are knit together.

There's a strange term, knit together. I think of mother and her knitting.

What does the word knit mean, Charlie? All right, we have another term,

Fred. All right, that's still not what

I'm looking for, Roger. It's glued together.

It's all glued together. Now, Greg, did you realize that you and Clarence were glued together?

Well, let your heart be comforted in that fact. That you are glued together with the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and Father and of Christ.

Two hearts that think the same brings comfort, peace, happiness.

The rich full understanding of the word shared, full assurance come from a nautical term meaning under full sail.

Christians should be moving along, growing from study and understanding.

There's very little growth spiritually unless it is shared. One person cannot grow very well by himself.

The visible church cannot be in union with God unless it have unity in itself.

Without love, this unity is impossible. So we must have love before we can be in unity.

We must have unity before we can be in God. And we must all be in God before we can be glued together.

The earthly church is not united by gifts or even by spiritualism, but by love.

To whom are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Everything we shall ever need is in Christ.

How many of you believe that? Let me see. Alright. He is a reservoir for all knowledge and wisdom.

Do you believe that? One of the greatest models

I've ever seen is next to knowing, I know where to find out.

Christ has been made unto us wisdom. The word is plural, treasures.

Each bit of wisdom has its own storehouse full of knowledge. And this

I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. Paul is now going to deal with the subject of philosophy and enticing words.

Very high sounding title. Philosophy and psychology have been substituted for the

Bible. And this is what is so enticing to so many young preachers today.

Shocking that so many men with a Ph .D. know so little about the

Bible. If it were possible and we had access to the men with Ph .D.

I dare say that this group of people could ask them questions that they could not answer.

Because they've never heard them before. You have. This causes churches to think they're rich.

But in reality they're blind. For though I be absent in flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit.

Joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.

As you have received Christ, walk in him. Ephesians 4 and 1.

I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.

1 John 1 and 2. For the life was manifested and we have seen it.

And bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the

Father and was manifested unto us. If you ever had any doubt that Jesus is the eternal life, this would erase it.

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you. That ye also may have fellowship with us.

And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we will have fellowship one with another.

And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sins. The iniquity of us all was laid upon him.

This walk is profitable only if we do it in our mind.

It's not something that you do physically. It's not an action you go through or labor of some kind.

You must do it in your mind. If we walk with him we shall be rooted in him.

It's impossible. Impossible to be rooted in Christ and not love him.

To have him love us. And the better rooted we are in him the more we'll walk in him.

You cannot walk in him and not be rooted in him. Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving.

The word established is not a misprint. It is an old English term that's not used much anymore.

It does not mean established even though it is akin to it. Who knows the meaning of the word established?

Absolutely. You are fixed in a position and faced in the right direction.

The less principle a man has the more liberal is his belief of the scripture.

Have you found that to be true? Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men.

After the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. To be built up in him we must first be rooted in him.

To be rooted in him we must first be transplanted into him. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the

Godhead bodily. Now we talk a lot about Jesus, about Christ, about the

Father, about the Son, about the Holy Spirit. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the

Godhead bodily. What's that mean Greg? That's right.

Very simple. And you are complete in him which is the head of all principalities and power.

You are complete in him. You lack nothing. Being in him is enough.

You are complete. In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and putting off the body of the sin of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

The real circumcision is the new birth. Buried with him in baptism.

Not water. Wherein also, kahi is the

Greek term, you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead.

The little word also. Ye were also in him.

The word also carries with it a tremendous meaning. Who knows the kahi?

Well let me tell you. It means a Siamese twin. It is because of the power of God that a small child can be saved and understand.

Or that an old codger like me can be saved and understand. He comes to that person on their level.

The word also. He is raised up also. So wherever you are in your age, mentally, physically, and you started with Christ right there, he starts right there with you.

Our daughter was saved when she was five or seven, something like that.

And I wondered, how can she understand? Well she can't understand things that adults know, but she understood enough.

And it sufficed her. Siamese twin.

Romans 6 .4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death.

Now there's no water here. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the

Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his

Father, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Now you plant things that you want to do what?

Grow. We've been planted with him. He expects us to grow. A little, well either before or behind this verse, it says, well

I forgot. Now it means dead. Buried with him.

You were buried with him in baptism. You bury things that are dead. The old man was buried with him.

And here it's we're planted with him. So we're expected to grow. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

Now being quickened. What does quicken mean?

What? Made alive. Made alive.

You were dead, but he made you alive. He could not quicken you if you were already alive.

But you were dead. There are all kinds of gimmicks and systems today to try to enable us to live the

Christian life. Now if we could go into myriads of them.

You can attend every Bible conference. You can have a drawer full of notes.

Drawer full of books. Still not do very well in life.

We are joined to Christ. Do you walk with him? Do you turn to him in sorrow and in joy?

Is he the very center of your life? If he isn't, you need to change centers.

Total depravity of man. Why is it that you do not have to learn how to sin,

Bill? A little baby.

By the time it's here. When it cries, its neck turns red.

Trying to have its own way. Doesn't know it yet, but it's an instinct.

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it to them.

For the individual things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. Being understood by the things that are made.

Even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse.

All of that bunch in the Middle East. They have no excuse. Because that when they knew

God, they glorified him not as God. Neither were thankful. But became vile in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.

The evil nature is not eradicated. Just severed as a control of your life.

The evil nature has not been removed from you. It's still here.

Still alive. I'm dead then, but it's much alive to me. I can choose to serve it or serve

God. I choose to serve God and I slip every once in a while and go back. More often than I would like.

Reality as you and I know it is but the will of God. Someday he will take us home with him.

And we shall not exist as we do now. Someday. 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 the cross. What are these ordinances,

Charlie? Give us the illusion of following some set of rules.

That's right. They are ordinances that are taken out. The law commands, but it gives not the inclination to do it.

It demands without the power to do. See, I thought that was referring to the charges that I was brought before the judge.

But then there were charges for wrongdoings. And then blotting out the ordinances that were against us.

So that our charges that were brought against us were faithful in Christ.

I don't know if that's true. No, that's all right if you want to think that.

But he's talking about the law here. The old law. We couldn't keep the law.

It demanded that you do, but it did not give the power to do it.

But it didn't intend it. Nail it to the cross. That's right. Go on back, go on back. Burden something.

That's right. We by nature go back. But we shouldn't.

The law commands, but it gives not the inclination in our hearts or the power in our hands to do it.

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly.

Triumphing over in it demons, powers, and principalities.

We need to stop here. We'll start with 16.

Anybody have anything you'd like to add or subtract? Anybody like to go home?

If you would, stand. Clarence dismisses, please.