Fullness - Expressed in Practical Life — Stephen Kaung

For those who came in last night and those who came this morning probably it will be necessary for us to just mention what we have covered thus far during the afternoon session. Our main burden during these afternoons is centered upon one word and that is fullness.

Fullness as the Purpose of Colossians

From the letter to the Colossians we find that Paul's thought in that particular letter is the thought of fullness. He had heard of these saints in Colossae how they had believed in the Lord Jesus, they had faith in Christ Jesus and how they had love towards all the saints and even to Paul whom they had not seen in the flesh but they loved him in the spirit and also how these people had hope.

Laid up in the heaven. In other words, Paul heard that these people had a good foundation in the grace of God. The grace of God was evident in their midst. It was expressed in faith, in love and in hope.

And probably when we hear of such condition we will feel very happy and Paul felt very happy too but probably we will feel well that's very good and we only hope that such condition can continue to the end and that will be all.

But with Paul who had the mind of God he was on the one hand most thankful for what God had done among these people and yet on the other hand he was even more burdened than ever before because he saw that God had begun in these lives.

And he longed to see that the work which God had begun will be perfected. So you remember how he gave himself to prayer. He could not be with them in person because he was in prison in Rome. He could only wrestle, heavenize before the Lord with one supreme purpose and that these saints in Christ, these believers may be filled with the full knowledge of God's will.

Throughout this short letter you will find that Paul repeatedly used these words like feel, whole, wholeness, fulfill, complete, perfect and so on and so forth. The one prevailing thought is wholeness.

So dear brothers and sisters we feel burdened with this burden of God concerning his own children. God's concern for his own is that we may be unto fullness. We may not stop short. We may enter into the fullness of God.

That we may be filled with the fullness of God. This is God's purpose concerning his people. And then secondly we mentioned how this fullness of God is in Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead, the totality of divine attributes and power makes its home, permanent home in Christ and in nowhere else.

Christ is the fullness of God. If you ever want to find the fullness of God it is to be found only in Christ. And then we continue to see in Colossians chapter 2 it is said,. In him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily and you are complete in him.

So far as our union with Christ is concerned his fullness is our fullness. You cannot be united with Christ without sharing in his fullness. That's the reason why you'll find Apostle Paul says,. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily and you are complete in him.

And yet when we come down to our experience we find that we are progressively led into the experience of his fullness by way of the cross. As the cross works deeper and deeper in our life, in every and different area of our life, we find that his fullness is being experienced more and more in these areas.

The Church as the Fullness of Christ

But the fullness of Christ is the church, is the body. We remember in Ephesians chapter 1 it says,. The church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all and in all. This afternoon we would like to go on a little bit.

The Bible tells us that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him, in Christ, bodily. That is bodily wise, in bodily form, in a form that can be seen, and heard, and touched, and known. The fullness of God is in Christ.

But this is not just something intangible. Something that is very real, that can be seen, touched, and known. Because it dwells in him bodily. It is available. It can be communicated. It is most real.

That's why you'll find in the Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 14,. And the word became flesh, and dwells among us. And we have seen his glory, even the glory of the only begotten Son with the Father. He dwells among men, full of grace and truth.

And out of his fullness we receive grace upon grace. Then again in the first letter of John, you'll find John says the same thing. That which is from the beginning, that word of life, that light, has been manifested to us.

And we have seen him, we have heard him, we have known him, we have touched him. And because we have fellowship with him, therefore we can fellowship him with you all. So dear brothers and sisters, we find the fullness of God in Christ is in bodily reality.

In bodily form. You'll find when our Lord Jesus was on earth, in human form. How he walked in the land of Judea, of Galilee, and he walked 33 years and so. And as he walked on this earth, people saw him, heard him, even touched him.

Here you'll find the fullness of God is literally manifested in this body, in Christ Jesus. So it is not just a vague idea, a theory. It is a reality manifested in life. A life on earth. And that is Christ.

Now dear brothers and sisters, if this is true of Christ, who is the fullness of God. It must be true with the church. With us, the body of Christ. Which is the fullness of Christ. So when we talk about the fullness of Christ.

The church as the fullness of Christ. We should not have the impression that it is just a good theory. Yes it is very good. The church, the body, is the fullness of Christ. Oh how full must be the body.

And we have a very good feeling of it. Now brothers and sisters, this is not the will of God. The church, the body, as the fullness of Christ, must also be expressed bodily. In other words, it must be seen, and heard, and touched, and known by the world.

It must be in our daily practical living. Unless the church expresses the members of the body of Christ. Manifests the fullness of Christ in their various relationships of life. It is not real. It is not true.

It is not a real thing. It has to come out in our daily life. So this afternoon we would like to move on to this practical expression. Of that fullness which dwells in the church. Now may we turn to Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians chapter 3. We'll read from verse 12. Colossians chapter 3 verse 12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.

If any should have a complaint against any, even as the Christ has forgiven you, so also do ye. And to all these, add love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of Christ preside in your heart, to which also ye have been called in one body, and be thankful.

Let the word of the Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. And everything, whatever ye may do, in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him.

Wives, be subject to your husband, as is fitting in the Lord. Husband, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleading in the Lord.

Fathers, do not bets your children, to the end that they be not disheartened. Gone men, obey in all things your masters, according to flesh, not with eyes, surfaces, as man pleasers, but in simplicity of thought, fearing the Lord.

Whatsoever ye do, labour at it heartily, as doing it to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance. Ye serve the Lord Christ, for he that does a wrong shall receive the wrong he has done, and there is no respect of persons.

Masters, give to a barman what is just and fair, knowing that ye also have a master in the heavens. Persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving, praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door of the world to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which also I am bound, to the end that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom for those without redeeming opportunity. Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt. So as to know how ye ought to answer each one. We will just read this portion. We find here in this letter to the Colossians, when Paul deals with this noble and lofty subject of fullness, after he has brought us in a sense to the third heaven, to see how the fullness of the Godhead is in Christ, and also to see that we as his body is joined to Christ, and here in his fullness, we are like people who are being lifted to the third heaven, and there we have heard things almost unspeakable.

From Heavenly Fullness to Earthly Obedience

But dear brothers and sisters, Paul does not leave us there. You find that after he has led us to the third heaven, now by the Spirit of God he has led us back to this earth. You remember the story which we have mentioned before?

The three disciples who went to the mountain with our Lord Jesus, and there our Lord was transfigured before them. It was the glory of the kingdom of God coming in power. And how these disciples longed to just remain there forever and never to come down.

You know, in a sense, this scene at the Mount of Transfiguration is a scene of great critical moment. Because here you will find our Lord Jesus after he has walked on this earth for some time, and demonstrated a life that is in perfect harmony with God.

After he had revealed the Father and declared the Father, after he had shown the world what the fullness of God was, our Lord had led a life that was perfect, perfect declaration and demonstration of the Father and of his fullness.

There was nothing short in him. And there he went to the mountain. And he was transfigured. Seems as if it was the crowning of his days on earth. And there Moses and Elijah appeared. And what they were talking about?

They were talking about his departure, his exodus. How was he going to leave the world? So far as our Lord himself was concerned. He could leave the earth at that moment. He was ready. He had come to this earth to declare the Father.

And he had declared the Father in such perfectness. By life, by word, by deeds. And there he was on that mountain, transfigured. He could well just depart from earth and went back to the glory that he had with the Father even before the foundation of the world.

There was nothing standing in his way. He could just depart and went back to the Father. He could do that. So far as himself was concerned. And if he should do that, where will be you and me? Thank God.

Even though he was able to depart just like that. And yet when Moses and Elijah talked with him about his departure, he had a very different departure in his mind. He would depart and exit from this world by the cross.

He had to depart in this way, by the cross. Because only when he departs in this way, there is redemption for the world. So here you find our Lord Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration. In such glory.

This is a glimpse, a full taste of the kingdom of God. In power. And no wonder Peter and James and John, oh how they longed that this will be it. That they needed not to go down from that mountain and face the multitude and all the problems and the difficulties in this world.

The temptations and the trials. Now if this is the kingdom of God and we are already in it. Well let it be so forever. You cannot blame these disciples. Because if you were there you would do the same thing.

Oh how we walk on this earth surrounded with temptations and trials and difficult people and many problems, suffering and so on and so forth. Now if we could be taken up and away and there be with Christ in glory.

You would not want to come back again. But the Lord came back. And he brought his disciples back to the valley. And there in the plain in the valley was a need to be met. Our Lord came back to manifest the fullness of God in healing this little child.

Dear brothers and sisters in like manner. We who have been taken up in a sense by his spirit into a glimpse of the fullness of God. The fullness of Christ in the body. Oh how we long that we may just remain there.

It's a beautiful thought. Let's remain there and forget about everything else. Very often in a conference or a convocation if the blessing of the Lord is there. Oh how we long that it will continue forever.

I remember this morning one sister who sits behind me whispered and said oh I hope this convocation will last two weeks instead of one week. It's just too fast. Brothers and sisters I would say oh that it may last forever.

That we need not go back to our various places. We need not go to our various homes. We need not go to our various occupations. We need not face the world and all the problems and difficulties in the world.

Now let's remain here forever. Be in the third heaven. How good that will be. But dear brothers and sisters this is not God's way. God's way is that after you have attended now you must descend. Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved.

Oh therefore therefore after we have been brought to the Lord to be face to face with him and to be open to his dealing and to his speaking. Dear brothers and sisters now therefore we must go forth in his strength in his light the world in his many full relationships.

And if there is anything real down in us it will be expressed and manifested when we are met with all these relationships. And only then and there whether this week here means something real to us or they are just words that pass.

Do not expect Paul to write to these saints at Colossae about these detailed and small matters. Brothers and sisters very often in reading Paul's letter sometimes we find that he in the beginning has led us up and up and up and up to the third heaven and suddenly he dropped us into the bottom of the earth.

Because he touches upon husbands and wives and children and parents and bondmen and masters and these things. Now these things are not spiritual. How can Paul be so unspiritual as to leave the heavens and come into earthly relationships.

But dear brothers and sisters with Paul and certainly with the Holy Spirit he does not think this way. The spiritual is the most practical. In this portion of the word that we have read we find that at least they can be divided into three areas.

Life is mainly composed of relationships. Aside from Adam maybe for a short while. I do not know how long after Adam was created that Eve was made. I do not know. Some people try to compute to the very hour.

And try to find out that Adam was created on a certain day at a certain hour and after a few hours Eve was built. Now I do not have this mathematical mind. But after Adam was created there was a short period while he was alone.

Aside from his relationship with God of course that came from the very beginning. But aside from this man Adam no one in this world can remain alone. It is just composed of relationships. And if we have the right relationship.

Whether it is in the church or in the home or in the business in the world. If we have the proper relationship then we experience blessing. The relationship is out of order. It's chaotic. Then you'll find it is almost like hell upon the earth.

Our life is mainly composed of relationships. How are we to maintain our relationship with others? This is not ethics. There is a great difference between ethics and life. One is to help people to a right relationship.

You know in China in our Chinese classics it is emphasized very much about this matter of human relationship. Oh the relationship between the king and his subjects. The relationship between the parents and the children.

The relationship between the teacher and the pupils. You'll find that in the Chinese classics it emphasized greatly upon this matter of relationship. This is education. To educate us into a right relationship on every side.

And if you can do that you are a moral person. Brothers and sisters here you'll find it is very different. The beginning and the source is very different. When you look at it outwardly it may appear as if there is no difference.

And yet the source is different. Paul does not start out with right relationship. Paul does not start out to correct and try to improve and try to teach and try to inform us as to how we must be related to one another and so on and so forth.

No. Paul starts out to relate us to God. To receive the life of Christ in us. After we have received from him grace upon grace then Paul began to instruct us how this life should be seen and heard and be related in all these different areas of life.

So brothers and sisters we are not here trying to teach so-called Christian ethics. We are just here to tell you that the church which is the body of Christ in which the fullness of Christ dwells now this fullness of life must be manifested in the various areas of our life.

Otherwise it is not real. So it is not a matter of education. Not a matter of trying. Not a matter of self-improvement. It is a matter of flowing in the life of Christ. If we, as our brother mentioned, if we abide and dwell in him and he in us out of this life of abiding the fullness of Christ will overflow into the various relationships that we have on this earth.

Now this is what Paul is really speaking about. Here you'll find he mentioned three areas. First, church life. Second, home life. And third, social life. We who are the beloved children of God first of all we have a relationship with our brothers and sisters.

That is church life. Paul begins with church life. He begins with his body life. You know, I have met people who put great emphasis in their home life. That is good. I'm afraid some people do not emphasize home life enough.

There are people who just leave their home in disorder and try to go out and preach the gospel and visit house after house and gossiping. I do not think this is of the will of God. But on the other hand it grieves my heart when I see those who are really the Lord and yet it seems as if their home life is first.

There is very little church life. Very little church life. Very little body life. Often I ask myself this question. I have heard people use that word church life. Oh we want church life. We want to live church life.

I ask myself this question. What is church life? Is church life just having meetings every day? We say now if we only meet on Sunday oh that is no church life. Because only once in seven days you meet and for one hour.

You cannot say this is church life. Oh but brothers and sisters if we should meet every day if we should meet twice a day you may think that is impossible. But I have seen it. In 1942 when I went to India there was a company of the Lord's people in Madras and they had been meeting together twice a day for a whole year.

Before they went to work they came and met together. And then in the evening after work they came together again. Of course that is very good. That is very good. If it can be done that's very good. But dear brothers and sisters my point is this.

Is church life just meeting together day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year and that is church life? Certainly. Church life includes that. Because if we do not assemble how can we have church life?

Oh some people are so spiritual they don't need to be assembled because they assemble in the spirit. Now I believe that. I believe that. I have heard people telling me now brother I am with you in the spirit.

But sometimes I long to say now can I see you in the flesh too? Life does include this matter of assembling. That is true. But mere assembling does not represent church life. Brothers and sisters we may be assembled month after month, year after year and yet we are worlds apart.

We are never really organically united into one. And sometimes you think the less you meet the better. Oh if only we meet on Sunday. Everybody puts on his or her best clothes. And not only the best clothes but the best behavior too.

Oh we all come in smiling. And we all leave smiling. We shake our hands and are very happy. But if we shall meet day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and twice a day. Brothers and sisters before the month is out you will find that we are at odds with one another.

Oh we need to exercise great patience. It is not that easy. Church life. How can the fullness of Christ be expressed in church life? Other people say. Church life is be active in the church. That's church life.

Or if you just go to the church on Sunday and listen to a sermon and develop the skill of being a higher critic. That is not church life. But if you want to have church life you must be active. Oh be a Sunday school teacher.

Be an usher. Or even be a supervisor. Superintendent. Oh you have to be active in church works. If you are active in the church then you have church life. Not necessarily. Maybe the more active you are in the church the less lively you will become.

The less of life you will become. Your zeal, your enthusiasm and all these things gradually abating. Is church life. What is body life? What is the fullness of Christ? You'll find here Paul says Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowers of compassion, kindness, loneliness, meekness, longsuffering.

Forbearing one another and forgiving one another. What this is church life? The flowing of the fullness of Christ in the body. First of all a church life, a body life is a life of heart. Here you'll find the word bowers.

And as you read on you will find verse 15. And let the peace of Christ preside in your hearts. Church or body life is a life of the heart. Dear brothers and sisters It is not just an assembling of many people.

All we meet together and try to have a good time. And if we does not have a good time we go away down pat. And try to point the finger at somebody else. He or she must be the cause. This is not body life.

Body life is a life of the heart. Bowers, heart. It is nothing superficial. It is nothing just outward. In appearance. Oh we may be together in the physical appearance. But are we really together in our heart?

We can be very courteous to each other. But are we really kind to each other? There's a great difference. Is there that reality of the heart? You know this world lies under the wicked one. And the wicked one is the liar.

In other words the whole world is a big lie. To put in another words it's a falsehood. Everything is false. Pretending. Are you weary of pretending in the world? Try to be true and honest in the world.

And you know what will happen to you. Are you weary of being, of pretending? Not real? Not opening your heart? You live in the world. The less real in a sense you become. You cannot afford to be real.

The more you hide yourself under a heavy wall like a castle. You build that castle and you hide yourself in it. Because you know you need that protection. But dear brothers and sisters, when you come to the church of God do we need that?

Should we still continue in that pretending? Oh I often feel I'm tired of pretending. I do not want to come to the house of God and put up a front again. This is the place of prayer. We can be true to one another.

We do not need to hide ourselves. We do not need to be on the watch all the time. As if everyone is our enemy trying to get us. Oh we can call our heart and be related to our brothers and sisters. In the body there is that reality.

We may go out to one another in love. As Paul said in Romans, in brotherly love, kindly affection one to another. That we may go out to our brothers and sisters in compassion. Just as Christ is compassionate towards us.

Let us be compassionate to our brothers and sisters. Give them a warm heart, not a cold one. A soft heart, not a harsh to one another. And kind here means whatever he may do to you, you repay him. And brothers and sisters, what is church life?

What is body life? God has so put us together. God has so joined us together that we are members one of another. And being in such unity and such closeness. If we do not have a heart of compassion and kindness, how can we go on?

If my hand is not compassionate towards my mouth. When my mouth wants to eat and the hand refuses to pick up the food. What will happen? Dear brothers and sisters, God has tempered the body together. God has set us in the body as members of that one body.

Now how are we going to live if we fight against one another? If we devour one another? If we stand on our rights, upon our opinion? There is no body life. There is no church life. But dear brothers and sisters, in his sovereignty, God has put us together.

And there you'll find, unless we know the fullness of Christ, the flowing in compassion and kindness. It is just an impossibility. Loneliness, meekness, long-suffering. These are the attitudes of our heart.

Within ourselves. Lonely. Not only look ourselves as little. Very little. But as not. Oh, our Lord is lowly and learned. He is lowly. He never thinks of himself. He not only thinks little of himself, but he does not think of himself.

That's lowliness. That's humility. And meekness. He never harms. Oh, you may do anything to him, but he never. Long-suffering. Maybe you will say, well, that's not necessary. If you live among your enemies, you need all these.

If you live in the world, surely you need that. But if you live in the church, in the body of Christ, live with your brothers and sisters, try to be related properly with your brothers and sisters, you don't need these.

Your brother will never step on you. Your sister will never ill-treat you. You need not suffer. They will not make you suffer. Oh, you don't need these things. Dear brothers and sisters, Paul knows what he is talking about.

There is no place on earth that you need more lowliness, meekness, and long-suffering as in the church. How often we say now, if this comes from an unbeliever, I forgive him because he doesn't know. I cannot expect anything better.

If it comes from your brother or from your sister, you begin to question. And if it comes from a big brother or a big sister, you are really offended. Dear brothers and sisters, there is nowhere the truth of Christ can be manifested so brilliantly as in real church life.

Real church life is not just outward activity or outward meetings. Real church life is in our inward relationship. Oh, there is an inward relationship of love, of compassion, of kindness, of lowliness, of meekness, of long-suffering.

Dear brothers and sisters, when you see these things coming up, you know you are living in the church. You are experiencing the fullness of Christ in the church. I often, since I become a believer, when I read 1 Corinthians chapter 13, I often have a question.

I think Paul is too negative. I often say that 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is a chapter on love. Yes, it is. But you read that chapter. You cannot but feel that Paul is too negative. Love suffers long. He begins with a negative note.

Love suffers long. Can't he give us a better definition of love? Isn't love something aggressive? Something active? Something positive? Something outgoing? Now that is love. But Paul said love suffers long and is kind.

I don't understand it. I have trouble many, many years in reading 1 Corinthians 13. I do not understand why Paul begins with such a negative note. Until one day the Lord began to show me. Where is this chapter on love?

It stands between 12 and 14. And chapter 12 speaks of the body. Chapter 14 speaks of the functioning of the body. And there in between is love. Love in the body of Christ is first suffers long. Now I know.

Dear brothers and sisters. Do not be shocked when you find your brother or sister makes you suffer. They will not only make you suffer but make you suffer long. And love suffers. For bearing one another and for giving one another.

If any should have a complaint against any. Even as Christ has forgiven you so also do you. Dear brothers and sisters. How we need to forbear one another. Not only to forbear but to forgive. This is the overflowing of the fullness of Christ.

Forbearance, Forgiveness, and the Peace of Christ

I often use this illustration. Because that was my theory. And it still is. Sometimes I'm very quick. I like to do things quick. And even in eating. I do that. And because I eat so quickly I often bite my tongue.

Yes I pull all my teeth off. I have false teeth now. But even these fool teeth bite my tongue. No neighbors are so close as the teeth and the tongue. They live together. And they serve together. We often say that we eat with our teeth.

But do you know if you have no tongue how can you eat? You need the tongue to move the food around so that the teeth can bite. It helps the teeth to fulfill its function you know. And the same thing with your tongue.

We use our tongue in speaking. But suppose you lose your teeth. I remember when I pull my teeth. And I was teaching in a school. I had all the upper part of my teeth pulled away. I went to class. I began to talk.

And you know what happened. Yes you talk with your tongue. But you need the help of your teeth. Only with the help of your teeth the functioning of the tongue is perfect. Oh how we need one another. But because they are so close sometimes one bites another.

When this happens. Oh the tongue throws up and says now I'm finished with you. I won't forgive you. Dear brothers and sisters. What happened to that man? Oh the forbearing and the forgiving. In the church life.

In our relationship with one another. Dear brothers and sisters it is true we cannot do that. You remember once the disciples come to the Lord. Because the Lord said if your brother sinned against you seven times in the day.

Oh that's even worse than what Peter had experienced. I don't know if after many years that Peter accumulated seven times against his brother Angel. But here you'll find the Lord said if someone came and they ask a question.

If someone comes and sinned against you seven times in the day. And each time he comes back and says I'm sorry. All right you're forgiven. And then after an hour again. And again. Seven times in a day.

And they ask the Lord Lord what about that. The Lord said seventy times seven. And you know what the disciples say? Oh Lord give us faith. They do not say Lord give us love. They say give us faith. Not that not only they do not have the love.

But they don't even have the faith. Brothers and sisters we can't do it. We cannot. No one can. No matter how patient you naturally are. You just can't. The Lord will see to it that you will be tested beyond your measure.

It's only when the fullness of Christ is in us. We draw upon his fullness. Then you'll find forbearance and that is love. And if there is love in the church. There is love among the members of the body of Christ prevails.

Then the peace of Christ presides. You know we believers or us. As our brother say the springs is another species of mankind. That is very true. In this world in the upper hand. The more you oppress people.

The more you can revenge. The happier you are. But in the church. Among believers. If ever you oppress anyone. You lose your peace. If ever you do not forgive. You lose your peace. But if you forbear and forgive.

Strange. The peace of Christ presides in your heart. Haven't you experienced such thing? When you have an unforgiving spirit. Or when you have a revengeful spirit. You lose your peace. You cannot pray.

Because when you tell the Lord. Oh Lord I cannot. But by thy grace. Out of thy fullness. I draw thy forgiving spirit. And you find that thing is gone. And strangely. Even though outwardly you seem to suffer.

And yet inwardly the peace of Christ presides. Dear brothers and sisters. This is the way to live. In verse 16. Let the word of the Christ dwell in you richly. In all wisdom, teaching, admonishing one another.

In psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Singing with grace in your heart to God. And everything whatever ye may do in word or in deed. Do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus. Giving thanks to God the Father.

Ministry Through the Word in the Body

On the one hand you'll find love prevails. We live in love. Love one another. Brotherly love. Love one another. Then God is seen. Spirit is seen in the body. This is our testimony. And then you'll find Paul turns to another thing.

How we need to have the word of the Christ dwell in us richly. And in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another. In other words. We must minister one truth. Out of that love. We minister one truth.