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Bro. Otis Fisher
We're in the book of Colossians first chapter. I would like to read you two or three other Scripture before we get to Colossians. This first one is found in Jeremiah 48 10 and it says this Cursed be he That doeth the work of the Lord.
Deceitfully I found that I Kind of wished I hadn't found it in Jeremiah another word of caution. Behold this Jeremiah 7 starting with verse 8. Behold you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal murder commit adultery swear falsely burn incense on the veil and Walk after other gods whom you know not and come and stand before me in this house Which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all of these abominations.
Therefore Pray not thou for this people. Neither lift up Crying or prayer for them Neither make intercession to me. For I will not hear thee. Are we ready in Colossians the first chapter? I believe we got down to verse 7 at least that's where we're going to start this morning.
This is Paul writing to the church at Colossae and giving some very very good advice. Last year we talked about the fruit That we bear In verse 7 as you also learned of Epaphras our dear Fellow servant who is for you a faithful minister of Christ.
The word minister can mean deacon leader teacher preacher As it is used here, but I want us to concentrate on the word learned right now. What I'm going to say is very poor English, but I think it'll get the meaning over to you.
I Cannot learn you anything. I can teach. And Debbie I can expose facts. I Can cause your mind to think on certain things? But if there is any learning here this morning It will be the Holy Spirit that reveals it to you.
Not me not brother David. It will be the Holy Spirit. So anytime you suddenly realize a truth and You understand it at least partially. That is the Holy Spirit working in your life right then. If this has ever happened to you, you need not ever doubt your salvation.
Because he reveals nothing to the world to the unsaved. So if you have learned anything Then you are one of his children. To back that up. I would like to go to the book of John. To chapter 16 verse 13.
This is our Lord speaking to his disciples, but Shortly before he left. And he said how be it when he the spirit of truth is come. He will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself. But whatsoever.
He shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and Shall show it unto you all things. That the father hath are mine therefore said I That he shall take of mine and Shall show it unto you.
This is the Holy Spirit. This is his work. The Holy Spirit never guides you into which new car to purchase. Where to move what home to buy. The Holy Spirit Greg speaks only of the Lord. It is he that leads us to the Lord.
It is he that places us into the Lord. In Romans 6 and 3 we see the words. We were placed into Jesus at his death on the cross. So that is the work of the Holy Spirit. So here in 7 Paul says as you also learned.
Now it was Epaphras that brought the information. Let me clarify. Teaching just a little bit more. I can teach you things other than spiritual. I Can teach you the multiplication tables? I Can teach you English.
I? Can teach you the facts of sound reinforcement? How many Sabines there are in this room. What DB level is needed to? Make each person here. I can teach you all of those things the brother David. I cannot teach the Holy Spirit's things.
The scripture is what I was talking about a moment ago. If you have understood anything of the scripture, it is the Holy Spirit that teaches it to you. All right learned very important part of our life.
That's why we're all here this morning. So that we might learn more of him. Verse 8. Who also? This same Epaphras. Who also declared unto us? Your love in the spirit it is by this spirit Capitalist Holy Spirit that we commune with God.
He takes our prayers and carries them to God. It's The best I can explain. As a translator we cannot speak in the Language of God. He condescended to come down to talk to us in our language. But the Holy Spirit knows the mind of the Lord.
He knows our mind and heart and even though we're unable to express our deep feelings in words the Holy Spirit knows The our heart and what is to be. Now we do not commune with God to Inform him of anything.
He's never surprised. He can learn nothing. He knows it all therefore everything being ordained. We seek to find out his will in our life each day. Each moment of it. He declared unto us your love in the spirit for this cause we also.
Since the day we heard it. We do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled With the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Do not cease to pray. We're told other places.
To pray without ceasing. Excuse me. Well, this might become rather difficult sometime when you're digging a splinter out of your finger or driving in an automobile. You don't have to bow your head and close your eyes.
Especially if you're driving in a car. You know this subject come up sometime ago among a few of us that were talking and I Told him they were talking about how they would like to die. I said well if I had my way I Would go like my uncle with a smile on his face.
Joyful at everything. Not like all those other screaming people in the car that he was driving. Cease to pray our work. If it is the very best that we can do. Now the hardest job any of us have is learning to be honest with ourself.
Debbie will kind of Say well, that's the best I could do. And really it wasn't but if we are Whatever it is in which we're occupied. Right now you're listening and thinking and studying. Fill in your bucket so you can meditate later.
Do it the very best you can. Control your mind don't let wander off on that Blackberry cobbler. I saw coming in this morning. Stay in the word that is prayer. To do the best you can. To look for ways to do better.
To look for ways to express God's love in our life and share it with others. That's prayer. That's communication with God. Prayer is not just bowing your heads. Talking it's action. Prayer is action. So he says we have not ceased to pray for you.
And there's something we want to desire for you he said. That you might be filled with the knowledge. Now we come to this word knowledge. Debbie what's that word mean to know something? All right, Greg.
What's it mean to you? All right, June. I'm said you I'm sure you said something good, but I couldn't understand it. Joy, what do you think? There is a knowledge of this world a knowledge of your schoolwork a knowledge of your life the word used here.
Is not that kind of knowledge? This word is epinosis. And it means the highest spiritual knowledge possible for a child of God. He says we desire That you might be filled With all of the knowledge. That you're capable of Using that is of God.
Knowledge about him knowledge about his word and Understanding as you study to understand that what you are studying and most of all. To apply it to your life this knowledge includes experience. You know nothing until you experience it.
Now we all know about a whole lot of things. But this is why when you witness to someone all you can talk about is what has happened to you. Because that's all you know. Now you might know about what happened to be or to Debbie, but you don't know it.
Go back to the same old Example. Anyone here never had an earache. Raise your hand. Good what's your name Bob? I ought to be able to remember that Bob since you've never had an earache. Will you explain to everybody what it's like to have an earache?
So it would be impossible for you you could describe it based upon what you have observed in others. But you really don't know it and that's the way it is with the scripture. Until we understand it Debbie.
Until we can apply it to our life until it becomes part of us and We just do certain things we say automatically because it is part of us. We don't know it and that process Greg goes on all of your life.
You're in school all of your life. You will graduate someday. And go on to the next school. I'm anxious to know what it is. I'm not in a hurry to go. All right the knowledge of his will. God's will. God does not make decisions like man does.
He did not in the beginning line up a half a dozen different programs. And say well this one has the greatest potential to it. I'll use this. No, that's the way man does in board meetings committee meetings.
They assume that they're picking the best of plans. If I can remember how it goes the Baptist definition Of a committee my wife will have to tell you. I get it mixed up. That's about what it amounts to.
God's will does not work along any of those lines. His will is supreme sovereign. There is none better and his will will be done. Whether we want to whether we don't Pharaoh was doing his will believe it or not God Sent word to him.
I have raised you up For this very thing so that I would get praise to my glory of what you're doing. God has made the wicked for their day of judgment hard things to understand. But it's true. His will the absolute authority in everything.
You cannot slow it down. You cannot change it. You cannot speed it up. You're all here this morning by the will of God or you would not be here. Someone asked the other day, is it his will for me to do so-and-so?
Well, I don't know that. But if you do it, then I can tell you that it was his will or you would not have done it now don't ask me to understand to Explain all of his will because I cannot. I do know though that his will is absolute.
And that nothing else takes place or he's not sovereign one or the other the will Of his will in all wisdom. Wisdom as it comes to us wisdom is an action That you take Unknown to you beforehand. You cannot plan or study wisdom.
Wisdom is a gift of God and you exhibited wisdom in the way you Acted concerning a certain event in which you were involved. But it's a one-time deal. Because Greg as soon as you have used it it becomes knowledge to you and then wisdom comes at the right time if we are Seeking walking dedicated and obedient unto him.
He will guide our steps and our words and our actions. Wisdom Wonderful wonderful gift his will wisdom and spiritual Understanding this goes back to the word epinosis again spiritual Understanding. I believe lots of things that I don't understand, you know, it's rather strange if you think about it we go to school and We're taught to understand something before we can believe it.
I know I used to have to work out the problem on the blackboard before I could believe it was actually true. I had to see it to believe it. In the Bible is just opposite. You cannot understand unless you believe.
So belief comes first. Where's my pen? Now I Know this is rather small and hard for you to see but you you know, what's going to happen? And then I want to ask you a question. I'm gonna poke this pen through the paper.
Now. The question is which appeared to you first. The hole or the point of the pin, but I got one pin. Two pins. Well, let me ask you this. How could you see the pin if the hole wasn't there? So have I got a hole now.
Got one hole. The hole must be first now just because you can't see it doesn't mean that it's not first. Belief must come first. It is so closely connected with faith and understanding and everything.
That you think you have faith before you have belief you don't. Belief is always first. You could not be saved without first believing. Fortunately, he gives us that belief. Go to Philippians 1 29. Debbie read that.
Please. All right. It is given to you talking to Christians. The Bible is written to Christians not written to the world. He'll tell you when he's talking to the world any other place. He's talking to his people.
So the belief is given to us. Gregor we'd never be saved. Because in the old dead carnal state, I didn't want to be saved. I didn't want anything to do with God. Now I might not have voiced that because I knew my father wouldn't approve of that.
But that's the state that I was in. So he gave us the belief and also Gave us suffering. It's all part of the package of salvation so don't be frightened or Astonished when suffering comes that's part of it.
Now. I don't mean self-made suffering. I Mean that that God has guided our way. Belief. Oh, it's wonderful. Spiritual understanding understanding follows belief. You cannot understand the scripture unless first you believe the scripture.
You have to believe that God is. You have to believe this is his word. You have to believe that what you're reading is true. And if it seems to contradict something else that you believe the words not wrong.
Your understanding is wrong in one place or the other. Look at it this way always remember. That your understanding your theology or your doctrine as you understand it from the word. Must fit no matter where you plug it into the Bible if it doesn't.
Then you need to do some research because the Bible does not contradict itself. Spiritual understanding. Go to Matthew the sixth chapter, please. Verses 9 through 10. Apologize for my voice this morning.
I I guess I don't need to there's nothing I can do about it. Matthew 6 9 through 10. Debbie read that to me, please. I ask you to read because I can hear you. Our will your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, how is his will done in heaven completely what else?
Perfectly what else without question what else. Immediately what else what? Okay, you see all of the adjectives you can put to that. So now we are to pray that we want his will to be done here on earth just like it is done in heaven.
So take all of that description that you had and apply it to the doing of his will here on earth. Too many times we do it rebelliously. We don't want to. But we find out later that we were doing it whether we knew it or whether we wanted to.
Because it would not happen if it was not his will. Anybody has any questions or statements. Feel free to talk up like Brian did. Alright ten. That or so that. You might walk. Walk is active present. Greg.
What's that mean? Right. So that you might walk right now worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and Increasing in the epinosis of God. You will increase as you walk and as you walk worthy of the Lord.
This is doing the very best that you know how to do honestly with yourself. Being fruitful he produces a fruit is hung on us. Eleven strengthened with all might strengthened is past active perfect participle.
Strengthened. It's already done. It's active. You're doing that you're being strengthened as passive, excuse me, you're being Acted upon and it's perfect. Meaning it doesn't have to be done over with all might with all might and power against Satan according to his glorious power according according to Not part of but according to His glorious power.
Now if anything is done According to his power. How does that mean that it is done? But perfectly. Completely the very best you can do it. Now I say that over and over. Don't get the idea that well just be honest just learn to do it better unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.
Giving thanks present active. Unto the Father which hath made us meet or to made us to qualify. To be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. Giving thanks right now. He has made This is past active perfect.
He has done it. It's been done one time. It can never be undone. Has made us meet old English term mean to qualify. To be partakers that is to share of the inheritance of the Saints in light inheritance.
An Inheritance comes to you only upon the death of someone. In this case. It was the death of our Lord Jesus Christ That made the inheritance to us possible. Now giving thanks unto the Father which has made us.
Go back to verse 11. Unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. Patience. What is? Patience. William is there a William here? Yes. You're thinking on it. It's not new to y 'all. All right, that that's right in a sense.
And we'll get to that sense in a minute. But endurance. I like that. Jesse what's patience waiting on God. Debbie? What's patience with you? What's the right attitude? All right, Brian? That's patience.
All right. His patience passive or active you didn't know he's going back to eighth grade grammar. Did you now if you say something speak up so I can hear you. I might misunderstand you. His patience.
Active or passive it's active. You're sure it's active. You're waiting and that's active. I don't know you tell me. You're absolutely true. Let's look at it from man's viewpoint first. It is an active Subject.
Patience is not setting down in a corner waiting on the meal to be brought to you. It's not setting and waiting. Now it may include that. Patience is as Bob said is Never giving up endurance never quitting.
You're always working toward whatever the goal is that you have set. Knowing that God may change things but I Am actively Seeking that for which I have set as a goal. Maybe it's to be at Sunday school on time every Sunday.
Don't quit. The only way you can lose in any situation is to quit. The only way the Cowboys ever lose a game is because they run out of time. Same way with us. I don't think I'm. Bringing sports in is simply an illustration.
Just don't quit. How did we come up with this new building? Somebody had a thought. That turned into action. That turned into the patience that would not quit. So we're here. Just don't quit. Patience is active on our part.
God gives us patience. So we receive the gift of patience, but from our viewpoint It's just staying actively involved. Seeking that which I know I should do and not giving up unless he changes it. Until it's accomplished.
Patience, there'll be a lost place long suffering with joyfulness. Giving thanks unto God. Present active right now. Do it all of the time. Learn to look for God and everything. Look for his hand in everything.
Greg sooner or later. You'll see everything's in his hand. He has made us. We're going to partake of the inheritance that is set aside for us. It has our name on it. No one else can sit in that seat. Who has delivered us.
Past active perfect from the power of darkness dunamis and Has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. Translated Transformed moved from one place to another. Baptized. Let's be sure that you understand the word baptized this morning.
Baptized is this. Now if you want to write this down, that's fine. It's rather lengthy and then I'll give you a shorter one. Our time will be gone. Baptized means the placing of a person or thing from one environment into another environment and Doing it in such a way That it changes the state of the person or thing In relation to its former environment.
Now if you wrote shorthand, I'm sure you got it all. The placing of a person or thing from one environment into another environment. Doing it in such a way That it changes the state of that person or thing in relation to its former environment.
Example a blacksmith at his forge has a horseshoe and Forged is red red hot. That's the environment. It's in. He takes the tongs and reaches in and gets that red hot horseshoe. Drops it into a bucket of water.
In Greek he baptized that horseshoe and it changed the state of the horseshoe. Maybe not the appearance or the shape but the state of it. From hot to cold from soft to hard. Same way with a person when the Holy Spirit takes us and places us into Christ.
We're baptized into Christ. Just try to get your mind to not always think of water when you hear the word baptized. Because in Romans 6 3 there's no water in that verse whatsoever. A short Definition would simply be this placing into.
Transliterated. He has changed us. He has done it to us. On us for us for himself everything he's ever done has been for himself. Isn't it great that he's good and everything he's ever done has been good for us.
Well, we're going to stop here and we'll start with verse 14 next week.