Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn 244, the tune is Charmeth,
867. Our Jesus is the God of hope,
he works it by his power, he holds the weak believer up in
the distressing hour. Hymn 244, tune Charmeth, This our proud old home, We loved
it, I did too. He knows the way, there we have
found, in that extensive land. ? With the gifts of her precious
word ? ? And praise of all the Lord ? ? Thanks be to her that
all is heard ? throughout the sacred ground. Till at the top of the
same tree ? At the word of His grace ? ? Let hope's eager wish
still do wane ? ? Until they come from vain ? O come, we'll watch the dawn's
early light, O come, we'll watch the dawn's early light, O come,
we'll watch the dawn's early light, Let us read together from the
holy word of God in Paul's epistle to the Colossians and chapter
one. The epistle to the Colossians
chapter one. Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God and Timotheus our brother to the saints and
faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae Grace be unto
you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We
give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and of the love which he have to all the saints. For the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it
is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also
in you, since the day we heard of it, and knew the grace of
God in truth. As ye also learned of Epaphras,
our dear fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister
of Christ, who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit,
for this cause We also, since the day we heard it, 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,
that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of
God, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power,
unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, giving thanks
unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
even the forgiveness of sins. who is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created by him and for him, and he is before
all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of
the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell,
and have him made peace through the blood of his cross by him
to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven. And you that were
sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sign. If ye continue in the faith,
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached
to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, and
made a minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and
fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ
in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church, whereof
I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which
is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God. Even the mystery
which has been hid from ages and from generations but now
is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning
every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. whereunto I also
labour, striving according to his working which worketh in
me mightily. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, We bow before thy glorious majesty. We think of that wonderful word,
these three are one. One blessed, infinite, almighty
and eternal God. We do pray that thou wouldst
be with us here this afternoon, that thou wouldst come and open
the word of truth to our heart and to our understanding. We
pray that we may be favoured like that dear woman that we
read of, indeed many others also that came near to Jesus and touched
the hem of his garment and she was made completely whole. We
pray that the Lord Jesus may be exalted here this afternoon
and that we may indeed be enabled to touch the hem of his garment
and draw from that work virtue that is in him for in him is
life and he that hath the son hath life and he that hath not
the son of god hath not life lord we do pray that we may be
led and taught and guided and directed by thee this afternoon
blessed holy divine spirit of truth We read in thy word that
as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God.
We pray that we may be led and guided and directed by thee and
that thou wouldst teach us to love thee and serve thee and
follow thee in our day and in our generation and that thou
wouldst enable us to lay aside every weight and the sin that
doth so easily beset us. that we might run with patience
the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is now
set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. We pray that thou would remember
us as a church and as a congregation that those work mightily, powerfully
and effectually amongst. We pray that those that are yet
dead in trespasses and in sins may be quickened into life and
that the power that brings salvation may be exerted in the word and
that the strongholds of Satan may be pulled down and the kingdom
of our Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of sinners. O most blessed
Spirit, convince us of our sin, and lead to Jesus' blood, and
to our wandering eyes reveal the secret love of God. All who hear us, Lord, we humbly
pray thee, and guide us by thy counsel, and grant that thy word
may be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. Lord,
we pray that thou would remember our brethren, the deacons, and
graciously undertake for them in all their concerns. Remember
each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship,
those present and those not able to be here, and graciously unite
us together in the bonds of spiritual love, union, and communion, and
that we may edify one another. Oh, do hear us, Lord. humbly
pray them, show us thy ways, and lead us in thy paths, and
grant that we may be made more spiritually minded, that our
heart and our affections may be set upon things above and
not on things of the earth, where Christ sitteth. Oh, do help us
to look to the Lord Jesus, help us to cleave to the Lord Jesus,
Help us to lay aside every weight and sin that does so easily beset
us and run with patience the race that is set before us, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame
thereof. Lord, grant us the mind and the
spirit of Christ. We do humbly beseech thee. And
then we pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst remember the
little ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary.
Remember them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people,
and visit them with thy great salvation. Show them thy ways,
teach them thy paths. There may be a generation that
shall yet be raised up to call thee the Redeemer. that we may
see that, O Lord, instead of thy father shall be thy children,
who in thy minds make princes in all the earth. Lord, grant
that it may be so. We do humbly beseech of thee. We pray, most gracious God, that
thou, in thy precious mercy, would remember parents and give
wisdom and grace to bring up their children and nurture an
admonition of the Lord Remember our dear young friends in all
their concerns. Guide and direct them in all
matters. Help them to cast all their cares upon Thee, that they
may be found looking on to Jesus. Hear us, O Lord, we pray. And
that Thou wouldst graciously work in them mightily, powerfully,
effectually. That Thou wouldst graciously
bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ. Be with them in
all their providential concerns, and they'll know us what they
are. And be with those among us that would seek a partner
in life's journey. We lovingly commend them to thee.
We're reminded in thy word that a good wife cometh from the Lord.
And we pray that thou wouldst grant that rich blessing. A husband
and a wife, we do humbly beseech thee. And may we see the beauty
and the loveliness in the marriage bond, even as Christ loved the
church. Oh, we do pray that we may see
that wonderful eternal spiritual union that is between Christ
and his church. Lord, we seek thy rich blessing
to rest upon parents and guidance and direction in all matters.
We seek thy rich blessing upon all those in the midst of the
journey of life, bearing the heat and the burden of the day.
We seek, Lord, that the prodigals may return, and the mighty power
of thy truth may be known and felt among us. We pray that the
wonderful power of gospel truth may shine forth, precious souls
may be gathered in, the strongholds of Satan pulled down, and the
kingdom of our Lord Jesus set up. in the hearts of sinners. Let thy work appear unto thy
children and thy glory. O Lord, may we see the glory
of Christ in the gospel. We do humbly beseech thee. May
we see the glory of Christ in his glorious person, the Son
of God manifest in the flesh. We pray thy blessing upon those
of us in the evening time of life's journey and prepare us
for that great change which must come and who can say how nigh
when we must soar through tracks unknown and see thee on thy judgment
throne. Oh we do pray most gracious Lord
that thou wouldst prepare us each and now my God prepare my
soul for that great day and wash me in thy precious blood, take
all my sins away. Lord, we do pray that thou would
remember all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine
upon the walls of Zion. Do grant them, and thus saith
the Lord, do grant that the trumpet may give a certain sound. For
if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself
for the battle? Lord, we do pray that the Lord
Jesus may be exalted in the ministry of the Word, that we may be found
holding forth the Word of Life, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord,
we do pray that the Lord Jesus may be exalted as a Prince, as
a Saviour, for to give faith, repentance, remission of sins,
or to grant these rich blessings we do humbly beseech thee. May
it be with us here as we read in the Apostle in his preaching,
he could say, for our gospel came unto you not in word only,
but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. Oh,
do hear us, Lord, convince us of our sin, and lead to Jesus'
blood, and to our wandering eyes reveal, The secret love of God,
may we be brought to see that there is none. None are beyond
the power of sovereign grace. None are beyond the almighty
power of the arm of Jesus Christ. Lord, may we have clear views
of the wonderful glory of the person of Christ. All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. May we see, O Lord, by
faith that power the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, He
that is of supreme power. Oh, we do pray that we may worship
Him here this afternoon. We thank Thee for the incarnation
of the Son of God. We thank Thee that He was made
of a woman, made under the law, that He might redeem them that
are under the law. We thank Thee for that. wonderful,
precious sacrifice on the cross of Calvary of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who offered himself without spot to God, for by one offering
he hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified. We
do thank thee, most gracious Lord, for the glory of his name. We thank thee for the love of
our eternal Father, for God so loved the world He gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved. The vilest sinner, Lord, we thank
thee. The vilest sinner, outside of
hell, that lives to feel his need, is welcomed to the throne
of grace, the Saviour's blood to plead. We thank thee for those
wonderful Gospel invitations. especially we think of the words
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. Lord,
we pray that we may find that rest here this afternoon, the
rest of faith in the finished work, in the precious blood,
in the glorious righteousness, of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ. May we behold his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. We read in thy word that the
natural man receive it not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are spiritually discerned. All we do pray, most blessed,
holy, divine Spirit, open the eyes of our understanding, open
our ears to hear the word of the Lord. Open our hearts to
receive the word of the Lord. Grant that there may be one another
here, like Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. Come and open
our hearts, our eyes, our ears. Give us feet to run in the way
that thou wouldst have us to go. And enable us to lay aside
every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us. Lord,
do hear us, we pray thee. and graciously bless us as a
church and as a congregation. Remember all those servants as
they labour in word and doctrine today upon the walls of Zion,
some of them perhaps with long journeys. We pray that thou wouldst
graciously bless them, be with them in their journeys, be with
them in the ministry of the word. Oh, do hear us and grant us that
gracious determination, Lord, to know nothing among men save
Jesus Christ and him crucified. Lord, we need thy grace and we
deeply feel our lack of it, and yet we think of those lovely
words of grace, and he giveth more grace. And Lord, we feel
to need more grace. We come before these poor, wretched,
ruined sinners, and we constantly, day by day, hour by hour, need
that wonderful grace. of our Lord Jesus Christ. We
thank thee that he is full of grace and truth, and that in
him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Be with us now, Lord, as we turn
to thy holy word. Come and touch one's lips with
the live coal from off the heavenly altar, and make up in giving
where we do so fail in asking, and come and touch one's lips
with alive coal from of the heavenly altar, we ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
567, The tune is Hilbera, 157. Jesus, the Lord, my saviour is,
my shepherd and my God, my light, my strength, my joy, my bliss,
and I his grace recall. Tune Hilborough, 157. ? By thy glorious name I'm sure
to come again ? ? And I will say, I'm sure to come again ? ? O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? ? ? And the rocket's red glare,
the bombs bursting in air, ? ? With righteousness ever free
? ? Mercy and truth for evermore be ? ? Of Easter's finishing beat ?
? In Egypt's heart ? ? And in your grace ? ? Gave proof through the night
? ? That our flag was still there ? ? Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave ? ? Eternal season of grace ? ? And evermore you
stay with me, my friend ? Holy, holy is the Lord God of
hosts, and King of all Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, direct your attention to the chapter that we read,
the first chapter of the epistle of Paul to the Colossians, and
we'll read verses 27 and 28. Colossians chapter one, verses
27 and 28, to whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every
man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present
every man perfect. in Christ Jesus. There are many mysteries in the
Word of God. In verse 26 he says, even the
mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations but
now is made manifest to his saints. The mystery of Christ in you,
the hope of glory. And in the same epistle, in chapter
2, the Apostle speaks of that mystery there, and he says in
verses 2 and 3, that their hearts might be comforted, be admit
together in love and under all riches of the full assurance
of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of
the Father and of Christ. God the Holy Ghost, the Father,
and our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge, the mystery. You know, naturally
speaking, we would say, logically, how can three be one? And how
can one be three? But that is what we see in the
Godhead. It's a mystery. What you might say the divine
constitution, the mystery of the Trinity, of the Father, of
the Son, of the Holy Ghost. It's a profound mystery. We believe it because it's revealed
in God's Holy Word. We read in 1 John chapter 5 verse 7, For there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
that is Christ, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. It's a mystery. It's one God. It says in Deuteronomy, The Lord
our Lord is one Lord. one Lord. The scriptures maintain
throughout that there is but one God. So when we speak of
the doctrine of the Trinity, we are not saying there are three
Gods. That would be completely erroneous. But we are saying
that subsisting in the Godhead are three divine persons. three divine persons. It says
in the closing verse of 2 Corinthians, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen. And when the Lord Jesus
Christ himself was baptized in the River Jordan, that we have
revealed unto us in the third chapter of Matthew, how the Lord
Jesus himself, God manifest in the flesh, was baptised by John
the Baptist in the river Jordan. And it was revealed to John that
on whom he would see the spirit of the Lord descending like a
dove, that this was the Messiah, this was the Son of God. And
John gave witness and he speaks of it in the in the Gospel of
John, that he saw the Spirit descending like a dove upon the
Lord Jesus Christ as he came up out of the water of baptism.
And then he heard a voice from heaven, from the Eternal Father,
this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. What a profound sacred mystery. is the doctrine of the Trinity. In the Genesis chapter 1 we read
of the creation of the world, we read how that God said, but
then when it comes to the creation of man we read and God said let
us. You see there is one God but
God said let us. He's referring to the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost. Let us make man in our image. When men built the Tower of Babel,
I think it's in Genesis chapter 6, and they said they were going
to build up to heaven. They started building this great
building, the Tower of Babel. And God said, let us go down. and see this thing. You see,
all these things point to that one glorious, precious, sacred
truth of the doctrine or the mystery of the Trinity. That their hearts might be comforted,
be knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance
of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God. and of
the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. You know we've just quoted from
Corinthians chapter, 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 and the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and that is normally put
in that order in scripture. Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost but here in the Colossians he puts the Holy Spirit first.
Why does he do that? Well he was divinely led of the
Spirit of course to do that. The mystery of God as the Holy
Ghost and of the Father and of Christ and the reason for that
is that these three are one, they are co-equal co-eternal,
co-equal and co-eternal, the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost. You see and what the Apostle
says here, to whom God would make known what is the riches
of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. The Colossian
church was a Gentile church. The Apostle Paul was the Apostle
to the Gentiles and the Lord had specifically gave him that
divine commission that he would go and preach to the Gentiles
and the Lord abundantly blessed his ministry among the Gentiles. Many churches were planted, and
believers gathered together throughout Asia, etc. And the wonderful
grace of God. And in this chapter, I always
feel it's one of the most sublime chapters that we have in Holy
Scripture, that there's a beautiful, sacred description the glorious
person of our Lord Jesus Christ begins in verse 12 giving thanks
unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in life. This term inheritance is
used several times in holy scripture purposefully used. The Apostle
Peter he says kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. He says an inheritance incorruptible
and that fadeth not away. Well by its very nature an inheritance
is not purchased. You can't buy it. And the gospel
of Jesus Christ according to the word of God is without money,
without price. There is nothing that could purchase
the sacred gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's without money. It's without price. And it's the Father, it says
here, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance. It's given. It's freely given. This inheritance that is incorruptible
is given. Why? Because each one of the
members of the Church of Christ are adopted into the family of
God. Therefore it's their inheritance. They are the children of the
living God. That wonderful doctrine of the
adoption, the spirit of adoption. And here he puts the crown on
the Father's head. It was the Father that gave the
Church to Christ, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
life. It's a divine act of grace, who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, that's where each
one of us were by nature, who have delivered us from the power
of darkness and have translated us, this is a divine act of the
eternal God, have translated us into the kingdom of his dear
son. A wonderful precious truth, isn't
it? In whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. What a wonderful thing. Poor, wretched, how deserving
sinners. Even the forgiveness of sins.
Says in Psalm 130, David, he says, but there is forgiveness
with thee that thou mayest be feared. Even the forgiveness
of sins. then it speaks of the wonderful
glory and the mystery of the person of Christ from verse 15
who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature
for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are
in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers all things were created by him and
for him and He is before all things,
Christ. Says in Proverbs chapter 8, the
person of Christ speaking, I was set up from everlasting or ever
the earth was. The glorious person of the Son
of God in those eternal decrees of the Father, for He is and
He is before all things, By Him all things consist. By Him all things consist. He
is the head of the body, the church. Who is the beginning? The beginning of life. The beginning
of light. God who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness has shined into our hearts with the light
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The beginning. Everything is
redeemed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God that was manifest
in the flesh. He is the head of the body, the
Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. firstborn from the dead and then
he says doesn't it in scripture because i live so the words of
christ because i live ye shall live also the beginning the firstborn
from the dead in the word of god is called the amen the lord
jesus so be it the amen the eternal son of the Eternal Father. He's the head of the body, the
church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased
the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. What a fullness
there is in Jesus Christ, a fullness of salvation, a fullness of redemption,
a fullness of light, a fullness of power, is all in the glorious
person of our Lord Jesus Christ. You think of those words of Christ,
all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Indeed,
these wonderful references to the divinity of our Lord Jesus
Christ and we find here in the epistle to the Colossians in
chapter two, verse nine, for in him, dwelleth all the fullness
of the body, of the Godhead bodily, all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all
principality and power, the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that in him, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, See, it speaks here then, he says in verse 25, 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, even the mystery
which had been hid from ages and from generations, but now
is made manifest to his saints. How? By the coming. of our Lord
Jesus Christ, when he was made of a woman, made under the law,
when he became a man, when the Son of God became a man and lived
here as a man upon the earth. You see, to whom God would make
known the mystery. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh. mystery, what is the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory. A very vital doctrine here my
beloved friends, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Now in that
lovely word in the epistle to thee Ephesians in the third chapter
a word which was breathed into my heart when Christ was first
revealed to me in Ephesians 3 and these words were breathed into
my very soul verse 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith
that ye be rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend
with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height,
and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that
ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Filled with all the fullness.
The fullness of God is Christ. The fullness of salvation is
in Christ. The fullness of redemption is
in Christ. The fullness of righteousness
is in Christ. The fullness of the atonement,
for by one offering he hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified. What does it mean, all them that
are sanctified? All those that were chosen by
the Father and given to the Son. They're complete in Christ. We'll never be complete in ourselves.
All the time that we're here on earth, we carry about a body
of sin and death. We do. But in Christ. Christ in you. It's like, I often quote to you
that word in the Romans chapter 10. It is with the heart that
man believeth unto righteousness. It's not with the head. We try
to emphasize that this morning. The heart is the word of the
Lord in the heart. In our hearts, which is Christ
in you. The hope of glory. Does Christ dwell in our hearts
by faith? That's the vital thing. Christ
in you. The hope of glory. Dwelling in
our hearts by faith. The spirit of faith laying hold
I was speaking to a man just recently
and he said to me I'm not a hope so man that religion doesn't
do me and he said I have to know I
know that Jesus is my saviour my redeemer it's no good a hope
so So I said, friend, you're misunderstanding the Word of
God. I said, just listen to the hope
of the Christian in Holy Scripture, which hope we have as an anchor
for the soul, both sure and steadfast, which is anchored within the
veil that is in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian's hope
will never fail. Now, I know that's often spoken
in a very ambiguous way, I hope so. But that hope is in Christ. That hope is in the precious
blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin. That hope is in
the glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness of Jesus
Christ that covers our nakedness. That hope is in that sin atoning
sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ himself said, didn't he,
to Peter, upon this rock, I build my church. He was answering Peter's
confession of faith. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. Blessed art thou, Son of Barjona,
for flesh and blood have not revealed this unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven. And upon this rock, this rock,
Christ Jesus, upon this rock, I build my church and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it. The Christian's hope shall
never fail. The Christian's hope is divinely
certain, which hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both
sure and steadfast, to whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is
Christ in you, dwelling in our hearts. The hymn writer, he speaks
of the divine person of the spirit of God, doesn't he? And he says
dwell therefore in our hearts, dwell therefore in our hearts.
And I often point out to you because I do believe it is a
point that is often misunderstood and that is that we've spoken
to you of the mystery of god of the father the son and the
holy ghost and these three are one you know some people speak as
though you can have the holy ghost but not have the father
nor the son but that is not consistent with the doctrine of truth found
in Holy Scripture. In John 14 verse 23, Jesus answered
and said unto him, if a man love me he will keep my words and
my Father will love him and we, who is the we? The Father, the
Son and the Holy Ghost and we will come unto him and make our
abode with him. Christ in you, the hope of glory,
Christ dwelling in our hearts. It's a precious thing when you
really feel and know that Christ in you. And this doctrine that
we're speaking of, the doctrine of the Trinity, the mystery of
the Trinity, And Jesus said, this is in John 14, 6, I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. If ye have known me, ye should
have known my Father also. From henceforth ye know him,
and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord,
show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, have
I been so long time with you, and yet hast Thou not know me,
Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. How sayest thou? Show us the
Father. Believest thou not that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak
unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth
in me, he doeth the work. Believe me that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very work's
sake. You see, these deep mysteries
of the gospel are open to us by the glorious person of our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the apostles of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ. They open to us these wonderful,
profound mysteries of our most holy faith, to whom God would
make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you. What's the opposite? Christ in
your head, Christ in your intellect, to know about Christ. So it's sort of a detached intellectual
understanding You know, friends, we can go an awful long way with
natural religion and yet be sure of that which
is real and solid and certain, which is not Christ in you. We
can know all about Christ. The Lord Jesus, he said, many
shall say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord. And he will say,
depart from me, I never knew you. But then they will protest
and say, We cast out devils in thy name, we preached in thy
name, we wrought miracles in thy name. And he will say unto
them, depart from me, I never knew you. They had a head knowledge
of religion. A head knowledge, just a head
knowledge of religion will damn your soul forever. The letter killeth, the spirit
make us alive. We need the Holy Ghost to give
spiritual light. We need the Holy Ghost dwelling
in our hearts. We need Christ in us, Christ
in you, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This wonderful hope, this anchor
for the soul, both sure and steadfast. Why? Because it's Anchored in
the glorious person of Jesus the son of God He's anchored
in his power. It's anchored in his everlasting
love It's anchored in what he has done for his people He's
redeemed his people whom we preach warning every man and teaching
every man in all wisdom that we will present every man perfect
in Christ Jesus, that's the only way you'll ever be perfect Never
be perfect in yourself, but in Christ the believer is perfect.
That's what it means when we already read to you in verse
10 of the second chapter, and you are complete in him, which
is the head of all principality and power, in whom also you are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of
Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with
him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised
him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins,
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven all trespasses. Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances, that's the old dispensation, of the
law that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took
it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled
principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly triumphing
over them in it. Oh my dear beloved friends, this
is where everything we stand in need of is. Let no man therefore judge you
in meat or drink, or in respect of an 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. And he goes on, let no man beguile
you of your reward in a voluntary humility. worshipping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed
up by his freshly mined, I say friends, we can go an awful long
way in religion naturally and be destitute of that which is
vital, which is Christ in you. The hope of glory, this is vital,
Christ in you. And he says about this voluntary
humility, he says not holding the head from which all the body
by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together
increased with the increase of God. Wherefore if you be dead
with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living
in the world, i.e. subject to ordinances, touch
not, taste not, handle not, which all those ordinance of the Old
Testament says in the Hebrews doesn't he that they which serve
the tabernacle have no right to eat which are all to perish with
the using after the commandments and doctrines of men which things
have indeed a show of wisdom in world worship and humility
and neglecting of the body without any honor to the satisfying of
the flesh, whom we preach. It goes on in chapter three,
if ye then be risen with Christ. If you're risen with Christ,
it's because you died with him. We just read that here, nailing
it to his cross. If you're risen with Christ,
it's because you died with him. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affections on things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear That's the second coming of Christ. Then shall
ye also appear with him in glory. Why? Because he lived for you,
he suffered for you, he died for you, he rose again for you,
he ascended into glory for you, he's made a new and living way
into glory for you. Yes. Christ, who is our light,
shall appear. Then shall ye also appear with
him in glory. You know, these are wonderful,
profound mysteries of our most holy faith. My mind, it just
goes to that word of the, I often quote it to, you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins. To be quickened is to
be given life. You hath he quickened who were
dead. Has the Lord quickened your soul? Does Christ dwell
in your hearts by faith? Do you embrace him, love him,
serve him? Is your whole life consecrated
unto him? The apostle says, doesn't he,
in the Romans, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies. What he means by that
is not just literally our body. This life here on earth and everything
that you have, present it and live in sacrifice. This body,
a life lived like Christ lived. A life of sacrifice. We come
back to that word, you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he were rich, yet for your sakes, for our sakes,
he became poor, he did. Oh, that the Lord would then
give us that grace, that grace to let go, let all
fruitless searches go, which perplex and tease us. but desiring
not to know, but a bleeding Jesus. See, to know my Jesus crucified
by far excels all things beside. Is Christ the one thing needful? He speaks, didn't he, to Mary
and to Martha. Martha complaining to the Lord
that Mary had left her to do all the serving. and that loving
and kind rebuke of our Lord Jesus, Mary hath chosen that good path
which shall not be taken away from her. She was sitting at
the feet of Jesus. It shall not be taken away from
her. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you. the hope of glory, whom we preach,
warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that
we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. I come back
to the point I made earlier. The only way that you and I are
ever made perfect is in Christ Jesus. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
786. The tune is Astley Park, 705. That day when Christ was crucified,
the mighty God Jehovah died, an ignominious death. He that
would keep this solemn day, and true disciples safely made, must
keep it firm in faith. Hymn 786, tune Astley Park, 705. ? When Christ was crucified ? ?
The bodies he brought to the altar ? ? And they fell in the sea ? Oh, say, can you see by the dawn's
early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's ? Look at the King ? ? Think of
His truth ? ? Every eye ? ? And every face of Him ? ? And hear
from Him ? Let the angel install his head
and find his Saviour there. This earthly candle I'll touch
more than make up, and I'll worship you in God's own touching sight. Where, O Angel, do we love this
place? And let us take from Jesus' face
My brethren and their cross. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, now and for
evermore. Amen.