Good evening, everyone. It's
so good to be here tonight. I think I'm running around 85%,
but I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. A lot better
than I did the day before. So, but I'm definitely, thankfully
on the mend. Colossians chapter 2 is what
we'll be tonight. The name of the message is the
steadfastness of your faith. The steadfastness of your faith. We'll read the context, Colossians
chapter 2, we'll read the context, verses 1 to 5. And our verse
tonight that we'll be looking at will be found in verse 5 though.
And I'll read that first. The verse is, For though I be
absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the Spirit, joying
and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith
in Christ. Now let's read the context of
it all. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for
you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen
my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being
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. And this I say, lest any man
should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent
in the flesh, yet I am with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding
your order in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." Now
last week we looked at verse 4 and we saw one of the many
warnings in Scripture. One of the many warnings in Scripture
which talks about false teachers. And Paul penned this for the
Colossian believers, for them to be on guard and to be looking to Christ and
Him alone, lest the false teachers and their false teaching get
a foothold and shake them of their steadfastness of their
faith in Christ. And tonight we'll look at verse
5 which says, we'll get right into it. For though I be absent
in the flesh, yet I am with you in the Spirit. Join and behold
in your order in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Now
I'd like us to think of a situation that Paul is in while writing
this text. He writes to the Colossian believers
from a prison cell in Rome. probably as a solitary prisoner
with guards watching over him. Some commentators suggested when
he had to leave the cell, he was chained to a guard, chained
to a soldier. And this is where he writes this
epistle, in a prison cell, with guards watching over him. And
let us note how Paul warns the Colossian church against the
impending dangers, right? We saw that in verse 4. Which
come at them from different sides. Those who are promoting the Gnostic
era. Those who are the traditionalists.
Those who are seeking to yoke the saints with duties and traditions
that they must do. And he says, and this I say,
lest any man should beguile you with enticing words, with persuasive
words. You must do this to be saved.
You must do that to be saved. And the gospel preacher says,
you must look to Christ to be saved. And nowhere else, nowhere
else, Paul points the Colossians to
Christ. He points them to him alone.
And he assures them that in Christ are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. Now remember, this kind of prison
wasn't a country club. It wasn't minimum security. It was nothing like the prisons
we have now. Nothing. And Paul knows that he is there,
get this, he knows that he is there by the providence of God. And the scripture says he's joined. He's joined in beholding your
order. Note in our text again, for though
I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit.
Paul was in prison in Rome, miles away, absent in the flesh, yet
with them in the spirit. Now Paul, several commentators
made mention that Paul is here already heading off an objection.
to his writing a letter to the Colossian believers, that some
would say, how does Paul know what we're going through? How
can Paul have empathy with us? He's miles away in a prison cell. God, the Holy Spirit, had Paul
pen this by inspiration for our learning and for the learning
of Colossian believers. He knew how false preachers could
deceive when He was absent, even though He had never been among
them. Let us remember, this is not Paul's first conflict with
false teachers. It's not his first conflict. He's got many scars from battles. Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians
5. Paul, by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit and penning letters to various churches, had often combated
error, even when he had been absent in the body. Look at this
in 1 Corinthians 5, verses 1-5. It is reported commonly that
there is fornication among you, and such fornication as it is
not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have
his father's wife, And ye are puffed up, and have not rather
mourned, that he that hath done this deed should be taken away
from among you. For I verily, as absent in the
body, but present in the spirit, have judged already, as though
I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered
together, in my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to deliver such an one over unto Satan for the destruction of
the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus." So Paul tells our Colossians, though I be absent in the flesh,
yet I am with you in the spirit. The same language he used over
in 1 Corinthians 5. The same verbiage that he used
over there when he's dealing with someone who, an incestuous
person and concerning his case. And Paul is telling the Colossians
that he is part of the same body as they are. Now remember, all
our brothers and sisters who are in other, all our brothers
and sisters down at 13th Street, All our brothers and sisters
over in Cherokee, where Brother Tim is. All our brothers and
sisters in different Grace Churches all over, we all make up the
body of Christ. And we all have the same Spirit,
and we all have the same Redeemer, and we all have the same Lord.
All of us. One Lord, one God, one Father,
one Redeemer, one Savior. Here Paul is sitting in prison
for preaching the Gospel. He's in prison for preaching
the Gospel. And he's writing the Colossian believers saying
that he is joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness
of your faith. He's in jail for preaching the
Gospel. And he's rejoicing. We're going
to look at that later on. Paul's heart was knit together
in love for the true believers in Christ, which were at Colossus. Remember Brother Epaphras, who
we looked at in chapter 1? He had reported about their faith
in Christ Jesus. And the love which he had to
all the saints. Paul had also been told of the
Colossian believers that they had a hope. Do you have a hope? That they had a hope laid up
for them in heaven, which they heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel. This is why, beloved, it is absolutely
vital that we preach Christ and Him crucified. This is why it's
vital that we preach the gospel. It's what God uses to save sinners
by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit of God. So here's Paul in prison. And he's heard of these Colossian
believers. He's heard that they've been
regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God. Under the preaching of
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, he's heard that they've
been given spiritual ears to hear the gospel, and spiritual
sight to see the Lord Jesus Christ in him alone. They've been granted faith, and
that their faith is steadfast. It's steadfast. And it's only
in one object. And that's Christ and Him alone.
It's only in Him. It's nowhere else. And He's rejoicing. He's in prison. And He's rejoicing. He's not in prison saying, oh,
woe is me. Why am I here? He's not. He's rejoicing. One commentator said this, and
I really like this. His present letters all partake
of that rejoicing in the Lord, which is the key note of them.
Mark that. Look at Paul's epistles. The
key notes. And remember where he's writing
these things from. He's rejoicing in the Lord. Looking to Christ. We're going
to see him later on. Look at verse three or one of
chapter three. If ye then be risen with Christ,
where, what are we to seek? Seek those things which are above. Look to Christ. Where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. Like Brother Tim said, boy,
when we ponder the sovereignty and majesty of our God, does
it not strengthen us? Does it not give us hope? Hope to carry on? Strength to
carry on? Look at this again. For though
I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit,
joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your
faith in Christ. Now I like a picture that Matthew
Henry painted of this scene. And I hope it can help us to
understand. He said this. Now, he says telephonic
system. Let's say like a military boardroom,
but there's only one leader in there. He's in there and he's,
let's say where all the reports from different places come to
that leader and he's going to dispatch out. He said his cell
was like the center of a telephonic system. Voices spoke from all
sides. Every church was connected with
it. and messages were perpetually
being brought. He had letters coming to him
all the time from different churches. They were writing to him. Think of him sitting there eagerly
listening and thrilling with sympathy at each word. So self-oblivious
was he, so swallowed up with all their personal ends and the
cares of the churches, and in the swift deep fellow feeling
with them. He lost, he was so enamored with
what God was doing in the churches and how God was saving souls
and building the saints that his circumstances just faded
away. How else could he pen? Rejoice
in the Lord and again I say rejoice and he's in a Roman prison cell. Henry went on to say, love and
interest quickened his insight. Though he was far away, he had
them so vividly before him as if he was a spectator. Remember, Paul prayed for the
churches daily. He lifted up the churches. We
know that from the epistles. So Paul had all these communications
flowing to him from various churches. He was able to write back about
situations, errors springing up, encouragements. He was able to write back to
the saints, and we have some of those letters by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. We get a glimpse of how encouraging
our dear brother Paul was, encouraging the believers to stand fast, to not waver, And the Apostle Paul here shows
the heart of a minister. Shows the heart of a minister,
which is to care and be in thought for the flock, whether he's with
them or whether he's absent. When I go away, when I went down
to Kentucky, I was thinking about you. You're on my heart. Because I love you all, and this
is my family, and this is where I'm called to be. And this is why a preacher can't
preach or can't pastor anywhere he's not being called. He's got
the pastor where he's called. He's got to be here, and the
pastor of the church. And when a preacher goes to another
church, again, his thoughts are still with the flock back home,
joying and beholding. their order and their steadfastness,
of their faith, caring and having concern for those who the Lord
has placed under his watch. And it's a great joy for a preacher
to return home. It was nice to go away, but it
was wonderful to come home. This is my home, and you're my
family, and this is where I'm, you know, God has called me here. I do not take this lightly. I
have a commission from God to preach the gospel. To come here and to preach the
gospel and to feed God's sheep, I can't do it on my own. But I pray all the time for you
and pray for myself for strength and that the Lord would illuminate
the Scriptures and teach me so that I can say a few feeble words
to you guys about my great Savior, about my Captain, about my General. And the true joy for the preacher
of the gospel is to see the saints of God grow in grace, grow in the knowledge and truth
of our wonderful Savior, to see you be built up, to see you be
established, to see you be steadfast in the faith, to see that you have a sure,
sound foundation Brother Jim, he was a wonderful preacher.
He preached Christ to you all. And he is faithful. Be thankful for that. Be thankful
for that. And I'm thankful to be here with
you. I'm thankful God called me here. And I know it was hard
for Brother Jim to leave. I know. But he's been moved to another
post, another portion of the vineyard,
like Brother Norm always says. We're never going to lose our
connection with him. To all be thankful when God brings
a faithful gospel preacher. And we just joy, we as gospel
preachers, we just joy to see your faith abound. To see you
grow in Christ. Now you might not see your own
growth, but others will. Others will. Oh, to see you strengthened in
your faith, to see you be able to face the circumstances and
trials of life, to see you be built up in Christ, to see you
steadfast, to see you immovable in our faith. And the preacher knows it's all
by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. He knows that. And we just marvel
at God's grace to you and to me. Let's go on to our next portion.
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the
spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness
of your faith in Christ. Beholding your order and the
steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Again, I'm going to lean
on Matthew Henry for a wonderful illustration. He says this, where
did he see your order? That is unquestionably a military
metaphor, drawn probably from his experiences at the Praetorians
while he's in captive. Now remember, here's Paul in
prison, and he's got these prison guards all around him. And he can study them. He can
study their dress. He can study their mannerisms.
He can study who they are. And think of that next time you
read Ephesians 6 about the whole armor of God, which we know is
Christ. But still, it is explaining a Roman soldier. But we know all that armor is
Christ. He had plenty of opportunities,
Matthew Henry goes on to say, of studying both the equipment
of the single legionnaire, who in the sixth chapter of Ephesians
sat for his portrait to the prisoner to whom he was chained, and also
the perfection of discipline in the whole which made the legion
so formidable. Now these legions, these Roman legions, They were
incredible. They were formidable. And think of this, and let us
think on this as we think about Roman legions. A Roman soldier
is part of a Roman legion. You ever see those shows or something
where they put the The shield, they go in the tortoise and they
put the shield over top of them and they have the shields in
front of them and the shields behind them, shields on the side
and shields over covering in case any arrows come down. The
Roman legions would do that. They were experts at defensive
maneuvers, at forward maneuvers. Now think of this. They did not
operate singular. They didn't operate individually. They were a unit. And they moved
as one. They moved as one. They fought
as one. They marched as one. They lived
as one. They were one unit moving together. Moving all together, if it move
at all. Moving all together, if it move
at all. There was no one running ahead.
There's no one following behind. They were one unit moving forward,
pressing forward. And this is where their strength
was. They moved as if they had one will. Think of that. Hundreds of men. moving as if they had one will. So disciplined, so ordered, so
steadfast, that when they moved, they moved as one. And this is
how the body of Christ is to be, in order and steadfastness
in our faith. We have one object, don't we?
One object that we're here. One person I preach, Christ. We have one goal in this
church, to preach the gospel. The one reason why the Lord has
put us all together here is to preach the gospel, to have
the gospel go forth in this community right here. And you know, not
one Christian is insignificant. Not one. Now, not everyone's
on the front lines, right? But I'll tell you what, no unit
can move without any kind of logistics, without any kind of
supply. None at all. Every single believer
is part of the body of Christ, and every single believer has
a purpose in the body of Christ. Every believer here has a purpose. You're here by the providence
of God. It's incredible. It's incredible. So Paul rejoices to know that
the Colossian church is welded into a solid unit. A solid unit. Going forth as one. Steadfast. Steadfast in their faith in Christ. And how do we have any unity? Only in Christ. Only in the Gospel. I remember talking to Paul, a
dear brother back home in Oregon, when we lived in Oregon, who
I had the privilege of pastoring for five years. And I remember
talking to him, and he said, Wayne, I think I've told you
all this. He said, Wayne, you're not the type of person I ever
would have hung around with if the Lord hadn't saved me. But
I love you in Christ, and you're the only kind of people I want
to be around now. And I probably wouldn't have
wanted to be around him. before the Lord saved me, but
my goodness, what God does. We have the same Savior, the
same Lord, one unit. Remember, we have one charge,
one mission, one end together here as believers, and that is
to preach Christ. That is to have Christ proclaimed
from this pulpit, or this pulpit, or any of the teaching positions,
that Christ would be proclaimed. He would be proclaimed. And no,
we pray, don't we? We pray that God would use that.
Use the preaching of His free and sovereign grace to save sinners,
just like me. Just like you, if you're saved. Look, it says, Beholding your
order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ, Now it's
clear that so far before us that the Apostle Paul has fixed their
mind upon Christ, and that they have not been swept away by the
error which is being taught by the false teachers. As he points
out in this text, their order and the steadfastness of their
faith in Christ, they haven't been carried away. by the false
teaching. He's commending them for their
order and the steadfastness of their faith in Christ. And here
are the words, steadfastness. Now think of this. I want to
say this quick before we move on. The heresy at this point
had found absolutely no secure ground. It hadn't found any footing
that we know of. The saints are unwavering. They're
standing firm like a stone wall. They're standing firm in Christ. Their ranks are unbroken. And they're standing firm together,
side by side, in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And see
the word steadfastness here? It is the only place that this
word is used, this Greek word is used in the whole New Testament.
It's called stera oma. And the Greek word is defined
as this. That which has been made firm. That which has been
made firm. A fortified place. That which furnishes a foundation. On which a thing rests firmly,
support. firmness, steadfastness, or in
a military sense, a solid front. Solid front. So here then, before
us, the Church is an outwardly ordered, disciplined array. And
secondly, there is a steadfast faith, a firmness, a firmness
in unwavering in the Gospel of Christ. And I'm wavering in the Gospel
of Christ. Why? Because it's our only hope. What do I have outside of Christ?
Nothing. Eternal death. But in Christ, oh, we'll look
at that later on. Oh my, what we have in Christ,
beloved. Think on this, in a legion of
soldiers in the Romans times again, that every soldier in
that unit had a place, and every soldier in that unit had a purpose. The Roman armies had light-armed
skirmishers who were not in close formation, but they were loosely They were called skirmishers,
and they were just loosely ranked, but the legions, the real power of
the Roman army. The legions, on the other hand,
were close formations, and they moved as one unit, and it was
more about the unit than the single man. Is that not how it is in the
body of Christ? It's more about the gospel than
me. More about the unit than the
single man. They had to cooperate and work
together as one unit. And they moved and fought as
one unit. And this is how we are to be
in our faith in Christ Jesus. standing beside our brothers
and sisters in Christ. And our actions have one end
and one focus and one object, and that is Christ. And the preaching
of the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ. And Paul rejoices. He rejoices in seeing that their
faith towards Jesus Christ has a basis, a foundation, A firm,
steadfast foundation that's been unshaken by the assaults of the
false teachers. They have a firm foundation,
a constant steadfastness of faith in Christ. And this can only
come by the power of the Holy Spirit of God working in the
believer. Spurgeon said this on the steadfastness of faith. Faith is a standard bearer in
every spiritual conflict. And if the standard bearer falls,
then it is an evil day. If faith fails, everything fails. Courage fails. Patience fails. Hope fails. Love fails. Joy fails. Faith is the root
grace, and if it be not in order, in the leafage of the soul, which
shows itself in the form of other graces, shall soon begin to wither. But faith that is real, faith
that is wrought by the Holy Spirit of God, is steadfast faith, kept
by the power of God. We saw that, haven't we, all
through the epistles. We've looked at the latter part of chapter
one, We're kept by the power of God. We're strengthened by
the power of God. We know that from the last part
of Colossians, that He's the one that keeps us. So we need to have order and
steadfastness. We also need a united heart.
And I believe we have that. One which focuses on Christ and
Him alone. Turn, if you would, to 1 Chronicles
12. May it be said of us as it was
said of David's men who set to make him king. David's men wanted him to be
king. Look at 1 Chronicles 12, verse 38. All these men of war that could
keep rank, soldiers in formation, came with a perfect heart. That's
what we have to have. I'm not saying we're not sinners,
because we are. But what's the one focus of the
believer's heart? Christ. What's the one object
of the believer's heart? Christ. Christ. Came with a perfect heart to
Hebron to make David king over all Israel. And also the rest
of Israel were of one heart to make David king. David's troops
were not of double, they weren't double hearted, were they? They
weren't double minded. They had discipline and order and a wholehearted
enthusiasm for David. Is it not so with
us, we who are soldiers of Christ? Does our heart not beat for our
King? Does it not beat in unison with
other believers? Christ is everything to me. Is it so with you? A believer has one heart, and one
object, and one focus, and that's Jesus Christ and Him alone. So
let's go back to our text in Colossians chapter 5, and we'll see Paul sum this up. with two words. Though I be absent in the flesh,
yet I am with you in the spirit, joy and behold in your order
and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. In Christ. Our text does not say in the
preacher, or in a certain church, or a set of rules, But the steadfastness of our
faith, beloved, has one object, Christ. Christ. Nowhere else. Christ in him alone. Our purpose,
our one purpose is to preach Christ and Him crucified, to
exalt Christ. We have one foundation. The believer
has one foundation. I have one foundation. Jesus
Christ. I have one general. One commander. The Lord Jesus Christ. And I
know this is so with every believer. We have one object of our faith,
and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer in Christ proclaims
by faith that Christ is my rock. Christ is my fortress. Christ
is my shelter during times of storm. Christ is my strength.
Christ is the only one whom I trust. Christ is my salvation. Christ
is my redeemer. Christ is my high tower. Christ
is my surety. Christ is my prophet. Christ
is my priest. Christ is my king. What is He
to me? Oh, He's altogether lovely. He's altogether lovely. He's
the fairest among ten thousand. He's the lily of the valley.
He's the bright and morning star. He's everything to me. Everything
to me. Is it so with you? Oh, if you're
not saved, may God be pleased to grant you faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. What do we have as believers
in Christ? Let's turn to chapter 1 of our
book that we've been studying. Let's go back to chapter 1. And we will look at this. Look at this. What do believers
have in Christ? They are saved by the will of
God. and appointed where they will
serve by the will of God. Look at Colossians 1, verses
1 and 2. 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 Colossus. Now they're there because God's
divine appointment. Grace be unto you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What do we as believers
have in Christ? We have a hope laid up for us
in heaven, which is in Christ. Look at verse 5. For the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, where have you heard before in
the word of the truth of the gospel? What does a believer
have in Christ? They're given spiritual understanding
by the Holy Spirit of God. Look at verse 9. 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 and all wisdom in spiritual understanding. We're
given spiritual understanding by the Holy Spirit of God. What do believers have in Christ?
They've been delivered from the power of darkness and translated
into the kingdom of His dear Son by the regenerating power
of the Holy Spirit of God. Look at Colossians 1.13. Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated
us into the kingdom of His dear Son. What do believers in Christ
have? They have all redemption for
all their sin. Full redemption for all their
sins. How? Through the precious blood
of Christ. And the forgiveness of all their
sins. Not some. All. Look at verse 14. In whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. What do believers have in Christ? They are a part of the body of
Christ, in whom Christ is the head and receives all the preeminence. Look at verse 18. 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.
What do believers have in Christ? They have peace with God. How?
Through the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They're
no longer rebels, no longer enemies with God in their minds, but
now they're soldiers in the armies of God. Look at Colossians 1, verses
20 and 21. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross by Him to reconcile all things unto
Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things on earth or things in heaven. And you that were sometimes
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
have to be reconciled. How did this come? This only
came through the sacrifice of Christ. for the believer upon
the cross. Why? That they might be presented holy and unblameable and unreprovable. in His sight. Look at Colossians
1.22. And the body of His flesh through
death to present you. That's every believer. He's writing
to the Colossians here. He's not leaving any of them
out. Holy. Sinners. Made holy. Unreprovable. Or unblameable. And unreprovable
in His sight. What do believers have in Christ?
They're made steadfast, and they're grounded and rooted in the faith
of Christ by the Holy Spirit of God through His regenerating
power. How? By the preaching of the
Gospel. Look at Colossians 1, verse 23.
If you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, be not
moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard. which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven, where I, Paul, am made a minister.
Now, not one believer has any room to boast. None at all. None at all. Because Christ has
done all this. Everything we looked at, Christ
has done for me. And if you're a believer, for
you. And also, why don't we have any
room to boast? Because it's a mystery that's
been revealed to us. Look at Colossians 1, 26 and
27. Even the mystery which hath 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 glory. And then turn to verse 3 of this
chapter that we've been in. Colossians, chapter 2, verse
3. What does a believer have in Christ? He is the one who
has hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This is my Savior. This is my
King. This is my Lord. May God grant your faith to believe.
Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege and
honor of being able to be here tonight and study your precious
Word. Oh Lord, we pray that you'd use
the preaching of your word for your glory and for your honor
and for your praise. And if it be your will to draw
one of your lost sheep to you, we'd rejoice. And if it's your
will to build up the saints with the preaching of your word, rejoice. Oh Lord, comfort us, we pray,
as we go through this week. Give us strength and grace. We love you and praise you in
Jesus' name, Amen.