Hello. Good to be here. Good to be together. Tonight
we're in chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. Colossians
chapter 2. But we will back up when I read
here. We'll back up into Colossians
1, verse 26. We'll read to 2-1. The reason
I'm doing this is because they all tie in. And we also have
to remember that this is a letter. The original letter had no chapters,
so this is a letter to be. And the thought can continue
from one chapter to another, and it does in this instance
really well. So, let's go up to verse 26. 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 of glory, Whom we preach. We
don't preach anyone else but Christ. We only preach Him. Warning
every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Whereunto I also
labor striving according to His working which worketh in me mightily.
For I would that ye know. So it's connected to 29. Whereunto I also labor striving
according to His working which worketh in me mightily. For I
would that ye know 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. So this week's verse ties right
into verse 28 and 29. 28 and 29. Now, one will not have love for
the brethren unless they're in Christ. One will not have love
for the brethren unless they're in Christ. All we need to know
that's true is to look back at how we were before the Lord saved
us. We did not love the brethren. But after the Lord saves us,
we love the brethren. And we who have been saved by
the grace of God in Christ. So verse 28, let's go back there
again. Whom we preach, warn in every man, and teach in every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus. Now Paul said we preach, we warn,
and we teach every man in all wisdom, that we may present every
man perfect in Christ. He used the word we to signify
gospel preachers, to signify gospel pastors, people who are
preaching and proclaiming the gospel of God's free grace, those
who are ordained of God to preach His gospel. And he said, we may
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. It is obvious that
Paul was referring to a limited number, not everyone, not everyone
in the world. No, but the church of God, God's
elect. A particular people. A particular
people. Because He was writing to the
church at Colossus. And only those who are in Christ
Jesus were perfected forever by the sacrifice of Christ. Only
those in Christ Jesus. Only the offering of the body
of Christ was only for His people. Turn if you would to Hebrews
chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. All those who are taught of God,
those whom God would make known what is the riches and the glory
of His mystery, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory, only
they know through the wisdom of God that has been given to
us, that perfection can only be for those who are made perfect.
in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we are still sinners while
we're in this world. While we're in this world. But
look at this, Hebrews 10, 14. For by one offering, one, just
one sacrifice, Himself, Christ, He hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. Clothed in the righteousness
of Christ. and the righteousness of Christ.
So let's go back to verse 29 in Colossians 1. It says, Whereunto
I also labor, striving according to His working which worketh
in me mightily. Notice here the strength did
not come from Paul. Not at all. We can do nothing
in our own strength when it comes to the Gospel and laboring for
the Lord. Oh, we must be strengthened by the Holy Spirit of God, or
it's all for naught. It's all for naught. Now, before we get into our verses,
let's look at this. Whereunto I also labor, striving
according to His working which worketh in me mightily. Turn to 1 John 5.20. These two
verses, 28 and 29, tie in with 1 John 5.20. Because you must have an understanding
of who Christ is. There be no love for the brethren
unless you're born again. Unless you're born again. You
may think the brethren are fine folks, but we know we're just
sinners saved by grace. But you won't really have a love
for them until God redeems your soul. Look at this, 1 John 5.20,
and we know, now believers know something. They know something. But they've been taught something.
We know that the Son of God has come and hath given us an understanding. We had no understanding until
He gave it to us. Until He gave it to us. That
we may know Him, that is true. And we are in Him. I'm crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live. Oh my. That is true. Even in His Son,
Jesus Christ, this is the true God. All other gods are false. All of them. Everyone, except for Jesus Christ. He is the true God. Eternal life
there's only eternal life in him anyone else outside of Christ
who's trusting in anything else is perishing in their sins If
they step into eternity if they die and step into eternity they
perish in their sins Outside of Christ. There's only eternal
life in Christ. He is the true God and eternal
life. It's nowhere else So he's the
key to understanding Paul's love for the brethren Christ He's
the key Christ is the key. He's the key to all the scriptures
He's the key. Without this, without Christ,
everything's just window dressing for sinners. Just empty, hollow
words. Just empty, hollow words. Scripture
says there, we know, we know. The believer in Christ knows
something because they've been given an understanding, as I
said. The understanding of the mystery spoken of in Colossians
chapter 1. Made manifest to his saints.
Made manifest. Given an understanding. Oh, it's
amazing. Like Brother Tim said, it's amazing
grace. From beginning to end. From beginning
to end. It is absolutely amazing that
God would reveal Himself to sinners. Oh my. So the mystery, the mystery
in Colossians spoken of in Colossians being revealed to the believer.
God the Holy Spirit has given the believer in Christ an understanding
of who Christ is. Think of this. You who believe,
you have an understanding now of who Christ is. You didn't
before, did you? We may have been religious. We may have thought
we knew who he was, but all when he revealed himself, we're given
an understanding of who he is and of what we are and of who
we need, of who we need. We need Christ desperately. Desperately,
we need him. So he gives us an understanding. He gives us an understanding
about him as substitute. That he's the sinner's substitute.
I didn't understand that before the Lord revealed it. I didn't
understand that his law must be satisfied. Did you? I had no idea. Until he revealed
it. Until he revealed it. And then
we tremble before the Lord. And then we look to the substitute.
We look to the one who fulfilled that law and took that wrath
in our place. Oh my. We've been given an understanding,
beloved. We've been given an understanding.
The Lord Jesus Christ is a substitute of his people on Calvary's cross.
And in him, we have eternal life. It's nowhere else. It's nowhere
else. Folks are trying out in this
world. Folks are trying. They're trying,
and they're trying, and they're trying. And if they keep trusting
in themselves, they're going to perish in their sins. But
the believer who trusts in Christ, oh, in him is eternal life. in Christ and in Him alone. We
have cast all our works aside. God incarnate in the flesh. The
Lord Jesus Christ also acknowledges that, that Christ is God. Did
we know that He was God in the flesh before He gave us an understanding?
I didn't know. Now I rejoice. God, the Almighty
God incarnate in the flesh. The Creator, when He spoke everything
into existence, was my substitute. Oh my, my. Why was it necessary
that Christ come and die upon the cross? Because God is holy. Because God is holy. He's so
holy. And we are sinful. We are so
sinful. And in order for God to bring
us to where He is, in order for God to bring us to where He is, He has to do it in a way consistent
with his holiness, and consistent with his justice, and consistent
with his righteousness. And Christ is the only way. He's
the only way. There's no other way. God's love,
it's all in Christ. It's all in Christ. God's grace,
it's all in Christ. Nowhere else. It's nowhere else
outside. God's mercy, it's all in Christ.
No wonder Paul penned that all spiritual blessings are in Christ.
All. Nowhere else. Absolutely nowhere
else. And the believer acknowledges
this, don't we? We acknowledge this. We've been given... Sister,
you've been given an understanding that you didn't have. Sister,
we marvel in this. It's amazing. It's amazing. We didn't know. We didn't know
before. We've been given an understanding.
of who Christ is, of who Christ is. And we acknowledge these
precious truths. We acknowledge them because we've
been taught them. We've been given an understanding.
They've been revealed to us. It was a mystery that's been
made manifest to the saints. And it's only for those who rest
and trust in Christ. And we don't just We publicly
rest in Christ, too. We privately rest in Christ,
too. All the time. All the time we
rest and trust in Christ alone. It's a life lived resting and
trusting in our Savior. In our Savior. And it's only in Him. And it's
only because of what He has done that we have eternal life. And
it's only because of Him that we love the brethren. It's incredible. And the love is shed abroad in
our hearts. It's incredible. Now Paul here
declares his affection for the saints at Colossians. And we
know, we know, that he felt like that about all believers. Turn,
if you would, to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians. He was daily praying
for the churches. Daily. And put your finger in Acts too,
I'm sorry. Acts chapter 22 and 2 Corinthians
11-28. Now let us mark how grace changes
a man or a woman. Grace changes men and women.
Changes us completely. Because let us mark this. This
was the same man who persecuted the church. This is the same
man who wasted the church. Acts 22 says this, and I persecuted
this way. This way. I persecuted this way,
Acts 22, verses 4 and 5. And I persecuted this way unto
the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. It is also the high priest that
bare me witness in all the estate of the elders, from whom also
I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring
them which were there bound unto Jerusalem. for to be punished. He persecuted the way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons
both men and women. Mark this, 2 Corinthians 11.28. I went to Acts first. But look
at this in Acts. I mean, 2 Corinthians 11.28.
I'm sorry. Look at this. What a change that
grace rots in a man or a woman. Look at this. Beside the things
that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care
of all the churches. Paul prays for the churches daily. The very ones he persecuted.
The very churches he wasted. Now, daily, the care of all the
churches comes before him. He's a new creature in Christ,
beloved. He's a new creature in Christ.
This is not a reformation wrought by man. This is not a moralistic
reformation where he says, well, I'm going to stop doing these
things and I'm going to be a better person now. I'm going to have
my checklist and I'm going to follow that. No, this is not
what this is. This is the work of God, the
Holy Spirit. This is the work of God, the
Holy Spirit. Paul is regenerated, born again by the Holy Spirit
of God. And now he loves and cherishes
the very people who he once persecuted. Only God can work a change like
that. Only God, by His power, can work
a change like that. Only God. Galatians says this,
For ye have heard of my conversations in times past in the Jewish religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it. And we saw that in Acts 22. And profited in the Jewish religion
above many mine equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly
zealous in the traditions of my fathers. But would it please
God But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son to me. Remember? Given that understanding. Born again to reveal His Son
to me that I might preach Him among the heathen. Immediately
I conferred not with flesh and blood. Only God can wrought a
change like this. Oh my. The Apostle Paul proved
himself to be a dedicated, brave, courageous warrior for Christ.
Oh, He's in the army of the living God. And He dealt with the enemies
of Christ face to face. Face to face. He didn't back
down. He didn't back down. He also
showed the love that was in His heart for the saints by His love
and concern for them. And He expressed that love for
them in the beginning of this chapter. So let's look at tonight's
verse in light of this, but we'll read it in the context of verse
28 to verse 3 in chapter 2. 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 labor, strive,
and according to His working, by His power, which worketh in
me mightily, For I would that ye know 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 the understanding to the acknowledgement
understanding of the mystery of God and of the Father and
of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
So let us remember that this is a continuation from chapter
1. As I said, Paul's writing a letter. There's no chapters in the letter
that he was writing. It's all one thought coming through.
And so we see a direct connection in thought here. Paul wants them
to know what great conflict he has for them. for the saints
at Colossus and for the churches of God. Look at this. 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.
Now the apostle wanted the saints in Colossus to know what great
concern he had for them. And he had a great concern for
God's people. For believers everywhere. Even
though he had never met them personally. Paul labored and
strived in the gospel according to the divine power in him. He did not do this of his own
strength. And he proclaimed that it was
Christ in him who worked mightily and gave him this burden for
the Colossians. If God had not wrought a mighty
work in him, if he had not been born again, he'd still be persecuting
the church, right? Until the day he died. Oh, now. Now he loves those he once persecuted. And he carried that. Look at
Colossians 1, 4, 8. I won't read it, but I'll just
point you there. Paul had not met the Colossians
Christians, but he heard of their faith and hope. Look at Colossians
1, 4, and 8 for further reference. And he desired their good. And
He had continual care for them in His heart. And He carried
that care to God in prayer. Look at verse 9. For this cause
we do also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you
and desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. There it is again,
spiritual understanding. See, we have no understanding
unless God reveals it to us. Oh, and this is the prayer of
every preacher. Oh Lord, give us understanding. Give us all
understanding. Your sheep, reveal yourself to
us. So he carried that care to God
in prayer. We saw that in verse 9. And he
bore them in loving remembrance. Spurgeon said this about Paul
and about this verse in chapter 2 verse 1. He said with Paul
about the churches of God. They were always on his heart
as a sick child is ever on the heart of its mother. Oh, He just
prayed for them. He prayed for them. Look at our
text. It says, For I would that ye
knew. For I would that ye knew. One commentator said this, little
do most men know what continuous care and pains faithful ministers
take for their soul's health, for the health, the soul's health
of the sheep that they're placed to pastor. Oh, we pray for you. I know Jim did and I do too.
We desire that you grow spiritually. that you grow in Christ, in the
knowledge and truth of Him. For I would that you knew. Now,
let's do a little, we'll go through a couple of verses. Paul uses,
one commentator said that, William Hendrickson actually said this,
that he uses this, these phrases when he's stressing the subject.
And he uses this, for I would that ye knew. And then he uses
similar verbiage in other verses. Turn to Philippians 1 verses
12 to 4 in Romans chapter 1. And then we'll go from Romans
chapter one and we're going to order and we'll see how Paul
uses these phrases to emphasize, to stress certain subjects that
he's going to speak about. So keep in mind, for I would
that you knew, he's stressing this. He desires for them to
know the conflict that he has, the burden that he has for them.
Philippians 1 verses 12 to 14, but I would you should understand,
there's one type of phrase, same kind of phrase, same kind of
emphasis. Brethren, that the things which
happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance
of the gospel, so that in my bonds in Christ are manifest
in all the palace and all other places. And many of the brethren
of the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold
to speak the word without fear." So Paul's using this for emphasis
when he's stressing the subject. Go to Romans chapter 1. Now he
uses a different phrase here, and we'll see it repeated multiple
times, but again, William Hendrickson said he's using this to stress
the topic that he's about to embark upon. Romans 1.13, now I would not
have you ignorant, brethren. Again, he's stressing this. That
often times I propose to come unto you, but was let hither,
that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among
other Gentiles. Turn to Romans chapter 11. We'll
see Paul do this again. And he's stressing this again. And this is good for us when
we're reading scripture to be aware of these things where Paul's,
he's stressing He's stressing what he's going to talk about.
He's prefacing it for us. Romans 11, 25. For I would not,
brethren, again, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery.
Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness
in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles
be come in." Now turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And
then put your finger in 1 Thessalonians 4, and that'll be the last one
we'll look at. But we see how he's emphasizing. He's using
these phrases to emphasize. And this is all by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. It's incredible. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 1. And so keep in mind what our
text says. For I would that ye knew. So again, he's emphasizing
again. 1 Corinthians 10, 1. Moreover,
brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant. How that
all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through
the sea. Again, I would not that ye should be ignorant. Again,
he's stressing that again. And then over in 1 Thess 4, 13.
Same phrase again. And let us remember, too, that he's about to embark in
Colossians. He's got his war paint on. He's
ready to go. We're going to see in this next chapter that he
just expounds upon Christ even more so. It's incredible. He's going to hit this heresy
head on again. 1 Thessalonians 4.13, Have you to be ignorant, brethren.
Again, he's emphasizing it again. Concerning them which are asleep,
that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. So
Paul regards the heresy. Now let's go back to Colossians
2, verse 1. Paul regards the heresy which
sprung up in Colossus as a very serious danger, because it's
mixing, it's mixing, beloved. Works with grace. It's mixing,
and grace and works do not mix. Not at all. It's either 100%
grace or it's works. That's it. There's nothing to
be added to it. You put a drop of works into
a well and you polluted the whole well of grace. For I would that ye knew. 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." Now, let's note Paul's concern for the church
at Colossus and the church at Laodicea. He was concerned that
this heresy may spread to nearby churches. And Paul tells them
that he has struggled in his innermost being, praying for
them, striving in the gospel, laboring in the gospel for them.
And note the verbiage, for you, for I would that you knew what
great conflict I have for you. This would be the membership
of the church, those who are born again, and for them at Laodicea,
this being the church in Laodicea, the ecclesia, the called out
assembly. And Paul continues, for as many as have not seen
my face in the flesh, this is the brethren which he has not
met in person. And here we see Paul's heart.
Remember, this is the one who told us he wasted the church. He took people, bound them up. Now we see the heart that Paul
has for God's people. We see it. It's not just words.
It's faith in action, isn't it? It's incredible. It's not just
lip service. Oh, we see Paul's heart for the
people of God opened up by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As he speaks
of those he's never seen. Never seen face to face. Now, why did Paul have this love
for the Colossian believers? because they were of Christ's
flock. They were sheep of God. Sheep
of God. And Paul loved them. He loved
them. I ask you who have been redeemed
by Christ, is it not so of Christ Himself to us? You and I have never seen Christ
in the flesh. But, can we not say along with
Peter, whom heaven not seeing, ye love? In whom, though now
ye see him not, yet believing. Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory. Rejoice, we're receiving the
end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul. Oh my. So Paul here prays for the church
at Colossus and at Laodicea, which was about a dozen miles,
the commentators were saying, about a dozen miles. That's a
long way to walk when you're walking. A dozen miles from Colossus
and he lifts them up to Christ. And as I said, let us remember
to contrast this with Paul who persecuted the church. Now he
loves the brethren. Now he loves them. He loves them. He's a new creature in Christ,
born again of the Holy Spirit of God. In the new heart that
God had given him, move Paul to offer up earnest, sincere
prayer for God's children. The word conflict means to endeavor,
to accomplish something. For I know 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. The word conflict means to endeavor,
to accomplish something, to strive, to fight, to labor fervently. Paul loved God's people, and
he wanted the saints of God to know that he was earnestly and
sincerely praying for them. As I said, it was not just words.
It flowed from a redeemed heart, from a redeemed heart, born again
by the Holy Spirit of God to those who also had been redeemed
by the blood of the Lamb. Greater love hath no man than
this say. And the love that we have for
the brethren, the love that we have for Christ, is nothing compared
to the love that Christ has for his people. Where did this love come from? Where did this love come from
that Paul had for the people of God? Where did the love we
have for the brethren come from? Oh. We who have been redeemed proclaim
it comes from Christ. It comes from the Holy Spirit
of God working in us. As He does for every single believer. New creatures in Christ the believer
is. We have a new heart. Turn if
you would to Ezekiel chapter 36. Ezekiel chapter 36. We have
a new heart. A new nature, a new love for
the brethren, which we never ever had before, and we can't
muster it up. It must, it must be God working
in us, my Lord. It must be. I was talking to
Sister Ruth, and I had been talking to Norm, and I shared that with
you about the vine and the branches, and Norm and I were talking yesterday,
and Norm said, there is no fruit on the branches unless it's in
the vine. Everything comes from the vine.
We're just attached. All the fruit comes from that
vine. It all comes up, and through, and out, and there's the fruit. And we see that in Colossians
1.29, don't we? God working mightily in us. In
us. Sinners. Save, redeem sinners. It's incredible. It's absolutely,
absolutely incredible. Look at Ezekiel 36, verse 26
to 28. A new heart also will I give
you. God gives His people a new heart.
Not a physical new heart. Oh, but a heart that seeks Him.
A heart, beloved, that hungers and thirsts for righteousness. We never had that before. Oh,
my. A new heart. A new heart. And a new spirit will I put within
you. You see how religion's got it
backwards? And I'll take away the stony heart out of your flesh.
And I'll give you a heart of flesh. And I'll put My Spirit
within you. And cause you to walk in My statutes. And ye shall keep My judgments
and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers. And ye, I love this, and ye shall
be My people. This is God speaking. You shall
be. What confidence for proclaiming
the gospel. God shall get His people. He
shall redeem His sheep. Every one of them. Ye shall be
my people and I will be your God. I ask you, beloved, you
who trust and rest in Christ, is He not your God? Is He not
your everything? So this love for the brethren
that Paul has when he says, For I would that you knew what great
conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many
as have not seen my face in the flesh. This isn't something he
could muster up on his own. We can't make it stronger on
our own. God must cause it to grow. And as we contemplate,
as we contemplate what Christ has redeemed us from, all of
our sins, all of them, they're not one left out for the believer. They're forgiven, redeemed from
all our sin. And as we think on our brothers
and sisters in Christ who are just like us, Redeemed by the
same blood. Redeemed by the same Savior.
Purchased. Purchased. Same Father. Same God who chose
us in eternity. Same Holy Spirit within us. Oh,
when we think on these things, it will make us grateful for
one another. It'll make us grateful for one another as we quickly
realize we are all taken from the same lump. Every one of us. Taken out of
the same pit. You're mine. Oh, my. Ye shall be my people
and I will be your gate. My goodness. And this love that Paul has for
the brethren, it's not lip service. You'll find that in religion.
You don't find that in grace. No, this is real, true love that
Paul has for the brethren. And Paul prayed for those who
he was acquainted with, and he prayed for those who he was not
acquainted with. And he prayed and he loved the
brethren. Prayed for and loved the brethren.
In God's people, we bear one another's burdens, don't we?
When we hear one of us is hurting, we hurt with him. We cry with
him. Bear ye one another's burdens
and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6, 2. We bear one another's
frailties. We bear one another's infirmities.
We bear one another's weakness and we all have them. Right? We all have them, don't we? Every
one of us. Every one of us. We don't desert
the brethren. We don't withdraw fellowship.
We don't condemn them. Bear ye one another's burdens.
Turn, if you would, to John 13. Look at this. Oh, love beareth
all things, beloved. We do not withdraw our fellowship
and condemn them. We bear these burdens by comforting
the brethren, sympathizing with them, forgiving one another in
genuine mercy. And in doing so, we fulfill the
royal law of Christ. Look at this, John 13, verse
34 and 35. A new commandment I give unto
you, that ye love one another. as I have loved you. And remember
this, we who are redeemed. God loved us before we ever loved
Him. My, oh my. But He did, eh? He did. Oh my. That ye love one another as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall
all men know that ye are my disciples. if you have love one to another.
And last week, beloved, we had an example of this in our church
body. It was wonderful. It was wonderful. Love in action. Love in action. Not just in words. And I'll tell
you, being your pastor, it was a great, great joy to see. It
was incredible. And I know it's the grace of
God working in us. And I rejoice. And I know y'all
have been doing it for a long time. And I'd heard about it. I'd heard about you from many
preachers before I even came. And I tell you, it is an honor
and a privilege to be your pastor. It really is. Now the Apostle Paul is writing
this under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. And it was
He who, He is the one who placed this loving concern for the brethren
within Paul's heart. It's Him. He does it for all those who
have been redeemed by Christ. The loving concern that Paul
had for the brethren was from God Himself. God has the same concern for
all the saints. We're His people. We're His people. He has the
same concern for all the saints in every generation. What great
comfort that brings us. Our God doesn't change. Not at
all. As we journey through this life
and through this world, as Brother Tim brought out, and the circumstances
going on, and we look around and think, oh my, but we can
rest. We can rest in our God, no matter
what the circumstances are. And think of this. We may keep
up a communion with the saints of God by faith, hope, and love,
even with those churches and fellow Christians of whom we
have no personal knowledge of, and the ones that we have no
conversation with. Think of this. We can think and
pray and be concerned for those in Christ, even though those
who are separated from us by great distance, and think of
this, we do, as we pray for the missionaries that we send out. We've never met any of the folks
they minister to. But we pray that God would use
the preaching of His Word to bring in His sheep, wherever
gospel preachers are, wherever missionaries are, that we send
out. And we've never met any of those
folks, and yet they minister to them. And we pray that God
would gather in His sheep, that God would gather in His sheep.
We've never met any of these brethren in the flesh, But we
will. Sister Marge has met some of
them. My, oh, my. We may never have
met these brethren in the flesh, and yet we hope to meet them
in heaven, worshiping our great Redeemer with them, our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, next week and in the coming
weeks, Lord willing, we'll look at the reasons why Paul had this
great conflict. Why he had this great conflict
and concern for the brethren. And we will see how Paul meets
this heresy. He meets this heresy which sprung
up in the Colossian church. He meets it head on. Head on. And that's how we are. We meet
things too. Air that springs up. Head on. Christ. All fullness is in Him. Nowhere
else. Nowhere else. We meet it head
on with the proclamation of the gospel. We will have nothing
else, will we? You don't want to hear anything
else? I know you don't, because I don't either. All we want to
hear is the preaching of Christ. His free and sovereign grace
proclaimed in what He's done for sinners. Oh, may God be pleased
to bless the message. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank You for tonight. Being able to gather
together and look at Your Word. Oh Lord, we marvel that knowing
we who believe, knowing that the love that you placed in Paul's
heart, we have too for the brethren. And we know that it's nothing
that we mustered up. It's all the work of the Holy
Spirit of God in us. Oh, we pray you'd use this message
for your glory and for your honor. And if it's your will to draw
in sinners to thee, we pray that you will. If it's your will,
we just seek to give you all the glory and honor and praise.
Be with the saints this week as they go out into the world
and strengthen them. Give them grace that they need
in time of need, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.