to give you all a warm welcome
to our worship here this evening. Let us ask the Lord's blessing
in prayer. Let us pray. O Lord God of heaven
and of earth, Lord, as we gather in this evening hour, do grant
it to be like when that is rise from the dead and appear to thy
dear disciples. Then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord. Do grant, Lord, that through
thee ministry of the word, through the hymns we sing, that we might
get a glimpse of thee, a faith for you, and that we might have
that joy of the Lord. We ask help to sing thy worthy
praise in every part of this worship. We ask through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen. Hymn, 558. Tune, St Helen's 498. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God, Epistle of Paul, the Apostle to the Colossians,
and Chapter 1. If you have one of our free Bibles,
the Ruby Bible, that is page 1096. Colossians, Chapter 1. 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 ye have to all the saints, for the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel. which is come unto you, as it
is in all the worlds, and bringeth forth through, as it doth also
in you, since the day ye 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 ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that ye 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 and to 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 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
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 sight. 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, am 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 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, 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. Lord, bless to us the reading
of his holy word, and help us in prayer. Let us pray. O Lord God of heaven and of earth,
our loving Heavenly Father, we come to Thee through Thy beloved
Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We do thank Thee for
Thee blessed provision for the Church of God in Thy dear Son. We do thank Thee for His being
given and made flesh and dwelling among us. for His righteousness
and for His sacrificial death. Lord, we do thank Thee for what
Thou hast done upon this earth, in that Thou hast fulfilled all
righteousness. Thou hast suffered in the place
of Thy people. Thou hast conquered death. We
do thank Thee for the empty tomb, a risen Saviour, and Thine intercession
for us in heaven. And we do thank Thee for that
provision for the Church of God, the provision to quicken into
divine life and the provision of maintaining that life in and
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And as we gather
in Thy name, we gather to worship Thee this evening. Help us, Lord,
truly to give Thee the honour and glory due to Thy name. to
be of those of this land that do gather, that do desire to
worship God Almighty, the Maker, Creator of heaven and of earth,
our Redeemer, our Saviour, the God in whom we trust. And, O
Lord, we do seek of Thee that we might receive through the
ministry of the Word those blessings that Thou hast laid up in store
Do bless each gathered this evening. May each soul be precious in
thy sign. And let thou grant us thy Spirit's
aid to take the things of Jesus and reveal them unto us. To feed
our souls, to quicken our souls, to strengthen us through the
means of grace. O Lord, do bless each gathered. Remember those that join with
us online We ask thy blessing to be upon them and upon that
already attended to this day in the ministry, in the churches
of God. O Lord, do be with each that
minister and labour tonight. We pray for each of thy servants.
Remember those that are laid aside at this time. We pray that
thou remember Jabez Rutt and grant thy kind healing hand to
be upon him and strengthen him. Paul Tyler also, do strengthen
him, enable him once more also to stand on the walls of Zion. We pray for any others laid aside
at this time. We do lay before thee those who
are starting pasturants, do be with them, Ramsbottom, do be
pleased to Be with him, to be with Peter at Haines, we seek
thy blessing upon those pastorates beginning. And Lord, we do pray
that thou would remember Timothy Parish and grant that the visas
might come through, that he might be able to take up the pastorate
at Grand Rapids. Oh Lord, we do seek, Lord, that
thy blessing might be upon the gatherings of thy people, and
Lord, where they are joined together and gathered together, be pleased
to remove each stumbling block, each hindrance, and do grant,
Lord, that the people of God might be strengthened and encouraged. Remember others also, Lord of
thy servants and Lord do be with our churches in Australia and
in Canada and in America. We're pleased to grant thy blessing
on dear friends in Holland. Lord we thank thee for them and
those that we have that regularly join with us here and benefit
through the ministry. We thank thee for it. We thank
Thee for Thy witness and the blessing and kindness that is
shown us here. O Lord, do be pleased to remember
the people of Cranbrook. We do pray that there is work
in this town and that we might see those come in whom is the
work of Thy Spirit. Do bless the Bibles that are
received, not only here but throughout the UK. Lord, may we yet hear
where one or another has been blessed or joined to a church
near to them. O Lord, the work is thine, we
thank thee for the open door. O Lord, we do beg of thee that
thy people might be constrained to ask, might receive thy word
and receive blessing through thy word. O Lord, we come before
thee confessing our many sins and iniquities. We look upon
the year that is past, and Lord, we are ashamed. Lord, wash and
cleanse us, renew us again unto repentance. We plead that promise
that in our Lord there is the gift of repentance and remission
of sins. And do grant, Lord, a closer
walk with thee. Grant, Lord, that we might know
more of thee. Lord, we have eternity before
us. We're reminded and we pray for
those meeting around the grave tomorrow, Dicka, and we do see,
Lord, that thou hast sanctified these occasions. Lord, thou knowest
many, and families are not called, do not know thee, and on these
occasions, Lord, do be pleased to bless the word, and those
of us who do know what eternity is, and know the worth of a soul,
and know our sinnership, O Lord, make it that we are confirmed
and strengthened in thy ways, and don't have to look back to
a beginning, though we thank thee for it, but that we might
have a daily walk with thee, and to remember those that seek
thee, those that are concerned, those of whom, when reports of
those taken, brings as an arrow into their soul, those who long
to know and read their title clear to mansions in the skies,
hear their cries, their prayers, bless thy word to them, and do
lead them on and bring them to true saving faith in thee, the
assurance of their interest in thee. O Lord, do prepare us each
to stand before thy face. Remember our dear aged friends
in pilgrim homes. Lord, those who ministered to
this afternoon, and those that couldn't, who are in their rooms,
those that must be nearing their journey's end, we lovingly bring
them before thee. Oh, bless them, be with them,
and do strengthen them in the Lord. Lord, we would make intercession
for them. And, O Lord, do grant there might
be that following generation. We thank Thee for the children,
the young people here, and ask Thy blessing to be upon them,
that Thou hast raised up from amongst them those that shall
be ministers of the gospel, that shall be deacons, that shall
be useful members of the Church of God here below. O Lord, do
work in our day and generation. Remember thy promise, which is
unto you and your children, even as many as the Lord thy God shall
call. Lord, we would commit ourselves
unto thee for another year as we begin it in thy house and
in the sanctuary. Lord, we thank Thee that Thou
hast maintained us thus far, and O Lord, do grant us grace
for every changing scene, and those things that may come unexpectedly
upon us, may we fall onto those everlasting arms and be strengthened
when our heart sings. O Lord, do grant unto us then
Thy mercy, Thy grace, and help this evening. We pray for all
in authority over us, Our government, the laws of which affect our
lives, do grant a deliverance from wicked and ungodly laws,
and give them wisdom to govern in the fear of the Lord. O Lord,
do restrain the bands of wickedness. We thank Thee for many privileges
and mercies in this land, and we pray for those in other lands
that are persecuted or no war and distress that we have not
had. O Lord, hear prayer for them.
We seek, Lord, those social blessings and comforts in our families,
in our loved ones, in our churches, that there might be brotherly
love to continue. and that we might know that fellowship
one with another. We ask then thy help this evening,
thy blessing as we turn to thy word, and we ask through our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, amen. Announcements, God willing, I'm
expected to preach here on Thursday evening, at 7 o'clock and next
Lord's Day at 11am and 6.30pm. The collections taken during
December for the cause, £821.36. The Bible fund, £48.50. And last
Lord's Day, which was for the Christian Institute, £112.37. We thank you for your giving
in those gifts and other gifts that we received during the month
and may the Lord bless you in your giving. Hymn, 184. Tune, Willingdon 815. Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayer for attention to Colossians chapter 1 and verse
19. For it pleased the Father that
in him should all fullness dwell. Colossians chapter 1 verse 19. Fullness meaning complete or
everything that is needed. We're used to speaking about
sound, having a fullness of sound, instead of having just a A very
thin sound, if you get a full sound, that is a, which would
fill a building, is a very big contrast between just a thin
sound and the fullness of sound. In the Psalms we read of the
fullness of joy in the presence of God. Speaking of perfection
and complete, and that which doesn't need anything else beside
that, and nothing can be added to that. And so, Paul says here,
it pleased the Father that in him, that is, in the Lord Jesus
Christ, all fullness should dwell. There are several other places
where fullness is spoken of, and sometimes it's in a slightly
different way, We think of the next chapter in Colossians 2
verse 9, For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. A verse that very clearly says
before us that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is truly God, the
eternal God, one with the Father, God manifest in the flesh, Emmanuel,
God with us. And then we have, in Ephesians,
the fullness of his body as of the church of God. In Ephesians,
the first chapter, in verse 23, which is his body, or the chapter
you read from verse 22, and hath put all things under his feet
and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which
is his body, the fullness of him. that filleth all in all. God is not seen, he's invisible,
our Lord is in heaven, but the church is seen, and the church
is his body, and it is complete in him, and he is their inheritance,
they are his inheritance. They are bound up together, and
again, it is a complete in him. You have the picture of being
built up in him, him being the foundation stone, with lively
stones built up in him, him being the top stone, and that is complete. When the temple was being built,
it was built, and then it was completed, and it was the fullness. There was nothing to be added,
taken. When the tabernacle in the wilderness
was made according to the pattern that God had given, Moses could
look upon it and see that it was exactly what God had designed,
and there it was. And so the church, the foundation
of God, stand as sure the Lord knoweth them that are his. So we have with John in the way
that he opens the gospel in chapter one, and he says this in verse
16, and of his fullness have all we received. This is John,
the evangelist John speaking, not John Baptist. He refers to
John bearing witness of him. In verse 15, John bear witness
of him, cried saying, this was he of whom I spake, he that cometh
after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. But to bring the word into context,
it goes from verse 14 through then to 16. The Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,
and of His fullness have all we received in grace, full grace. For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. And there we are introduced
The fullness is already received. It's received really in a natural
sense by everyone that comes into the world, because he is
the saviour of all men, especially of them that believe. And Paul
says to those at Mars Hill, in him we live and move and have
our being. But especially so for those that
are saved. When they are saved, they've
already partaken of his fullness. They've already partaken of his
truth, of his grace that is already bestowed. But what then Paul
would have the Colossians know, and this often is the theme in
many of those epistles, like with Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians,
writing to believers and to tell them what they have in Christ. They didn't really realize, the
Ephesians didn't realize that in being converted, the same
power would be put forth in them as raised the Lord Jesus Christ
from the dead. And he tells them of that power
that's been wrought in them. The Colossians, then he tells
them that grace that they've received to quicken them, that
fullness is in Christ. And it hath pleased the Father
for all of this provision. convert, he doesn't bring into
spiritual life and then leave his people without a provision. He does, he provides for his
own house and that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. So on to look
this evening, firstly at an arrangement that is pleasing to the Father. Now text says, for it pleased
the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. And then
secondly, the fullness that is in Christ. And lastly, the means
of it being communicated. Well, this is the context, this
is the fullness here, is not that which is with the Lord as
truly God and truly man, but it is that which is to be communicated
to his people. And there's so many things that
that distinction needs to be made. With what is said of our
Lord, he's the Lord our righteousness. He has a righteousness that belongs
to him as truly God and truly man, but that cannot be communicated. But the righteousness he has
as the God-man, that he wrought out here below in his perfect
life and obedience, that is communicated. And this fullness here in our
text This is what the Father, it pleased the Father that in
the Lord Jesus Christ, all the provision for the Church of God
should dwell. This is pleasing to the Father. The Jews often, they looked at
the Lord, they looked at his claims and they felt that what
he was doing was against the Father, was against God. But
the message of the Church of God is that all that the Lord
Jesus Christ claimed to be, the Father was pleased with that.
I and my Father are one. And there was no disharmony. Those that worshipped the Lord
were not worshipping him and the Father was displeased. The
Father was pleased. This is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Worship thou him. And the pleasing
of the Father here is that all the provision for the church
should be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He should be exalted. In Philippians, we have our Lord
who made himself in chapter two of no reputation, He was in the
form of God, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, made himself of no reputation and took upon
him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men,
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him, and given Him a name which is above
every name. And then we have the Father so
pleased, following His humiliation, His death, His sufferings, what
He has gone through, then He is given to give this to the
Church of God. We have a beautiful illustration
in the Old Testament, couple of illustrations really, One
is Noah's ark. When the ark was made and the
flood was to come, and Noah had to stock up that ark with food,
but then God said to him, come thou into the ark. The Lord shut
him in. And for that, just over a year,
that was all their provision. They could not say, well, we've
forgotten something. We need something extra. We need
to step out the ark and get it. It was absolutely complete. The
fullness, they were in that ark, and all the provision that they
had for all of that time was all there. They didn't lack.
And the ark, a beautiful type of Christ, and safety in Christ,
and the provision that is in Christ as well. Another beautiful
illustration is that of Joseph. Now Joseph, He was given the
dreams, the intimation that his brethren would bow down to him,
he would be exalted. But fast before that, he was
ill-treated, cast into the pit, sold, falsely accused, put into
prison. All that picture that we had
in Philippians of our Lord, humiliated, suffering, and brought down,
brought down low, we find a picture in Joseph. But then Joseph is
exalted and he's exalted next to Pharaoh and Pharaoh says to
him that only in the kingdom am I higher than you. And when
they came after and all the provision that was gathered was all gathered
by Joseph's command, by his wisdom, and God had sent him, he says
to his brethren beforehand to preserve their lives by great
deliverance. And when the famine came, the
years of famine, after the seven years of plenty, the seven years
of famine, then Pharaoh said, go unto Joseph. It pleased Pharaoh. Pharaoh was happy that Joseph
should be next unto him, that should have that authority and
should have that power. And all the fullness, everything
for Egypt and for the nations round was all found in what Joseph
had provided and been given to do. We have a similar way in
the end of the book of Esther with Mordecai next unto the king
and speaking peace to all his seed. And you have these types
through scripture of the authority of a king or the one that was
highest in the land and he puts the honour on one almost equal
to him, and wants everyone to go to them, to be provided for
from that person. And so it is an arrangement,
as it was pleasing to Pharaoh, pleasing to God to do that with
Noah, and pleasing to Ahasuerus to do it with Mordecai, so is
pleased the Father. that in Christ should all fullness
dwell. Now they're so joined, he that
receiveth you receiveth me, he that receiveth me receiveth him
that sent me. The Jews, they said, who gave
thee this authority and by what authority doest thou these things? He had the authority of his father. And every gift, every blessing
that comes to us through Jesus' precious blood We may know we
have the authority of the Father, not a solemn thing to be trusting
in the salvation or the tokens of it, and that it does not have
the authority of God himself, the God that made the heaven
and the earth. We might have someone say they're
deputed from the king or high authority in the land, and they
can give us food and they can give us provision, You might
gladly receive these things. We think that because we've received
them, we can just have access to Buckingham Palace. And we
find out, well, actually, that person wasn't telling the truth. They weren't deputed. And there
was nothing, no link between the provision that we receive
and being received at the palace at all. There was no connection. But we are told here there is
a connection. There's a connection with what
sinners receive in calling and provision and between Almighty
God and the hope beyond the grave and our expectation in Him. It is like the old soldier said
when asked, they were discussing how do we know that we are elected. And he said, well, he said, as
you know, I'm an old soldier. And he says, because I am, he
says, I receive a pension every month. He says, there is a book,
he says, I understand in London it has the names of all old soldiers. And he said, I've never been
to London, I've never seen the book, I've never seen my name
there, but because every month I receive my pension, then I
know there is a book and my name is there. And so there is that
provision in the Lord Jesus Christ The Father is pleased with that
provision. It comes from the authority of
heaven and every soul receiving of that fullness as a token of
the good pleasure and grace of God himself. It is a true token
for good. He opens his hand and satisfies
the desire of every living thing. He does it naturally. And when
a soul is quickened into divine life and they are a living soul,
and when he satisfies that soul, it is because it pleased the
Father that it should be so. Our Lord Jesus Christ, he said
to the disciples, the Father himself loveth you. And may we be able to trace on
every blessing, every help that we have received, trace that
it comes, Through the Lord Jesus Christ it comes at the blessing
and pleasing of the Father. He is pleased with that which
poor sinners received. And may we truly be able to trace
that goodness, that pleasing of the Father upon us. I want to look then secondly
at the fullness that is in Christ. We read in John chapter one,
of the fullness that we've all received, that grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ. And there's a contrast between
Moses, the law by Moses came, but grace and truth by Jesus
Christ. The law can only condemn, it
can only show our need. It cannot provide for us, It
cannot give anything to us what the law could not do in that
it was weak through the flesh. God sending his own son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemns sin in the
flesh. And it is in the Lord Jesus Christ
that the provision is and that is truth and grace. When our Lord stood before Pilate
and he said that he came to testify of the truth. And Pilate says,
what is truth? Well, it's for this cause that
the Lord came into the world, to fulfill the scriptures, to
fulfill all righteousness, to magnify the law and make it honorable,
to settle the debt that his people owed, to be a substitutionary
offering for them, to suffer in their place, to shed their
blood, that was required, without the shedding of blood there is
no remission. And our Lord came to do that. And it is from what the Lord
has done that all these blessings and all these gifts, they are
purchased, they are in the Lord because of what he has done.
Now therefore his right to give and to bestow. And we have some
very clear statements in the Word of what the Lord does give
out of his fullness. He gives eternal life. He says,
I give unto them eternal life. They shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of mine hands. Without me ye
can do nothing. He says in John 15, the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, neither can you, except ye abide
in me. And we have again that illustration
of the branch in the vine receiving the sap, the fullness, all its
nutrients, all its life is coming up from the root. It's not coming
from the branch, it comes from the vine. And that is the picture
with our Lord Jesus Christ. Because I live, ye shall live
also. And that life is maintained by
the Lord, the life he gives to his people, the grace that he
gives them at the first. We had that in the first chapter
in John, he gives grace for grace. He gives the grace of life, he
gives the grace of a hearing ear, then that ear hears the
word, and through the word there is more faith given, There is
every blessing that is given. He gives the grace of prayer
and supplications and through that grace being exercised, he
gives answers to prayer and other blessings and other favours as
well. Our Lord says in John 6 that
he is the bread of life sent down from heaven and he that
eateth me and eateth my flesh Even he shall live by me, except
ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. Ye have
no life in you." And again, there is the inseparable joining with
Christ's sufferings, his death, and that which is to be the meat
and drink of the people of God. Paul says, I determined to know
nothing among you. saved Jesus Christ and him crucified. And that is what the people of
God have as their meat and as their drink. We read that with
the wilderness journey, they drank of that spiritual rock
that followed them, and that rock was Christ. They had the
provision miraculously given, the manna from heaven, the water
out of the rock, and he withheld not the matter from their mouth. It was constant. And that is,
again, another picture of that provision in the Lord. Our Lord says that I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. We do not need another way. There is no other truth. There
is no other life. But that life is bound up. Christ. We think of what the Lord said
about Solomon, that the Queen of Sheba came from the ends of
the earth to hear his wisdom, but I say to you there's a greater
than Solomon here. Solomon got his wisdom from God
and the Lord Jesus Christ in those early chapters in Proverbs
beautifully set forth as wisdom. If any man lack wisdom, Let him
ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and abrideth not,
and it shall be given him. The wisdom is in the Lord Jesus
Christ. When he was on earth, they marveled
that this man had never learned, and yet he knew letters. Even
at 12, they wondered at the answers and questions that he asked the
doctors and the lawyers. In the Lord Jesus Christ, is
that provision for the people of God. There is no lack. Every soul that hungers and thirsts
after righteousness, that seeks wisdom, that seeks the bread
of life, the food for their souls, all of it is found in the Lord.
Whatever that soul needs, protection, care, guidance, instruction,
everything is in the Lord Jesus Christ. and it pleaseth the Father
that it should be so. It is laid up in store for his
people. It's good for us to get an idea,
a picture of this store. What if Joseph had had all of
that store and it not be distributed? What if a charity had lots and
lots of money, but never distributed, and no one benefited from it?
It was in the bank, but no one was helped by it. The Lord is
not like that. He has the provision, and He
makes it available. He conveys it to His people. And may we have a view of that,
that this is laid up in store For such a time as this, when
we think of these gospel days, we have the rich provision of
the Old Testament, but we have the New Testament, and we have
everything that is preached through the Lord Jesus Christ and what
He has done at Calvary. Right to the end of time, every
soul that is quickened into life, it is coming from this provision.
Every soul that is quickened, all that they need through their
life, however long or short, is all provided in the Lord Jesus
Christ. This should be a great encouragement
to us. Encouragement to do as the Lord
said. Ask and it shall be given you.
Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened
unto you. Which of you, as a father, If
you ask an egg, will he give him a serpent? Will he not give
that which is needed? If you, being evil, know how
to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall
your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit or good gifts to
them that ask Him? And where do these gifts come
from? They come from the Lord, they come from the fullness,
the store that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not a begrudging
giver, and he's not a hoarder, he's not a miser. He's one that
is a provision for poor sinners, sinners that have nothing of
themselves, sinners that are helpless, sinners that need provision,
sinners that cry, unto him. It pleased the Father that in
him should all fullness dwell. The fullness then does dwell
in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to look thirdly at the
means of it being communicated in a way it is implied here. Because if the fullness is there,
it has got to be brought to be a benefit and blessing to the
people of God. They must receive it. How are
they to receive it? One of the main ways is through
the Holy Spirit. He shall not speak of himself. That which he shall hear, he
shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you, that which
the disciples had to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued
with power from on high, God himself taking of that provision
and conveying it sovereignly to those of his dear people." When we think of the whole Word
of God, it's Spirit-breathed. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. And so when we think, well, surely
the next great provision is in the word, the words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit and they are life. That's what the
Lord explains when he says about eating his flesh and drinking
his blood, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, they
are life. The Lord gave the word, great
was the company of them that published it. That is the means. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of the Lord. How can they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach except
they be sent? How beautiful are the feet of
those that bring good tidings, those good tidings of the gospel,
of this provision that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it
is through that way, to please God, through the foolishness
of preaching, to save them that believe. Peter was given the
commission, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, give that provision
to them. Provide that we think of when
our Lord broke the bread, the loaves, the fishes, and provided
great provision in a natural way, and after that, He says,
you seek me not because you saw the miracles, but because you
ate of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the meat that perisheth,
but that which endureth unto eternal life. And this then is
the way of provision, a soul laboring for that, praying for
it, asking for it, begging of the Lord for it. I will for this
being quiet of by the house of Israel, to do it for them, that
they might receive from the Lord Jesus Christ. You will not come,
he says, unto me, that ye might have life. But it is through
prayer that those gifts and those blessings, that they are given
by those coming. We think again of Joseph and
his brothers. Jacob, he heard that there was
corn in Egypt. When you look at that concerning
the Lord, you this evening have heard that there is provision
in the Lord Jesus Christ, a much greater provision than what was
in Egypt, what Joseph had command of. It's a great blessing to
be pointed as to where that provision is on the authority of the Lord. Now when Joseph heard, when Jacob
heard, Then he sent Joseph's brothers, and he sent them to
go for that. And later on, when he didn't
want to send them, because Joseph had asked that he bring Benjamin,
and he delayed and delayed, but the famine, they needed food. Now, it's a blessing thing to
have a pressing case, a need that brings us to cry, even when
perhaps we'd be backward to it, It is helpless souls, needy souls,
painful to feel that you have no grace, no wisdom, no spiritual
life, perhaps even no prayer. See what hard-hearted and poor
prayers can do, and that that provision is in the Lord. We pray concerning that gift
of the Lord, of to give repentance and remission of sins unto Israel. Prayer often. pray that the Lord
would give. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. It is then that the Lord uses
those means and uses that which brings his people to us. Then
they're able to say, for this I prayed. Hannah said, for this
child I prayed. It's a blessed thing to Notice
answers to prayer. We might have answers to prayer
providentially, but may we have answers to prayer for food for
our souls, life for our souls, of a provision from the Lord
Jesus Christ. Because I live, ye shall live
also. He opening his hand and satisfying
the desires of a living soul. May the Lord bring us into that
place where he is needed, where that provision is just what we
want, where this is the good news of the gospel, and where
we have already a token that we have received of that. Because
if we have a hearing ear, if we have an appetite, if we have
a desire, if we desire those things the world does not desire,
but that which God's people do. We already have a token, like
John says, of his fullness, have we already received. And grace for grace. To be encouraged,
dear friends, encouraged to go unto our heavenly Joseph, to
seek unto him, to ask for those things that you feel so empty
of, so needful of. Be mindful of how that store
was gathered and how it is provided. through the suffering's death
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that it so pleases the Father
that that provision is in the Lord, and it pleases the Father
then when his people come to the Lord, come to Jesus Christ,
and seek of him those blessings that he has stored up in him. It glorifies the Father, it glorifies
the Son, it glorifies the Spirit, and is a blessing to the church
and people of God. May the Lord add his blessing.
Amen. Hymn, 180. Tune, Salvator 652. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all now and evermore. Amen.