Well once again may the Lord
be pleased to help and bless us as we turn to the epistle
of Paul to the Colossians and we'll conclude our meditation
this evening in the first chapter of that epistle and we'll read
the last two verses that's verses 28 and 29 of the first chapter
of Paul's epistle to the Colossians and they read 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. Well the Apostle is very desirous
that the Colossians might indeed truly be instructed in the great
truths of the New Testament. Of course it wasn't written at
this time but nonetheless the essence of it was the words that
the Apostle had been preaching and indeed as we read those few
verses in that Acts of the Apostles we see there how Paul when he
was at Ephesus also spoke the similar words words of instruction
and desiring that the Colossians might truly be wonderfully blessed
because as we meditated on last week verse 27 tells us 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. The previous verse also reads
even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations
but now is made manifest to his saints. So the Apostle was concerned
therefore that the Colossians might hear the good news of the
gospel. Then of course which had been
really hidden all through the Old Testament, all through the
history really of the world there have been some glorious words
spoken and recorded but now in these New Testament times we
see the apostles concerned that the great truths of the gospel
might be declared and they might indeed show forth the riches
and the glory and the mystery of the gospel as the hope set
before lost sinners so they hold upon as the only saviour and
redeemer that was really the apostles great objective and
then he tells us of course by whose righteousness believers
are justified through whose blood their sins are pardoned this
was the great concern of the apostle they might understand
the great and glorious truths which he had been shown and which
he was able to preach and surely that's exactly the same today
that we declare the great and glorious truths of the gospel
which may be heard and understood and indeed experienced and the
Apostle was concerned that we might know the great sacrifice
of the Saviour whose sacrifice and satisfaction was made through
the glorious atonement of the Saviour of course in him, in
the Lord Jesus Christ was acceptance with God the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ was crucified salvation came through and by him no one
else nowhere else you see surely the wonder of the gospel the
glory of it and the blessing is for us today how little we
really appreciate and that's why the i'm sure the apostle
said whom we preach warning every man because they had heard the
gospel it had been preached to them and he was really speaking
to them that this these are the important things there are many
things that you and I are conscious about and concerned about but
one thing is needful and that was the great concern of the
apostle and so he says whom we preach warning every man not
to turn away from the great truths of the gospel but to listen to
those things which had been set before them and would be set
before them and so to warn them and to teach every man in all
wisdom the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom what a mercy if we are blessed with that humble
fear of the Lord teaching every man in all wisdom you know the
apostle tells us in that Acts of the Apostles chapter and in
verse 20 he tells the Ephesians how and how I have how I kept
back nothing that was profitable unto you but have showed you
and have taught you publicly and from house to house testifying
both to the Jews and also to the Greeks you see the that war
of partition between the Greeks and the Jews have been broken
down whereas of course in Old Testament times really the things
of God were only reveals to the Jews by and large just a few
exceptions but now in New Testament times it was to the Jews and
also to the Greeks and what was it? Repentance toward God and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. How good, how important, how
wonderful to receive the gift of faith and also to receive
the gift of repentance, both essential for our salvation. So we think of such great truths
to realize the relevance and the importance of them and having
said that to the Ephesians he then said and now behold i go
bound in the spirit unto jerusalem not knowing the things that shall
before me there say that the holy ghost witnesses in every
city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me And then he says, but
none of these things moved me. He wasn't moved. No, he knew
what he would have to endure and what he did endure. But those
things didn't move him. He still wanted and declared
and desired and did declare the unsearchable riches of Christ. Well, my friends, it was the
apostles concerned and surely it's every preacher's concern
that the words that are preached might have a good and gracious
and wonderful effect upon those that hear and that the good seed
of the gospel might not fall into stony ground or be choked
by the things of time but that it might enter in to good ground
hearts prepared by the Savior well it's good for us to think
upon that tonight and I hope we can look back in our lives
to a time when our hearts by the grace of God were prepared
to receive the grace and glorious truths of the gospel those things
that at one time have meant nothing to us indeed as Jeremiah said
is it nothing to you all year that passed by how true that
was what a mercy then if we have been blessed with a right understanding
and have been taught in all wisdom and so he says that we may present
every man perfect in Christ Jesus well of course that's not our
old nature because our old nature will never be perfected but it
is our new nature. What a blessing if the instruction
that we receive and the spiritual direction leads us to Christ
in the many wonderful attributes which we find in Him. Indeed
the riches and the glory and the mystery of the Gospel are
all set forth before us in the Word of God and indeed as the
Apostle says through the preaching of the Gospel And then he says,
whereunto I also labour. He laboured, didn't he? Willingly.
Willingly. Didn't have an easy time, did
he? But he laboured in all the places he went to. His great
concern was to preach the gospel at every opportunity. He sets
before us a wonderful example. And may we truly desire to follow
that example. where unto I also labour striving
according to his working yes the Apostle had to strive we
today have to strive there's much opposition the devil's our
great enemy he never wants us to say anything of the truth
he wants to turn our hearts and minds away from anything which
brings honour and glory to God and brings a greater understanding
to our souls of the glorious truth of the gospel and so he
says where and so I also labour striving according to his working
the working of almighty God which worketh in me mightily well it
did didn't it what a wonderful thing it was in the Apostle's
life. The Gospel worked mightily. From that very day, on that Damascus
road, when he was a changed man, began to preach Christ the Lord. And through his life, all that
is recorded that we know, recorded in the Word of God, what a wonderful
testimony, that he never wearied, he never wearied in setting forth
the glorious truths of the Gospel. to everyone he came before well
as we are able to read these accounts the accounts in the
Acts of the Apostles and in the Colossians and of course we can
also read in the Ephesians the Epistle to the Ephesians and
the Apostle wrote there in the fourth chapter he said till we
all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the
Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ. Well, may our concern be that
we may know Him as the Apostle desired, as we read in the Philippians,
that I might know Him. My friends, whom to know is life
eternal. Without the knowledge of Christ
As our glorious Saviour we have no hope of eternal life but may
indeed our hope be built on nothing less than Jesus and his glorious
righteousness. Well let's think upon these things,
let's meditate upon these things and may the Holy Spirit be with
and bless us and bless our brethren as they lead us in prayer.