Alright, Colossians 1, read verse
19. Colossians 1, 19. For it pleased the Father that
in Him, in Christ, should all fullness dwell. That's our text and that's our
subject. And I always feel like Job when
approaching this thing of preaching God's Word. Job who said, I have
uttered that that I understood not, things too wonderful for
me. which I knew not. I always feel that way, but especially
so perhaps tonight when I read this. I've been looking at this
for two weeks ever since we left, and before that, actually. His
fullness. We know in part. We don't know of his fullness,
really. The half has never been told. Put all the sermons together,
And the half would still not be told of His fullness. It would
be like the ocean, you know. That fellow had never seen the
ocean before, and he came across the Atlantic Ocean, and he said,
huh, not as big as I thought it was. Well, you know, we've only put
our foot in the ocean of His fullness. We will study Him our
lifetime, won't we? And the half has never been told
nor ever will upon this earth. In him, says all fullness, dwell. Now, there's no book in this.
If you've been reading Colossians on your own, you'll see how there's
no book in God's Word that makes it more clear than Colossians
that Christ is the theme of God's Word. That book, all the way
through, it talks about in Him, in Him, by Him, by Him. Chapter 1 is in Him, by Him,
for Him. Chapter 2 is in Him, in Him,
in Him, in Him. Chapter 2 is with Him, with Him,
with Him. It's a Him book, we like to say.
This book is a Him book. It's all about Him. It's all
about Him. Because it pleased the Father
that in Jesus Christ His Son, all fullness dwells. Whatever
that means. It's in Him. If you name something,
it's in Him. Spiritual thing. And material
also. And God commands us to worship
Him. He commands us to worship Him. He commands me to preach
Him. Look at verse 19. It says it pleased the Father
since He pleased God. He is well pleasing to his Father.
That's what God said out loud. I am well pleased. Since he pleased
the Father, therefore it pleased the Father to put everything
in him. Give him everything and put everything
in him. There's a kingdom that Christ
owns. Look at verse 13. Go back there. In verse 13 it says, God hath delivered us from the
power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear
Son." The kingdom of His dear Son. And Paul said, we need to
give thanks if we understand that, if we know Him, if we have
this faith that God has given us. Because God has to reveal
His Son. Not only to us, but in us. That's
what Paul said in Galatians 1. He said, when it pleased God,
who brought me from my mother's womb, quickened me, by His grace,
to reveal His Son in me. So it says, Christ in you. That's
Colossians. It's the hope of glory. A love for Him. Now, love for
the Lord Jesus Christ, because He's called the Son of God's
love. If you notice that there, verse
13, you have a marginal reference. It says, God has translated us,
transferred us into the kingdom, the reign, the rule, the ownership
of His Son, the Son of His love. If you're in His Son, if you're
in His kingdom, that means God loves you. Smile. God loves you. If you love Christ, God loves
you. This is all about Him. Heaven and the new earth. Heaven
and the new earth is filled with the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's
Wife, they're called. People that love Jesus Christ.
That God has shed abroad this love for His Son in their heart. And they love Jesus Christ. And
that's what they're doing right now. more perfectly what we're
doing right now. Worshipping the Son. That's what
they're doing. That's what they love to do.
And that begins here. That begins right here. We begin to do that here. And
do you remember verse 12? It says that He's made us fit
or meet to be partakers of this inheritance of the saints in
life. If someone doesn't love to worship Christ here, they're
not going to be there. If someone doesn't love God's Son, God doesn't
love them. And if somebody doesn't worship
God's Son, they won't be in God's heaven, because that's what God's
heaven is all about. And the new earth is where Jesus
Christ dwells with His people, the Husband and His Bride, forever. I preached a little while ago,
and I'm going to tell you something. I just came back from vacation. And Mindy asked me while we were
down there, she said, about the last day I think, she said, what's
been the most, what have you enjoyed more than anything while
we've been here? Now, I love that beautiful sugar
white sand. I love to sit on that. I love
to sit there with my feet in the water looking at that beautiful
turquoise water. I love that. I loved it. I loved the cast, you know, fishing
rod. Notice I said cast. It didn't
say catch fish. Cast a rod. I loved that. I enjoyed
that. Eating fish. We ate fish the
whole time we were there. I was determined. We were determined,
weren't we? To eat nothing but fish. And
we did. And I loved that. I enjoyed it. But the most enjoyable part for
me? being with the ones I love, especially two little girls that
I just couldn't get enough of. Oh yeah, Gabe and Hannah. I know
all of them, but those little girls, I love them dearly. And it's
obvious, I think, they love me. They didn't get tired of me,
and I didn't get tired of them, because I love them. And they
love me. I think I heard Paw Paw 4,533 times. And I never
got irritated by it. I always answered, which made
me think. Call. Who's service shall call? I was never irritated or tired
of hearing us call. Call means not one time, but
all your life. Call. Call. Never grows tired
of it. It's me. I. Being evil. Never
get tired of them. How much less? Heaven and the
Father. Call. Call. And so heaven and
the new earth is going to be His people dwelling with Him.
Who? God. Christ. No man has seen
God. We just read that. The only begotten
Son, He hath declared Him. He hath declared Him. We're going
to see God with our eyes. We're going to see Jesus Christ.
We're going to dwell with Him. So that was my favorite part,
and that's going to be And that's what God's people do. They love
Christ. It's a good way to examine yourself,
isn't it? Isn't that a good way for you?
If you love to hear Christ and never tire of hearing the Lord
Jesus Christ preach, well, I believe you're going to be there. Because
that's who it's for. Now, here's our text. It says,
all fullness dwells in Him. All fullness. Look at chapter
2. Verse 9, these are such glorious
verses, aren't they? Glorious. This is why I wanted
us to look at Colossians. There are so many wonderful verses
we quote. For in Him, in Christ, dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All the fullness. of the Godhead, God in a body,
the body of a man. In chapter 1, he said he's the
image of the invisible God. The only one, and he is it. Now, Isaiah 9, you know these
verses, but you need to commit them to memory. But Isaiah chapter
9, I had a so-called Jehovah Witness look at this with me
one time, and I'm sure you have too. And she knew it. Well, she didn't believe it.
Looked right at it. She knew it. Well, she didn't
believe it. But chapter 9, verse 6 of Isaiah
says, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. The eternal
son is given. There's a baby born named Jesus
2,000 years ago, but the son has no beginning. The Son of
God has no beginning, no father or mother. nor end of life. A priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. Read on. And the government shall be upon
his shoulders. Everything is riding on him.
And his name, what's his name? It shall be called Wonderful.
Full of wonder. Counselor. Need to know anything? He knows. The mighty God. That's his name. Jesus Christ
is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, in case there's any doubt. But He's the Son of God. No,
it says He's the Father. Doesn't it say that? Didn't our
Lord say, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Didn't
He say that? Thomas fell at His feet. Fell at His feet and cried,
My Lord, And my God. And the Lord did not correct
him. Because that's who he is. That's who he is. You know what the name is that
he's been given above every name? What name is above every name? God. Lord. Lord. Why do we worship Jesus Christ
as God? Because he is. Those that know
him know he is. Those same so-called Jehovah's
Witnesses, Russellites is what they are, followers of a fellow
named Charles Russell. He started that cult. And they
say he never said he was God. He didn't say it to them. He
says it to all these people. John 8.24, if you believe not
that I am, you'll die in your sin. Every time he said, I am. God's people know who He is.
He reveals Himself. No man knoweth the Father but
the Son, neither knoweth any man the Son save the Father.
He must reveal Himself. Why do we call Him Lord, God,
our Savior? Because He is. Because He is. Great is the mystery of godliness. But God hath made known this
mystery unto us. God hath made known this mystery.
What is it? God was manifest in the flesh. All that God is
was in that man, Jesus Christ. Oh, the fullness of the Godhead. Full means full. Full means 100%. It means you can't put any more
in it, doesn't it? Full. You've never been that way eating
at your job. Completely full. Full means full. Who was it? It was, I think it was Anna Williams,
a little girl. Laura, she's a little girl, you
know, she's supposed to eat her dinner, and she said, I'm full.
I'm full. Told her mom, I'm full. And then
her mom said, well, that's too bad, because I had some chocolate
cake here. And she said, I've got one little
spot right here. Full means full. One hundred
percent. Can't add anything else to it.
He thought it not robbery to be equal with the Father. 100% full, the fullness of the
Godhead in the person Jesus Christ, in a man, the image of God, full
of life. In Him was life. We've just read
that. Life. As the Father had life, Christ
said, even so hath the Son in His life, had life in Him said.
In him, Paul in Acts 17 preaching at Mars Hill was talking about
the God, wasn't it? God. He said, in Him we live
and move and have our being. Who's he talking about? God.
Yes, Jesus Christ. In Him. Light. Light. Light. If anybody has
any light, that's what that John 1 means, that lighteth every
man. If anybody has any light, it's got to come from Christ.
He's light. God is light. Christ said, I am the light.
They are one and the same. Light. Though distinct personalities,
don't ask me to explain it. Love. God is love. That man is love personified. No greater love hath no man than
this. Mercy. All the mercy of God is
in that man. Fullness. All the mercy of God
is in Him. Grace. Grace. John 1 again, verse
14 says, we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace. Full of grace. Brother John, I looked up that
Hail Mary prayer, that millions pray. And I may put it in a bulletin
soon for you to read. But it says, it begins this way.
Hail Mary, full of grace. And nowhere does it say that.
But I'll tell you, and that's idolatry in them. That's anti-Christ. She can't pray. It says pray
for us sinners. She can't pray for anybody. She
had to pray. to God Herself when she was here
on this earth, didn't she? And we pray to the Lord Jesus
Christ because there is one mediator between God and men. But He,
it says, is full of grace. We don't receive grace from Mary. We receive grace from Jesus Christ. Of His fullness have all we receive
grace from grace. He's full of grace, full of power. All power is given unto me in
heaven and earth, Christ said. All authority is given unto me,
that he, that is Christ, should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. All power, all authority, sovereignty. He has absolute sovereignty,
just like God the Father. Why? Because he's equal. He's
full. All the fullness of the Godhead. He has all judgment. He says
the Father committed all judgment to the Son. God is our judge, isn't He? Yes,
He is. Christ is the judge. He says He has the keys of hell
and death at His side. He decides. He decided. He purposed all things. Glory. Glory. All glory. Glory. All glory. in Him. Fullness. Fullness of glory. Shall I quote it, John? God,
who caused the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in
our hearts to give unto us the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Wisdom. Oh, the fullness of God. He is
wisdom. He is wisdom, righteousness,
sanctity, and on and on. The way, the truth, truth. Christ
said, I'm the truth. I'm the truth. There is no other. Chapter 2 here in our text, Colossians
says this, verse 3. My, my. All these wonderful verses. Verse 3 says, In whom, in Christ,
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Barbara, you see why I began
this, by saying these are things too wonderful for me. Things
I understood not. I'm trying to declare this, but
I don't fully understand it. And nor can anybody explain them.
But we declare them. In Him are hidden all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. Why do people seek wisdom and
knowledge and go after other things and go to other people
and listen to the philosophers and all the Plato and Aristotle
and all those, Sigmund Freud or whoever all these people are,
Stephen Hawking. Why do they go to these people?
Why? Because God had not revealed these things, had not revealed
Christ to them. Once He reveals Jesus Christ
to you, in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, you
won't even read anything they have to say anymore. You won't
read anything anybody has to say anymore. You'll think, hath
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? But under them which believe,
under those which are saved, Christ is the power of God and
the wisdom of God. Thanks be unto God. That's why,
you see why Paul wrote here, thanks be unto God who has revealed
this unto us, made manifest this, who has made the knowledge of
His will, revealed unto us the knowledge of His will in Christ.
The fullness of God. The fullness of manhood. is in
Christ. In Him all fullness dwells, fullness
of manhood. Jesus Christ is 100% God and
100% man. Gabe, take over, please. How
can this be? It's like Martin Luther. He said,
how can this be? But it is. He is. He's 100% man. He's very God, very God, and
very man, and very man. He called himself the Son of
Man, though he was not born of man. Made of woman, yet she really
had nothing to do with it. The fullness of manhood. Listen
to this. Listen. Jesus Christ is all that
man was created to be. The first Adam was of the earth
earthy. The second Adam is the Lord from
glory. He came to do it right. Not fail. The first Adam failed miserably.
Failed miserably. There are two heads. Two heads, aren't there? Two
men with which God deals well. Adam and Christ. Okay? Two heads. Covenant heads, if
you will. Covenant of works in Adam. This
do them live. He didn't. He failed. We all
died. In Christ, though? God said,
this do and live. He did. And everybody in Christ
is made alive. All that man should be, Christ
is. Not say was, is. He's the same. Yesterday, today,
and forever. There's a man in glory. There's
a man, flesh and bone, not blood. Spirit hath not flesh and bone." Flesh and bone. He poured his
blood out on the mercy seat. All of it. But when God Almighty
created man in the beginning, he said, let us make man in our
own image. So male and female. Listen. Male and female created
him. Man. Just male, but female. In Christ is all the fullness
of manhood. Male and female. All of the attributes. God created male and female with
distinct attributes that are glorious. Glorious. And we should never try to change
that. People try that, don't they?
No, no, no. The two separate genders. glorious
in what they are, aren't they? In their place. In what they
were made for. Alright? Man is a symbol of authority
in it. Manhood. Man is strong, powerful,
able, wise. I'm not saying a woman is a fool,
but man, he was deceived, wasn't he? But Adam, able, strong. That's Christ. Female. Female with distinct attribute.
Tender. Compassionate. Nurturing. Kind. Christ is all of that in
one person. Man. Man. Tender. Kind. All the fullness
of manhood is in Him. The way man was supposed to be,
Christ is. All the qualities of God in a
human being. That's Jesus Christ. Hebrews
2 tells us why He was made a man. Hebrews 2, look at that. Got
to hurry. Hebrews 2 tells us why He became
a man, and I'm so glad He did. Aren't you? Hebrews 2, we know
why he became a man. Verse 14, as much as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same. That through death, you see,
we see Jesus made a little lower than the angel for the suffering
of death. A body has to have prepared man. to be a sacrifice. And he took part of the same,
that is, flesh and blood, that through death he might destroy
him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver
them, that is, his people, who through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him
the nature of angels, but took on him the seed of Abraham. For
in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. And
that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to
succor or help them that are tempted." It came to be a sacrifice. a high priest touch with a feeling
of our infirmity. He came to be all these things,
all these things for us. It says, "...of His fullness
have we received." Christ took fullness. Christ took full responsibility for the salvation of God's people. When God purposed this thing
of salvation before the world began, a kingdom, foreseeing,
knowing, purposing the fall of man, sin and all of that, there's
only one person who could fulfill that purpose. Only one person. It's not like God looked to see
if there was a way. Oh no, there always was one way. One person whom God Almighty
had waiting to fulfill that. He put it all in Jesus Christ.
The whole work completely into His hand. In Him. In Him. Full. Completely. In Him. He
became surety. He became, and there's a danger
of telling too much. I know that. I'm sorry. But we're talking about His fullness. I've got to try it. surety. He became surety of that everlasting
covenant. Meaning? Well, here's a good
illustration. You remember the story of Judah
and Joseph and Benjamin. All right. Joseph is on the throne. Pharaoh. Benjamin, remember,
Joseph said, you'll not see my face till Benjamin is with you.
Judah said to his father, Jacob, send the lad with me. Jacob didn't
want to send Benjamin. He thought he'd never see him
again, like Joseph. So Judah said to his father,
send the lad with me. I will be surety for him. If
I don't bring him back to you, you hold me fully accountable Did he? Well, he's just a man. Well, that's what Jesus Christ
is. He has full responsibility. He's fully accountable. This
is good news, folks. This is the good news of the
gospel. Jesus Christ, God has given him full accountability,
full responsibility for the salvation of his people. There's nothing
left up to us. It's all in him. All the fullness. of redemption. We sang that song,
Oh, the fullness. We sang that for that one word.
Oh, the fullness of redemption. It's all in Him. He's the surety. And He said that in that covenant,
if I don't bring them all back, you hold me personally accountable.
Did He? What's the Scripture say in the
end? It says, Behold, I and the children which thou hast given
me, all present and accountable. Why? Because He's the surety.
He's the surety. He's the law keeper. He's the
law keeper. He's by his knowledge. You know,
people... Paul said, you that desire to
be under the law, don't you hear it? The law is a curse. Nobody
can keep the law. People that are under it, thinking
they're keeping it, they don't know the law. They could not
know the law if they think... Paul one time, he said, I was
blameless once concerning the righteousness of the law, and
then the law came. He said, I knew it. I could quote
it. I knew the letter of it. I didn't know the spirit of it.
He didn't really know it. But when it came, he said, kill
him. Die. Die. Kill me. I was guilty on
all points. Christ came to magnify the law. Blow it up and show that it requires
not only perfection and action, but motive. That if you think,
can a man be damned for his thoughts? Yes. And God will do it. But in Him, Jesus Christ. See, here's the good news. Jesus
Christ came. And by His knowledge of the law,
there's not going to be one jot or tittle broken from that law
that Jesus Christ did not fulfill completely. He didn't come to
destroy it. He came to fulfill it. Why? To
show us how? No. To do it for us. In Him is all the fullness. Okay?
Son, go to earth. Keep the law for my people. It's
not a doctrine. This is our salvation. Keep the
law for My people." They've all broken it. They're all a bunch
of lawbreakers. Keep the law. Glorify Me as a
man. They have all come short of My
glory. He did not. He said, Father,
I have glorified Thee. He said, I've done it. I've kept the law perfectly. And God said, I'm well pleased
for His righteousness sake. Kept it up. And then He just
freely Fully, amazingly, mercifully, graciously gives it to us. Impugnates
it, charges it to our account. We rack up this insurmountable
debt to God of sin, to His law, and Christ pays it off. Pays it off. Oh, my. That's why it's said, He has
made unto us wisdom, righteousness, Righteousness. Righteousness.
Sanctification. That's holiness. He said, I sanctify
myself that they also might be sanctified. He that sanctify,
they that are sanctified, all in one. We don't sanctify ourselves. We're sanctified in Jesus Christ.
He's made unto us. Fullness. All of it. Oh, but
you've got to what? You've got to trust Christ is
what you've got to do. That's what you've got to do. And even
that's a gift. And redemption. You know, it's
not what you know. It's not what you know. It's
what He knows. It's not what you know. It's
who knows you. It's who knows you. It's pretty
much that way here on earth, you know. Can you get in? Can
you get in somewhere? Cost a fortune, something that
only the high and mighty can get. Can you get in? No, not
unless somebody knows you. Somebody knows you. Known of him. He's the covenant
head. Oh my, I just had so much here.
I want to go on down through here. Hope. All hope. Fullness of hope. Fullness of
help. We would have no hope except in Jesus Christ. There's no hope. There's no hope. No hope. People who look for it don't
find it, do they? But those who look to Christ,
they find it. Hope. Always hope. It says, Abraham,
who against hope believed. Hope. Help. Help. No help in
man. There's no help in Egypt. This
is the most powerful country in the world, isn't it? I think
they said now it's number two. It's going to go down. Rome did.
Right? Babylon did. It's going down.
Going down to two. But of His kingdom, no end. No end. Of His coffers, riches,
ha! Unsearchable. Unsearchable. Virtue. Fullness of virtue. That woman. with the issue of
love. Remember that? She crawled, and
she knew there was only one person who could take care of that issue.
And she crawled and said, if I could just touch the hem of
his garment. And she did. And the Scripture
says, virtue went out of him. What happened? He healed her
completely. She was complete in him. Virtue
went out of him. Okay? Is there any more virtue
in him? He's full. Mackey never empties. He says the sea is always full. It never empties. Christ is full
of virtue, full of ability, full of care, full of power. Oh, my. Let me close with a couple of
priestly vows. Let me tell you something. Of His fullness, it says, have
we received. It's this way with us when we're
young believers, most especially. I wish it was that way more now. I fear at times we lose our first
love. But when we first heard the gospel,
we couldn't get enough. And we went away after hearing
the gospel, everything you've heard tonight, full, just full. Full of peace. Full of amazement
at Christ. Full of bubbling over, like David
said. I thought I'd be silent, but
I couldn't. Full. And you know, when you're
full, you don't need anything else. You don't need anything
else. Do you? You don't need anything
else. My, my. I'll close with this
illustration. You said you like to hear about
this, so I'm going to say it again. That ark of Noah. That ark of
Noah. Good picture of Christ. That's
why it's in the Scripture. And that ark, that ark was full. That ark was full. There was
no room in that ark. It was full. It was full of everything. It was full of of life. Outside of the ark, everything
died. Everybody in that ark was alive.
Down to turtles. Full of people. Full of food. Full of food. They could have
run out of food. Not enough room. Oh yeah, oh
yeah. God designed it. Full of food.
Never ran out. Full. Whoever wanted to eat,
There was no rationing of food. No, no, no. Open your mouth,
we'll fill it. Water. How much water would it
take to water those animals for a year? They were in there a
year. Not just 40 days and 49. A year.
That thing was full when they left. Full. Full. That's Christ in it. He's everything. Everything we knew. Like that
rock. that followed him. Just full of water. It kept flowing. It never did stop flowing. Full
of water. That bread kept falling in. Full. That's right. Of His fullness
have we received. And you'll never exhaust it.
You'll never exhaust it. And I didn't come close. Okay.
Stand with me. Our Lord, we thank You for the
book of Colossians. It's glorious. It's amazing because
it speaks of Him whose name is wonderful. We stand amazed in
His presence, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we know in
part, we've preached in part, but we do know, we are glad that
You have given us an understanding that we might know Him that is
true and we're in Him that is true in all fullness. dwells
in Him. He purposed that we might grow
up to the measure, the stature, the fullness of Christ. Someday
we'll be like Him. We look forward to that day.
Until then, we won't long to grow in grace and the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us never tire, O Lord, let
us never tire of hearing of Him and studying Him. May we grow
To learn more of Him. The more we learn, the more our
faith will be strengthened, established, and the more peace we'll have.
So, oh Lord, deliver us from this enchanted ground, this slough
of despondence. Deliver us, Lord, from falling
asleep here. ever keep our eyes looking upon
the Lord Jesus Christ who is all and in all. It is in His
name we have met here tonight for His glory and His sake. Amen.