Well, it's good to see everybody this morning. I pray that as we read the scriptures together, the Lord might bless it. Marvin points out time and time again, I've got a set of notes here. I've looked at them. I think I know what I want to say, but unless the Lord blesses this, It's just gonna be words. And I don't wanna sit here and just read a bunch of notes. That's just the way it is.

I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter one. Colossians chapter one, right after the book of Philippians. I want to read verses 12 through 17. Verse 12 says, 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 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. Verse 15. I call your attention to that verse.

The apostle Paul says, Who is the image of the invisible God? Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, up in verse 13 it says, his dear son. His dear son, who is the image of the invisible God? Now the Apostle John says in John one, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was God. Paul says that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. Apostle Paul says he was the image of God.

Are they different? No, they're not. How many times over the years since I was just a boy coming here Have I heard Scott, and you have too, you older folks, how many times have he said, God was as much man, the Lord Jesus Christ, I mean, was as much man as if he was never God. And as much God as if he were never man. Time and time again, that always sticks in my mind. Explain that to me, Neil. I can't. I can't. But here's the thing.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ himself said when he came, he always referred to himself as the son of man. And I looked it up, and there's, in the four gospels, there's over 50 times he calls himself that. Son of man. What does that mean? Well, when you're reading the Old Testament, when the Lord spoke to the prophets, over 100 times in speaking to the prophets, He called him son of man. When he went to speak to him, he says, son of man, do this. Son of man, tell him that. Job says this, how much less a man that is a worm and the son of man, which is a worm. And what I'm getting at this morning is, that the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel, the gospel is about a man.

The scripture says that God himself, God the Father, is of purer eyes than to behold evil. That's why on the cross, when the Lord says, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? God forsook him. God forsaking God? No, God forsook a man. A man. And we've got to emphasize that. We've got to be careful. And I want to say this carefully and respectfully. When we say, like, God-man, the scripture really doesn't say that as far as Who was on that cross?

It was a man, as if he was never God. It could only be a man. It was a man who broke the law. Adam, when he disobeyed God, that was a man. And it was only a man that could fulfill that law. That's a fact. God had nothing in it. That's why the Lord forsook him on the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

In 1 Timothy 2.5, and you all have heard this scripture, we've read this, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man. What's it say? The man, Christ Jesus. Now the Holy Spirit didn't put that in there just to fill up words.

He emphasized that this man on the cross was indeed a man. fully man, who went through all the sufferings. He was a man, the scripture says in Psalm 22, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. As we read through the Psalms on Wednesday night, and that's what we're doing, one by verse by verse, we read over and over and over of the afflictions of the Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture in Psalms talks about him on his bed at night weeping over his afflictions, his enemies.

And this is something that would be good for all of us to sit down and meditate on because it says he was rejected of men, totally rejected. Now you, I've thought about this, put myself in a place of total rejection in a community, around your friends, your neighbors, that they don't want anything to do with you. They talk behind your back. The scripture says even his brothers and sisters didn't believe him. They chided him.

And he grieved over that. Our Lord grieved. Never a man suffered like the Lord Jesus Christ. When he went to that cross, he went alone. As a man, fully man, going through the same things we do, suffering the same things that we do. And you think about that, you know, and how little, how little we think about what he did as suffering.

Paul says, I would that I might enter into the fellowship of his sufferings. And we all should be able to do that. And that's something I think that we ought to pray to the Lord about. Lord, let me see what he really suffered in my behalf. There was a cost. Now here's the, I say this because here's what can happen.

We being men by nature, using natural reasoning, we tend to think, well, when we think of him being as God, this is God, man. Well, he had power. He had power to suffer these things because he was God. That's the natural reasoning of man. And because of that, we think less of him. That's human nature. But he was a whole man, whole man.

Now, in verse 16, the scripture says, for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth. In John 1-3, it says, all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made which was made." Who's it talking about? Is it talking about God the Father? No, it's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. And it says, all things that are made in heaven.

Listen to what Charles Spurgeon says about this. I read this and I never thought about this, but this is true. Spurgeon said this, God is a pure spirit and needs no such place as heaven as he is everywhere. The angels, likewise, as they see God everywhere.

Thus, he says, heaven was created by and for the Lord Jesus Christ. And man tends to think, and we all think, is heaven, and you see it in the books and magazines on television, some cloud up there and men floating around on clouds, which is a bunch of nonsense. Scripture says God's gonna create a new heaven and a new earth Wherein dwelleth righteousness one day brothers and sisters Believers you believers God's sheep are gonna walk on a new earth We don't know what it's gonna look like, but I can tell you right now. It's gonna be better than this sinful world this world It's being cursed About what Adam did in the garden And then our text says, in verse 16 again, all things in earth. The earth, and this is important, the earth and man were created for Christ's work as the Redeemer and the calling out of the people he chose before time was.

Every once in a while, I'll just sit down and I'll get to thinking about, you know, he created me personally. He created each one of you personally. Just let that enter into your mind for a little bit. He created me personally. And he created me for a reason. He created me for a reason. It was made for him.

And then back in our text it says he created It says that are in earth visible. Oh, let me back up at verse 16 for by him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. Matthew 28, 18 says this. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power, all. That means everything. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. And so it says here in verse 16, all power, governments, states, countries, all things were created by him. Our elected officials, the president of this country, That dictatorship in North Korea, it was created by him.

And as I thought of this, I thought, you know, when we complain, and I'm guilty of this, when we complain about our leaders and say bad things about them, what are we saying? Well, what we're doing is condemning God. We're essentially saying, God, what are you doing? Same thing with, you think about this, we complain about the weather. God, what did you do this for? You see? Is that not sin?

This thing of sin in us is so subtle. Sometimes I just, I just, I just wonder how deep it can go. I can't see how deep it is, but I know it's deep. It's deep in me. And I know it's deep in you. We're all cut from the same piece of cloth. We're all sinners. And we're prone, and it's sad to complain about, about what God's providence is, what he's done. And the sad part about it is because of sin, we don't always realize it. But we need to, we need to meditate on these things.

And I say this, listen to what Jude said, this thing about complaining about people. Here's what the scripture says in Jude 1, 9. Yet it says, Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses. And the scripture doesn't tell us what that was all about. But it says, the archangel, arguing over the body of Moses with Satan, says, durst not bring against him a railing accusation against Satan, but said, The Lord rebuke you. He says, even the angels didn't argue against Satan, even attempt to complain about the Lord.

The Lord, you take care of it. And that's the thing we need to understand, the providence of God. Christ hung on that cross by the providence of God. All things were created by him and for him. Romans 11, 36 says, for of him, and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever.

Now, when Adam was created in the Garden of Eden, he was created for one purpose, and that was to walk with God. We read about the Old Testament saints, Enoch walked with God. But when Adam sinned, that spiritual walking with God was broken, totally severed. All spirituality in Adam was lost. But there was one aspect of his nature that was not totally lost. It was marred by sin, but it wasn't totally lost. And that was, as a man created in uprightness by the Lord, He was given a desire toward God, to walk with God. That's what it was all about. But we lost that desire toward God when Adam sinned, but there still remains in all of us a desire for joy, happiness, and peace.

Is that not true? Nobody wants trouble. I don't want trouble. It grieves you when you have problems. So we're all looking for peace in this life. But here's the problem, the peace that was given to us in Christ, or I mean, before the world ever was, or excuse me, when in the garden, the peace that was given to Adam is gone. So what do we do? What do we do? We're gonna look for that peace in what we know, and that's in the things of this world, the earth, and the pleasures of this world.

Is that not true? And you've all been there. You know it is. Oh, if I could just do this or if I could just do that, I'd be happy. I think I'd be good. But here's the problem you run into. It's only temporary. You could say, well, you know, I'm looking forward to going on vacation. A couple weeks off from work, boy, this is going to be good. But you know it's going to come to an end. And when it's over with, What you did yesterday, do you take pleasure in today? No. What I did last week, do I take pleasure? I can't even remember what I did last week. I'm sure I had some pleasure someplace. You see what I'm saying?

It's not lasting. There's no lasting peace in this world. And yet, men, we bounce from one thing to another. We do this, well, that was good. But after a while, that gets old. There's no lasting peace there. There's no joy there. So what do we do? And I'm talking about human nature now. This is the old man that's in us. What goes to something else? And we do that for a while, and then, well, that gets old, too. I'm going to buy me a new car. Boy, that's going to be nice. I'll drive around and drive it for a month. That's done. Do you get joy out of it? No, it's gone. It's only temporary.

First John 2, 16 says this, for all that is in the world, all, nothing excepted, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. We were meant, brothers and sisters, to walk with God, and only that's gonna fulfill the soul. We're gonna wander through this world, if we go through this world without God, we're gonna wander through this world never finding that peace that's to be had in the Lord himself. And we're going to die. And then things are going to get worse. And that's sad. That's sad. But you know, even with this old nature, the way it is, all is not lost.

God so loved the world that he gave his only beloved son. When he speaks of world there, he's talking about not individuals, but the created man. What is man that you're mindful of him? That's what the scripture says. What in man that draws attention of God? I mean, you look out and you start thinking about the eternality of God in the heavens and the creation. and the stars and the moon and all the harmony and everything that he has made and here we are. Worms of the dust, scripture calls us. What is man that you're mindful of him? I look inside me, I don't see it in me. I don't have anything in me. Why would God look upon me? Why would God look upon you?

It pleased him to do so. We can't question that. It's his pleasure. All things are done according to his will. But if all things, and it says here in our text, all things were created by him and for him. Now, I want you to think about this. If things were created by him and for him, then was anything left undone?

It's like you're going to build a new house. And you get a set of plans. Are you going to take it down to a contractor and say, here's the plans. Build me a house. When you get done, bring me the key. No. You're going to build a house for your own glory. You're going to be involved in every detail of that house building. You're going to be involved in the siding, type of siding you want on it, the colors of the roof, what type of flooring, what type of paint, your kitchen cabinets, and so on, so on, so on. You're going to be involved in it because you're making that house for your own glory. You're not going to leave it up to that contractor.

But yet, you know, here's what the world says. World says God is sovereign, but when it comes to salvation, he just left it up. If that's the case, the Lord Jesus Christ and his death was a failure because the scripture says the majority of people in this world are going to hell.

No, no, no, no. as the sovereign God, and we go back to looking at the creation itself, how harmonious it is. I mean, we look at the constellations, and you can see them in the night sky in the wintertime and the summertime. The Bible speaks about them in the Old Testament. They've been there forever. The creation itself is so harmonious, you can see that it was designed for a specific purpose, and that's the sovereignty of God. God has sovereignly determined salvation. That's a fact. And any other doctrine is a lie. This thing of free will? You don't have a free will.

God is not part sovereign. These preachers will stand up and say, well God, they'll readily admit that God is sovereign, but you can't be part sovereign. You're either sovereign or you're not. You either control all things or you don't. But in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm not gonna keep you any longer, I just, God in his sovereign will, in his sovereign purpose, He made the heavens, He made the earth, He made all things for His own glory. And for His glory, for His glory, this world is not about me and you, it's about God's glory. And if God has decided, and I don't even like to use that word because it's eternity, God never made a decision, like at one time He wasn't deciding, But from eternity past, he has chosen a people, and he's going to bring it to pass. He's sovereign. It's all planned. Everything we do, everything in this life is planned.

We got that war going on over there in Iran right now. People are complaining about it. Some are for it. Some are against it. God determined that. He's allowed that. Our position in this life where we are right now. We're all getting old. I think sometimes the Lord. I live. Because you've determined I live. I'm here right now because you've determined I'm going to live till this age, 82 years old. And I look at people that's dying, you know, 20, 30, 40 years old. Why? Nothing in me.

It's all come from the sovereign will of our dear Lord. He did not leave salvation. And this is a doctrine, this thing of free will. And I know we seem to complain about it a lot. This strikes at the very heart. This strikes at the very heart. In the Garden of Eden, when Satan said you'll be as God's, you'll be able to make up your mind about good and evil, that's man today.

That's all of us naturally. We want our free will. I'm a God. In my own nature, I'm a God. How many times have you heard Marvin say that If it wasn't for the grace of God keeping him, he'd walk away. Well, that's true. The Lord Jesus Christ said, without me, you can do nothing. Absolutely nothing. And we need to remember that. We need to remember that and think about that. I've got no power. Everything I do and everything I say, everything that I accomplish is because of his purpose. He has allowed it. He has proposed. He has purposed the salvation of the people through the propitiation of his own blood.

One of the greatest mysteries, scripture says, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. I thought a lot about that scripture. I don't understand it. I don't fully understand it, except we know that the blood that it's speaking of is the Lord Jesus Christ's blood. But what in the blood? is able to satisfy. Well, it's going to have to be perfect. We know that, but there's a mystery there in itself. And we don't, there's a lot of mysteries in the scripture. A lot of things that I don't know. I guess I'd have to say I know less than what I do know more than I mean. I, I, I know not everything in a scripture and I never will this side of heaven.

Our God is on the throne, brothers and sisters. He's ruling and reigning. There's a lot of trials and troubles, especially in our fellowship. As I look around, we're all getting old. I look around, I can see people here that's got all kind of problems, every one of us. But you know, this life, it's just a short, it's not worth what's gonna come in heaven. And we need to keep that in mind. We need to keep it, really think about that. It's temporary. This life is temporary.

To those who believe, the thief on a cross asked the Lord to remember him when he come into his kingdom. He said, today, today, you'll be with me in paradise. When you die, brothers and sisters, it's all done. You're gonna be in paradise. That sin's gonna drop from this old flesh And we're going to have the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so with that, I'll close. I'll try to keep it short. So I pray the Lord would bless the word to us, help us to think more on him. Amen.