I turn back to Colossians 2. As I said before, my text is
going to be in chapter 3, verse 16, the verse that I left off
a while ago when I read. But he begins here in chapter
2 with an expression of conflict in his heart. He was worried. He was worried. It wasn't an
anxious worry that he felt like God could not take care of the
need, but it was a loving worry. He was concerned the way you're
concerned over your children. He was concerned. He called these
people in these churches his children. He said, I have begotten
you. I have begotten you with the
gospel. And he said, you have all kinds of folks who contributed,
but you just have one father. And he treated them like children,
and he fussed over them like children, and he scolded them
like children. And he starts here with an expression
of conflict in his heart concerning this church and their spiritual
welfare. And there's always conflicts
and anxieties and trouble in local churches. It's just the
nature of the beast, and I say beast on purpose. Doctrinal error, untimely encounters,
unanswerable questions, things that tend to divide rather than
to knit together, things that tend to cast doubts rather than
establish faith and edify, things that leave you scratching your
head instead of things that ought to just give you confidence and
assurance. Sometimes you leave troubled,
not feeling so good about yourself as when you come in. All sorts
of things go on in local churches. And it's the burden of the pastor,
and he carries us a lot of times without you even knowing it.
There will be six or eight things going on in this church. No one
group knows what the other group is talking about or doing or
what this problem is or that problem or what this enemy is
or that enemy and all of these things. But pastors carry those
things. They carry those things and they worry. And Paul's desire
was this. It was to comfort their hearts.
If you'll just kind of read along here in this chapter as I'm going.
His desire was to comfort their hearts and to see them knit together
in love, to see them come to a full assurance of understanding. Now, they don't talk much about
that in churches. There is no assurance apart from
understanding. There has to be an understanding. Assurance is not something you
just wake up with one day and say, I've got it today, but you
won't have it tomorrow. He'd be gone. He'd be gone when
the trial comes. True assurance comes through
understanding. And he wanted them to understand.
He wanted them to learn. There's no such thing as a pastor. You go through the Scriptures
and you'll find out that there's just pastor-teachers. There where
he said he gave some pastors and teachers. He's not talking
about two things. He's talking about one thing.
Pastor-teachers. And a pastor teaches. That's
what he does. That's what he does. A pastor's
job is, one fellow told me, he said, well, I just think, you
know, when a fellow comes into church, he ought to at least
leave feeling better about himself than when he come in. Not necessarily.
Not necessarily. They used to try to tell Barnard
that, told him he could catch more flies with honey than he
could with vinegar. He said, I'm not trying to catch
flies, I'm trying to kill sinners. There's a difference. There's
a difference. But he wanted to comfort these
people. Comfort these people. Well, you
can't be comforted until the Lord brings you down. Then you
can be comforted. He's not going to clothe you
until he strips you. He's not going to feed you until
he makes you hungry. And so there's times when, yes,
you're going to go out that back door with your head down, feeling
bad. But there are going to be other
times when you go out there praising God. He wanted to comfort their hearts.
He wanted to see them knit together in love. He wanted them, when
they come in, not to run to the four corners because they couldn't
stand each other. He wanted them to embrace one
another and love one another. You getting along okay? Well,
no, I'm having... Well, I want to know what the
problem is. I want it to be my problem too. You've got a need,
let me know. I want to be part of it. Don't leave me over there in
Taylor and you go somewhere sick and don't tell me. I want to
know. I care about you. If I didn't care about you, I'd
have stayed in Kentucky. I could just call you on the phone every
now and then. I came down here to be with you and be a part
of you and to love you. And I want you to love one another.
And there's no excuse not to if we know Christ. And he said, I want you to come
to a full assurance of understanding, and I want you to be able, now
watch this, to acknowledge the mystery of God, of God and of
the Father. He's talking about God the Spirit.
And of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. I think most of you are, but
is there somebody here that don't know that the gospel is a mystery?
It's a mystery. The gospel is not something you
can read on a piece of paper and say, oh, I get it. I get
it. The gospel is not something you
can just spit out. It's a mystery. Paul said we
preach the wisdom of God in a mystery. It's a mystery. Great, he said,
is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. It's a mystery. And the world would reduce this
mystery into a cliché. It's not a cliché. They take
this thing and boil it down and put it into a little one-line
sentence. and say, would you accept Jesus
as your personal Savior? Now, that's salvation. That's
what the gospel is. That ain't what the gospel is.
The gospel is God come into the flesh. God and man in one person. God himself entered into the
womb of a virgin. Nine months later was born in
a stable and wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.
The eternal God. Do you comprehend that? Do you not know all of that? Is
there not something mysterious about that to you? I was telling somebody about Christ
not becoming a man, but taking to himself the flesh and body
of a man. A body hast thou prepared me,
said over in Hebrews chapter 10. And they said, oh yeah, I
know that. You do? I've been looking at it for 35
years. I don't know it. It's a mystery to me. It's a
mystery. How can God in whom the universe
dwells In Him we live and move and have our being. That's what
Paul said. Who's everywhere present. Time has no bearing on Him. He's
the end and the beginning all at the same time. Knows everything. Determines
everything. How can He walk in the body of
a man and be taught? You comprehend that? Boy, I don't. I believe it, but I don't understand
it. I want to. I want to. Justified in the Spirit. Here
was a man, and I know something about men because I am one. That's
why I can stand here and preach to you. I don't have to ask you
what troubles you. Same thing troubles you troubles
me. I don't have to ask you what tempts you because I'm tempted
just like you are. I don't have to ask you what
you think or ask you if you've ever experienced this. I know
what you have and what you haven't. We are just alike. We are just
alike. But here was a man who was tempted
in all points like as we are, and tested and tried and examined,
and no one, not even Satan, could find anything in him, yet without
sin. Justified in the Spirit. He was
pure and holy and undefiled. justified by the Spirit of God
who descended upon him and indwelt that human body without measure,
justified by the miracles he performed and the work of redemption
he accomplished, justified by perfect obedience to his Father
and his faithfulness, testified from heaven itself, this is my
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Have you ever said
that about you? I never heard no voices. He did. Justified. Justified before God
and men as the sin-bearing substitute by a forerunner foretold a thousand
years before he ever came. Behold the Lamb, the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the world. There he is. Justified. justified as the propitiation
for our sins, being nailed on a cross to suffer and die in
our womb instead, and justified as our Redeemer when God raised
him from the dead." That's a mystery, isn't it? Scene of angels. Scene at his birth. The heavenly
host. They cried out. All of the angels in unison looked
down at this marvelous mystery of God manifested on this earth,
and they said, Peace on earth, good will to men. The angels
said that. He was seen of angels. Glory
to God in the highest, they said. And they came and ministered
to him in the wilderness after his temptation, and ministered
to him in the garden when he prayed until his sweat became
as great drops of blood. They came and rolled away the
stone at his sepulcher and stood there. And when the women came,
they said, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here,
he is risen. And came down with him while
his disciples were standing there, and ascended with him up into
glory." Scene of angels. You comprehend that? I just can't.
I can't close my eyes and even get a vision of that. That's
a mystery to me. And they see them even in the
ministry of the gospel. There's angels. I'm standing
here preaching to you this morning. You read about it in the last
few books of Hebrews. We've come into the presence
of angels, it says. They gathered around this morning
listening. Why? Because they desire to see
and hear what you're seeing and what you're hearing. They desire
to look into it. They don't know anything about
it. We've experienced it. And they just stand back in awe
of the mystery. Preached unto the Gentiles. Is
there a mystery greater than this in the world today? After
2,000 years of gospel preaching, this world still holds a superstitious
belief that God is going to do something in Israel. God is going to do something
in Israel, spiritual Israel. He is going to call them out
from the tomb. He is going to raise them from
the dead. He is going to seat them with
them in glory. He is going to give them faith. They still believe that. I told
one fellow, I took him over to Romans 9 and read this verse
that I'm getting ready to quote to you here this morning. And
he said, Well, just in case, I'm not going to say anything
bad about it. Just in case you're wrong. Paul
said, Not all Israel which are of Israel, neither because they
are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall
thy seed be called, not seeds, but seed as of one, and thy seed
which is Christ. Then he goes on to say in verse
8, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these
are not the children of God. Words be any more clear than
that. These are not the children of God, but the children of the
promise are counted for the seed. What a mystery! He tells us over in Ephesians
chapter 2 that Christ broke down the middle wall of partition
between us. Tore it down. No need for it
anymore. Why? There is just one Israel made
up of Jews and Gentiles. Just one Israel. In that old
temple there was a wall of partition there. The Jews was on one side
and the Gentiles on the other. Not anymore. He took it down. Said, I have made them both one,
and broke down the middle wall of petition between us, and made
in himself one new man, so making peace. Preached unto the Gentiles. And then think about this. It
was preached. Is preaching not a mystery to
you? It is to me. It is a mystery. minds, enmity against God, blinded
by Satan's ministers of righteousness, natures contrary to holiness,
contrary to the Word of God, no understanding, no knowledge
of redemption, no potential of spiritual ability, surrounded
by the empty promises of this world, surrounded by temptations
and troubles and snares and lies, living in a world of darkness,
described in the Scriptures as dead in trespasses and sin. How
will God impart life? How will God deliver them out
of this trouble? How will God bring them to know
Him? How is He going to do it? It
pleases God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. Is that not a mystery? That is
why I won't argue with you, because I can't do it. I can't do it. He has to do it. I'll stand and
declare the Word. Wait on Him. He opens a heart. He'll open it. He'll open it. What a work of grace to see God
in His gospel pull down their strongholds and cast down their
imaginations and bring every thought into the obedience of
Christ. And listen to this, He was believed
on in the world. believed on. The world had hated
him. He came into this world. I don't
have to speculate about this. The perfect Son of God was manifested
in this world, walked and lived among us thirty-three and a half
years, and this world hated his guts. They judged him. They couldn't even get along
one another. But they were in perfect unison
about putting him on that cross. And they got together about nailing
him on that cross. And they hated him so much that
when he was nailed there, they stood there at the foot of it
and laughed at him while he died and mocked him as the blood run
down his head. Barred so that no man could even
recognize him. Couldn't even tell who he was.
He was just a bloody mess hanging there on that cross before men.
And they laughed at him. We wouldn't do that to a murderer,
would we? Believed on in this world. That's what he's talking about. What a work of grace. Received up into glory. Have
you ever sat around and thought about this? There's a man in
glory. A man. He stood there before he ascended
up to the Father, and he said, Here, put your finger in the
hole. Take your fist. Put it right
here where the spear went. Got some fish? We sat over at
your house the other night and ate fish. That's what he did.
He said, Give me a piece of that. Ate that fish. And they just
stood there with their mouth open and watched him ascend.
And the angel said, Why stand ye here gazing? What are you
looking at? This same Jesus that is going
up right now, He is going to show common like manner. He is
going to get busy doing what He told you to do. There is a
man in glory. A man. And that man was a representative
man. And He is the first fruits of
them that slept. He is the first begotten of the
Father. Sitting on the throne of God
is a man, flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone, touched with
the feelings of our infirmities, appointed by God as a high priest
for us to represent us in things pertaining to God, first begotten
from the dead and firstfruits of them that slept, evidence
of the full, free, sovereign grace of God to save to the uttermost
those who come unto God by Him. I don't have to doubt it. He's
already seen it. Well, what's he doing? He's expecting.
That's what it says. Expecting until his enemies be
made his footstool. And they all will. Received. Think about that. God piled on him all the sin
of all his elect. And he stood before the holy
justice of God. And he poured out his wrath on
him. until he had to drink the last
bitter dregs of the cup. And he did it. And God approved
him. And he received him up into glory. And then with your sins on him
and my sins, do I have a hope? You bet I do. He's received. He's received. All these great mysteries hidden
in God are revealed in Christ who is the gospel. Colossians
2 verse 4, And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with
enticing words, words to turn your eyes away from God's treasure
house, Christ, words to turn your mind from
Christ to the law, from Christ to ceremony, from Christ to an
experience, from Christ to what natural men say seems right to
me. Colossians 2, 6, As you have
thy foe, or received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Have you received him? How does a man receive Christ?
He receives him with understanding. That is the first way. John said,
The Son of God hath come and given us an understanding that
we might know Him that is true. That is how you receive Him,
with understanding. That is the true God. That is
eternal life. How do you receive Christ? By
regeneration. He said, God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit.
There has to be a setting apart of the man. He has to be made
meat in order to experience and receive and have this inheritance
of God. He has to be born again. Whereunto
he calls you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. How do we receive it? By the
will. He said, Whosoever will. Isn't
that what he said? I am not scared of that. The Spirit says, Come. The God
says, Come. Come on. Come on. And whosoever will, let him take
of the water of life freely. Are you willing? No. No. You have to be made willing,
don't you? When you are, you will receive
Him with the will. I just love it. You can't get
a better statement than old Brother Barnard. I don't know who he
stole it from. But he said, God saves man against his will with
his full consent. And that's exactly what he does.
That's exactly what he does. I told the folks over in Wichita
Falls, there has to be a violation of your will. And that's exactly
what he does. This generation says, God can't
do nothing about my will. He better. He said, I don't need
anybody to testify to me what's in man. I know what's in man.
I know how you study. I know how you open your book.
I know how you read things. I know how you are. I don't need
anybody to testify to me of what you are. I know what you are.
I'm God. And he said, and you will not
come unto me that you might have life. I know you, but I'm going
to make you willing. And when I do, you're going to
be willing. You're going to be willing. Oh, the gospel speaks to God's
elect and it don't say you can't come. It doesn't say He don't want you
to come. It doesn't tell you don't come. It says come. Come
on. Ain't anybody else going to come.
But they will. They will. All the promises Paul
said of God and Christ are yea and amen. We come to Him by an
understanding, but not by an understanding alone. We come
to Him through regeneration, being made meat to be partakers
of the inheritance of God. We come by the will, but not
by the will alone. And we come by the heart. With
the heart, man believeth unto righteousness. That's what it
says. With the heart. He said, you'll find me when
you seek for me with all your heart. Is that how you receive
Christ? Then walk that way. Ain't that
what he's saying? Walk that way. Walk that way. Don't go anywhere else. Pitch
your tent right there. pitch a tent where you can hear
him preach, rejoice in his name, sing of his glory, because everything
God has for sinners is in Christ. Walk ye in him. Walk in him. We don't come to
Christ for salvation and then go over here for sanctification. God has made him to be unto us
wisdom, righteousness, and what? Sanctification and redemption. We receive him and then we walk
in him. Well, you won't find a motivation
to walk anywhere else. You have to walk in love where
God put his love in Christ Jesus the Lord. Ain't that what he
said? Motive, direction, comfort, communion,
assurance. Listen to this, Colossians 2
verse 7, Put a tree out, that's what it
does, isn't it? I'll watch it for a few years. I'll watch that
thing. The wind will blow it up. Not
once it puts its roots down. That's what Paul is talking about
here in verse 7. Rooted, built up in him, established in the
faith, and beware, keep your ears open, keep your eyes fastened
on Christ, lest any man spoil you through philosophy. Let's
just discuss it. Let's don't. Let's don't. Let's just trust him about that. Let's just embrace him. Let's
just rejoice in him. Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men. What's
that mean? That means they want to argue
with you on Natural principles. Just like if I was standing up
here this morning and I was going to teach you geography and I
put a big map up here and I'd say, well, see this country up
here is connected with this one. And I'd stand up here and I'd
tell you that. Or if I was teaching math, I'd put some numbers up
here and I'd say, see how, you know, this number times this
number reaches this amount. That's not how the gospel comes,
brother. The gospel is not a resolution.
It's a revelation. It has to be revealed. I like what the brother told
me this morning. He said, you got to have the right receiver
to pick up the station. Otherwise, all you get is static.
Static. Just static. It's a revelation. Pitch your tent there. Talks about the rudiments, what
in the world that means. That's talking about basic principles,
rudimentary principles of the world. Same principles that they
teach science and creation, all that type of stuff. It's a mystery. This gospel of
God is a mystery, and it's revealed in Christ. Now look here at verse
9, Colossians 2, 9. For in Him, we're going to walk
in Him. We've received Him. We found
peace in Him. We found justification in it.
We found atonement in it. Now we're going to walk in Him. Now watch this. For in Him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. What's that mean? That means you ain't going to
find anything about God anywhere else except right here. That's
what that means. Everything you need to walk in
this man, everything. He said, he goes on to say, you
are complete in him which is the head of all principality
and power. In Christ, he said, we are circumcised
in the heart, and the evidence of this circumcision is putting
off the old man with his deeds and putting on the new man. That's
the evidence of it. Buried with Christ in baptism,
we're all so young risen with Him. Now watch this. Through
the faith of the operation of God who has raised Him from the
dead. You want to know what the resurrection
is? Experience it. That's how you'll
know what the resurrection is all about. When He calls you
out of your deadness and gives you faith, you'll know
something about the resurrection. You'll be able to hope in it.
And it won't be way out there. It'll be right here. "...forgiving us our trespasses,
blotted out the ordinances which were contrary to us, took it
all, nailed it to his cross, spoiled all his principalities
and powers, and exposed them for what they were on his cross."
Chapter 3. If you then be risen with Christ,
Seek those things which are above, for Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Now, God hath made him to be
unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
He said of himself, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
He tells us in this chapter that I talked to Sunday school class
from this morning, when you get down to the end of it, he said,
I am the resurrection. All spiritual blessings the Father
said were in Him. He alone says accepted. If I can't find acceptance, maybe
I'm looking in the wrong place. That's what Paul's talking about
here. Don't seek these things down here. Are you seeking acceptance?
Is that what you're seeking? Let me tell you where it's at.
The right hand of God. Seek those things which are above. We're going to walk down here.
Well, what are we going to do? Build up a bunch of treasures
down here and watch the moth and the rust eat them up? Is
that what you're going to do? No. Seek those things which are
above. All the blessings are in Him.
Everything is in Him. And He's up there. So let's quit
looking here. I tell you, we look in here so
much. Whoa, like this. One fellow said,
I said, Lord, I could sit on a penny laying flat and dangle
my feet over the side. Assurance is in him. Don't look
in here. You see what he's saying? It's
so simple. What makes things so complicated is religion. You've
got to get past all these preconceived notions about what this is and
what that is and get down to the Word of God. And then it
ain't all that complicated, is it? Quit looking here and start
looking there. You have to walk down here, but
there's nothing down here. It's all up there, okay? Then
look up there while you walk. That's what he's telling us. Set your affection. Let your
heart. get fixed on those things above. For you are dead, verse 3, and
your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our
life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory."
That's what we want, ain't it? Now, if these things be so, he
said, mortify therefore. based on these things. Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, I'm getting
all tongue-tied, covetousness which is idolatry. Do you really need those things
explained to you? Come on. Don't allow these things
to enter your lives. who practice these things, and
don't remain indifferent to sin. That's what he's telling you.
Don't remain indifferent to it. This is where God found you,
and this is what God called you out of. Don't go back. You was
in a mess when he found you. You was in the pit, and he dug
you out. Don't jump back in the pit. Set your affection up here. Set
your mind up here. Put your eyes up here. Look to
him and then walk and don't jump back in the pit. And put off anger and wrath and
malice and blasphemy and filthy communications. Lie not one to
another, seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds,
and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him. where there is neither Greek
nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor
free, but Christ is all and in all. Is He? He said He is. He said He is. Is there some part of your hope
where Christ doesn't have the preeminence? Turn it loose. It pleased the Father that in
Him should all fullness dwell. That preeminence that is in Christ
pleases the Father. And I tell you this, if there
is any part of your hope where He is not preeminent, get rid
of it, because it is not pleasing to the Father. Is there some part of your affection
that goes somewhere else other than Christ? Get rid of it. Christ is all. Put on therefore,
verse 12, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and long-suffering,
forbearing one another, forgiving one another. If any man have
a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do
you." Now, I told them Wednesday night, I'm going to tell you
again. You sit in here and you hold things. grudges and things
against people, you're a liar. I don't know how many times I
can say it. The Scripture says you're a liar. You can't love
your brother whom you see. You can't hate him and love God. Now, you can't do it. You can't
do it. If you're doing it, you don't
know God. And if you do, And you're doing
this thing against the Holy Spirit of God. You're doing it against
His teaching and against His Word and you're a rebel against
God. And He'll punish you for it if you're His child. I'd let
my kids get away with it. Do you? I punished them. And He'll punish you if you're
His child. Oh, let the peace of God rule
in your hearts to the which you're called in one body and be thankful. I have already preached the message.
Here is the text, Colossians 3.16. He said, Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do,
in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by him. walk in Christ. That's not difficult, is it?
You know, back in the late 60s, I picked this up off the internet
a few days ago. There was a man who collected
fine art. He was a wealthy man. And he'd go around. Have you
ever seen any of these works in museums? You may not even
have an interest in them, Once you've gone and seen the work
of these masters, there's an awe about it. I mean, there's
benches there now. See why? You're in awe of the
detail and the talent and the glory of that man that painted
this thing. It's awesome. We go up to Washington,
D.C. That was one of my favorite places
when we went there. And we'd sit down in them benches
and we'd watch this. Well, this fellow collected these
paintings. He loved fine art. And he had the money to do it.
And he had a child that was born. And when the little boy got up
old enough to where he could see it, he loved it too. And
him and his daddy would go everywhere and they would buy this art.
They bought Picassos and Raphaels and all these things. They bought
them and they put them in this big mansion where he lived. He
had them put up there and lights on them and all this stuff. And
he collected this art. Well, toward the mid-60s, The Vietnam War broke out, and
his boy was just about the right age. And he got drafted, and
he went off to serve his country in Vietnam. And they communicated
back and forth for several years. He was over there. One day, heard
a knock on the door. And he went up to the door, and
there was a fellow in uniform. And he had that flag, and he
had that telegram. And he said, your boy's been
killed in action. He said he was, invited him in. He sat down. He told him how it happened.
He said he was rescuing a man, had him in his arms, and the
enemy was coming up from behind. And he was running with him in
his arms. And he said, and the shot rang out and hit him in
the heart. Dropped him. Fell over dead. And gave him
the little medal that he received. the flag and so on. Oh, the father
mourned. He just mourned and mourned and
mourned for that boy. He loved that boy. And they communicated
back and forth all the time about this art and stuff. And they
just shared a common ground on it. And he just loved that boy
and he mourned. Months went by. Heard the knock
on the door. He went over there and there
was a young man standing there with package under his arm. And
he introduced himself. Told him who he was. And he said,
I know you're wondering what I'm doing here. He said, I'm
the man that's your boy. I'm the one he saved. And he said, I don't know what
to tell you. But he said he often talked about
him. We sat there and we'd talk about it. He said, I like art.
He said, I've got a little bit of talent. And we used to paint.
He'd tell me the different types of methods that these artists
used and stuff. And he said, when I got out of
the hospital and my wounds were healed and I come home, he said,
I sat down and he said, I painted a picture of your son from memory. And he took that package apart. And he handed that picture to
the man and the man took it. And he found the preeminent location
in that house. And he hung that painting up. And everybody that come in to
view that collection of art, he'd take them and he'd say,
now see that? That's my son. Finally, the old man died, and
they had an auction. I guess he was one of the foremost
collectors of art anywhere in the world, and everybody was
notified. All these big art collectors and museum people came there
to bid on this painting, bid on this picture. They all got
out there, and the auctioneer come up. He went over, and the
first thing he did, he took down that picture of the son. And
he said, the first item up for bid is the sun. He said, anybody
give me a bid? The place was silent. Anybody give me a bid on this?
Give me $500. Somebody started at $500. Nobody
bid anything. $450. Somebody say $450. We started
at $450. Just put that one down. Let's
get on to the good art. We come here to buy the good
stuff. We come here to buy the Van Goghs. We come here to buy
the Rembrandts, the Picassos. Put the sun down. We come here
to buy the expensive art. We're not interested. He said,
anybody give me a bid? Finally, the old man in the back,
he said, I'll give you $10. He said, I got a $10 bid. Who'll give me $20? Nothing. Nothing. Finally slammed the
gavel down. He said, sales final. Sales final. Set the painting over to the
side on the easel. Started taking his microphone
down, packing up the speakers. They said, whoa, whoa, whoa,
wait a minute. Where you going? Where you going? He said, I'm
packing up the lead. that we came here from Paris
and London and all over the world. We came here to buy these paintings. Well, that's what we came for.
Well, he said there was an unknown stipulation to this auction that
was given to me before I took this auction. He said it was told to me, whoever bought the song, Gets
it all. They get it all. That's what I'm trying to preach
to you. Christ is all. He's all. I don't want to hear
about anything else. I don't want to look at anything
else. The old gardener that took care of the plantation, he's
the one that bought the painting. He admired it so much that little
boy used to come out and play there where he gardened. He took
that painting home, put it up in his house, and he just sat
there and looked. Glory in him. That's what I'm
trying to preach to you about Christ. It's all in him. Hang
him up in your heart and worship him and rejoice in him.