back to Ephesians chapter three.
I've entitled this message filled with the fullness of God. How are you going to talk about
that? Filled with the fullness of God. Now, this is the last
part of the request that Paul is praying that God will do for
the Ephesians in this prayer for the Ephesians. He prayed
that they might be strengthened with might by his spirit in the
inner man. We need that, don't we? We need
the Lord to do that for us. And he prayed that Christ would
dwell in our hearts by faith. He prayed that we might be rooted
and grounded in love. and that we might be able to
comprehend this heavenly geometry, to know the breadth and the length
and the depth and the height of the love of God. And I was
preaching on this in Danville Tuesday night, and Mark Henson
pointed this out to me. I didn't really understand it.
He said, that's four dimensional. You know, a fourth dimension
is not something we can even grasp. It's something that's
known in mathematics and physics and so on. But it made me kind
of think of what I heard Tim James say at one point. He said,
math is God's science. And I didn't know what he's talking
about, but I can see that. I can see that this fourth dimension
of his love. To know the love of Christ that
passes knowledge, and this is the last thing that he asked
for, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. How can you speak adequately
about the fullness of God? He's eternal. Every time I think
about that, it hurts my brain to think that he never had a
beginning. He never began to be. He'll never end. He's altogether
righteous. He's independent. He has no needs. He has no needs. There's nothing he needs to cause
him to continue. You think about how dependent
you are. I think about how dependent I am for my next breath. Yet he has no needs. He's immutable. He can't change. If he did change, he would either
be improving or declining. And that can't be. He can't change. He's sovereign. That means his
will is always done. And I'm so thankful for that.
You can't take that too far. His will is always done. He is the cause behind everything. He's all powerful. He's got the
power to make sure his will comes to pass. He's all wise. He's omnipresent. There's nowhere
you can go where he's not. He's holy. He's just. He's love. He's gracious. He's
merciful. He's faithful. He's infinite.
And Paul is praying that we might be filled with his fullness. Now, what do you think about
when you think about that? Being filled with his fullness.
I have a tendency to think, well, I just can't understand that.
Go on. But this is the last request he makes. And this is for every
believer. That every believer might be
filled with all the fullness of God. Now what I thought about
in thinking about this, I hesitate to use the word concept, but
I don't know what other word to use. It's a truth in the scripture
that every believer is filled with all the fullness of God.
I thought about Elisha in that fourth chapter where that woman
who had been a wife of one of the sons of the prophets came
to Elisha and said, the creditors come to take my bills and I don't
have any way of paying my bills. I'm helpless and they're going
to take my two sons and they're going to sell them as slaves
in order to try to pay my bills. Now that's a desperate situation.
And he said, go get empty vessels. Not partially full, the one qualification
was empty vessels. Vessels that didn't have anything
at all in them. Bring as many as you can and
oil was poured into those empty vessels and every one of them
were filled to the full so she had money to pay off her debts
and live the rest of her life on that oil. And when did that
oil cease? when there were no more empty
vessels. Now, in order for me to be filled
with the fullness of God, here's the first qualification. I'm
going to have to be empty. I'm going to have to be empty. You see, if I'm not empty, I'd
be in the mix. That'd ruin it. You know, we
just heard that song, Christ is all. And I've just been thinking
about that, this thing of Christ being all. And the only way,
I touched on this this morning, the only way that he can really
be all to you is if you have nothing else. If you have anything
else to bring, Christ is not all to you. You can use it as
a religious phrase and kind of a cliche, But the only way he's
really all to you, if you don't have anything else. I thought of what that preacher
said to that man who said, if all I have is Christ, is that
enough? And he said, only if he's all you've got, you don't
have anything else. Now, if you have him as all,
you are filled with the fullness of God. Look back at Ephesians
chapter one, verse 23. Verse 22, and he 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. The church. The church is the
fullness, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ. Now, I think
it's interesting in the temple. I know God is omnipresent. You
can't go anywhere where he's not. He's omnipresent. But his
special presence in the Old Testament was first of all, with the tabernacle.
Do you remember how the Shekinah glory of God would be in the
tabernacle? That's where his special presence was. And then
later on after that, it was in the temple, which Solomon built. But all those things were given
to picture the true temple, the church, the body of Christ, the bride
of Christ, where he dwells in all of his fullness. Now I realize this is beyond
our comprehension and the only reason we believe this and receive
it is because of what the Bible teaches. I don't understand this.
I don't need to. It's what God in his word says. And I believe what God says. Every believer is the temple
of God, the body of Christ, the dwelling place of God, and has
in them the fullness of God when I was talking about the attributes
of God just a moment ago. These are not logical inferences.
It's what the Bible actually teaches concerning his character. Now, if the church is the fullness
of God, if one member were missing, he wouldn't be full. That's why
you're so secure. That's the reason. He's not going
to have an incomplete body. The church is the fullness of
him that filleth all in all. And this word filled is translated
in Luke 9 31 accomplished. They speak of the deceased, which
he should accomplish. Now, here's the point. The reason
you're filled. There's one reason. There's one
reason. The reason you're filled is the
accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's what he did. It's not what you do. It's what
he did, what he accomplished, and that is why you, that is
why every believer is filled with all the fullness of God. Now turn with me to Colossians
chapter two. Colossians chapter two, verse
nine. for in him dwelleth, resides
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Now that is, all the fullness of the infinite
God dwells in the body of Jesus Christ the Lord. All the fullness
of sovereignty, of All power, whatever attribute of God you
want to talk about, omnipresence. Somebody says, well, how can
omnipresence dwell in a physical body? Well, he said in John chapter
three, the son of man who came down from heaven, who's in heaven.
I came down from heaven and I'm still in heaven. He's everywhere,
even in his body. Do I understand that? No, but
all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in his body. This is the
glory of this person. All the fullness. I wish I could
say what needs to be said about that. It's beyond me. What a
glorious person the Lord Jesus Christ is. All the fullness of
the Godhead dwells in his body. And look what verse 10 says,
and you are, it's actually the word full, complete. You're filled up. You can't have
anything added to you. You lack nothing. You are complete in Him. Now, I never feel complete. And I don't suppose I would as
long as I still dwell in a sinful body and commit sins against
him. I'm always going to think, well,
that's just part of the human condition. Well, it's not the
human condition. It's the new man condition. If
you have a new man, you have an old man. And you're always
aware of that old man and his sinfulness. But if you have a
new man, if you're in Christ, You don't lack anything. You are complete. You can't get
any more saved. You can't get any more righteous.
You can't get any more holy. You can't get any more justified.
You can't get any more sanctified. You're complete in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, look back in Colossians
1. Let's look what led to that. Verse 9. For this cause, we also, since
the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you. Now, Paul had
never met these people, but he's writing them this epistle. And
we desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Now here he's praying for a feeling
of the knowledge of his will, the feeling of wisdom. all spiritual understanding.
Verse 10, that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Now, what is this worthy walk?
I can tell you what I think it is, but let's go to see what
the Bible says it is. Ephesians chapter four, hold
your finger there. Verse one, I therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you were called, and here it is, with all lowliness, humility,
and meekness, whatever God does or is right, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another, putting up with one another is what the
word means, in love. endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Now that's the worthy
walk that he's speaking of. Now back to Colossians. That you might walk, verse 10,
worthy of the Lord and to all pleasing, being fruitful in every
good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. with all might, according to
His glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering with
joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us
meet, to be partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light." Now,
the saints in light, who are they? They're the saints in heaven. They're in heaven right now as
we speak. They're people worshiping the Lamb right now, crying, worthy
is the Lamb. the saints in light. Now, right
now, every believer has perfect fitness to join with them right
now. You don't have anything you're
lacking. You don't have anything that you're missing out on. All
that is needed for you to be in heaven, you have right now. The only difference is you're
not going to have a sinful nature anymore. When you die, you're
gonna put off this body of flesh, this sinful nature, but as far
as anything being added to you, no, you have it right now. You
have the very righteousness of Christ, and you've got a divine
nature. That's the nature you're gonna
possess in heaven, this being born of the Spirit. Right now,
right now, every believer is fit for the inheritance of the
saints in light, verse 13, who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness that we were held in chains by, and he's translated
us into the kingdom of his dear son. In whom we have redemption
through his blood. And here's what that means, the
forgiveness of sins. Child of God, The only way we
are permitted to think of our sins is as forgiven sins. And if they're forgiven, they've
been blotted out. And if they're blotted out, that
means you stand before God just without any guilt. Then he goes on to give this
incredible description of Christ, who is The image of the invisible
God. Do you know that all we'll ever
see of God is Jesus Christ? He is the image of the invisible
God. And I love what he said to Philip
when Philip said, show us the father. And it's suffice it does. And he said, have a been so long
time with you. And yet has thou not known me,
Philip? Todd, he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father. Somebody says, explain that.
That's unexplainable. It's just the truth. He is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.
Somebody says, now see, he isn't eternal. He's the firstborn.
He was born. This begetting, the only begotten
son, this begetting is not an event in time. It's a fact, irrespective
of time. He is the sole representative
of the being and the character of his father. That's who he
is. He is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn every creature. The reason you're alive is because
he birthed you. Verse 16, for by him were all
things created. He's the creator. Jesus Christ
is the creator of the universe. I love thinking about that. He's
the one who said, let us make man in our own image. He's the
one who said light be and light was. He created the universe.
He created everything else. Look at this description. 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. That's talking about A dimension
that we don't really know anything about. The dimension of angels,
demons, everything that goes on that we don't know anything
about, that he's in control of. It was all created by him. Remember this about Satan. He's
a created being. He is God's devil. on God's chain, doing God's will. And that's not his intention,
but that's precisely what takes place. You see, God is completely
sovereign over all the actions of men and demons. Christ created
all things, whatever they are, they were created by him and
for him, for his glory. And he is before all things. Now, whatever it is, he's before
it. You know that last breath you
just took? Probably didn't even think much about it. He was before
it. He's the one who caused it. And the last breath you do take,
it'll be because it's His will. He is before all things. Whatever
takes place, He's before it. It's His will being done. Doesn't
matter what it is. He is before all things, and
by Him, all things consist. They're all held together. 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 please the father. that in him should
all fullness dwell. Now remember, we're talking about
us being filled with the fullness of God. It pleased the Father
that in him should all fullness dwell. And you know who else
it pleases? Every believer. Are you pleased with that? Are
you pleased that all fullness dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ? Now he talks about this, what
this one did and having made peace through the blood of his
cross. He made my peace with God. He
made it to where God is completely at peace with me, pleased with
me, has nothing to be mad at. 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 sometimes 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. That's in his sight. Look in chapter two, verse four. And this I say, lest any man
should beguile you, deceive you with enticing, plausible words. Now don't think that that's not
in operation. You're going to have men, they
don't know they're doing it. They're just pawns in the devil's hand.
And they're ultimately in God's hand, I realize that, but you're
going to have men seeking to beguile you with enticing words,
words that seem plausible, words that perhaps even seem to make
sense. But he says, don't let it happen.
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the
spirit, joying and beholding your order. Yeah, that word order
is very important. You know the order of salvation.
Christ. It doesn't begin with you. Christ
is the order of salvation. The next thing is Christ. The
next thing is Christ. That's the order. Everything
is by Him, for His sake, in a way that He gets all the glory. And
you know the order. And somebody that doesn't know the order,
well, they don't know the gospel. If you know the gospel, you know
the order. I love the way David said in 2 Samuel 23 5, although
my house be not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting
covenant ordered in all things, ordered by God. And sure, and
this is all my salvation and all my desire that we make it
not to grow. He said, I'm with you in spirit. joying and beholding
your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Now,
as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, well,
how'd you receive him? He says, as you received. If
you received him, he gave him to you and you did receive him.
Now hold your finger there for a moment and turn to John chapter
one. You know, I think it's amazing
that men take this thing of receiving Christ and they make a work of
it. I can remember years ago talking
to a man about the gospel, and I was talking about God electing
a people, Christ dying for them, and God, the Holy Spirit, giving
them life, and that salvation is all of grace. And the man
said, no, you got to receive him. making a work out of that. You
got to receive him. You got to receive him. Receive
him. That's the difference. The people who received him,
they're the ones who saved. That's why they're saved. They received
him. Let's look what the Bible says about that. In John chapter
one, verse 12, but as many as received him. Now let me give
you a hint. If you ever received him, he
never gave himself to you. If He gives Himself to you, you
will receive it. There's no doubt about that.
There's no merit in you receiving Him. You receive Him because
He gave Him to you. Now, as many as received Him,
to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on His name. You know what it is to receive
Christ? It's to believe on His name. Now His name is His attributes. You are believing that He saves
you by His grace, by His holiness, by His sovereign will, by His
justice, by His mercy, by His purpose, by His immutability.
That's what it means to believe on His name. It doesn't just
mean believe His name is Jesus. You know what His name represents. It's who He is. It's His character.
And you're believing on His name, which we're born. Here's how
they got to be that way, which were born. If anybody receives
him and believes on his names, it's because they were born.
They were birthed. Not of blood, not of the will
of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God. And the word
was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the father, full, there's
that word, full of grace. full of truth. Now that's what
I need. I need grace and it can't be
make believe. It's gotta be real. It's gotta
be the truth. Verse 15, and John bear witness
of him and cried saying, this was he of whom I spake. He that
cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me.
And of his fullness, there's that word again, of his fullness
have we all received. and grace for grace. Do you know
it takes grace to receive grace? You won't receive grace unless
he gives you the grace to receive it. Grace for grace. That's how much salvation is
all of grace. Grace for grace. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings. How many? All spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now back to Colossians
2. As you therefore, verse six,
receive Christ Jesus, the Lord. Let me also say this. How'd you
receive him with an empty hand? With an empty hand. As a sinner
needing his salvation. That's how you received him.
And look what he says. Move on from that. No, so walk
in. You never graduate past that.
So walk ye in Him. This is the believer's walk.
Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as you've
been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving, beware lest
any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions
of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
For in Him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
and you are complete." Who is referred to in this thing
of you? Every believer. You are complete. And the key is in Him. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
of redemption. I love in John chapter 16 when
they said, now we believe, now we understand, now you're speaking
plainly. He said, do you now believe?
Every one of you are gonna deny that you even know me. Nevertheless,
I'm not alone. But these things have I spoken
unto you, that in me, you might have peace. In the world, you'll have tribulation,
trouble, trial, but be in good cheer. I have overcome the world. Now the key to understanding
this is Christ. He's speaking of union with himself
in me, in me. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in Him. Filled with all the fullness
of God. Complete in Him. Somebody says, I don't feel that
way. Well, I don't either, but I believe it. I believe it. Feelings come, feelings have
nothing to do with it. I believe what God's Word says,
that every believer is complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
if Christ is in me, it's because I'm in him. Very simple illustration. You
take a cup, throw it into the ocean, and that cup is filled
with the ocean. The ocean is in that cup. And
it's because that cup is in the ocean. Christ in you. Now is Christ filled with all
the fullness of God? Is he in you? If you're a believer,
he is Christ in you. The hope of glory. I live yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me. If Christ is in you and he's
in every one of his people, you are filled with all the fullness
of God. You're walking around or you're
just sitting there with all the fullness of God in you. Turn with me to John chapter
17. This is the last scripture we'll
look at. John 17, verse 20. Now he had said in verse nine,
I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which you have given me, for they are thine. Now, is he only talking about
the 12? I've heard people deal with it.
Well, he's talking about his disciples there. When he's saying, I pray
for them, I pray not for the world, but for them what you've
given me. Well, what about verse 20? Neither pray I for these
alone, but for them also, which shall believe on me through their
word. He's talking about us right now
that believe. And notice he doesn't say, I
pray for those who I hope will believe, but they shall believe. They shall believe. Every single
one of them. They shall believe on me through their word. Verse
21. that they all may be one. As thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee, that they may also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me, and the glory which thou
gavest me, I've given them, that they may be one, even as we are
one, I in them Thou in me that they may be made perfect in one,
that the world may know that Thou hast loved me as Thou hast
loved them. We wouldn't dare believe that
unless the Word of God said it, would we? But this is what the
Word of God says. I'm in him, he's in me. If he's
in me, who dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, All the
fullness of God dwells in me." Well, that's just... What do you say about that? It's
just so. And this also lets us know something
about the power of the flesh, the sinful flesh, the old man. You think how you are with all
the fullness of God dwelling in you. One of these days, though, I'm
going to put down this flesh, like David, Psalm 17, 15. As for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awake
in thy likeness. It's amazing looking at you guys
right now and thinking, I'm looking at people who have all the fullness
of God dwelling in them. Isn't that glorious? Let's pray. Lord, these things are high,
glorious, that we would actually have all
your fullness filled in us through thy son being in us. Lord, forgive us of our sins. Lord, what a, what a gruesome
thing sin is in one who is being filled or is filled
with the fullness of God. But Lord, how we thank you. For
the greatness and the glory of your gospel. Bless these words for Christ's
sake and Lord, as we look toward this coming week, we ask that
we might be able to walk worthy. of thy son and thy gospel. And we ask that you would open
up doors for us to preach your gospel to other people, that
they might be saved by your grace. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
Dwayne, come ladies.