of his dear son. What a glorious thought. You
know, we were born into this world under the power of darkness. We had no idea that that's the
way it was. We thought we could see. I think of that song we
love to sing, enwrapped in thick Egyptian night and fond of darkness
more than light. Madly, I ran the sinful race
secure without a hiding place. But he has delivered us from
the power of darkness, the prince of darkness, the kingdom of darkness,
the place of no light. And he's translated us into the
kingdom of his dear son. Translated. into the kingdom. Now back to verse nine for this
cause. We also, since the day we heard,
heard of your faith in Christ and your love for Christ, we
do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding. Now, when he's saying, I want
you to be filled with the knowledge of his will, he's not talking
about. So you'll know what God's will
for your life is tomorrow or even today. That's not what he's
referring to. He's not referring to a accurate
theological definition of the will of God. Well, there's the
will of God's decree. It's always done the will of
God's precept. It's never done. God's sovereign
will. He's not talking about getting
a straight on giving, having an understanding of what all
the different meanings of the will of God is in the scriptures.
Here's what he's talking about. That you might be filled with
the knowledge, the understanding, the love for his will. The Lord said to his disciples
in John 15, henceforth, I call you not servants for the servant
knoweth not what his Lord doeth. He doesn't understand what he's
doing or why he's doing it or what his purpose is. But I have called you friends
for all things that I have heard of my father, I have made known
to you. Now to be filled with the knowledge
of his will means he has brought us into the place of intimacy
and he has opened his very heart to us. It's not just talking
about having a correct theological understanding of the will of
God. It means I'm your friend and I've made known to you. I
haven't held you off. I've made known to you my very
heart, my very soul, my very purpose. In John chapter 6 verse
38 through 40, and if you and I know the meaning of this, he's
made known to us the mystery of his will. He said, for I came
down from heaven not to do my known will, but the will of him
that sent me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should
lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
said, That everyone that seeth the Son, they see who I am, the
Son of God, the Son of Mary, the creator of the universe,
the second person of the blessed trinity, God the Son. Everyone
that seeth the Son, the Father has a Son, and believes on Him,
relies on Him, rests in Him, may have everlasting life. and I'll raise him up again at
the last day. Now, if you believe what I just
said, if that's something you rejoice in, the will of God,
you're God's friend. He's made known to you the intimate
counsel of his heart. What I just talked about regarding
the will of God, it's God's will for all the elect to be saved,
and saved they will be, saved they are. It's God's will for
everyone who sees the son is everything in salvation and believes
on him. Does that, is that something
you rejoice in? If that's something you rejoice in, that means God
has made himself known to you. He's made known his will. What a blessed privilege to be
someone that God has opened his heart up. A very, oh, is there
any way I can even describe the blessedness of that privilege?
To have him to make known his will, to have the knowledge of
his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That you might
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. That's what we
considered last week. that you might walk, this is
the reason for this knowledge of his will, that you might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good
work. Now, what's a good work? It's
anything done out of love to Christ. It's anything done for
his glory. That's a good work. You know,
how I treat God's people is how I treat him. The Lord said, inasmuch
as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've
done it to me. And as much as you did it not to the least of
these, my brethren, you did it not to me. Now, this knowledge
of his will is that we might walk worthy of the Lord and to
all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God, actually growing in the knowledge of God.
You actually come to know him better. You know, the scripture
says we're to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. He said, take my yoke upon you
and learn of me. I love that verse of scripture.
Take my yoke upon you. You know, a yoke represents what
joins two people together. And remember, he said, my yoke
is easy and my burden is light. You know why? Because it's a
yoke of grace. It's not a yoke of bondage. It's a yoke of grace.
A yoke of bondage, a yoke of law is terrible. It's grievous.
But Oh, a yoke of grace where he bears all the weight and we're
yoked to him, joined to him. He said, take my yoke upon you
and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart. Now this is the son of God speaking.
He says concerning himself. And here he tells us what his
heart is like. He says, I'm meek. and lowly
in heart. This one who is all powerful,
this one who is absolutely sovereign, this one who is immutable, is
meek and humble and lowly. And you coming to him, you'll
find rest in your souls. And I know this, if my knowledge
of him is increasing, I'll be increasing in humility. I'll see more than ever my need
of Christ. I'll see more than ever my own personal sinfulness
and my need of his grace, of his blood. I see it more now
than I ever have. Oh, how I need him. Humility
and meekness. You know, there's no knowledge
like the knowledge of God. when we actually know the living
God, and more importantly, He knows us. You know, I don't want
to be in that group of which He'll say, depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. I never knew you. I don't want
to be in that group, do you? I want to be somebody who He'd
say, I know him. I know her. He's mine. She's mine. I love that hymn
we sang or somebody saying last week, I am my beloved and my
beloved is mine. Now he says in verse 11 of Colossians
one, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power. Now what's that all about? Because
I sure don't feel very strong. And it says we're strengthened
with all strength, with all might, talking about the power of God.
And you think of yourself, do you feel strong? Do you feel
like you have spiritual strength? And yet this passage of scripture
says we're strengthened. And it's talking about all of
God's elect, every believer strengthened with all might. Well, what's
that mean? Well, turn with me to Ephesians
chapter one, and I'll show you exactly what it means. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 19. And what is the exceeding greatness
of his power to usward who believe? according to the working of his
mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him
from the dead and set him in his own right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion
and every name that's named, not only in this world, but that
which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet and
given him to be the head over all things to the church, which
is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Now, what power was used in the resurrection of Christ. I mean,
we can't even describe it, can we? I mean, the power exerted
where Christ was dead and God raised him from the dead because
he accepted what he did. What almighty power was used
in that? You know, the same power that's
used in raising Christ from the dead is used in giving me new
faith. If I'm born from above, if I'm
raised from the dead spiritually, the same power that was used
in Christ raising me from God, raising Christ from the dead
is used in raising me from the dead spiritually. And that's
strength, isn't it? You know, the very the very fact
that you persevered up to this point and haven't fallen away
and haven't left, you still look to Christ. Scripture says we're
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Now you're strengthened with
all might and I hope that we've learned this when I'm weak, then am I strong. Only when I'm weak am I strong
and he strengthens me with strength. Now go on reading in verse 11.
of Colossians chapter one, strengthened with all might,
according to his glorious power. And here's what happens when
we're strengthened with his power, patience, long suffering with
joyfulness. Now that's what happens to folks
when God strengthens him with his mighty power. First there's
patience. Now, The word here is actually
the word that's generally translated long-suffering. It means endurance,
perseverance. If you continue in my word, then
are you my disciples indeed, in truth, in reality. Now, if
God's strength is upon you and me, you know what we're going
to do? We're going to continue in the faith. And we're not going to be moved
from the hope of the gospel. That's what's going to happen
if God's strength is on me. I'm going to continue in the
faith. I'm going to continue looking
to Christ. I'm going to continue walking
with him. I'm not going to fall away. And
I know this, if he doesn't keep me, if I'm not kept by his strength,
I will fall. That's not even questionable.
Not even questionable. I must be kept by the power of
God through faith. unto salvation now unto him that's
able. Here's where the power is now
unto him that's able to keep you from falling and to present
you faultless before his presence with exceeding joy. To the only
wise God, our Savior, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Now that's power, isn't it? The
fact that we've been preserved, that we persevere, that is the
power of God. And the next word he uses in
verse 11 is with long suffering or with forbearance is what the
word is generally translated. Look over in Colossians chapter
three, verse 12. Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another. That's the same word. Forbearing
one another and forgiving one another. You know, that's a beautiful
thing in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It makes God's
people forbear one another, put up with one another and forgive
one another. And what a blessing that is to
be enabled from your heart to forgive. That's the power of
God that enables someone to do that. Only the power of God.
And next he says in verse Colossians chapter one, verse 11, when God's
power is on somebody. It says there's joyfulness. There's joyfulness. Now you can't
love without joy in the object of your affection. Can't be done. The fruit of the spirit is love. What's next? Joy. Peace. Romans chapter 14 verse
17 says the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. It's not
do's and don'ts. It's not rules and regulations.
It's not if you do this, you're doing right. If you do that,
you're doing wrong. It's righteousness. Christ's righteousness is my
personal righteousness before God. I hope I say that every
time I preach. The righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ is my personal righteousness. And I love that. I do, I love
that. You know what makes me, it makes
me at peace. That's the only thing that makes
me at peace. It gives me peace, really, is to know that the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ really is my righteousness before God.
I get such peace from that. You know what else I get from
it? Joy. Makes me happy. I'm glad it's
that way. I mean, it's not just a, it's
not just some repetitious doctrine to me. It's the very heart and
soul of my life before God. Righteousness, peace, and joy
in the Holy Ghost. Look what he says in verse 12. giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light, who has made us sufficient. That's what
the word means, fit. Now I want us to think just for
a minute about the inheritance of the saints in light. You know,
in the last few years, we've buried seven people from this
congregation. The inheritance of the saints
in light. I believe they're in light right
now. They're not looking down here. It kills me when people
talk about somebody dying and say, oh, they're looking down.
If they're in heaven, I guarantee you they're not doing that. I
just assure you, they're not interested at all. They're beholding
the face of the lamb. They're singing his praise is
what they're doing. The inheritance of the saints
in light. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are
there. David, Solomon, Paul, Peter, Thief on the cross, Barnabas,
Mary Magdalene, the woman that was a sinner, are all in that
place of light. The inheritance of the saints
in light. You that have lost spouses, what
sadness there is in that. But to think of them being in
glory right now in the very presence of Christ and to think they really
haven't thought about you since then. When you get back there,
when you're there with them, you'll have fellowship, but they're
worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ, the inheritance of the saints
in life. Now, what this scripture tells
us is that I'm fit right now. Nothing needs to be done. Nothing
needs to be added to me. I'm fit right now. I have all that is needed right
now. I am sufficient to be in heaven
right now to partake, be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints
in light. Nothing needs to be done. Look in Colossians chapter two,
and before you turn there, I've probably said this before. I've
heard others say it before. I'm a work in progress. You ever
heard that? Be patient with me. I'm a work
in progress. And I know what people mean by
that. I know what they mean by that. I hope I'm going to grow
more. I hope I'm going to, to grow in grace and the knowledge
of Christ more. And I understand what people mean by that, but
I'm not a work in progress. I'm complete in Christ. There's
no progress there at all. Look in Colossians chapter two,
verse nine. For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and you are, what's that next word? Complete. That doesn't sound like a work
of progress to me. Totally complete, sufficient for the inheritance
of the saints in light. I need nothing else. Look in Colossians 1 verse 22
or verse 21. and you that were sometimes alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works. Yet now, now, hath he
reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present
you, having presented you. It's actually in the past tense.
It happened when our Lord ascended back to the Father, having presented
you. How holy and unblameable and
unreprovable in his sight. Now that is fit for the inheritance
of the saints of the light, isn't it? Without question. And there's nothing I need to
do to be made fit. He has made us fit. We are his
workmanship and his workmanship is never half finished, is it?
Verse 13 of our text, Colossians 1, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. Now he delivered
us from the power of darkness. We, you know, there was a time
when I was under the complete dominion of sin. And you know
what was proof of it? I didn't know it. That's how
much control it had over me. I thought somehow I could do
something to make things better. And when I thought that, all
I proved by that, I was under the power of darkness, under
the complete dominion of sin, under the complete control of
Satan, dead in trespasses and sins. And you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. What can a dead man do?
He can't perform the functions of spiritual life, can he? I
always think of that scripture in Genesis chapter six, verse
five, and God saw that the wickedness of man, and this is talking about
the union, God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually. Now that's being under the power
of darkness, isn't it? Under the complete control and
dominion of darkness is unable to deliver ourselves as a dead
man is unable to give himself life or to create a universe,
but he has delivered us by what he did. And the scripture says,
he translated us into the kingdom of his dear son of the son of
his love, the kingdom of his son. Now, what do I know about
the kingdom of his dear son? What understanding do I have
of the kingdom of God? Would you turn with me to Luke
chapter 17 for a moment? Verse 20. And when he was demanded of the
Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come. Now, what they wanted to know
was when Israel would once again be the most powerful nation in
the world. As a theocracy, the way it used
to be. You remember, even before our Lord ascended into heaven,
They said to him, his disciples said, will thou at this time
restore the kingdom to Israel? Even then they were thinking
this way. When is the kingdom of God going to come? When are
we going to be delivered from Roman rule and Roman government?
And that's going to be put away and the true kingdom of God,
a true theocracy will be back and Israel will be in control.
And they wanted to know when is the kingdom of God going to
come? And look how he answered them. I love his answer. The
kingdom of God cometh not with observation. It cometh not with
outward show. It's not something you can see. And these people were looking
for a visible kingdom. Something you could say, see,
see the power, see the influence, see the wealth, see the armies,
see the goodness, why the kingdom of God is here, I can see it.
The kingdom of God is not something you can see. No one can say, here it is, there
it is. It comes not with observation. The only way you and I will ever
see the kingdom is if he puts us in the kingdom. A natural
man cannot see the kingdom of God. It's not something that
can be seen with these physical eyes. Verse 21, neither shall
they say low here or low there. Nobody can tell you here's where
it's at. For behold, the kingdom of God is within you. It's within you. It's within
your grasp. It's in your midst. Now, you
know that he does not mean that everybody has the kingdom of
God in their hearts and inside of them, because how many people
did he say such and such shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven?
He doesn't mean that everybody has the kingdom of God in him.
We know that from the light of other scriptures. These people
were wanting to know when it would come and what they would
see. Now let me tell you three things about the kingdom of God
that are very important. The kingdom of his dear son.
First, you have to be born again. Born from above. to see it or
to enter it. A natural man has no understanding
of the kingdom of God. It's impossible for him to see
it or to enter in. A man must be born again, birthed
by God. Now, how dependent are you or
what contribution did you make in your first birth? Absolutely
none. And how much contribution Do
you do? What do you contribute to the
second birth? Nothing. It's the sovereign work of God. The wind blows where it wills. You hear the sound thereof. You
can't tell where it's coming from or where it's going. Even
so is everyone who's born of the Spirit. Turn to John chapter
3. John chapter 3. There was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus
by night. I think that means more than
he was ashamed and didn't want his buddies to know he was coming. So he came at night. I think
it means he came in utter darkness, under the power of darkness. He could not see. And he said
unto him, Rabbi, We know that thou art a teacher come from
God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except
God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him,
How can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of
the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What's that
water about? Well, remember when Paul talked
about the washing of the water by the word, that's talking about
the word of God and the spirit of God creating life, hearing
the gospel, the truth, and having the spirit of God give you life.
Unless you have that, you can't see, or you can't enter the kingdom
of heaven. Now, When you enter the kingdom
of heaven, you come to know the king of the kingdom and he becomes
your king. Now he's everybody's king in
the sense that he's the Lord. He's in control and everybody's
in his hand. And somebody says, he's not my
king. You're in his hand. And he's going to do with you
whatever he pleases to do. I don't believe that. Well, he's
in control of that also. He controls everything. And you're in his
sovereign hand. Everybody's under his kingship
in that sense. He's the lord. He's God. He's in control. But
what about those people who want him as their king? Who want him
as their lord? They see him as king. You see, when the Lord walked
upon this earth, he did so as a king. His people see that. They don't see some frustrated,
defeated reformer. They see the king of kings, and
they see the Lord of lords. When he died, what was the accusation
written over his head? Jesus of Nazareth, the king. You don't even think he understood
this. He said, Lord, I know you're not going to stay dead. Remember
me when you come into your kingdom as a ruling reigning king. He was raised from the dead as
the mighty king of kings. And he's the king of grace. He
is my king. He's my Lord. He's my husband. He's my savior. He's my redeemer. He's the one who knows me. He's
my friend. He is my king. I didn't crown him king. He is
the king. And I bow willingly to his kingship. I'm glad he's king. He's the
king. We love him being king. And you know what? We need him
to be king. You know what kings do? Kings reign. Kings reign. Kings, their will is done. And
I need him to reign in me. I need him to cause me to do
his will. I need the reign of his grace.
How many times did the psalmist say that? Turneth, cause his
face to shine, will be saved. If you don't turn us, we won't
be turned. I need him to reign in my heart as king. Now, God's
people, those who are in the kingdom, Love having him as the
king. King of kings and Lord of lords. And the third thing I'd like
to say about this kingdom, this kingdom is headed for a glorious
consummation. Now the world will look on this
kingdom right now and they'll think, what? You call this a
kingdom? This insignificant A bunch of
nobodies with no influence, nobody. This is God's kingdom? Why? I can't see it. Well, I know
you can't. I know you can't. But one of these days, when all
sin, when all opposition will be put down, His people will
no longer have sin oppressing them, and they'll be perfectly
conformed to the image of the King in all things, in His glorious
kingdom of grace. Now, it might not look much now,
but one of these days, oh, the scripture says the righteous
are gonna shine as the sun in His kingdom. Isn't that a wonderful
thought? Every believer is gonna shine
as the sun in his kingdom. Now, here's where the kingdom
is. Look back at our text in Colossians
chapter one. We'll finish with this verse. Verse 13 says, who have delivered
us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom
of his dear son in whom. In whom? You see, the king is
not in the kingdom. The kingdom is in the king. The king is not in the kingdom.
The kingdom is in the king. In whom? All God has for the sinner is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. in whom we have redemption through
his blood. You know what that means? It means we have it. It means
I'm redeemed. It means his blood actually accomplished
my redemption. His blood didn't make my redemption
possible if I do something. He actually redeemed me. In whom we have redemption through
His blood, oh the precious blood of Christ, even the forgiveness
of sins. Now here is how and why these
blessed people are brought into this glorious kingdom redemption
through his blood. Look in verse 20 of the same
chapter. And having made peace through
the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things to himself
by him, I say, Whether they be things in earth or things in
heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated in enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death. Here's what his death accomplished
to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. Now, the kingdom, it's all in
him. Now I love that phrase, in Christ,
in whom, it's found so many times in the New Testament, hundreds. Two people I know who are in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Number one, in Him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead in His body. That blows my mind. All the fullness of the infinite
God dwells, resides in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the first person who's in him. And the next person is in you. And you are complete in him. How glorious to be in the kingdom
of the Son of his love, I love to think of the father saying
of the son, this is my beloved son, the son of my love, in whom
I am well pleased. Hear ye him. Let's pray together. Lord, we stand in all. Of the infinite greatness. Of
our king. And Lord, how amazed we are. That you, by your grace. Have
brought us. into the kingdom of your dear
son. Lord, we give thanks. In his blessed name, we pray.
Amen. Rich, what do you got? 212. 212. We'll stand and sing. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. That makes me wonder still.