Complete In Him

Now, the title of the message
tonight is Complete in Him, Complete
in Him. Those who are called of God to
preach the gospel of God's grace, who are truly called of the Spirit
of God to speak for the Lord and to minister his words. They all agonize and are concerned
mainly with three things. I believe I can speak for every
man who is truly designated by God in his grace and providence
to preach the gospel. They're deeply, deeply concerned
mainly for three things. Number one, and above all things,
they want to know the Lord. They want to know the Lord themselves. How can a man preach what he
himself has never experienced and felt and lived? He cannot
preach it with conviction, that's for sure. The Apostle Paul said,
O that I may win Christ and be found in him. O that I may know
him and the power of his resurrection. And then secondly, those who
are called of God to preach the gospel, they desire above all
things to preach the word of truth. They're not interested in just
preaching. They want to preach the gospel
of God's grace in Christ. As the Apostle Paul said to Timothy,
study, study, study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that
needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing, the word of truth. To offend where the word of God
is concerned and to teach men so, what was it the Master said? It would be better for a millstone
to be hanged about our necks and cast into the depths of the
sea. If I preach the gospel, I have
nothing of which to glory. Necessity is laid upon me. Woe
is unto me if I preach not the gospel. So, men who are sent
of God and called of God and ordained of God to preach the
gospel, desirable of all things themselves to know the Lord.
And secondly, to preach the word of truth. In whom you trusted
after you heard the word of truth. A man's not going to be saved,
brought to God, listening to another Jesus. another gospel
by another spirit. And then thirdly, those whom
God has sent have a great burden which is never, ever lifted from
their hearts. They have a burden for those
to whom they preach and who hear them preach. That burden is that
these who hear may come to a saving faith and a confidence in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the church at Galatia,
and he said, I travail, I travail like a woman giving birth to
a child, till Christ be formed in you. That woman who gives
birth and presses and pushes to deliver a Paul said, that's
the burden I feel in desiring that Christ may be formed in
you, and that the life of God might be born in you. And he said in 2 Timothy 2, verse
9, I endure all the things that I endure for the elect's sake,
that they may come to a knowledge of that gospel of God's free
grace in Christ Jesus. That's the burden, that your
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power
of God. Now friends, it's not our doctrine
that we want you to know. That's not the objective. You
can convert a man from one denomination to another and do him no good.
You can bring a man from one system of doctrine to another
and do him no good. So it's not our doctrine that
we want you to know. That's not the objective. It's
not our traditions and our methods that we want you to follow. It is not our church that we
want you to join. Believe me, sincerely, God is
my witness. It is our Lord that we want you
to know. That's the key. It is our Lord
that we want you to know and believe and love, for if you
have Christ, you'll have his doctrine. Isn't that right? For if you have Christ in your
heart, then the methods will certainly be in agreement with
the message. And if you have Christ in your
heart, You will find your fellowship with others who have Christ in
their hearts. So that's the issue. That's the
objective, that you may know Christ. Philip asked the Lord
Jesus, he said, Lord, show us the Father. Show us the Father,
show us the Father's kingdom, the Father's will, the Father's
purpose, the Father's glory, show us the Father. Have I been so long time with
you and you don't know me? Isn't that a convicting question?
Have I been so long time with you and you don't know me? Is that possible? He that had seen me had seen
the Father. He that had seen me had seen
the kingdom of God. the purpose of God. This is the issue, that Christ
be formed in you, that you know Christ personally, individually. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus
to Jerusalem. He was eleven or twelve years
of age. There were certain ceremonies
that had to be followed because he was a Jew. And they brought
him up for the feast, and when the two or three days were over,
they packed up and started home. And the scripture says they went
a day's journey, a day's journey, supposing him
to be with them. And when the day's journey was
ended, they began to inquire. where is Jesus? And they found
that they had left him in Jerusalem. But the point, they went back
to Jerusalem, they said, we have, don't you care that we've been
burdened and troubled because you were not with us? And he
said, wished you not I'd be about my father's business. But the
thing that is so interesting in that story, is the fact that
here they travel a day's journey, supposing, taken for granted,
that he was with them. And he wasn't at all. Not at
all. And this is the thing that I'm
interested in tonight, that we see something about this. Do
I know Christ, or do I know about him? Do I know Christ, or have
I spent my life studying the doctrines of Christ? And I'll
tell you, when we realize how subtle is Satan, when we realize how deceitful
is the human heart, who can know it? When we realize how natural to
man is religion. Religion is just as natural to
man as any other emotion. It's kind of a built-in thing.
Everybody's religious to some extent. Somebody most recently
told me about visiting a funeral home, and a man had died who,
as far as any of us know, had no interest in Christ, had no
thought of Christ, who had no love for Christ, who had no identification
whatsoever with Christ Jesus. And my friend was talking to
a man in this age bracket, in our 60s, 70s, and this man said
to my friend, well, oh, so-and-so's better off. And my friend said, I don't think
he is. I don't think he is. He didn't
believe the gospel. He had no interest in the Bible,
in the word of God. He had no interest in the gospel,
no identification with Christ. The man answered back, well,
he believed in God. And my friend said, well, yes,
doesn't everybody believe in God? But he had no knowledge
of God. He had no love for God. Well,
the man answered, maybe God will work a miracle. Now, my friend, God did work
a miracle 2,000 years ago when he sent his Son into this world
robed in human flesh, faced and obeyed the law as our
representative and died on the cross as our substitute and set
him forth to be a propitiation and said, Believe on him and
live. Reject him and die. That's the
miracle. The miracle is that any of us
should believe on Him. The miracle is that God should
send His Son, that God should even be mindful of us, that He
should send His Son to die for us. That's the miracle. It's
already been worked. There's not going to be another
one. And oh, how natural to man is religion, how prone we are
to our own way and not God's way. We're prone that way. You
know that? We're prone that way. That's the reason that I've said
so often, the less conscience you have a religious leader,
the less conscience he has, and the more charisma he has, and
the more fanfare he has, and the more showmanship he has,
the more successful he can be in religion. And that's because
that men are prone not to God's way, but their way. And when
he gives them what they want to hear, then they're following. And when I realize how contrary
to God is our natural wisdom, we must, all of us, cry with
the pastor of old who said, we listened to the preacher, and truth by him has been shown. But we need a greater from the everlasting throne to
know Christ is the work of God alone. And that's my prayer, and that's
the burden of every true preacher. He's not interested in vain glory. He's interested in the glory
of Christ. He's not interested in numbers for the sake of numbers. He's interested in that number
which no man can number. who prays forever, the King of
Glory. But I want you to look with me
at Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. That's
my text tonight, Colossians chapter 2, but I want to go back just
a few verses into chapter 1 and do something that I've advised
you to do all these years. And that has something to do
with the context before you deal with the text. In Colossians
chapter 1, twice the Apostle Paul said, I, Paul, am made a
minister. Look at chapter 1, verse 23.
The last line, chapter 1, verse 23. Whereof I, Paul, am made
a minister. Now, people talk about the call
to the ministry. And I don't know a great deal
about it, and I don't reckon anybody else does, but I do know
this, that it's the work of God, definitely the work of God, which
puts a man into the ministry. It's divine, it's the divine
work of God. And God supernaturally, in his
own time, in his own way, will give that man the message and
open a door. for that man to deliver that
message. And that's what Paul's saying here, I made a minister. Verse 25, whereof I made a minister. God made me a minister. He made
me what I am. I am what I am by the grace of
God. Verse 25, whereof I made a minister according to the dispensation,
and that's the stewardship. The stewardship of God which
is given to me for you. If God makes a man a minister,
he gives him somebody to whom he'll minister. Do you understand
what I'm saying? Paul said, God made me a minister
and gave me a dispensation or a stewardship. He gave me a responsibility. He gave me a hearing. He gave
me a people to whom I was to minister, and that people are
you. They're you. See that? I made
a minister according to the stewardship of God given to me for you. God
just didn't call him to be a minister to stand up and talk to the wind. Somebody said I'll preach the
gospel whether anybody hears me or not. I believe if you preach
the gospel, somebody's going to hear you. I don't think God
sends a man to preach the gospel to the trees. For you, look at
most of the rest of that line, to fulfill the Word of God, or
to fully preach the Word of God. That's, God made me a minister,
gave me a stewardship, which is you, to fully preach the Word
of God. Now look, even, now watch this,
the mystery. The mystery. I hear people always
talking about things so simple a little child can understand
you. Well, a little child might understand the word just like
a little child might understand when some great mathematician
puts the twos and the threes and the Xs and the Us and the
As and the Bs and the different figures on the board. He can
know what those figures are, but he can't know what that problem's
all about, or the conclusions that's being drawn from that
problem. And so little children might, or grown children, or
old men and women might understand the words that you say, and not
understand the mystery that you're conveying. That's what we're
talking about here. It's a mystery, which has been
here from ages and generations. Wise men. Over there in 1 Corinthians
it says the leaders of this world. The princes of this world. The
most educated intellectual men of this world. Had they known
who Christ was, would not have crucified him. But they didn't know who he was.
They saw him. They saw the deeds that he did.
Heard the words that he said. But they didn't know the mystery
involved in his coming. But now this mystery is made
manifest, clear to the saints. You do. You do. You know. See, this is what Paul,
son of Tarsus, was an educated man. He sat at the feet of Gamaliel,
the greatest teacher of his day. Schooled in the Old Testament
scriptures. in the writers and philosophers
of his day. He was known by kings and statesmen. His learning was known everywhere. In fact, one king said to him,
much learning hath made you mad. But Saul of Tarsus didn't know
the mystery of Christ. And he said when it pleased God,
and he was in his forties, when it pleased God, who separated
me from my mother's womb, to reveal his Son in me. Then immediately
I conferred not with flesh and blood, but I went into Arabia
and so forth. God revealed, revealed the mystery,
the gospel. That's what he's talking about,
it's a mystery. Verse 27, to whom God would make known what
is the riches of the glory of this mystery. This mystery among
the Gentiles, what's the mystery? Christ in you. That's the hope
of glory. Christ in you. Christ. Christ. I talked to Brother Jim
Byrd down in Louisiana last week. He came down to the services
two nights where I was preaching in Lake Charles. And he said
he had been preaching to a group of people up in up in Mississippi
that had come out of different churches and were meeting in
a home or in a building somewhere. There were five or six families.
They have one man that's been teaching them, and he said something
to this effect to Brother Byrd, I'm kind of weary of hearing
you fellows talk about all we preach is Christ. You're always saying, we preach
Christ, all we preach is Christ. What do you mean, all you preach
is Christ? This is what we mean right here,
Christ in you, that's the hope of glory. And let me see if I
can show you now as we go on with this Colossian letter, what
we mean by we preach Christ. What we mean. Look at verse 1
of chapter 2. Paul says, I would that you knew
what great conflict or concern or care that I have for you and
for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face
in the flesh. He said, I have a great burden
for you. I have great concern and care
for you, you who have never even seen me, and whom I have never
seen, for the problem exists everywhere. the problem of religion
without Christ, doctrine without Christ, profession without Christ. And this is his concern, because
you will see this as I go on. And this is my concern, verse
2, that their hearts, these people I don't even know, that they're
professing religion, that their hearts might be comforted. My
concern is that you might be encouraged and being knit together
in love. You may be knit together in love
and into all riches of the full assurance, confidence of understanding
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ.
The Amplified Version says this, that you may come, that you may
come to an understanding of the riches and the blessings of assurance
to an understanding of the mystery of God which is in Christ. The mystery of God which is Christ. Now let me show you that in a
few other scriptures. Mystery. Mystery. Ephesians chapter
1. Turn back there a moment. Ephesians
chapter 1. In verse 9 and 10. Now listen
to this. My concern is that your hearts
be encouraged, you be knit together in love, that you come to a knowledge
and understanding of the mystery of God in Christ. Ephesians 1,
9. Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he
hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness
of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
which are both which are in heaven, which are on earth. This is the
mystery. That God's going to gather together
in one all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth. Look at chapter 3 of Ephesians,
verse 3 and 4. Listen to this. Chapter 3 of
Ephesians, verse 3 and 4. How that by revelation he made
known unto me the mystery. As I wrote before in few words,
whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the
what? The mystery of Christ. Mystery. The mystery of Christ has to
be revealed. Turn to Ephesians 5. All the
way through this book of Ephesians, he talks about this mystery.
Heard from ages and generations. Which the princes of this world
did not know, and which religious people of this day do not know.
The mystery. Ephesians 5.32. This is a great
mystery. I speak concerning Christ and
the church. What has he been talking about?
Residents, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave
himself for it. that he might purchase for himself,
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water of the
world, that he might present it to himself a glorious church.
This is a mystery. Turn to Colossians 4, right over
a page from where we were, Colossians 4, verse 3. Pray for us, Paul
said. Colossians 4, 3. Wherewithal,
praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of
utterance to speak the mystery of Christ. for which I am also
in bonds, I'm in jail for this very mystery I preach. It runs
headlong into man's objections, denial, rejection, especially
the religious people. It wasn't the state that put
him in jail, it was the religious people. He wants just to pray
for him that God open doors of others to preach the mystery
of Christ. Turn to 1 Timothy 3, listen to
this, 1 Timothy 3, verse 16. 1 Timothy 3, 16. And without controversy, great
is the mystery. What is this mystery? The mystery
of godliness. Listen, there's no mystery. Everybody knows God done all
he can do, now it's up to you. God wants to save everybody,
they won't let him. Jesus died on the cross for the
way everybody sins, he's begging folks now to let him in the house.
What's mysterious about that? Nothing, because it's not so. The mystery is the accomplishment
of his divine, eternal covenant and purpose in Christ Jesus.
And that's the mystery that 99% of the folks standing in the
pulpit tonight don't know. Hadn't been revealed. Great is
the mystery of godliness. What is that? God was manifest
in the flesh. Justified in the Spirit. The
Holy Spirit justified everything he said and did. Scene of the
angels. The angels announced everything
the Lord did is coming his resurrection, his second coming, angels ministered
to him in the garden, ministered to the angels, preached to the
Gentiles, that's a mystery. Preached to the Gentiles, that's
a mystery. Believed on in the world, that's
a greater mystery. Received up into glory, the man
in glory. There's a man received up into
glory and seated at God's right hand. That's a mystery. That's
right, flesh and bones. That's a mystery. Go back to
my text now. And that's what he said, in verse
1, chapter 2, I've great concern in conflict. Great concern, even for people
that I've never seen. I want their hearts comforted. I want them knit together in
love. I want them to come to the full assurance of the understanding,
to the acknowledgment, to the understanding of entering into
the mystery of God, of the Father and of Christ. How is he wonderful, counselor, the mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. How is he
made of the seed of David and declared to be the Son of God?
How is he David's son and yet he's David's Lord? How is he? Well, here, let's go on. Because
in him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All, listen, in Christ are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the treasures
of the wisdom of God, knowledge of God is in Christ. Don't search
for it, anything pertaining to God and his mercy and grace and
righteousness anywhere but in Christ. Why should I preach anything
but Christ, when all the wisdom, all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge are in Christ? If I want you to know anything,
I've got to preach Christ. God, who spake to our fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his
Son, by whom he made the worlds, whom he hath appointed heir of
all things. See, that's what he said. I tell you, in Christ
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And I say
this to you, and he said it three times here in these two chapters. Three times. Look back at verse
19 of chapter 1. It pleased the Father that in
him shall all fullness dwell. Look at verse 3 of chapter 2.
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Look
at verse 9, chapter 2, "...in him dwelleth all the fulness
of the Godhead bodily." Isn't that enough? Surely that ought
to be three triple witnesses, let every word be established. I say this lest any man should
beguile you or tempt you or confuse you by using enticing words like,
well, all you preach is Christ. Well, we deal with practical
things. My Lord's death is very practical. There's nothing involving God,
there's nothing involving life, there's nothing involving hope,
there's nothing involving a sinner that has anything to do with
God that's not all in Christ, and met in Christ, and revealed
in Christ. And I'll tell you, if you preach
it rightly, it'll be related to Christ. Look at verse 5. I be absent in the flesh, yet
am I with you in spirit, joying and beholding your order and
the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." Where's your faith? In Christ. He's the author and
finisher of our faith. He's the giver of faith. He's
the object of faith. Hold that scripture and turn
to 1 John 5 a moment. I wish we could get very acquainted
with this verse of Scripture. I don't suppose as a week goes
by that I don't read this or refer to it in a message somewhere. 1 John 5, verse 20. And we know,
1 John 5, 20, that the Son of God is come and has given us
an understanding. Apart from Him, we don't have
any. that we may know him that is true, and that we're in him
that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. And this is the
true God, and this is eternal life. This is it. That's where
it is. It's all in Christ. Now, back to the text. All right. Verse 3 said, In him are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Verse 5 says, Your
face in Christ. Now, verse 6. As you therefore
have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." The believer in Christ never
gets beyond where he started. He never gets beyond where he
started. He started in Christ, he'll die
in Christ. How did we receive Christ? As
you have therefore received Christ. How did you receive him? When
God saved you, when God revealed Christ to you, how did you receive
Him? Well, I received Him as the sole revelation of God. He
still is. That didn't change. Had I received
Him, I received Him as the one sacrifice for sin. He still is. That hadn't changed. Had I received
Him as my righteousness, He still is. As my wisdom, He still is. Is my sanctification? He still
is. Is my redemption? He still is.
Had I received him as the fulfillment of every promise? He still is. All the promises of God in Christ,
yea and amen. Had I received him as a fountain
of life and grace? He still is. Had I received him
as the resurrection and the life and the hope of glory? He still
is. And I receive him as my only
Lord and Master. He still is. Don't let anybody rob you of
that treasure, and of that liberty, and of that peace, and of that
rest. Have you begun in the Spirit and you're made perfect by the
flesh? Oh foolish Galatians, he said. Who hath bewitched you?
Let's go on beyond Christ. There ain't no beyond Christ. he filleth all things. If I send
him to heaven out there, if I make my building hell out there, if
I take the wings of the morning and run in the innermost parts
of the sea, even where thy hand shall hold me." That can't get
beyond Christ. Who would want to? Who would want to? Look at verse
7. Rooted and built up in him. He's
my foundation. He's my spiritual growth and
my maturity. How do I grow? I grow in grace
through the knowledge of Christ. Desire the sincere milk of the
Lord that you may grow thereby. Grow how? In grace and in the
knowledge of Christ. That's growth. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, and you'll find rest unto yourselves. Learn of me, read
it, and build up in Him and established in the faith as you've been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving. I tell you, it doesn't matter
how long you've been preaching, how long you've been a believer,
and how long you've been studying, you don't take one step beyond
where you started in Christ. That's right, in Christ. Verse 8, now, the measure of
those who preach is what they preach about Christ. Now, you
beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy, vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the elements of this world, and
not after Christ. Does he preach Christ? How can a man preach the Word
of God and not preach Christ? He can't. He can't do it. And this is what we're warned
about. Back there in verse 3, he said, In whom are hid all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and I say this to you, lest any
man should beguile you with enticing words. Don't you leave that.
Verse 7 says, You're rooted and built up in him. Verse 8 says,
Don't let anybody take you away from that. Beware. There's some
real There's some real smooth operators out there. There are
fellows who creep in seeking to lead disciples after themselves.
What's the measure for those who preach? It's what do they
preach about Christ. And this is where men usually
stray and err, is in the doctrine of Christ. Let me show you that
in 2 John. Turn to the little book of 2
John. Listen to this. Chapter, just one chapter, 2
John, verse 7. Verse 7 of 2 John. Now, listen
to this. Many deceivers are entering into this world.
They confess not that Jesus Christ has come into flesh. That implies
a whole lot there. God has come into flesh. He's
come to accomplish a purpose. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Look to yourselves now, that we lose not those things which
we have wrought, which we have gained, but that we receive a
full reward. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. Doctrine of his eternality, the
doctrine of his deity, the doctrine of his incarnation, the doctrine
of his righteousness, the doctrine of his substitution. The doctrine
of his resurrection, the doctrine of his reign, the doctrine of
his Lordship, the doctrine of Christ, everything has to do
with Christ. He that abideth continually in the doctrine of
Christ, every Lord's Day, every Wednesday, every day abideth
in the doctrine of Christ. He hath both the Father and the
Son. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine,
what doctrine? of Christ, don't receive him
into your house. I think it ought to be nice to
everybody, brother of mine, not to somebody who claims to be
a representative of God, who denies God himself, who is Christ. Don't receive him into your house.
Don't bid him God's speed. He that biddeth him God's speed,
he that contributes to his journey, is a partaker of his evil deeds.
That's warning enough, isn't it? It has to do with Christ. Everything, you see, all the
way through this. Read on. Look at verse 9. Now,
he said, and this is the third time Paul's told us this, for
in Christ he warns us about these false preachers who, through
philosophy and deceit and tradition and elements of the world, And
not preaching Christ mislead people, for in Christ dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You want to learn to
love? You learn to love in Christ.
You want to learn to forgive? You learn to forgive in Christ.
You want to learn to give? It says it's Christ gave himself. You want to learn grace? It's
all in Christ. Everything about God's in Christ.
You cannot teach any subject related to God or to us or to
our needs without basing it upon Christ and his relationship with
us. Because in him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead body. All that God is, all that God
requires, all that a sinner needs is in Christ. I know there are preachers who
preach about peace. Well, he's the Prince of Peace.
How can you have peace without the Prince of Peace? They preach the kingdom of God.
Well, he is the king. He's the king. How can you have
a kingdom without a king? Everything's related. Everything's
in him. All that God is, all that God
requires, all that a sinner needs is in Christ. And you're complete
in him. You're perfected in him. He's
perfect, and your being in him makes you perfect. If you're
not wrapped up in, and immersed in, and him in you, and one with
him, you're imperfect. Whatever's sticking out's imperfect. You're complete in him. How can
you get beyond being complete? People talk about going on, you
know, the deeper things. There's nothing deeper, nothing
greater than Christ. How can I be more than complete?
We're perfect in Him. Turn to Philippians 3.12. Now,
not in ourselves. We're not perfect in ourselves.
Let me show you something here. Philippians 3.12. Paul said this. Philippians 3.12. Not as though
I had already attained, either already perfect. Talking about
in himself, there's nothing perfect about me. But I follow after,
if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended
of Christ. In myself, nothing perfect about
me. But in him, turn to Hebrews 10. Listen to this. And this is a
mystery. You know, the believer is a paradox. He himself is a mystery. He's
the world's greatest sinner, and yet he's holy in Christ. He dies daily, but he lives eternally. He's poor, but he's rich. He's
burdened, but he's joyful. He prays for God to forgive him
of his sins, knowing that his sins are already paid for. It's
a paradox. The world doesn't understand
it. He doesn't understand himself, but he believes God. Look at
Hebrews 10, verse 14. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever. them that are sanctified. We're
perfect! You're complete in Christ. This is not speaking of what
we shall be, it's what we are. In him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead body, and you are perfect, you're complete,
perfected in him. Now, verse 11. Just a minute or two more, and
I'm going down here to verse 13. I tell you, if you just go back
and mark the in whom's and in him, it'll tell you what I'm
trying to say. In whom? Also you're circumcised. Not with a circumcision made
with hands, but with a circumcision made without hands. And the putting
off of the body of the sins of this flesh by the circumcision
of Christ. What? What was circumcision? Well, it was instituted by God
for Israel. Let's take a moment and look
back here at it and see if we can get a little help here. Genesis
17. I wouldn't do you right if we
didn't deal with this right here for a moment. Genesis 17. Genesis 17, verse 10. Now, God
said this to Abraham. Genesis 17, 10. This is my covenant which you'll
keep. between me and you and your seed
after you. Now, remember that Abraham's
natural seed was a natural people, most of whom didn't know God.
But they were an earthly people, and they're a special type of
the Church. And God gave the ordinances and
oracles and prophets to them, but most of them died in But
they were a natural people, and they were elected or chosen of
God to be his people on this earth, and they represent us.
Now, he said, this is my covenant. Every man-child among you shall
be circumcised, and you shall circumcise the flesh of your
foreskin. It shall be a token of the covenant
between me and you. And that child that is eight
days old, he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among
you, every man child in your generation. He that is born in
your house, or bought with your money, or stranger which is not
of your seed, he that is born in thy house, he that is bought
with thy money, must needs be circumcised. And my covenant
shall be in your flesh, a sign for an everlasting covenant.
And the uncircumcised man and child, whose flesh of his foreskin
is not circumcised, that soul will be cut off from his people. He's broken my covenant." All
right, what is circumcision? Well, number one, it was a token
of the covenant with Israel. And I tell you, we are circumcised
in the heart. Not made with hands, but the
Spirit of God in the heart. We belong to God in a covenant
of grace. Secondly, circumcision was a
sign by which Israel was distinguished from other nations. And this
new heart and new nature and the presence of Christ is a distinguishing
mark by which you are known from unbelievers. Thirdly, a child
was named at circumcision. When that circumcision took place,
that's when they named him, eight days old. read it in Luke and
other places. And I tell you, when God operates
on your heart, you're a son of God. You belong to his family. You're called by his name, children
of God. Fourth, the circumcision was
necessary to eat the Passover. No one was allowed to the Passover
had not been circumcised. And even so, all who had been
circumcised in heart by the Spirit of God, through the work of God,
come to the table of the Lord and feast with him. So all of
this about natural Israel is but a picture and a type of spiritual
Israel where the heart is pierced and broken and circumcised by
Christ our Lord. And all of that has to do with
Christ. You see that verse 11? Also you are circumcised in Christ
with a token, with a sign, with an operation made without hands. We're not going to get them down
there and lay our hands on them. That's what the Hebrew physicians
did to these little boys. They circumcised them with their
hands, but didn't do anything in And preachers are trying to lay
hands on people and shake hands with people and, oh, raise the
hands of people. It's not made with hands. It's
putting off this body of sins of the flesh. It's made with
the circumcision of Christ in the heart. Is that clear what
I'm saying? Heart work. And God has to do
it, and He does it in Christ. Look at verse 12. Baptism. That's our confession of faith.
We're buried with Him in baptism. with whom? With Christ. And also you're risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God who raised him from the
dead. My friends, it's just the strength in these children. That doesn't say anything. It's
a ritual. It's a ceremony. It doesn't say
anything. The child's not a believer. The child's not in Christ. The
child isn't has no understanding of the death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ, none whatsoever. It's a meaningless thing. And
also, to baptize an unbeliever, you get people down there and
get a profession out of them and force them into the baptismal
pool, you're making a mockery. When a man comes to baptism,
it's a confession of Christ. He's saying this, I believe that
Christ Jesus, my Lord, died for my sin. and was buried and rose
again for my justification. I believe when he died, I died.
When he's buried, I was buried. I'm dead to this world, and I'm
risen with Christ. I'm a new creature. I'm in Christ,
Christ in me. We walk together. We come to
the baptismal pool. We're identifying with him, with
Christ. It's not a The preacher can contend
for the right mold and the right conditions and the right depth
and all these things, and meaningless. We're buried with him in baptism,
risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who
hath raised him from the dead. The same one that raised Christ
from the dead is the one who quickened you, who were dead
in trespasses and sins. I love baptism. I wish we could
disturb these waters more, but I'm not going out and round up
folks to get baptized. I'm not going to put any pressure
on you or anybody else. If you're dead with Christ and
buried with Christ and risen with Christ, then you'll confess
Christ. It's meaningless unless you are. And you, being dead in your sins,
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, and forgiven you of all your trespasses? Charlie, that's why we preach
Christ, isn't it? John, preach Christ, sing about
Christ. I saw one hanging on a tree in
agony and blood. He fixed his languid eyes on
me as near the cross I stood. Sure never till my latest breath
can I forget that look. It seemed to charge me with his
death, though not a word he spoke. A second look he gave, which
set I freely all forgiven. This blared as far as I ransom
paid. I died that you might live. Oh,
can it be, upon the tree, the Savior died for me? My soul is
thrilled, my heart is filled to think he died for me." Oh,
that's our message. Forty-two years ago I heard this
gospel, 1950, April 1950. I never run out of something
to preach yet. I could go on, as you know, another
hour if you want to stick around. No problem to me, because it's
all in him. And I'll tell you, I'll find
him on every verse. I'll find him. And you look around in this church
right here, the generosity of these people, the love of these
people, the grace of these people. Preaching Christ did that. Christ
did that. Most gracious, generous, loving
people in this whole world sitting right here. And Christ did it. And now you can have stewardship
Sunday. Sunday and just anything you
want to, to get folks Mother's Day, Easter, just do all you
want to. But I tell you this, if you'll
preach Christ, God will honor it. He that honors me, Christ
said, my Father will honor. Is that right, John? My Father
will honor. Come to Christ.

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