Understanding the Fullness of Christ Against False Teachings

For I would that he knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [00:18:56]

Now the Apostle was writing here to these people at Colossae and as you notice he expresses a great and a grave concern for them he says that he has great conflict for which means that he was troubled and almost in a kind of agony in his concern for what is his concern for them well he tells them it is that their hearts might be comforted and that word their translated comforted means more than that they should have conservation and comfort it carries with it the idea of being encouraged and still more the idea of being strengthened. [00:54:75]

But great pastor and teacher that he was he knew about these false teachings that were current at that time and which were trying to insinuate themselves into the life of the Christian Church and indeed these teachings did insinuated themselves there were men passing as Christians claiming to be Christians claiming to be teachers and they went around the judges and they propagated and taught these new ideas of those this superior kind of Christianity as they claimed it to be. [03:43:31]

The Apostle says the key to the solution of this problem is full assurance of understanding entering into a fuller and a deeper knowledge of all the mystery of God's grace in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now this is the most important matter they were saying last Sunday morning that the New Testament tells us that there are three things which are needed by us all and they're all three forms of assurance we need the full assurance of faith because without it we can't pray we consider that now Sunday morning now here's an advanced full assurance of understanding. [13:07:80]

The answer is this there's only one key to the understanding of the mystery of God it is Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and so he goes on to expand that great and glorious doctrine he says why you're listening to these false teachers why are you listening to all these intermediaries about this talk about the angels and the necessity of them to lead you and others would that today praying to the Saints and praying to Mary why are you interested in intermediary there's no need of an intermediary he says there's one and the one is enough. [18:32:51]

The Apostle Peter stated it very clearly remember before that caught at the very beginning there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved there's no other name there's no second there's no assistant there's no help why does one who's done everything need any help mine supplement the gospel that is infinitely more than you can ever receive you see it is our ignorance concerning him that accounts for all our troubles and again you remember the Apostle reminds Timothy of it there is one God and one and only mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus. [20:08:93]

The Lord Jesus Christ is also the only key to the understanding of God's purpose and plan with respect to this world that's a great problem it was the problem then it is still the great problem today how can we understand life how can we understand this and all that's happening to it people tell us you see that they don't believe in God because of what they see the safes there's a god why does yellow war why does he allow cripples why did you love this little deal they said they don't believe in God because of that the mystery of God. [26:08:59]

God's wrath is upon men God's wrath is upon the world well says someone is that all you've got to tell us about and the answer of course is now you must not with the explanation and there is your explanation but the whole message of the New Testament and of the whole Bible is this that though man in his folly rebelled against God and send in that way and brought himself into trouble God has planned a way to redeem the universe now that's the basic thing that's mentioned in him Errol hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [29:49:27]

God is gathering these people for whom Christ died and who believed in him into this new body called the church and the church is the body of Christ let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility etc and not holding the head from which the body by joints and benzevich nourishment ministered and it together increases with the increase of God Christian people have you understood the mystery of the church here is the mystery of the ages the body of Christ which is the church he is the head and we are the members in other words we are not merely forgiven and saved individually we have made parts of the body of Christ. [34:53:09]

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only key to the understanding of it all and the certainty of it all is the only key to the enjoyment of it all while we are left in this world of sin and shame and of time it's all in him that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and listen and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ you know married all the treasures of wisdom riches treasure you are doubtful are you as the weather you gone with Christianity you think your friends in the world having a very good time and you've been rather proud of yourself that you forego these pleasures in order to come to worship God. [41:51:73]

The trouble with you and with me as we are so aware of our failings and our failures and our weaknesses and the strength of the enemy and the power of temptation that's the cause of our trouble and to be a correspondingly ignorant of all the riches and the treasures that are in the Son of God you say can I possibly hold that can I last here's the answer it's all in him oh the treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge are hidden hidden and all the riches of His grace do you want understanding I say well I've already shown you where to get it do you need the sympathy well here's one who can sympathize he's been in this world tempted in all points like as we are resisted even unto blood striving against sin he's been through it all Savior turn to Him and say Savior breathe forgiveness or us all our weakness now does no now disturb this earth before us now it's proved its deepest work in every pang that runs the heart the man of sorrows there's a part there is sympathy in him that you've got nowhere else he's been in it all and through it all he understands our frame he remembers that we are of the dust he is a sympathetic high priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities he knows our frailty and our ignorance do you need comfort go to him he alone can give it you he's the resurrection and the life he's everything. [43:23:60]

The Apostle putting it in verse 10 he says you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power do you know that you are complete you feel complete do you feel that everything you need and infinitely more is in Christ you are complete in him he is made of God into us wisdom righteousness sanctification what more do you need well let's sum of the night of summer hymns put it to us as we close o Lord I would delight in thee and on thy care depend to the in every trouble free my best my only friend when all created streams are dried thy fulness is the same may I with this be satisfied and I would this be satisfied and glory in thy name no good in creatures can be found but may be found in thee I must have all things and abound while God is God to me he that has made my hidden secure will hear all that provide while Christ is rich can I be poor what can I want peace I oh Lord I cast my care on the I triumphant at all and Sethe my great concern shall be to love thee to love and please the moth so john violin puts it but listen to newton how sweet the name of jesus sounds in a believers here it soothes his sorrows heals his wounds and drives away his fear does it to you if it doesn't it's because you're ignorant of you you do it all all the riches and the treasures are in him dear name the rock on which I build my shield and hiding-place my never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace is this patrut Erick is dispense the hyperbole of a part it's not it's true it isn't enough he's only had a glimpse of it it makes the wounded spirit home and calms the troubled breast his manner to the hungry soul and to the weary rest Jesus my shepherd guardian friend my prophet priest and King my lord my life my weary my end is everything except the praise I bring and you feel you need some other teaching to you you feel you need a little comfort and help the man can give you shame on us get the full assurance of understanding. [46:02:35]