Colossians

[0:00] Epistle to the Colossians and verse 27, verse 27 in the first chapter of Colossians.

[0:12] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[0:31] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[0:47] If we read the 26th verse in conjunction with the 27th, the Apostle declares, Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[1:29] Now he speaks in these verses concerning a mystery that had been hid from ages and from generations, but which is now made manifest to his saints, that they might know what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among even the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[2:07] Now I want to try and help to speak a little concerning this mystery. Natural men are always intrigued by that which is mysterious.

[2:25] Even men of great learning and scholarship spend their lives searching out mysteries.

[2:43] You know that the Greeks were renowned for being willing to listen to any new proposition, any new thought, so that they might search it out, discuss it, debate it, and as they supposed to search out the truth, the reality.

[3:15] And yet it is a remarkable thing that among men for the most part there is no desire to search out these mysteries.

[3:35] And I believe that the wise men, for Paul himself was one of those who was taught by the most expert of his nation, he studied, he studied, he was well acquainted with all the word and the law of God, he was declared to be foremost among those among those that sat at the feet of the learned.

[4:34] And yet it is evident by a question that he asked when he was laid low in the way to Damascus and the Lord Jesus said unto him, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

[4:58] He said, who art thou, Lord? So it is evident that these mysteries are not to be known by study, they are not to be known by endeavor, they are not searched out of the natural mind and a carnal nature, but nevertheless they are revealed.

[5:41] And the apostle declares, but now is made manifest to his saints. We sometimes use that word and not always rightly apply its real meaning.

[6:17] His saints are those that are set apart in the covenant of grace. Those whom Christ has sanctified by his sufferings and by his death.

[6:40] And those whom the Spirit quickens and enlightens. it is to these.

[6:54] But consider what manner of men and women they were and they are by nature.

[7:04] you know that many of the records left for us in God's word concerning those that he has set apart.

[7:23] By natural judgment one would have immediately written them off. consider Paul himself a blasphemer a persecutor of the church injurious self-righteous consenting unto the death of those that believed upon the name of the Lord and purposing to take and bind and put into prison men and women just because they called upon the name of the Lord Jesus.

[8:23] Yet God declares concerning him he is a chosen vessel unto me. And therefore he was set apart in the covenant of grace and being set apart in the covenant of grace then he is among those for whom Christ came and laid down his life and of whom it is written both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are one.

[9:09] And it is to the years that the spirit reveals the precious truths concerning Christ the mystery that was hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints.

[9:36] Throughout the whole word of scripture there has been a making known of the purposes of God even from the very beginning.

[10:01] The prophets the psalmists the histories they all reveal part of those purposes of God though in type and in shadow though veiled at times but let us appreciate that the full and the final revelation of the purposes of God of the disposition of his heart of the purposes of his grace the full and final revelation is by Jesus Christ our Lord.

[10:54] There are no further revelation of these mysteries their fullness their perfecting their bestowing is with him.

[11:19] You know that the Lord declared I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do.

[11:32] Now if a work is finished there remains nothing more to be done. And consider what is written concerning him.

[11:42] He came to bring life and immortality to light. He came to make an end of sin.

[11:56] He came to save his people from their sins. Now all these things are perfectly finished wrought out for the mystery that is spoken of in these verses all meet in Christ Jesus the Lord.

[12:29] When the Lord spoke with Adam and Eve after they had sinned, you know that the Lord made a declaration revealing his will and his purpose.

[12:58] For he spoke of one who should come who should bruise Satan's head. one who Satan should bruise his heel.

[13:19] And there is a little revealing there of that which should take place. That which Christ should enter into and what he should accomplish.

[13:41] But no doubt it was a mystery for it was not plain and clear. And the Lord also as he spoke with Adam and Eve did not leave them in that state in which they were found after they had eaten.

[14:13] For they were under the curse subject to death and naked. And they had tried to cover themselves.

[14:28] But we read of the grace of God even in that moment of disobedience. Even in that moment of exclusion because of sin.

[14:46] For you know they were to be driven out from the garden. Yet the grace of God was evident even there. for the Lord made them coats.

[15:07] The Lord himself made them a covering and that covering was not made without the shedding of blood. Now there was no liberty given to Adam to shed blood.

[15:24] The life is in the blood and the life was the Lord's for he gave it. But the Lord himself and he alone could made them those coverings.

[15:46] But not only did he make them he put them on. All the condescension and the grace the mercy of almighty God to come down to make a covering but all the grace that caused him to put it on them.

[16:12] Now if you consider these two small things comparatively they occupy but few words and yet they contain the seed of all of the blessings that God has purposed unto the sinner.

[16:38] if we think of Noah when the Lord spoke unto him and commanded him to build an ark it was that he might be saved with his family and when the appointed time was come the Lord bid him go in go into the refuge that the Lord had commanded and the Lord shut him in and I have often pondered upon those evidences of the wonders of God's grace and mercy unto

[17:40] Noah if there had been a window in the side of the ark Noah would have had all those many many days and weeks the evidence of the judgment of God upon the wicked the sight of it the smell of it the loathsomeness of it but the Lord commanded that the window should be in the top and it looked up unto heaven the Lord speaks concerning his people and it is fulfilled in Christ Jesus the Lord that the wrath that must come upon the wicked shall come nigh unto them they shall be kept from it for they have a refuge in whom the

[19:04] Lord has shut them and those are precious words in John's gospel no man is able to pluck them out of my hand and he goes on and declares also and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand the mysteries and the glories that pertain unto the fullness of grace revealed in Jesus Christ is unfolded throughout all of the scripture if you think of Moses here was a man wonderfully preserved of almighty God from his childhood strangely and mysteriously provided for and educated in the highest places in

[20:19] Egypt and for forty years he dwelt there and for forty years he was found in the backside of the desert keeping sheep and it was there that the Lord revealed unto him wonders that caused him to turn aside for he saw a bush and it was on fire and yet the bush was not consumed no wonder he turned aside but consider what the Lord said unto him as he drew near to see the sight the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground here was a revealing of that which was of

[21:29] God's mind and purpose and love for we see in type and in shadow him whom God sent for whom he had prepared a body like unto ours that which is of the earth and yet though the fire was upon it yet it was not consumed all the wrath of God against sin could not consume him who was holy and without spot we know that when

[22:29] Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle in the building of the tabernacle the purposes of God are revealed again in type and in shadow when the Lord commanded the building of the tabernacle consider to whom these commands were made it was a people that he had redeemed with blood and with power they had sheltered under the blood of the lamb upon the lintels and the doorpost while the angel of death passed over and the firstborn of Egypt were slain while Israel sheltered in safety they were redeemed by blood but also they were redeemed with power for when

[23:43] Pharaoh and his men pursued after them and would have destroyed them and taken them the almighty power of God was put forth at their defense and a way was made through the Red Sea but when the Egyptians tried to do the same the almighty power of God destroyed them so that there was not one of their enemies left they were a people that were redeemed with blood and with power but it also declares concerning these that they passed through the cloud with Moses and oh what a wondrous thing there is set before us there the cloud by day the pillar of fire by night to preserve them to lead them to direct them to shield them to cover them and it was to this people that the

[25:06] Lord gave these commandments commandments and he commanded that they give of whatsoever was in their heart to give according to their possessions what a wonderful thing that almighty God should be prepared to receive gifts from his creature and these very gifts to be the place wherein he would dwell in their midst the Lord had no need that Israel gave those gifts all things are his to take but the sweetness of it is in this that the people gave with a willing heart and when the tabernacle was made whether their gift was a gift of hair or linen or precious stones or gold or silver they all had a place in that building but also each of their gifts was sanctified by the presence of almighty

[26:40] God within it it wasn't the value according to man's judgment but the grace of God in receiving and sanctifying that which they gave and when the tabernacle was raised there were these three things ordained first of all there was a meeting place the mercy seat oh aren't there those wonders there those mysteries there that are fully and perfectly fulfilled and manifested in Christ Jesus the Lord what ground have you and I to draw near except through

[27:47] Jesus precious blood the Lord has made no other way the Lord will accept no other way but all the grace that so ordained it and that gave his son that we might draw near and when we think of that mercy seat we know that the Lord says there I will meet with thee and commune with thee and he would look down from between the cherubims and view the mercy seat sprinkled with blood but what lay underneath the mercy seat the ark of the covenant and the tables the tables of the law and how beautifully

[28:51] Christ is set forth there it's his obedience not ours all that we can bring his disobedience opposition rebellion transgression iniquity sin but by God's grace it is his obedience is made mine oh how wonderfully these things are set forth in the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat of pure gold sprinkled with blood upon which God looks and again those words are peculiarly sweet it is he instead of me is seen when I approach to God

[29:59] God what a mercy what a mercy if you may the possessors of that grace enlightened of the Holy Ghost are enabled to receive into our hearts and to believe and to trust not in what we feel in ourselves but in this glorious display of God's grace and of his will in the covenant that Christ's obedience is mine not only did the Lord command there to be a meeting place but he ordained also the priesthood and the sacrifices surely in these things in these mysteries there is a setting forth of

[31:11] Christ in the prophecy of Isaiah we read concerning him and oh how precious they are the word declares and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth and again he declares concerning him and by his stripes we are healed now those sacrifices of the old covenant could not purge the conscience from sin because those beasts were unknowing unfeeling creatures they were not subject to the law of God neither were they transgressors against it man had sinned and therefore it was the son of man and the son of

[32:22] God who offered himself one says a sacrifice offered himself unto God without spot purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God by that sacrifice the satisfaction that justice and righteousness requires and demands is made and by his obedience those for whom he died are delivered and set at liberty and the

[33:45] Lord also ordained a priesthood where there are sacrifices there must be a priesthood and there were priests of the sons of Levi set apart of the Lord to offer gifts and sacrifices according to his commandment and these they did but you know that they were subject to death they were mortal men they were sinners but there is set before us one who is made a high priest after the order of Melchizedek and it's evident that Paul when he viewed these things according to that deep knowledge that he had of the word of

[34:49] God and of the things of God saw the glories of Christ he now understood the mystery of Melchizedek without mother without father without descent and views Christ and the glories that pertain unto him in the father's bosom from all eternity you know that among the Jews their lineage was a most important matter to them so that they could say from whom they sprang this was one of the things that constituted their proudest their greatest boasting from whom they were descended but here there is set before us one whose lineage is not known it cannot be counted from whom he sprang and it is he whom

[36:02] God hath appointed and anointed and sent and confirmed with an oath as the high priest of his people forever you know that we could go through so many of the things of the scripture and in them all there is a revealing of those things of God's heart and mind and purpose which alone are fulfilled in Jesus Christ I see that the time has gone but let me just mention this one thought it is a precious thought the

[37:04] Lord has been pleased to make it known unto his people this mystery to view the glories of his grace in Jesus Christ the Lord and the fulfillment of all his will and of all his love we see how little men esteem these things how much they despise them and reject them and yet it is a privilege so great that not even the angels in heaven have this mystery revealed unto them they can only look on and wonder they are not participators in it now the

[38:07] Lord's people are not only told of these things they are fulfilled in them Christ in you the hope of glory now God's word proves that it is indeed so when the angels came unto the shepherds read carefully what they said for unto you is born this day and yet Isaiah could say centuries before and unto us there is a big difference between those two the angels could only proclaim it to others Isaiah declared it as being a partaker in it for unto us a child is born for unto us a son is given a partaker the angels unto you as those who declare it and make it known yet participate not dear friend are we participators in these glories are all the mysteries the hidden things made known in

[39:49] Jesus Christ the Lord well I pray that whatsoever things we know not we might have that spirit of supplication given unto us to ask that these mysteries might be made known you know that Paul himself declared that he was lifted up and saw unspeakable things it was evident that at one time he didn't know them but there was an entering into them think of those things that he was unable to say as a consequence of mysteries revealed unto him and how he proclaimed them and preached them unto the people

[40:52] I say unto you men and brethren through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and he declares that by him they were justified from all things a thing that the law was unable to do not only the glories not only the participating in it but the excellences of the glories and of the blessing that is come upon sinners may the lord add his blessing amen nine hundred or that redemption for that coming into rest for

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