Ep 92 Colossians Pt 4

we are wrapping up the teaching on the preeminence of jesus christ from the epistle to the Colossians, we’ve we’ve covered these keywords. Proto tacos preeminence uh First place Laroma fullness, new nails, and the fourth chapter Mysterion Mystery. Come on, join the discussion with Vicky and me as we get into understanding the greatest mystery in the universe that we are able to share on earth with people. Hi there tom and Vicky Mackerras, welcoming you back to the fourth program or study in chapter four of Colossians uh that you can follow along with us in this beautiful epistle concerning the preeminence of jesus christ. It’s been a wonderful study. Um you want to just start out by your just fresh thoughts on on what we’ve said so far the last few weeks. Uh as we’ve been looking at it. Well, in the beginning, what I was really impressed with in our study was the fact how many times it gave full deity to jesus christ in the early chapters of colossians, that this man is God in the flesh in the flesh. I mean, we we really saying that that this man who had a beginning as a baby in Bethlehem and lived 30 33 34 years and died on a cross shed his blood. This carpenter buried rose again from the dead, that we believe this man was God in the flesh. Can we believe that? That’s what this little book, this beautiful epistle is telling us why it’s so any more about that. And then the power that comes to us once we believe that and we’re born again and we get new life, the spirit of God comes to live in us, we have supernatural power to change that old man, that nature of that old woman inside of us and lay that aside, strip it away to crucify it. But it also says lay it aside twice in that chapter before us. Just get rid of it, take it off, bury it, let God bury that person and be renewed in the spirit of our mind. And then you go to chapter three and four and how you actually apply this, It’s not just theoretical, it’s not just in in concepts and ideas and teaching and theology, but it’s actually living in life and how it changes you and how you behave and act with people. So what do you say about that? I say that the bible is a mirror, It mirrors who we really are, we’re honest when we read it, you know, am I struggling with this sin in my life for this area of my life and my my quick to hear and slow to speak? Or am I quick to speak and very slow to hear? You know what I mean? There when we hear God’s word and it defines sinful behavior, there’s all the nuances of it and we have to say I have this problem, somebody else has a different problem. We don’t all have the same problem. Well, when you when you actually go to chapter three and applying it, you know, you look at it, you say, you know, it’s talking about our thought life. It’s talking about our thought life here, set your mind on the things above verse two. And you know, so the first question would be in my thinking is jesus. First in my thinking, you know, is jesus first in how I use my body, my hands and my feet and my eyes. I mean if you’re if you’re watching pornography, if you’re if you’re involved in illicit sex, if you’re involved in getting drunk and high and if you’re involved in stealing from your boss or not really working, you could be just lazy and just, you know, I’ll do whatever, you know, I’ll get paid. But you know, so you’re not really being whole and honest. And It impacts every part of your life. This is what it’s talking about in Chapter three, it starts and then it goes on and how am I am I doing? AM I is Jesus preeminent. And first in my marriage is he first with my Children. Now, you know, just the way this unpacks and develops Vicky. I just look at that, you know, and I see, you know a different, it talks about that in verse 18 wives and verse 19 husbands verse 20 Children verse 21 fathers verse 22 slaves, how we we work and how we treat our boss, how we treat those that were working with how we treat those that are under us in our life, it impacts everything. I just think that there’s uh there’s so many people that think, you know, you guys you’re you know, you’re you’re you’re living in the clouds, you know, good for the earthly life. No, it’s exactly the opposite. It’s when you let jesus christ run your life, it impacts everything in your life and that’s how you can monitor or you can, you know, be like a thermometer to know, am I hot with jesus being first or in my cold, totally nothing there. What do you got to say? I think it says in verse 23 whatever you do in chapter three, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men because it’s christ who were serving on this planet. We have human people that we serve. But the reward of our inheritance is from the Lord christ who are who we serve. And he’s he’s it’s even in our jobs, it’s in our daily life. Now, we’re looking at chapter four talks to masters how to, you know, people who run their own businesses and uh devoting themselves to prayer in verse two. And then verse three talks about this mystery, you know, there’s a mystery here, you know, to speak in in praying at all times for us as well that God may open unto us a door for the words so that we may speak for the mystery of christ for which I have also been in prison. Now we see this in chapter one in chapter two. And in chapter four talking about this mystery and I want that to be the key thought that we kind of unpack for the last whatever 13, 14 minutes that we look at this word mystery. And and we’re we’ve highlighted the word pro toto cost in chapter one, we’ve highlighted the word Fullness in chapter two. We have highlighted the word knew the, you know, in chapter three. And now we’re just highlighting the word mystery in chapter four. So this little definition by Vincent, the great wordsmith says that the mystery is truth which was kept hidden from the world until revealed at the appointed time and which is a secret to ordinary eyes but is made known by divine revelation. Mystery Vicky pick it up from here comes from misty’s one initiated it and that from me, oh too close or shut. Metes in latin. The mystery religions of the East had all sorts of secrets and signs of secret societies do today. But those initiated knew them. So the disciples have been initiated into the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now you understand why this word is being used in the Book of colossians because the gnostics, they had their own little club spiritual club, so to speak. And you had to go through all of these, you know, uh doorways to get to really like Nirvana to get to the really top uh that the fullness as they said it And what Paul is doing here with this word in Chapter one, Chapter 2, Chapter four is he’s really he’s really opening up and explaining to us about the mystery. We’ll see that in this particular book, but just a little brief history of this word that in Matthew 13 11, jesus answered to you, it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. But to them they haven’t, it’s not granted. So the Children of God, those who are part of the church, we understand these mysteries. He’s saying, he said the same thing in Mark 4 11 and again in luke 8 10. And now here is a prophecy from the old testament. Seeing they may not see and hearing, they may not understand romans 11 Talks about uh for I do not want you brethren to be uninformed of this mystery so that you will not be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come. So there was there were mysteries concerning the Jews concerning the gentiles. And of course the body of Christ Romans 1625 to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of jesus christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret from for long ages past. So the gospel and the preaching of jesus christ now is kind of a doorway, a kind of a light switch to to really help people see what this mystery is all about. Pick up the next few verses Vicki, but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery. The hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory First Corinthians 41 lead a man regard us in this manner as servants of christ and stewards of the mysteries. It’s interesting here, we’re going to give an account of the mysteries that God gave us to be able to share with others. It’s saying we’re stewards of these mysteries first, Corinthians 13 to if I have the gift of prophecy, know all mysteries and all knowledge. And if I have all faith as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. So yeah, the mystery is great. But it has to bring us to love to the love of for God and the love for others. Uh, it’s saying here first Corinthians 14 2 for one who speaks in a tongue and again about not understanding what people were saying, speaks to men. But but does not speak to men, but to God for no one understands but in his spirit, he speaks mysteries. Behold, I tell you a mystery, we will not all sleep, but we will be changed. This is talking about the second coming the mystery of his coming back. Now we get into a little clear definition of what this mystery is. Vicky. Could you pick it up? He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his kind intention which he purposed in him that by revelation that was made known to me the mystery as I wrote before and brief by referring to this. When you read, you can read, you can understand my insight into the mystery of christ and to bring a light. What is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things God kept some things a mystery. And all of a sudden now since christ uh he begins to open up kind of almost break it wide open to give us insight concerning jesus christ. The mystery is great. But I am speaking with reference to christ and the church. This is the mystery christ and the Church and then Ephesians 6 19 and and and pray on my behalf. That utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to keep to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel. So one is christ, the other is the Church. And here it’s saying the mystery of the Gospel. So the Gospel that he died for us was buried and rose again is now this mystery that opens up the truth. The revelation to all people on how they can be connected with God. This is so beautiful. Pick it up from here. Now, now we come to Colossians, pick it up from here, Colossians 1 26. That is the mystery which has been hidden from the ages from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to his saints, whom God will to make known. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery? Mysterio and among the gentiles, which is christ in you the hope of Glory, you know, the greek Orthodox Church. Many churches, coptic church, catholic church, many protestant church. They talk in terms of mysteries. And yet God, when he uses this word, is unpacking what his mystery is all about, which is christ in you the Hope of Glory. There’s the mystery. And the question should be is christ in me because how could he be first place? If he’s not in me? How could he be first place if I haven’t heard the gospel or haven’t repented and surrendered my heart to jesus who died for me, was buried in the Rose again. If I’m not part of the church. This is what we’ve just heard is the mystery, Colossians two to read that one Vicki their their that their hearts may be encouraged having been knit together, seen vivas o in love and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery Mysterion, that is christ himself. So, I mean, can it get any simpler than that? Not really. Why don’t you comment on that? That this is the true, resulting in the true knowledge of God’s mystery. Mysterion, that is christ himself. Well, you see in the life of the Apostle paul, who was from the San Hedren and educated in one of the pharisee, one of the top jewish leaders in history at that time. Until and he when he christ met him on the road to Damascus, he he was he was so broken that he was collecting the coats while they were stoning Stephen and the Lord told him to go back to these people and he was like, how can I do that, You know? And and and they received him and he became one of the greatest um people on the planet who gave his life for christ and was not ashamed of the gospel and wrote all these so many beautiful scriptures to help us. So, you see this right here in colossians two to colossians 1 26. He’s talking about the the protocols, the preeminence of christ that he created all creation, that he’s the head of the church. Preeminent in every way, in colossians two, he’s telling us this is a mystery. And then in verse 10, he identified verse nine rather and 10, he identifies what that mystery is, that that in this man, jesus is the godhead in bodily form? If that’s not a mystery? I don’t know. What is that? The greatest mystery on this planet is that there was a man named Jesus who was God in the flesh. The father the Son and the Holy Spirit resided in jesus, the man in all of their glory. Please aroma aroma fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. It’s, it’s absolutely phenomenal. And that is what Colossians two and verse two says. And then Colossians 43, which were on praying at the same time for us as well, That God will open up to us a door for the word so that we may speak for the mystery. Mysterion of Christ for which we have been in prison. He was willing listen for this message to be imprisoned, to be whipped, to go hungry in cities as it says in second Corinthians 11 to be stoned. You know, uh, this man, he knew he was given this revelation from, from the Father the Son, the Holy Spirit. He knew that he had this mystery and he had to open. He’s the one that’s explaining all this to us. And it’s just fabulous. I think it’s absolutely fabulous. Now there are other mysteries concerning the future concerning the uh, you know, the first timothy 19 hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. He says, we need to have a clear conscience with this incredible mystery we’ve been given. You don’t just, you know, go out and live in in debauchery and sin, you have to be a really uh, communicator. that’s that’s clean. But look at first timothy 3 16 Vicky. You read that and just give us a few thoughts about it by common confession. Great is the mystery of Godliness. He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels proclaimed among the nations believed on in the world and taken up in glory. Now there’s the whole package. This is the whole place is common confession. This is what the common confession confession. You know, we have this common great is the mystery Mysterion, this the artist, he who was revealed in the flesh. Here’s the mystery. He came in the flesh. God came in the flesh. He was vindicated in the spirit. He was proved that he was God in the flesh. He opened up the eyes of the blind, He opened up the the ears of the death that could not here, he cleansed the leper. He raised the dead. He fed the multitudes. He died on the cross. He was risen from the dead. It says he was seen by angels, You know, the angels minister to him and says after the 40 days of fasting, proclaimed among the nations, going to preach the gospel everywhere, Bethany believed on in the world. This is what the world is supposed to do. That. This is God in the flesh and then taken up the glory. What a statement of the mystery of Godliness. It says there. You know, there’s many religious leaders all over the world. And I don’t know any of them that claim to have come directly from heaven, that they are God in the flesh. They Confucius. No, they claim to be great teachers and had a story to tell or wisdom supposedly. But nobody can compare with the message and the life of christ who he is and what he has done. You just reminded me of john chapter eight when they, when they, you know, took up stones, they throw and kill him because he said before Abraham was the, you know, the same, the same thing. It was. But he said it’s it’s written in greek. But they understood what he meant because because exodus, you know, exodus three talks about moses saw him and he said, who is, who should I say sent me? It’s the Tetra graham. Yeah. Well, you know, the, you know, they also say Jehovah, but what they’re talking about is God is talking to you. And here we have jesus in john chapter eight verse 54 saying before Abraham was I I am. They took up stones to kill him. Why? Because he was God in the flesh. And they got the message that he claimed like you said, these other people didn’t, these great leaders never claimed to be God in the flesh, but he did. And that’s exactly what the message of the Book of colossians is all about the proto God in the flesh. Not just that the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit created. This man, Jesus know that this man, Jesus existed before he became jesus as the eternal word, the eternal god, the second person of the trinity, the logos, you know, in eternity past. And then he came here and I just I just think it’s phenomenal. I think we’ve said enough amen, May God bless you and may you come to this, the man, jesus christ, who is the messiah jesus the christ in the flesh. And then you would accept him as your personal savior as we did. God bless you until next time. With it’s all greek to me, paul, writing to the colossians identifies in three of the chapters, the word Mysterio in Colossians 1 26. That is the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifest to his saints whom God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of the, of this mystery among the gentiles, which is christ in you, the hope of glory. And really this is the mystery that God intended. Not just the the hebrew Israelite, jew, which were God’s chosen people. See Gyula uh in in the new uh testament. But here we have the gentiles that God always intended. Even from genesis 12 where he told Abraham that he would be his seat would be the salvation for all the countries of the world, the ethnos, the nations of the world. And then it says here, colossians 22, that their hearts may be encouraged having been knit together in love and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in the true knowledge of God’s mystery that is christ himself. So it’s not just that he wants to reach the gentiles all the world with his love and his redemption and his salvation, but that he in particular is talking about christ himself, the messiah himself, the Savior. And then in colossians 43, praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us, will open up to us a door for the word, this is talking about witnessing and sharing the gospel to pray and then to know that that God would give us grace in our speech as it were the salt of the Gospel of Grace, so that we may speak for the mystery. Mysterion of christ, for which I have also been imprisoned. Listen, God intends for us to share this mystery to everyone. And that is why in colossians four, he’s talking about to outsiders to be able to share with them the beautiful mystery that christ the messiah came from heaven. Uh, he came not only for the jews, but he also came for the gentiles and he himself is this mystery God in the flesh as he told us in chapter one and two and three and now in chapter four telling us to share this. Now I want to be able to go from here to the Book of Ephesians and just read some verses for you. Just fantastic that he talks about this uh concerning this mystery. Look at chapter three for this reason I paul verse one, the prisoner of christ jesus for the sake of you gentiles. If indeed we have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace, which was given to me for you that by revelation, talking to now, the Ephesians Church was not too far away from colossi, the colosseum Church, uh he says there was may known to me the mystery as I wrote before in brief and by referring to this. When you read, you can understand my insight into this mystery of christ, which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the spirit to be specific. Here it is three things that the gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body and fellow part acres of the promises in christ jesus through what through the gospel. So the Gospel brings gentiles in and give, gives us now to become fellow heirs with the Israelites and not only that, but fellow partake Urz of the promises in christ and fellow members of the body. This is how God does there was a mystery. They couldn’t see it in the old testament. They couldn’t even see it in christ state, but because they didn’t want to have anything peter, in fact didn’t want to have anything to do with Cornelius. But God had to tell him, no, no, no. This is my plan. Go ahead, talk to him and go with him without any misgivings in Acts chapter 10 and then he continues, he says here for which I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s Grace, which was given to me according to the working of his power. To me, the very least of all the Saints. This grace was given to preach to the gentiles. The unfathomable riches of christ and to bring to light what is The administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things in order that and it goes on in order to the manifold wisdom of God. But this is what it’s saying in the book of Colossians. When you go to Colossians in Chapter four, in verse three, it says they’re praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open to us a word, a door for the word so that we may speak for the mystery of christ for which I have also been in prison in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak, conduct yourselves, he says with wisdom towards outsiders making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace season doesn’t work with soul so that you would know how you should respond to each person. I just think it’s fabulous that here we have this mystery, but we’re not holding it like this. What is the mystery that christ himself came from heaven? That he himself wants to forgive everyone and dies on the cross for everyone, gentiles and jews and now wants us to who know him, who love him to share this with everyone and that we look for opportunities to share it with everyone. Like it says here, we’re not holding it like this, but we’re giving it out like this and talking to everyone the great news of the gospel, He died for you. He was buried, he arose again. He wants to forgive you. He wants to come in your life and change you and give you power to overcome the things that you can’t on your own things that you don’t like about yourself. He can change those things. The lying and the and the anger and the lust and all the garbage in your life. If you cry out to God and say, oh God forgive me only not only for salvation, but also for sanctification and come back. If you’re a believer, come back to your Lord and say, Lord forgive me like peter did. He fell down and he just worshiped him and confessed his sins like many in the bible, you know, demas having forsaken me or john Mark who took off and paul didn’t want to work with him at the end. He said, hey, bring john Mark back, bring him back because he’s useful to me. You may feel like you don’t have any more usefulness, but God loves you and he wants to forgive you and wants to invite you back to his service to give out the good news of the gospel to the people all around you. God bless you. I hope you’ve enjoyed colossians. The preeminence of jesus christ. Let him be Lord. Let him be preeminent in your life. God bless you.