Going Deep

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again, radio friends, how in the world are you? You doing alright? Oh, I’ve been praying that God’s blessing and his truth and his love and his inspiring power might somehow come through my voice and the words I speak. While we share together from the Word of God, we’re in Colossians chapter two and we were reading Colossians 2:4, “This I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.” And when we left each other the last time we got together, I was reminding you to test every religious proposition, every religious impact that is brought to your life, test it by the revealed will and Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony, for if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Test every proposition, every religious impact by God’s inspired, infallible Word.

Now, he says, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ as you have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk,” It means live every day, “Live every day in him rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as you’ve been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Verse three, “Live every day in Him.” Verse six, “Rooted and built up in Him.” Verse seven, “In Him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Verse nine, “Ye are complete in Him.” Verse 10, “In Him, ye are circumcised with circumcision, made without hands.” Verse 12, “Buried with Him in baptism, and risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God.” Verse 13, “You’re quickened” made alive together “With Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Boy, that is some truth, isn’t it? Everything you need is in the Lord Jesus, everything you need to know, everything you need to live a victorious life, everything you need to get you safe home to heaven is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul says, “I’m not with you but I’m rejoicing because I’m with you in spirit. I am joying beholding your order, the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” What is the source of real satisfaction for one Christian in relationship to another? I’m with you in the Spirit. Don’t misunderstand me when I say this.

But you know, it would help a lot if we would have other believers on our mind a little more. We tend to forget about others of God’s children because we’re so taken up day by day with our own needs and burdens and problems. How often do you think about the dear pastor, and pray for him? How often do you think about Sunday School teachers in your Sunday School, and pray earnestly for them? How often do you think about that poor stumbling, back slider that seems never quite to make it in the Christian life and intercede for him or her. How often do you think about the new Christians, maybe teenage young people who have received Christ as Savior and Lord, how often do you think about them and pray that God will keep His hand on them? Or conversely, how often do you just get a real bang out of realizing that they are going on with the Lord and you found out that they are growing? In other words, wouldn’t it be a good idea if we had God’s dear people on our minds and hearts a little more? I know that kind of advice, certainly is good for me, like the rest of us, I get taken up with my own needs and burdens.

Oh, I pray like everything about things that concern my life just as you do. But Paul said, “I’m with you in spirit joying, beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” “Well, Brother Cook,” you say, “If you want me to have other believers on my mind, what am I supposed to think about?” Well, he said, “I’m joying…” Do you enjoy other Christians? [chuckle] My old deacon friend, John Houghtcamp, we called him Houghty for short. He used to have a saying, “Some people are born great and some have greatness thrust upon them, and some just grate on you.” [chuckle] Always for a chuckle when he said that… Do you enjoy other Christians? Now, it’s a fact, of course, that they aren’t nearly so nice as you are, or smart or whatever, but do you enjoy them or just sort of get along? Ask God to help you enjoy other believers and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in the atmosphere of your life, as it relates to others. “Joying,” said he… And then he says, “Beholding your order, your order.”

What do you look for in another believer? Whether or not in orderly fashion, he or she is going on with the Lord. What about their feeding on the Word of God? What about their prayer life, what about the way in which they face temptations, and tests, what about their giving and stewardship, what about their witness, are they winning any other people for the Lord Jesus Christ? What about their performance under extreme pressure and disappointment and trial? Are they going on, is there any order in their life or are they just spiritually drifting? That’s what you look for. He says, “I enjoy you, I’m looking for order in your life if you’re going on with God.” What else? “The steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” What do you look for in other people? You look to see whether their faith is steadfast, that is to say, are they routinely and regularly risking the situation on God and His Word and His will? Faith is the quality of risking the situation on God, and when Paul says, “Faith in Christ,” what he’s saying is, “Are you risking the destiny of your life on the Lordship of Jesus Christ?” That’s what he’s saying. So he says, “I’m absent from you but I’m with you in spirit.” I got you on my mind and heart, I’m praying for you.”

He said that before in chapter 2:1, I’m praying for you, I got you on my mind and heart. And what actually is happening is I enjoy you. I’m so glad for what God is doing in your life. I’m looking to see the orderly growth in your Christian experience. I’m looking to see whether or not you’re risking all of your destiny on the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Now, can you apply that to your own life? I must say that, for the most part, our contacts with other Christians oftentimes are quite shallow and surface contacts mostly, and this is not to say that I’m supposed to pry into your life, and to find out the details of your personal life, that isn’t my point. You know that. But our contacts with other Christians sometimes lack the warmth and depth of personal interest. Even so small a thing as looking into a person’s eyes and smiling when you pass him or her and calling them by name. I remember doing that one time in the hallway of the college and a student turned around and looked at me and ran after me and said, “Hey Doc, you remembered my name.” Yeah, I did. [laughter] Well, see this is what we’re talking about to evince a sincere personal interest in the other person because you have him or her on your heart. You’re praying about him or about her or about them and you’re looking to see the evidences of orderly Christian growth and you’re looking to see the proof of that sublime faith that turns the destiny of one’s life over to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does work if you’ll work at it beloved. You wanna try that one on for size today? I trust you’ll be blessed as you do.

Now we come to verse 6 a rich verse and one that I’ve lived with and recommended to other people throughout the many years. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,” and I use the word as there instead of the… “As you’ve received Christ Jesus as Lord. So walk ye,” that means live every minute of every day, let’s read it that way. “As you’ve received Christ Jesus as Lord, so live every minute of every day in Him, rooted and built up in Him.” Now, what’s the point of this?

Well, how were you brought to Christ? Those of you who know that you’re saved, and you’re born from above and you are a real Christian with the Spirit of the living God dwelling in you, as the birth right of your new birth, you know you’re saved in other words, and you’re glad about it. How did you begin that blessed new life? Did you promise anything, or pay anything, or do anything? No, indeed. You simply came to the Lord Jesus Christ and said, “Nothing in my hand, I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling. Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me. And that thou bid’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come.” It was a simple commitment of faith. Was it not? You ask the Lord Jesus to save you, and He did. Now, Paul says, that’s the way you were saved. And that’s the way you live. Every minute of every day, complete commitment and complete dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit reveals God’s will to you and works His life through you.” “The life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God,” said Paul, “Who loved me and gave himself for me.” Now would you get hold of that for yourself?

How often we try as Simon Peter did to walk on the waters ourselves and we go down… No, he said, You trusted Him to save you, now, trust Him to keep you. You trusted Him to save you, now, trust Him to guide you. You trusted Him to save you, now trust Him to love and comfort you. You trusted Him to save you, now trust Him for the supply of your every need. “As you received Him so live every minute of every day in Him.” We’ll take another look at this verse the next time we get together, for there are two, three other things around the edges of it, that I want to show you.

Dear Lord, today, may we be risking every part of all of our lives, on the Lordship of Jesus Christ, I pray in His name, Amen.

God bless you dear friend. Well, until I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!