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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Everybody has a Bible. This is in the book of Colossians, the book of Colossians. As you know, there’s so much that needs to be done with God’s people bringing them from childhood to maturity. This is the next lecture and the series that we’re doing here in the book of Colossians. And if God can show us or prove to us something that’s really important, if we can believe that, you can believe everything else. You see, when you’ve studied the book of Genesis, you don’t find where God spends much time trying to prove anything to us.

He just simply says, in the beginning, God created the heavens in the earth. You’ve got a problem with that? He doesn’t care whether you believe it or not. He just states it. It’s there, period. God said it, and I believe it. And that settles it. I should say God said it, that settles it. Whether I believe it or not. There’s a heaven, there’s a hell, and God said it, and that settles it. Here in the book of Colossians in chapter 1, verse 15, 16, and 17 kind of gives us the idea that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the universe because all things were made by Him and for Him.

So if everything was made by Him and for Him and by Him all things consist, then He is over the whole universe. is nobody with more power than what he has. When we read the book of Matthew chapter 28, where it talks about this idea of power, and verse 18 of Matthew 28, it makes a statement, all power is given unto me. Now if all power is given unto him, then he has it all. If he has all power, then he must be in charge.

He must be able to say what goes and what doesn’t go. And it doesn’t matter whether we like it or we don’t like it. See, God made the world, and lo and behold, God made little O’Us. And we are, as the Bible says, in rebellion to God. Now, here in these scriptures verses 15 through 17, and we covered this last Wednesday night, about the creation that God has made, all things created by Him and for Him. The other thing I wanted you to notice, that in these same verses that talks about how that He is over all, All remember in this church these several things, we talked about the church itself.

And the people here had been put together by a pastor named Epaphras. And he was used by the Lord to build a church. Evidently he loved his people. Now why he was with Paul, I’m not really sure. or what had happened, or whether or not he was placed in prison also. Or he’d come to see Paul and say, look, I got a problem. But there’s a story just about the church itself. And the town where the Church of Colossians was, well, it was about 100 miles from a place called Ephesus.

Ephesus was on the coast, and about 100 miles to the east, well, we got a little old town that at one time, about 500 years before Christ was a thriving little metropolis. But things change. And now it was just like a little town on the side of the road. And so you have problems with it. A little church, drying up with the people. There’s people who had all kinds of philosophies from the Romans, and the Eastern religions, mystical teaching, asceticism, all kinds of weird stuff.

What what it does is it mixes everybody’s mind up and After a while people don’t know what really is truth or where they’re going They become confused Now remember as Paul in all of the books that he’s used by God to write dealt with all the problems in the first century that people have concerning church and different teaching So there are no new teachings today day. The Bible tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. Man is still man.

Man is still sinful. Man is still wicked. Man is still rebellious. That’s the way we are. We’re no different than they were a hundred years ago, a thousand years ago or five thousand years ago. We’re all the same. And at different times in history, God had to bring judgment upon people. Adam and Eve, how many sins did they have to commit before they got kicked out of the garden? Just one. Just little old one. And it wasn’t that bad.

All they ate was a banana. So how do you know it was a banana? It had a peel. But regardless, God will not allow one sin into heaven. Boy, is he straight. I mean, you must really be legalistic. I mean, the first thing he does when he gets Israel out of Egypt is to give them all his laws, these rules. And nothing seems to go right with people on earth. We don’t like each other, we hate, we kill, there’s rape, there’s murder, you name it, we do it.

Look at all of our wonderful politicians, aren’t they a godly bunch? And you don’t know what you can, who can you trust? And people today, they don’t know whether to trust the preacher, kids don’t know whether to trust their parents, you don’t know whether to trust people on your job, you don’t trust the people that are printing their money, we don’t trust our banks, who can we trust? Well, when you bolt it all down, God says, cursed is the man that put his confidence in man.

Don’t trust you either. Trust only the true in living God. The biggest problem that we have is because we judge God by people. And when people don’t do right, God must not be right. Because if God is, God has all this power. Why don’t He just zap all the people that do wrong? Well, who wouldn’t be nobody left? There wouldn’t be no people. The reason we don’t have perfect parents is because there aren’t any. The reason we don’t have a perfect pastor, there are no such things.

None of us are perfect. There’s no perfect little babies. Oh, it’s a perfect little baby. Only my grandkids are like that. But there’s no perfect teenagers. There’s no perfect college age. There’s nobody. And yet we want everything to be right and nothing is. what do we do? Where you see, there’s the dealings of the little town. There’s the dealings of the letter that Paul wrote. Remember, this is not written as a book. It was a letter along with the letter that he wrote to the church at Ephesus, the book of Ephesians, the book of Philemon.

I mean these were books, Paul wrote how He’s in prison. And if anybody has a problem, it ought to be him. And he’s the same fellow that’s telling everybody, said, look, rejoice always. But nobody’s rejoicing. Most people don’t rejoice. Most people are not happy. And as you read the Scriptures, when he talked about God created all things, look up there in verse 16, the last part of verse 18, all things were created, get this. Buy Him and what’s the next two words?

For him, you thought I thought this whole thing was for me. God made us because God loves. God made somebody that could love him back. But God wanted to do something for you to prove that he does love you. So he gave you a hopeless situation, one that you couldn’t get out of. You couldn’t, you know, put an angle your way out of it. You couldn’t scheme. You couldn’t. There was no way totally hopeless. And then God. did a work and he did all these wonderful things for us.

And so you have, well, I guess you could say, a wonderful story that comes together because you see, you have to have somebody to write a letter. This letter was designed with these people here in mind, but not only was it used for that church, it was also used and spread around so that other churches got a chance read what was in this book. This book will help you tremendously. Let me just show you this here because you need to say that.

Look there in verse 1 of chapter 3. He says, If ye then, you’ll see the word if several times and I’ll show it to you in just a minute. If ye then, be risen with Christ. In other words, if you belong to Christ, if you are a Christian, Look what he says. Seek everything in the world to make you happy. Is that what it says? No. It says, seek those things which are above, where Christ said it on the right hand of God.

Look at verse 2. Set your affections on things where? Above. Now who says this? All right, go back here to chapter one. The one that is the ruler of the universe, 15, 16, and 17. The ruler of the universe says that you and I owe him. He’s in charge. He’s the ruler. He is supreme. He ought to have the preeminence and we ought to give him that recognition. Regardless of what anybody else says or does in this whole world, and there are those who have all kinds of philosophies and they’re no good.

The other thing I want to do to see is in these verses verses 18 down to about verse 20 it makes the statement about Jesus Christ is the head of the church. See there in verse 18 he is the head of the church. Now wait a minute the same one that is over the universe. He did all of that. This same God in the person of Jesus Christ is the head of the church. That means he runs the church.

He rules the church. He founded the church. He started the church. He feeds the church. He grows the church. And one day he’s going to take it out of here. Now, if this God that we’re talking about, because we were study them to try to make sure that there is nobody like him. If you read the book of Isaiah, it says over and over and over again, there is none like me. There is no other God. I am God.

And beside me, there is no other over and over and over again, saying the same thing here. He has the preeminence. There is nobody else. There’s nobody higher than him. And that’s why even when when you look down there and it talks about these four things mentioned there in verse 16. When it talks about that are in heaven, earth, heaven, earth, visible, invisible. That would just about include everything, wouldn’t it? Heaven, earth, visible, invisible. And then for those nuts out there that want to get into the spirit realm.

He says all about these principalities and powers. And look at those four things that are mentioned there in the last part of the verse. Thrones and dominions and principalities are powers. Nobody is over Him. He is the supreme. If that is true, if God that created the heavens and the earth He made all things for Himself. Well then, he’s the one that started the church. He’s over that. Nobody’s supposed to second guess him. He’s called the head and the head of the body.

We are the body. He is the head. You see, without the head, the body’s not much good, is it? But the head needs the body. So that’s why when you study the book of Ephesians, the Bible’s talking about the body. in the book of Colossians, he’s talking about the head, how that we are joined together with the head. He also makes this statement, and you’ll see that in verse 17. And by him, all things consist or held together. Everything in the world, he holds it together.

When it comes to the church of which he is the head, we have the same God that holds it together that does the other. Let me show you. Hold your place right here and look in Ephesians in chapter 4, the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, and look there in verse 16, verse 16. He says in verse 16, from home, the Holy Spirit. whole body, fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part make it increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

God takes every individual believer, puts him into the body of Christ and if the God that that can sustain the universe. Can he sustain the body? The God that created the heavens of the earth, can he meet the needs of the body? Can he provide everything that you and I need? If he can do it for the world, I think he can do it for his church. One of these days, we’re all gonna be out of here. Good, bad, or indifferent.

Here I come, really, or not. Obedient, disobedient. going to heaven and we are going to be the bride of Christ for all eternity. He is the Lord of the universe. He is the Lord of the church. And if He is the Lord of all of this, is it possible that He could be the Lord of your life? Everybody needs somebody to tell them what to do. It doesn’t matter who they are. Well, after all, I’ve been preaching for 50 years.

I don’t need nobody telling me what to do. Do I? So I have to go to the book. Do you know I’m not supposed to teach anything that’s not in this book? I am under authority. I could rebel against my authority, couldn’t I? But I know that if I rebelled against my authority, he has all the power. I can choose how to rebel against him. He’s the one that chooses how he’s going to whoop me. Now which one do I want to do?

But if I obey him, he is free to bless me. So what do I want? Do I want him to beat the Torah out of me? Or do I want his blessings? He’s God. He has all power. Nobody can stay his hand. He can open doors that no man can close. In closed doors, no man can open. So should I want to see how much can I get away with? Or do I want to see how much can I get?

How much can I be blessed? So because of this, and it is so true, we are to set our affections on other things because of who he is. So he is the Lord of the universe, and he is the Lord over his church. So do you think that he should have the right to rule over you? Let me tell you what the problem was. We always gotta have a problem. That’s what makes a savior, a great savior. He had to do a great thing to keep you from getting something that was pretty bad.

So if you’ll notice there in a couple verses, I want you to see these real quick. See there in verse 21 and you and you. That were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked hands, yet now hath he reconciled. Now get this. This is very important. Here’s God, and here’s man. There is a problem between the two, why? There’s God’s will, there’s man’s will. We always clash. God wants me to do certain things, and I want to do what I want to do with my life.

I didn’t ask to be born, so here I am, and I want my way, and God says, no you don’t. You are going to do what I want, and God, no I’m not. And so you become an enemy of God. There is a barrier between the two of you. Now, this can happen in a family where a man and a wife can have a fight and they need to have reconciliation. They have to be reconciled. That means to make peace.

See what he says here in the last part of verse 21, yet now had to be reconciled. That means peace has been made. But always remember this. It is not God that is reconciled to man. It is man that must be reconciled to God. You see, God never moved. God never changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is a righteous, good, holy God. God didn’t sin. God has not wronged anybody. We did all the land. We’re the one that’s bad.

We have an old sinful nature. So hold your place right here, but I want you to see this in Ephesians chapter 2, the book of Ephesians and chapter 2. Here in the book of Ephesians and chapter 2, he says, this is the way we were, now concerning you, alienated from God, enemies in your mind, in your mind. Notice what it says in verse wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world. What’s the course of this world?

You’re on way, the flesh. It’s doing what you want to do. This is why we don’t have so much peace among each other. That’s why there’s always these wars. Listen to your news, trouble. What about all these people that are having all these protests because there’s war and it’s because it’s on the inside. People are greedy, they’re selfish, they’re filled with envy and bitterness and they hate the people that’s got money because they don’t have it. The love of money is the root of all evil.

And it’s not always the people who have money that are guilty of love, of money. Most times it’s poor people, the middle class, because they don’t have it and they want it and they don’t care how they got to get it. And they will vote for hired taxes to take it from other people so they can get all the freebies. I wish they’d let me on Fox News. I could tell them a few things. But anyway, it’s because of the sinful wickedness of individuals.

We have a sinful nature. Don’t you tell me what I can and cannot do? Where I can and cannot go? That’s our nature. And we rebel. That’s why we have all the wars that we’ve had over the years. Why? It’s because of the same problem. If everyone was right with God, we wouldn’t have a problem. What must it be a sign of? They’re not right with the Lord. Now, he makes a statement here, according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the heir, the power of the air, that’s the devil.

He’s the prince of the power, that’s the devil. And what does the devil want you to do? Or me? To go our own way, do what we want. That’s what the devil wants. Look at the last part of it. The spirit, get this, the spirit, that’s the attitude, the desires of the heaven, the spirit that now work it in the children of, what’s that big old word? That’s a big old word, disobedience. You see, as he writes the letter, he’s not talking to little babies, he’s not knocking the teenagers, he’s talking to the adults.

This is the way adults are. We are rebellious. We don’t want to have somebody over. But wait a minute. If God is the Lord over all creation and He is the head, the supreme authority over the church and then it gets down to the individual you have he reconciled. You as an individual, does he have the right, the authority to command us? Tells us how to live. He has the right to tell Tell me how I can live? Well who made you?

God. So everyone is living for the Lord, right? Because that’s what God wants. Everybody does his will, right? No, we do, like he says right here, according to the Prince of the Air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. And then look what it says in verse 3. Among whom also we all, all, you see the word all, doesn’t leave anybody else? All? All what? Had our be saved. behavior are manner of life. In time past and the lust of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.

And whereby nature, the children of wrath, just like everybody else. Everybody’s the same. That’s why when Christ died, He died for the whole world. You ever look at somebody and find fault. Look in the mirror, you’ll find some more. But then he says this, and look, look, this is what you got to see this. Look in verse 4, these two were, but God. See man had no hope. We’re all this way. We’re all rebellious. Nobody likes somebody telling what we get.

Why do you think there’s so much trouble in the world? It’s because it’s our nature. We’re rebellious, but God who is rich in mercy, for his great love, where he loved us. And then he says, by grace are you saved. By grace are you saved. Because you couldn’t earn it. By your nature you’re rebellious. You’ll never find your way back to God. How do you remove this being an enemy of God? what he says here in the book of Romans in chapter 5.

Romans chapter 5, won’t you see this real quick? Romans and chapter 5, look there in verse 9, Romans chapter 5 verse 9. He says much more than being now justified by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. So through Christ we shall be saved from the wrath to come because of what Christ did for us. We all deserve the wrath of God. In other words, we deserve it if God was a beat upon all of us.

But because of his love, his mercy, his grace, Christ paid for our sins. She had been verse 8, but God commended his love toward us in the way we were saints. Now, why we were yet, what? Centers, Christ died for us. So He’s the one that took the initiative. He paid for our sins. What was our sins doing? It was keeping us from God. God’s a holy God. God doesn’t just overlook what we do, how we think and how we feel.

And so that’s why God went to work. He sent His Son into the world. the die for everybody in the world, to make a payment so that we could be reconciled back to God. So we wouldn’t be as enemy. God wants us to be a friend, not an enemy. But look at first of all at this verse, looking verse 10, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by our good words? No, by the death of his son.

You see, it was his son that did this and made this payment for us. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.