CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 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:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
WHAT A GRAND AND GLORIOUS GOSPEL
WE PREACH …
THAT CHRIST COMES TO DWELL IN THE BELIEVER.
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
HE DWELLS IN THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER.
HOW SAD,
THAT TO THE MASSES OF MANKIND,
THIS MESSAGE IS UNKNOWN, UNHEARD, AND UNHEEDED.
2 Cor. 4:
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
the light is ON,
BUT BLIND EYES DO NOT KNOW IT.
the gospel is PLAINLY revealed in the word of God,
AND IS BEING PREACHED
ALL OVER THE WORLD
THIS VERY DAY.
TODAY, in AMERICA
WE ARE BEGINNING TO TAKE THE GOSPEL FOR GRANTED.
SADLY, FOR SOME,
THE OLD, OLD STORY
HAS BECOME THE STALE OLD STORY.
LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
WHO STARTED TO LOATHE
THE VERY MANNA THAT KEPT THEM ALIVE,
SO WE ARE LOSING OUR TASTE
FOR THE GOSPEL IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE DARE NOT DESPISE THE MESSAGE OF THE MAN,
CHRIST JESUS.
CHRIST HIMSELF IS THE MESSAGE.
II COR. 4:5
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; …
27 … Christ in you, the hope of glory: ...
NOT TRYING TO GET SOMETHING IN YOUR HEAD.
TRYING TO GET SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART.
TO PREACH CHRIST
IS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
TO SHARE CHRIST
IS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
IT IS NOT SHARING THE PLAN,
IT IS SHARING THE PERSON.
YOU CAN NO MORE HAVE A GOSPEL
WITHOUT CHRIST
THAN YOU COULD HAVE AN OCEAN
WITHOUT WATER.
NO CHRIST --- NO GOSPEL.
EVANGELISM IS EMMANUEL.
Mt 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
MARVELOUS MYSTERY,
THE INFINITE BECAME AN INFANT.
THE GOSPEL IS “GOD WITH US.”
NOT JUST “FOR” US BUT WITH US.
ON THE CROSS, HE WAS “WITH” US … ONE OF US.
TECHNICALLY,
YOU DO NOT EXPERIENCE SALVATION
UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE HIS WORK IN YOU.
NOT JUST BY HIS WORK “FOR” YOU.
BY THE WAY,
YOU CAN TELL IF HE IS IN YOU.
He is in your thoughts.
He is in your desires.
Ps 10:4
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
HE WILL NOT GO IN
WHERE THERE IS PRIDE.
PRIDE IS A “KEEP OUT” SIGN
TO JESUS.
HE WON’T MOVE IN
IF THE PLACE IS ALREADY FULL.
FULL OF SELF.
YOU MUST MAKE ROOM FOR HIM.
NOW, BE PREPARED,
WHEN JESUS MOVES IN,
HE REMODELS AND REARRANGES.
HE PLANTS FLOWERS
WHERE THERE ONCE WERE WEEDS.
WHEN HE COMES IN THE FRONT DOOR,
EXPECT SOME TRASH TO BE PUT OUT THE BACK DOOR.
WHEN A KING MOVE IN,
THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGES.
IT IS HIS PRESENCE THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN SOMEONE
THAT THEIR PRESENCE MADE A DIFFERENCE
IN THE CHURCH.
FRIEND,
IT IS CHRIST THAT YOU NEED.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW ABOUT CHRIST,
YOU MUST KNOW CHRIST.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
HE MUST BE “IN” YOU.
IN YOUR HEART, NOT JUST IN YOUR MIND.
THE BEST MEDICINE IN THE WORLD
WON’T HELP YOU
AS LONG AS IT IS IN THE BOTTLE.
THE CHRIST IN THE BIBLE
DOESN’T SAVE YOU;
IT IS THE CHRIST IN YOUR HEART,
NOT JUST IN YOUR HEAD.
YOU NEED TO INVITE CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH THAT YOU TALK
WITH THE LORD’S SERVANT,
YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE LORD.
IT IS NOT THE GIFT YOU WANT,
IT IS THE GIVER OF THE GIFT.
HE DOESN’T JUST GIVE US REDEMPTION;
HE IS OUR REDEMPTION.
1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
I DO NOT PRESENT
SOMETHING ABOUT CHRIST.
I PRESENT CHRIST
I DO NOT JUST PREACH TO YOU
SOMETHING ABOUT CHRIST;
I PREACH CHRIST.
CHRIST ONLY FOR SALVATION.
NOTHING BUT CHRIST.
IT IS NOT JUST CHRIST PREACHED.
IT IS CHRIST POSSESSED.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO RESEARCH CHRIST;
YOU MUST RECEIVE CHRIST.
John 1:
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
IN THE BIBLE,
CHRIST IS PICTURED “WITHOUT”
DESIRING TO “COME IN.”
THE WORLD HAS “NO ROOM” FOR HIM.
HE WAS LAID
Lu 2:7 …
in a manger; because there was no room for [ HIM ] in the inn.
SADLY,
HE IS EVEN SHUT OUT OF HIS OWN CHURCH.
Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
WHETHER YOU LET HIM IN
WILL DETERMINE WHETHER HE LETS YOU IN
WHEN YOU STAND BEFORE HIM.
IF YOU HAD ROOM FOR HIM,
HE WILL HAVE ROOM FOR YOU.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU COULD EVER MAKE
WOULD BE TO TURN HIM AWAY.
INVITE CHRIST IN TODAY.
The preceding is a sermon written by Ben Shepherd.
Copyright 2005 Ben Shepherd
Permission is freely granted to those who minister
to use in public proclamation without stating attribution.
All other rights reserved.
Written and edited after reading & rereading
from the sermon(s) or writings cited below by C.H. Spurgeon.
Some of the thoughts and ideas were inspired by Spurgeon's sermons,
which are in the public domain.
CHRIST IN YOU.
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 29, No. 1720
DELIVERED ON LORDS-DAY MORNING, MAY 13TH, 1883,
BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” — Colossians 1:27.
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