Colossians chapter 1, verses 12 through 17. I realize that I'm stepping right into the middle of the context, but it gives us the facts that we want to look at today. Giving thanks unto the Father. which hath made us meet or fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saint in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature? That's Jesus Christ. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. He created all things, whether they're invisible or visible, And by him, all things have their standing. They consist. Create. What do we mean by the term created? We mean that Jesus made everything that existed, heaven and earth, the seas, the trees, the animals, the creeping things, All things that are angels with his word just spoke them into existence, whether they're visible or invisible. God's word was sufficient to bring them into existence and to continue their existence. The very first verse of the Bible sets the tone for everything that follows. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. If you believe that first verse, you have no trouble believing everything else that's in the book. It starts with God. and all the created things made by him. Let's read from the Psalms. Psalms 33, verses six through nine. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made. and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." Think about that. The sun, the moon, the stars, all of the planets, the sky, everything by the word of his mouth. He gathered the waters of the sea together as in he, he lath up the depths and storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. that all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him, for he spake, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. That is so awesome to me that God could just speak, and things came into existence. Job said, he stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangs the earth upon nothing. The phrase, the Lord made heaven and earth, is found 13 times in the Holy Scriptures. It's one of the very foundational doctrines of all the Bible. Now, I'm gonna read several scriptures. John chapter one. We're gonna read three scriptures from that chapter. Verses one through three of John 1. Very important. In the beginning was the word, the Greek word is logos, and it's talking about Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I want to show you something here. Years ago, a representative of the Jehovah's Witnesses came by and had their Bible, and he wanted me to read it and look at it. And I turned to this scripture and it said, Almost said what was here, but not quite. Follow me now. It said in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a God. It's amazing how that these people that have had their church beginning since Christ was on earth, all have a different scripture. and it destroys the truth of the word of God. The word was God. Jesus was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. Now look at verse 10. You're right there, verse 10. He was in the world, And the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. Verse 14. And the word, the same it was in the beginning, was made flesh and dwelled among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John, of course, is talking about Jesus. Now, look at Colossians. We read this, chapter 1, verse 16. I want to read this again for emphasis. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth. Visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him. And in Hebrews chapter one, verse 10 through 12. And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hand. They shall perish, but thou remainest. They shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. And then one more about this, Revelation chapter four, verse 11. Revelation chapter 4, verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. See, it pleased God to create what he made. And it were for his pleasure. Sometimes we think we're the captain of our own salvation, our own life. But God must have the preeminence if we are to understand the scripture. He made all things. and they were created for his pleasure. Now we read that the word was in the beginning with both the Father and the Spirit. Turn with me back to the book of Genesis, chapter one, verse one, and then we'll read verse 26. Genesis chapter one, verse one, very first verse. In the beginning, in the beginning of what? The beginning of time. Hey, let me tell you a secret about this chapter. It's seven days long. We read about the first day, and the second day, and the third day, the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh. In six days, God created all that was created. Six 24-hour days. Every time you find something listed as an ordinal number, like first, second, or third, it's always literal when it's talking about days. 24-hour days. Not hundreds of years, or thousands of years, or millions of years, like the oppositions of science so-called wanna say. Not evolved, but God created in six days all things that were created. Now, look please at the 26th verse. After God had created the sun, moon, and stars, and it created the heavens, created the animals and the creeping things, and the fish and birds, In verse 26, God said, notice the pronoun, let us. Us. What do you know about the pronoun us? It's plural. It means more than one. Let us. Watch this now. Let us make man in our image. There's another plural pronoun. And after our likeness, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, let them, men, have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man. in his own image. These words are spoken by God the Father to the Son and the Holy Ghost. All of them involve and concern with the creation, but actually Jesus was the creator. These words declare a plurality And it talks about the co-workers with God in the creation. It cannot be denied. A young woman came to me once after a service on a Wednesday night when the church was in Anchorage. And she said, you got everything all wrong. She said, God's not three. Jesus is God, and that's all there is to it. Well, it set me on fire. I went to this verse, and I went to the 11th chapter of Genesis, and on and on through the scriptures. I said, what do you say about that? What could she say? She had egg on her face. Yet, plurality of God, plan could be created, man in his image and after his likeness. So, I take that you believe that as well as I do, because that's what the word says. We know all things were created by him, and we know that by him all things consist. That means they are supported and maintained by him. They have their being. Hebrews chapter one, verses one through three. God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, Notice this, by whom also he made the world, who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power. That's why they consist. when he had himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." Look, you may not want to admit it, but it's in him that we live and we move and we have our being. You can ask yourself some real simple questions. You figure out there's something else that's operating you. You ever decide to digest your food? How about making your teeth grow? You do that. You make your hair grow? No. You suddenly want to have freckles? Not much that you can do. You know, the Lord decided when you were gonna come and He decided who your mom and dad was gonna be. You didn't decide any of that at all. And He's sustaining your life. He's keeping you going. So He upholds all things by the word of His power. The heavens have their stability in Him. We're told that the pillars of the earth are held up by him, else the inhabitants of the earth would be destroyed. The angels are confirmed in their place by him. God's elect are in his hand. And his peculiar care is to see that they never shall perish. All mankind lives and moves in him. The whole frame of nature, we call it, would burst asunder and break in pieces if it weren't held together by God Almighty. Every created being has its support from Him. God's providence governs and directs and manages everything that goes on in this world. and you're part of that. As I was preparing this message, I remembered a statement made by the late J. Vernon McGee about the fact that Christ, in Him all things consist, and he said that He viewed the universe much like an atom. The scientists say that the atom is the smallest part. But he says an atom is a particle that consists of a nucleus and protons and neutrons surrounded by a cloud of electron. He went on to say that these parts of the atom are not friendly with one another. They're pushing against one another to be released. Something is holding them together, and that something is the Lord. without all the scientific gobbledygook. He said the universe is rather like a golf ball that is a series of elastic bands wrapped ever so tightly around a rubber ball so that it's squeezed and held together and held in place. If you could just turn loose on one little part of it, it would implode. Well, the only thing that keeps the universe from exploding then is Christ. He's holding everything in place. He's the sustainer of all things. He's the Savior. He's our mediator. He's our Lord. But he's holding all things in their place. As I thought about this, I thought in him, all of the people that he chose to be saved, he calls the elect, are secure. because we have the forgiveness of sins. God will never mention those to us again. And we have everlasting life. Hey, I'm just short of 100 years old, but I'm gonna live forever. I may lay down this old body pretty soon, I have to, but thank God. Thank God, I'm going to be with the Lord. I'm going to live forever. One of the greatest blessings as God's children is the forgiveness of sins. He removed our sins far from us as the East is from the West. He's promised. God's Word is good. He swore with an oath. He will remember our sins and iniquities no more. When we preach the gospel, we preach about how Christ's blood was shed that we might have forgiveness of sin if we're believers in him. to open the eyes of the blind and turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith. Brethren. We are made accepted and beloved in the Son, in whom a person, God's Son. We have redemption. We are redeemed through his blood, the forgiveness of sins because of his grace. Now, there was a time. And this applies to every human being, whether it's those of us that are saved. We were once, just like people that are unsaved, we walked according to the course of this world. Many of us lived wicked lives, but thank God that his mercy was bestowed upon us. And he forgave us of our sin and granted to us everlasting life. Now since our sins are forgiven because of Jesus' once for all sacrifice of himself, we have the unspeakable gift of eternal life. I think the best explanation for eternal life and the fact that we'll never perish comes from a 10th chapter of John. Let's turn there and read that a bit. John chapter 10, verse 27 through 29. Jesus here is talking about his sheep. Now, he doesn't mean the animals that have the horns and bear lambs. He's talking about people he calls his sheep. God's people are always called sheep. Now he said in verse 27, my sheep hear my voice. And I know them and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life. And they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. See, we believe, we came to believe when we heard the gospel message because we are his sheep. He knows every one of us. and we follow him. That's why we like to assemble together with the saints and sing praises to God and hear his word preached because it's a blessing and an encouragement to us who are one day gonna go live with the Lord, with God, the God of heaven. Eternal life. we have as a present possession right now. Look at John chapter three, verse 14 through 16. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. but have eternal life. That's not a proposition, that's just a statement. Whoever believes in him has eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. The unbelieving world is going to perish. Like the rich man in Luke 16, who fared sumptuously every day, died. And the Bible says, in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment. But God's people don't go to that place, they go to be with the Lord. Because we have everlasting life. John 3.36 says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. But he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 5, 24 says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Right now, today. You and I who believe that Jesus is the Christ who died for us on the cross have everlasting life as a possession. We'll never perish. Jesus said to Martha as they came to the tomb of Lazarus, Martha said, I know he'll rise in the last day. But Jesus said, Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, because I have everlasting life. We're told that our Lord came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. One of the things I think that is part of having an abundant life is to realize that God is right now working everything together for our good, everything that happens to us. sickness, health, poverty, wealth, doesn't make any difference. Whatever takes place in our life, he's causing it to work together for our good. That is, to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. everything without exception. We may not understand exactly what's going on when trouble and disappointment comes, but we do know for sure that God is in the background working all these things for our good because we love God and we're called according to his purpose. He doesn't do that for the unbelieving world, but for us. that are his children. Because you're gonna be with him forever. Let's read that, Romans 8, 26 and following. Watch this. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought Is that true with you? You don't know what to pray for. You don't know what to say, do you? But you know what? When you believed, after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And the Holy Spirit is with you. You don't have to ask him to come. He's there. He's with you all the time. And what does he do? But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. The Spirit is praying, helping your prayer life, because you don't know what to pray for, and God is working all things for your good. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. I say to that, amen, amen, amen. I love it. I don't know why the Lord saw it good to take my ears, but I figure out sometimes there's a lot of things I don't need to hear. I'd be better off if I didn't hear it, wouldn't you? Some things. I'm getting blind, my teeth fell out. These choppers work pretty good. He's working it out for my good. Another part of the abundant life is right now is the assurance and the blessedness of the hope which lies before us. Listen, we have a hope that is both sure and steadfast and that fadeth not away. In this life, we get hope. Well, I hope I meet the prettiest girl in the world, but you might not. I mean, she might be not as pretty as you thought she ought to be. And the gal's one that good-looking guy, and she got a frog. You know, that's the way it works. Hope that's sure and steadfast. Our hope is positive. It's going to happen. We're going to realize it. Romans 8, 24 and 25, for we're saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it? I've been a Christian for 77 years. I've been hoping for my heavenly home for 77 years, but it's much closer now, much closer. So the Lord has taught us patience all those years. We need patience to wait. We need patience to work. We need patience to put up with people's foolishness. Praise the Lord. Look at Hebrews 6, verse 16 through 20. Hebrews 6, verse 16 through 20. For men barely swear by the greater law, And an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. For he and God, willing more abundantly to show under the airs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. that by two immutable or unchangeable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor to the soul. That's why we can always give an answer to every man that ask us of our hope. My hope is not to be a zillionaire in this life, but I'm going to a place where I don't think they have money there. Oh my, we're gonna talk about that in a minute. which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. See, Jesus has went into heaven inside the veil. He's the forerunner. If you have a forerunner, it's sure that there's gonna be afterrunners, and that's me, and that's you. That are God's children whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. When did he write them there? Before the world was. And now he's saving all those whose names are written in the Book of Life. This is God. Our Lord has taken us to a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. We're definitely going to realize our citizenship of that new earth where there's no tears, no death, no sorrow, no crying. No blindness, no cripples, no deafness, no cancer, no asthma, no heart trouble, no funeral homes, no cemeteries, no hospitals, no doctors, no nurses, no old folks homes. None of that. There'll be no deceivers, no thieves, no murderers, no adulterers, no sodomites, nobody mixed up on their gender, no con men and no wicked, lying, unscrupulous politicians. There'll be no more curse. All of the things that are here today are passed away. There you and I, who are saved, will see God and the Lamb face to face, and His name will be in our forehead. There'll be no night there, and we won't need the light of the candle or the sun, for the Lord God and the Lamb will give us the light, and we'll reign with Him forever. We'll reign with Him forever. What does that mean? I didn't mean to get into this, but it's there. Possess sovereign power. And if I'm with God and I'm reigning with him, that's sovereign power. Think of it. The Lord's washed us from our sin in his own blood and made every one of us kings and priests and his church has reigned on the earth for a thousand years and then with him forever. Even the place where we're going to abide is called a mansion. People giggled at that. I giggled, too, and I looked at it, and I turned into laughing, and I laughed about it. In my father's house are many mansions. If it not so, I would have told you. I'd go to prepare a place for you. And I looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary. I looked it up in the Greek, and the word is, Greek word, mone, it means a staying, an abiding, a dwelling. And the OED says, it's the chief residence of the Lord. were made kings and priests and were going to reign with them. Let me remind you about that. The letter of the revelation was from Jesus Christ who's the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sin and his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Think about this. Like Abraham and Sarah and Abel and Noah, you and I are looking for a city with foundations whose builder and maker is God. By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should have to receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out not knowing whether he went. Some of God's people are called to go out to places they never even dreamed of, never thought of. I think about Brother Paul, Abraham, and Susan over there in Thailand. I thought, I wonder if they'll stick with it. Now he said, I'm gonna be here till I die. It's home to him now. Thank God that here he went to this place. He gave up all of his life to go and preach the gospel to those people. Like Abraham, by faith he sojourned in a land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob. The heirs of him are the same promise, for he, Abraham, looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God. And we read about Abel and Enoch, Noah. These all died in faith, not having received the promises. But having seen them afar off, were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. That's what we are, strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things, declare plainly they seek a country. And truly, if they'd been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to return. Listen, I read about a sad little occasion. A man named Demas in the New Testament was a professing Christian, and Paul said, Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. But now these people desire a better country, that is, a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he prepared for them a city. Makes you want to sing, doesn't it? Here among the shadows, in a lonely land, we're a band of pilgrims on the move. Burdened down with sorrow, shunned on every hand, looking for a city built above. Looking for a city where we'll never die. There the sated millions never say goodbye. There we'll meet our Savior and our loved ones too. Oh, the Holy Spirit, oh, our hope's renewed. One day soon, our God is gonna call us to himself where every one of us, listen, every one of us whose name is in the book of life shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude writes that now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty and dominion and power both now and forever. He's able to keep us from falling. The people of God are liable to fall into temptation, into sin, into errors and mistakes, or from steadfastness. And were it not for His divine power in Him we consist, we're not able to keep ourselves, but He keeps us from falling. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not utterly be cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Praise God. It's the Lord's word to preserve us. And he's gonna present you and I Faultless. Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, here we stand with the God of heaven, the Son of God. Faultless. Nobody can blame you. In fact, that's true right now. God, if God forgives you, who says you're not? Who can say? Who can't speak against you? This is so wonderful. Before Christ himself. All the holy angels. Though we sin and Adam and, so wretchedly and guilty, filthy in our nature. So prone to backsliding, yet at the last, we'll be presented to Christ in perfect holiness, in complete righteousness, and in the shining robe of immortality and glory. See, in Him we're created, in Him we consist, and He's taking us to glory, where He'll present us false. See, we're more than conquerors through him that loved us. More than conquerors through him that loved us. To God be the glory. I hope you're one of God's children. Jesus went to the cross to die for his people. He shed his blood on the cross. And all who believe in him and trust him have everlasting life. presented for.