Thank you Paul and musicians. It's good to have
our brass with us today. Thanks for playing.
Oh, I should say reeds too. We have some reeds
there and full orchestra. All right. Thanks for
playing for us today. Colossians chapter 3 verse
3 is where we begin this morning. This morning,
the secrets of saints. There was a sign on someone's
desk in the Pentagon that said, the secrecy of
my job does not permit me to know what I am doing.
Perhaps you can identify with that. Nearly everyone
does have secrets. Some of them may be exciting.
I called my sister in Kansas City. About a week
ago, and she said well I have some exciting news
for you We were trying to keep it a secret, but
because of some things that happened We had to
tell the news a little bit early, and I said
what's that and she said we're expecting another
baby Some secrets are happy secrets There are
some secrets that make us ashamed or fearful
Heard a story one time about a man who sent an
anonymous message to five of his very best friends
in town. It was a prank. The message was unsigned.
It was anonymous. But it said this, flee. All
is discovered. The next morning, three of the
five had left town. Some secrets are not good.
Saints have secrets. They're not secrets because
they are concealed. They're not secrets because
they're bad or sinister, but they are secrets
because the world does not understand them. They
are secrets that are delightful and encouraging.
Our text Colossians 3 .3 says, you have died
and your life is hidden. with Christ in God.
I'm especially interested in this verse in that
word hidden. Your life is hidden. The idea there
is that the source of your life is like a secret
spring which nurtures it in your pilgrimage.
Your life is rooted in Jesus Christ. and no one
sees the roots of the tree. Your life is hidden
in Christ. Our resource is in Jesus Christ and
in the union that we share with Him. We have
died with Christ. We have been raised with Christ.
When He is revealed, then we will be revealed
with Him in glory. These verses talk about our
union with Him. And because of that union, says
the apostle, our life is hidden with Christ in
God. The secrets of the saints. Turn back with
me to the twin epistle of Colossians, which is
the book of Ephesians for a moment. We see the
apostle Paul expressing it a little differently,
but saying essentially the same thing. In chapter
2, beginning in verse 4 where it says, but God
being rich in mercy because of his great love
with which he loved us, even when we were dead
in our transgressions, made us alive together
with Christ. Notice the union there? He has made
us alive together with Christ. By grace you've
been saved. He's raised us up with Him, notice
again the union in resurrection, raised us up
with Him and seated us with Him, again the union,
seated us with Him in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus. We are related to Jesus Christ,
united to Him in His victorious and exalted status.
in the realm of spiritual realities, which the
Bible calls the heavenlies. The saints, those
set apart to belong to Jesus Christ by God's
gracious choice, have resources unknown by and
withheld from the world. I want to talk about
our secrets today, our secret resources. To do
this, I'm going to go through the book of Ephesians,
chapter by chapter, and pick out just one resource
from each chapter. We're only going to just take
the top of the resources. We're not going to
get into all of them. We don't have time to do
that. But at least one secret resource of the
saints from each of the chapters of Ephesians.
Some of you may recall years ago that there was
a television program called I've Got a Secret.
How many of you remember that? Yes. Even some
of the younger ones remember that. It's not on
cable anywhere, is it? Not on reruns. Well, the
idea in this game show was that guests would
come on who had secrets. And after being introduced,
they would sit down beside Gary Moore, who was
the MC of the program. and they would lean over
and whisper something in his ear. And then there
was a panel of four people who through a series
of questions tried to guess what the secret was
of the guest. Well, this morning you and I, as
the saints of God, have secrets. Secret number
one. We have the purpose of God. Ephesians chapter
1 verse 9. In all wisdom and insight, God made
known to us the mystery of His will, according
to His kind intention which He purposed in Christ,
with a view to an administration suitable to
the fullness of the times. You and I have this
secret resource, the purpose of God. It provides
us hope. Now why is this important? Because we
live in a world that is doomed. We live in a
world that has no hope. Ephesians chapter 2.
Why? Because it is without God. We live in a
world that is under the judgment of God. We live
in a world that is headed toward an appointment
with a Creator who is angry. who is angry with
sin every day. The Bible says there is a day
of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God, who will render to every man according
to his deeds. It's a day when God will judge
the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. The
Bible also warns that God will deal out retribution
to those who do not know God and to those who
do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction.
You and I live in a world that is doomed. It
is under the judgment of God. It is without hope.
How then can Christians live in a world like
this? Because we have a secret resource that
provides us hope in the midst of a truly hopeless
situation. And what is that resource? It is an
understanding of the purpose of God. God has
been pleased to give to us the big picture. And
we understand that what God is about, what God
is doing, God is at work in our world today.
The boys and girls this last week in VBS learned
something about that. God is at work in our world
today. What is He doing? He is working out the
mystery of His will. Well, what is that? Well,
notice how Paul puts it. He says, it's an administration
suitable to the fullness of the times. Is that
the Clinton administration? Is that the next
administration that will come from the other
political party? No. He's not talking about man's
administration. He's talking about a brand new
administration of things, not just in the United
States, but in the world. He goes on to explain
it further. He says, that is, here's what I mean,
he says, The summing up of all things in Christ.
Things in heaven, things on the earth. What is
God doing? What's the big picture? It is that
God is going to bring everything under the lordship
of Jesus Christ. He's going to draw the line
one day and sum up everything and everything
is going to be put under the authority of Jesus
Christ. You and I know that. The world does not
know that. And if it's told that, it doesn't
understand it. You and I have a secret resource
because we are the saints of God. We have the
purpose of God. We know that. And God's purpose
in all of human history is eventually to bring
everything in heaven and on earth under the throne
of Jesus Christ and He will reign forever and
forever. That's His purpose. And we can rejoice
in that because we're part of it by His gracious
choice, not because we deserve it. You and I
need hope in a world like we're living in. If
you feel like our culture is collapsing, you're
absolutely right. God is working through it,
however. God is still on His throne and He is
working in human history not to preserve the
United States of America. That is not His purpose.
God is working in human history not to preserve
Western culture. That's not His purpose. God
is working in human history to bring to an end
human reign and to bring everything under the
authority of Jesus Christ. And He's going to
do it. He is going to do it. That is His purpose.
It provides us hope. We know the last chapter
of human history, therefore we have hope in a
world that is doomed, desperate, and depressed.
Saints have secrets. The second secret we have
is access to God. It provides us relief. Chapter
2, verse 18. Through Him, through Christ, we
both have our access in one spirit to the Father.
Access to God. Why is this important? Our world
today is caught up with supports. You hear a
lot about support groups in our world that worships
at the altar of psychology. Well, there's nothing
wrong with support groups in one sense. but they
dare not be the foundation of our lives and our
relationships. The world believes in support,
but it's limited support, it's only what man
can provide. You go to your friends, you go to
people who are struggling with the same issues
you are, you pour out your secrets to them, they
tell you their problems, and in that there is
some kind of support. But it's nothing that provides
permanent or eternal relief or alleviation. The
saints of God have a secret. We have relief at
the mercy seat of Jesus Christ. We have access
to God. The world does not have that. It's something
for us, though, to enjoy. God provides it for
all of His saints. We can come freely to God
Himself in the power of the Holy Spirit through
the Lord Jesus Christ. And we can lay before
God all of our problems and all of our battles
and all of our struggles. And we can know in
doing that relief. Not merely temporal support,
but relief that God provides by His grace. Hugh
Stoll was born in 1799 in the Isle of Man and
in his 30s became a well -known preacher in the
Church of England. He wrote a number of poems
and verses including one that is in our hymnals,
432. It's one of those old hymns we don't sing
a lot anymore, but oh, the meaning in it. It
says, From every stormy wind that blows, From
every swelling tide of woes, There is a calm
and sure retreat, Tis found beneath the mercy
seat. Ah, whither could we flee for aid, When
tempted, desolate, dismayed? or how the hosts
of hell defeat had suffering saints, no mercy
seat. Ah, there on eagle wings we fly, we soar,
and sin and sense molest no more. And heaven
comes down, our souls to greet, while glory crowns
the mercy seat. You and I have a secret. It is
access to God. That access to God provides his
saints relief in the midst of life's trials and
battles. Chapter number three brings us to a
third secret of saints. It is found in verse
20. Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly
beyond all that we ask or think according to
the power that works within us. the power that
works within us. We've got a secret. It is the
power of God. Why is this important? Because
we need this power. We live in a world that relies
upon the resources of self. Self -realization
is one of the key terms. Self -reliance. You
can't depend on anybody else. You've got to dig
down deep and rely on yourself. And if you dig
deep enough, you'll find in yourself a little
bit of God or what God is about. You can unite
that with all of the universe where God is and
you find in yourself the strength you need. That
whole idea is a flat tire. The saints have a
better secret. It is the power of God. It provides
sufficiency. Sufficiency in every trial and in
every opportunity. Saints have God's power at
work in them to be released in dynamic ways.
It says here that He's able to do exceeding,
abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think.
How much can you ask God for? Someone said to
me this last week, what would you attempt for
God if you knew that you could not fail? What
about you? How would you answer that? What would
you attempt for God if you knew in advance you
could not fail? It's hard to put a circumference
around that. It's hard to throw a rope out there
and catch it. It's one of those ideas, those
concepts that just kind of expands your mind
a bit. And ultimately you say, well, I would
do anything. If I knew in advance, I couldn't
fail. What could you ask God for today? Do you
know whatever you would ask, God's able to do
far beyond that? What can you think of today?
What can you dream about that you'd like to see
happen for God in your life? As you stir up the
pot of your imaginations and you sniff it and
enjoy the aroma, what's there? God's able to
do beyond anything that you could dream about.
He's able. According to the power that is at
work in you right now. You see, that's the power
of the Holy Spirit, by the way. The power of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The saints
have a secret. It is the power of God. It provides
for us sufficiency in every opportunity and in
every trial that comes to us. The world knows
nothing about this secret. It can only rely upon
its meager resources. We have the power of God.
It is our believing obedience, by the way, that
releases God's energy in our lives, our faith.
That potential is inside of us, but it is as
we believe God in trusting obedience that God
then allows that power to be released and expressed.
Chapter number four brings us to a fourth secret
of the saints. It's hard to find just one verse
that says it succinctly, but let me just pick
one verse out of a paragraph that says it well.
Verse 16, he talks about Christ being the head
of the body in verse 15. And then he goes on
to say, from whom the whole body being fitted
and held together by that which every joint supplies.
according to the proper working of each individual
part, causes the growth of the body for the building
up of itself in love. The fourth secret of the
saints is the Church of God. It provides us significance.
Why is it important? Because everybody seeks
significance. A couple years ago somebody gave
me a great insight to the gang culture in the
United States. We have a gang summit going on
right now in St. Paul, which is fine, I guess.
I hope it accomplishes some good. Are gangs about
economic conditions? About not having jobs? About
oppression? and all the rest of the things that
we so often hear about as the root causes of
gangs. Well, those things may contribute in some
way, but at the heart of the gang mentality is
a drive for significance. Everybody wants to
have meaning, and so often those young kids in
the inner city cannot find meaning. anywhere
else except in the gangs that they create. Everybody
hungers for significance. Our world does not
know how to provide that. The saints have a secret.
It is the Church of God. We have significance
because we are part of something that God is
building for all of eternity. It's not a movement
that's going to last a few years and then peter
out. It's not a cause that's going to achieve
its goals and then die for lack of something
more. You and I are members of the body of Jesus
Christ, the Church of God. And as members of
that body, we are being built up and added to
it. And we do our part and others do their part.
And as we do that, it builds up the whole body
of Christ, the Church. And this body of Jesus
Christ is going to be around for eternity. It's
an eternal building. It's a forever family. And
we're part of it. So we have significance. That's
a secret. The world doesn't know it. We're a
part of the Church of God. As a member of the
body, I'm part of something that's far bigger
than just me, myself. I'm part of a work that
God is doing, a work that's going to extend into
eternity. And in the church of Christ, I find
meaning and I find fellowship. Well, let's go
on to chapter 5 and find another secret of saints.
I'm going to select verse 26 in this case. In
a paragraph that talks to husbands and wives
and compares that blissful marital relationship
to the relationship between Christ and the church.
Verse 25 he says, husbands love your wives just
as Christ loved the church and gave himself up
for her that he might sanctify her having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the word. The
fifth secret of saints I want to talk about today
is the Word of God. You and I have that. And
it provides for us cleansing. Why is that important?
Because we live in a world that is dirty. As
you and I go about our lives, we cannot help
but pick up some of the dirt that's in the dust
of the world. And just like the people in Bible
times had to come into the house after a journey
and sit down and have their feet washed. So you
and I have need of having our feet washed by
God. What is it that washes our feet as we walk
through this world in our pilgrimage? It is the
Word of God. The washing of water by the Word.
The Word of God is God's cleansing agent. It
is His Word that He uses to wash our lives so
that the contamination that we pick up in the
course of our day and the things we see, the
things we hear, these things don't influence
our lives. So we come to the Word of God and
we find there a basin of water in which to wash
ourselves so that the dirt doesn't accumulate
and we get infected and become spiritually sick.
because of contamination. The world doesn't have
that. I saw a little child a few weeks ago, and
part of a wonderful family, but I don't know
where the child had been playing, but his hands
were the crimiest hands I have seen in a long
time. And this little child just eating his food
with his hands and all this dirt was going in
his mouth. And I thought to myself, boy, his
hands need to be washed. You know, we live in
a world that's like that. It's just filthy. And
it gets all contaminated and sicker and sicker,
and it's going to die because of its dirt, its
filth, its moral contamination. And we live in
the midst of that. And I'll tell you something,
if we don't keep ourselves clean, we're going
to get sick too. So God has provided for us a
wonderful cleansing agent in His Word. We have
a secret. We can keep ourselves clean. We don't
have to get sick. We don't have to be contaminated.
Because we can use God's Word to keep our minds
clean. To wash ourselves after our walk through
the day. The Word of God expunges the contamination
that we pick up in our daily course. Just as
the psalmist said, how shall a young man cleanse
his way? By taking heed according to thy word.
Well, I must go on to the fifth secret of saints.
It's in chapter six. And you can tell I'm just
picking one out of each chapter. We could get
lots more secrets. But the sixth secret of the
saints Chapter 6 and verse 11. Put on the full
armor of God that you may be able to stand firm
against the schemes of the devil. The armor of
God is a secret to the saints. The world does
not have this armor. It is not available to them.
It is only available to the saints of God. It
provides us protection. Now what is the importance?
But we live in a world that is dangerous. It
is a hostile world. And that hostility is rooted
in the spiritual realm. It's not flesh and blood
that we struggle against, as he says in this
text. It is demonic powers. It is spiritual beings
and realities that are invisible to us. These
personalities are evil and they seek to destroy
us. And they seek to destroy all human beings
because all human beings have something of the
image of God in them. And their deep desire is
to destroy the image of God wherever it's found.
People in the world are enslaved to these powers.
They're in the world and they follow the course
of the world that Satan sets out for them. They
are blinded by Satan. They follow in goose -step
obedience to what he wants. We are the saints
of God. We live in this world that is hostile
in its environment, but we have protection. It's
called the armor of God. That's our secret. And
he lays out the pieces for us in God's panoply.
He says we have the belt of truth to put about
us. The belt of truth. One of Satan's chief weapons
is accusations and lies and doubts and temptation.
He gives us here pieces of armor that protect
us from all of these. The belt of truth protects
us from the lies of Satan. When you and I have
truth in our character, That's what he's talking
about here, the belt of truth. It is truthfulness
in our lives. There's no hypocrisy there. Then
we are invincible to the lies that Satan directs
against us. They will not be able to effectively
work in us because we have God's truth. He talks
about the breastplate of righteousness. Again,
Satan's tactic is to accuse, to throw darts of
accusation against us. But when our lives are
filled with righteous deeds, then those accusations
cannot sink in. They will not stick to us because
of the breastplate of righteousness. We have
our shoes of the good news of peace. What is
that? Well, it's the good news that God's on
our side. Or maybe better said that we're on
God's side. And there's peace between us and
God. And so Satan, when he comes with his doubts,
can't get to us because we have on the armor
that protects us from doubt. It's the good news
that we have peace with God. He talks about the
helmet of salvation. That is the assurance in
our mind that we are God's children. That God
is working to save us in every sense. So that
when Satan comes with his condemning thoughts,
and we are tempted to think about ourselves in
a condemning way. We have the helmet of salvation
to protect our minds in the way that we think.
You and I have an armor from God and we've only
touched on the pieces of it. If we don't put
on this resource from God, however, we are vulnerable.
We are left exposed and unprotected. These pieces
of armor are provided for us to keep us from
becoming a victim of the evil one Let me tell
you there are lots of God's children who have
failed to put on the armor and a fallen victim
But we have a resource that doesn't have to happen.
That's the point And that resource is God's armor.
It provides us protection. And if we are diligent
to put on each piece of armor, then you and I
can walk through this hostile world in the victory
of Jesus Christ. Well, we've only begun to uncover
the secret resources of the saints of God. Are
you choosing today to live in light of your resources
or to live without them? The choice is yours.
One of the things that I am learning, and I've
learned this late in life, I guess, is that growing
up means having more choices. Now, I understood
that better when I was growing up. When my children
are growing up, it's harder for me to allow them
to have choices. I'm a better sergeant than I
am a layer out of choices. But I'm learning,
and I'm slow, but I'm learning that teenagers
need choices. Now you give them choices that
are compatible with what's okay with you, but
they need to have some sense of control. You
just can't order them around. God gives us choices
too, because we have to grow up. God says, here
I give you these resources, now you may use them.
Or if you don't want to use them, you can live
that way. You know one of the neat things about
choices? That when you have the privilege of
making choices, you also have the opportunity
to learn from the consequences of those choices.
You can't blame the sergeant anymore who didn't
tell you what to do. Suddenly, you're the one
who made the choice and now you have to face
the consequences or enjoy the rewards if you
made the right choice. Isn't it the same way
in God's family? If we make the right choice,
then we have reward, we have blessing, we have
joy. If we make the wrong choices, then our lives
can be miserable in this world. Not because God
wants them that way or they have to be, but because
those are the choices we make and we live with
our consequences. Today, you and I have the resources
of God at our disposal. We have all kinds of
secrets that the world has no availability of
that we can draw upon. Do you today need hope?
God gives you purpose. Do you need relief? Well,
God gives you access. Do you need sufficiency
for something that's coming up in your life?
God gives you His power. Are you hungering for
significance? God's made you a part of the church.
You have a job to do. Do you need cleansing?
God has given you His Word to keep yourself clean.
Are you left exposed and you need protection?
God's given you His armor. Now use them. Use
the resources. Take advantage of the secrets
of the saints and learn to live in the fullness
that God wants you to know. Warren Wiersbe in
his book Be Joyful says, all of nature depends
on hidden resources. The great trees send their
roots down into the earth to draw up water and
minerals. The most important part of a tree is
the part you cannot see, the root system. And
the most important part of the Christian's life
is the part that only God sees. Unless we draw
upon the deep resources of God by faith, we fail
against the pressures of life. Life is tough.
Life is just a constant challenge. It's filled
every day with trials and opportunities. and
challenges and pitfalls and snares and tricks
that you and I have in Jesus Christ, everything
we need. Oh, may God teach us to use our resources
that we may walk in this world as His saints,
filled with His joy, living in His power, rejoicing
in His presence. Let's pray. Well, dear Prince
of God, Saint of God sitting here today, you're
wealthy in Christ. But is your life right now
impoverished? Are you suffering some consequences
of bad choices? Your Heavenly Father loves you
and He wants to bring those resources as an active
part of your life. that requires your response,
your surrender to Him, your trusting obedience.
Will you today, if you're living an impoverished
life, make a different choice? Will you choose
today to drop on the resources you have in Christ?
And if you're here today without Jesus, if you've
not made that eternally important choice to trust
Him. Will you today do that? I hope you will.
Because He suffered and died for you. He rose
again for you. That your sins might be forgiven.
And that you might have these resources. That
you might know the secrets of the saints. And
they can be yours today if you will trust Him.
Would you stand together with me? I'd like for
us to sing a chorus. God is so good God is so
good God is so good He's so good to me Lord,
You are good and You have given to us resources
that so often we fail to use. We all make bad
choices and we all understand the consequences
that come from those. Teach us, Lord. Grow us,
we pray. Deepen our roots. May we draw upon the
secrets that belong to us, those resources, that
hidden spring that is ours in Christ. And as
we grow in Him, may our lives bear the fruit
of blessing and joy that would give praise to
you and bring delight to our lives. I pray today
for some brothers and sisters who are struggling
and hurting and in pain, some because of disobedience,
because of choices. Lord, love them back to yourself
today. Break through that pain, the resistance,
the walls have been put up, and put your arms
around those who are your children. and love
them back to a place of obedience and fellowship.
Thank you for hearing us. Thank you for ministering
to our lives by the Holy Spirit and through your
Word. In Jesus' name, amen.