Man, Happy New Year. It's such a pleasure to stand up in front of you guys this morning. There's a lot of people out sick. And no, there's not a glitch in the matrix, and this isn't third week or anything like that. Justin wasn't feeling real well, so he asked me to swap with him. I mean, I understand that, because I was out pretty much all last month not feeling real well. That being said, my voice kind of comes and goes, or I'll have to clear my throat. I hope you guys will indulge me this morning. If I cough into the microphone, I'm certainly sorry about it. We got some visitors in this morning. It's wonderful to see you guys here. You could have been anywhere else in the world, but you chose to worship with us, and we're just tickled pink about it. We hope that you'll come out of this knowing that you've met with the Lord today. We just hope you'll be blessed. Sermon this morning is continuing in the New Year. If you'll turn in your Bibles to Colossians chapter 2, we're going to look at verses 1 through 7. In contrast to a lot of sermons I do, if you guys stay right in Colossians 2, 1-7, you're not going to get lost. Now the Scriptures will be up on the screen for you guys to see, but we're pretty much going to hover right on these seven verses. Chapter 2, verse 1, it tells us, Paul writes, he says, For I would that you knew what a great conflict I have for you. and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in 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 in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you've been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Now Paul has written to these saints in Colossus expressing his joy for their commitment to the Lord. And he offers encouragement for them to remain steadfast in what they've received. Now this church existed among those who embraced false doctrines of that day. And these were exciting times as well as challenging times for these early believers. Even in the face of adversity, Paul was confident in their ability to be productive in the Lord's work. Our world, if we look around, has changed greatly since the time of Paul. But the truth is, we face many of the same obstacles today. These are exciting times for us, but there are challenges that are yet to come. And I'm thankful for all that the Lord has done for us in the past, and I'm thankful for what he's doing for us now, but you know what? There's still so much to be done. We've been blessed beyond measure here, but we have to continue to labor for the Lord. We can't grow complacent with the desire to live off of yesterday's blessings. This year, I'm looking for even greater things. And I want to look at these instructions in this little passage that reveal what is involved in continuing in the new year. And the first thing I want you to see is the effort that's described. Paul writes in verse 1, he says, For I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you. And for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, See, if we're to accomplish anything of value in this coming year, it's going to require effort. And I realize that we serve a powerful Lord that can then accomplish what He pleases. But He has chosen to use us for His work. Now, I can think about getting things done. I can even talk about what I'd like to get done. But the truth is, nothing actually happens until I put forth the effort of getting it done. So, what can we learn about the effort described? First thing I want you to see is that if we're going to get anything done, it's going to take a personal effort. See, Paul here in these verses, he's writing from a personal perspective. And he was concerned about this church at Colossus. He had labored for them. Look at Colossians 1.29. He says, Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Now I want you to look at these two words, labor and striving. This phrase is the Greek phrase, kopio, I'm going to mess this up, but it's kopio agonizoma ahi. That's a mouthful, but these two words, kopio, means to feel fatigue. Paul was feeling fatigue. By implication to hard work. In other words, this was labor. This was toil. To be wearied because of toil. We have that same feeling every Friday when we get off work at 5 o'clock. We're tired of that week. We've been wearied by that week. Now that second word, what it means is to struggle. Literally, to compete for a prize. Figuratively, it means to contend with an adversary, to wrestle with someone. Generally, it means to endeavor to accomplish something. Other words or synonyms for it are fight, to labor fervently, to strive. See, Paul here has his eye on the prize. He says here that he is tirelessly laboring to accomplish something. And the idea here is of a great conflict. It's of a great struggle that's used to describe the effort of athletes to ensure victory. See, Paul understood the need for his personal involvement. Now, Lighthouse Baptist Church isn't these four walls. This is only a building. Lighthouse Baptist Church is you and me. And our church will only be as strong as those who make it up. See, there's a need for each of us to do our part in the coming year. I can't do what God has called you to do. So we have to ask ourselves, are we committed to doing our part for the glory of God and the good of our church? See, if you're saved, if you're here and you're saved, there is work for you to do. And if you've never found that work, this would be a good time to seek God for His will in your life. Then make yourself available for whatever He's called you to do. The second thing I want you to see that it's not only a personal effort. We not only have to put in some sweat equity. It's a progressive effort. Look at verse 1. Paul says, For I would that you knew what a great conflict I have for you. and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh." Notice that Paul here, he labored for those at Colossus. He's writing to them right now. He also labored for those at Laodicea, and for those who had never ever seen his face, namely you and me, down the line. See, Paul was concerned about the body of Christ. He wasn't satisfied with the prosperity of just one single group. He was concerned with the work of God. See, as we look around us, there's a tremendous amount of work we need to do here. But there are also responsibilities to those around us in our spheres of influence, our workplace, and our communities. We need to be determined to reach those who are lost. We need to pray about expanding our efforts. See, there's a lost world out there, and we have an obligation to reach them, even to the uttermost parts of the earth. The internal work here, within these four walls, is but a part of what God has called us to do. Each one of you sitting here, each one of you has been individually gifted to reach people that others cannot. And you need to labor to share the gospel with them. Collectively. We need to strive for men's souls everywhere we have the opportunity for the glory of God. You know, we've looked at the effort described. Now let's turn our attention to the environment developed. Look at verses 2-4. Paul says, "...that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." See, we find here, as we read this, that Paul desired a specific environment for the church at Colossus. He was aware that if people were to prosper there, they needed a proper environment in which they could do so. See, the environment within a church is determined by the people. We, collectively, are responsible for the atmosphere here at Lighthouse. And developing the right environment is vital, along with the effort we put forth. So we have to ask ourselves, what type of environment do we need? Well, first off, we need one of agreement. Look at verse 2. Paul says that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love. See, the people of Colossus, like us, they faced enormous pressure from the outside world. There was tons of pressure from society. And the church needed a place where they could find comfort and a place of refuge, a place of rest from the difficulties of life. And in order for them to find comfort, there had to be unity among the people or among the members. See, Paul describes in this verse that their hearts had to be knit together. This is the word sumbibadzo. And what it means is to drive together. That is, unite in association or affection. What it means is to come together with a firm union of heart in Christ. This requires the love of God, and we have to maintain here a spirit of agreement if we're gonna be productive for the Lord. In fact, the Lord expects us to come together in singleness of heart for the cause of Christ. You know, Psalm 133, verse one, tells us, behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. This verse begins with an exhortation to behold. That is, take notice. And then what follows is an important, it's important and it deserves our intention. You know, Spurgeon said, it's a wonder seldom seen, and therefore behold it. It may be seen for it as a characteristic of real saints, to be able to dwell together, to be able to be in unity. If that's the case, then we shouldn't fail to inspect it. He went on to say that it's worthy of admiration. So we should pause and gaze upon it. It'll charm you into imitation and therefore note it well. See, what David here, he says, behold, and he draws our attention to something that is good and pleasant. Unity among God's people is good and pleasant. See, it's good because it reflects God's heart and the purpose of unity among his people. It's pleasant because it makes life together as God's people so much more enjoyable than those seasons when constant bickering and conflict could dominate. We've been blessed to have a season of unity here for a long time. But you know, not everything good is pleasant. And not everything that is pleasant is good. Unity among God's people is such a remarkable blessing because it is both. It is both good and it is pleasant. And see, David here had in mind the relationship that God's people have with one another, not with the world around them. Now, believers, we should work to have good and peaceful relationship with everybody. But here, in this verse, the focus is on relationships among God's people and in God's house. See, the truth is, if we can't agree on what to do and work together to get there, we're never going to achieve a single thing for the Lord. And it may require laying aside personal preferences for the good of the church. You know, Paul mentioned this first because nothing will be accomplished without an environment of agreement. And once a unity is achieved, you can begin to enjoy the multitude of blessings that comes with it. See, there's nothing that a united church can't accomplish through the Lord. And our environment has to be one of agreement. But it also has to be one of abundance. Look at verse 2. He says, and into all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. You know, there had to have been days when they felt as if their difficulty far outweighed the blessings. We've all had seasons that way. And Paul wanted them to realize the abundance that they had in Christ. See, the people around them were looking to this world for wisdom and direction, just like today. People are looking everywhere for wisdom and for direction. They'll follow just the latest influencer, no matter how nutty they are. But the Colossians had the guidance of the Lord. See, on the surface, they may have appeared to be lacking. But they had received something that the world could never ever offer. They had been given something that the world couldn't take away. See, they were living each day with the benefit of the Lord being near to them. See, brothers and sisters, we cannot... that is available to us through Christ. There's nothing that we face that He isn't in control of. However, we need to continually seek a more abundant relationship with Him. Ever-growing, ever-maturing. I want to challenge each of you as an individual and us as a body to grow in the Lord this coming year and to develop a more abundant relationship with Him. You know, you have to ask yourself, are you as close to God as you could be this morning? Are you as close to God as you wanna be this morning? And the truth is, we would all benefit from His abundance. The environment here also needs to be one of assurance. Look at verse two, it says, and into all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. See, just like many today, Or just like today, many in that day, they were being led astray by false doctrines. And believers, they had to determine what they believed. Paul had shared with them the glorious gospel and they'd heard the truth of Christ and His saving grace. Now the world at that time, and now may have chosen to reject it, but these believers could rest assured in their salvation. You know, I've spoken with many people over the years who just don't have that assurance. Many, especially of my grandmother's generation, you know, when asked if they died today, would they go to heaven? They would answer, you know, I hope I've done enough. As I stand before you this morning, I'm certainly glad that I haven't received a hope so salvation. I'm thankful that I've had the privilege of being part of a church that makes sure that you have a no-so salvation. See, because of this, I can be confident in what the Lord has done for me, and I can be assured of His ability to keep my soul. Do you understand how rare that is, and what a blessing it is to possess? There's many people who just don't have that assurance. See, the world around us, they'd have us believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth. The world is rife with moral relativism and it's not a new thing. It's as old as the Bible itself. And then what it means is what is right for you may or may not be right for me and vice versa. And the world rejects the notion of Christ being the only way to life eternal, with many even denying that there's life beyond the grave. The attacks upon the church seem to grow more and more intense with each passing year. And that's why an environment of assurance is so important. In order to hold fast to what you believe, you first have to understand what you believe, in whom you believe, and why you believe it in the first place. That's the only way you can bounce back when you fall. See, just like each of you listening to this message, there've been times when I've failed the Lord. But you know, I've never doubted who He is, what He's done for me, and what He's promised. I can stand on those things. And the coming year, we don't know what it's gonna bring. It may bring great prosperity. It may bring great difficulty for us here at Lighthouse. But here's the truth. we can lift up our heads in full assurance that we're secure in Jesus our Lord. Look at Colossians chapter two, verse nine and 10. Paul writes, he continues to them, he says, for in him, in Jesus, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. You know, we may not be a whole lot of things, But in Christ, we are complete. And this word, what it means is to fully arrive. Now we may not see it in ourselves right now. And in truth, we're messes and we're being conformed to his image every day. But you know what this verse tells us? That in him, we're seated in heavenly places, perfectly perfect, completely complete and fully arrived. I don't see it in myself, well, ever. But that doesn't make it any less true. See, in Him, you not only can be, but are right now the person you were destined to be from before the foundation of the world. Now Paul tells us that the last environment that we need to develop is one of awareness. Look at verse 4. He says, "...and this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." See, those who taught false doctrine would seek ways of deceiving true believers. In fact, in verse 8 he goes on, he says, See, Paul encouraged them to be aware of the tactics of the enemy. They haven't changed. They're wrapped a little different, but they haven't changed. They're the same. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul says, You know, we see this in the world around us every day. In fact, the Archbishop of Canterbury, James Welby, has shocked evangelicals within the Church of England by publicly abandoning the Church's historic teaching on sexual ethics. See, Welby, he indicated that sexual intimacy is no longer limited to marriage. That sexual intimacy in gay relationships is okay. and that the church should not only support, but bless relations outside of marriage. Before resigning in November, 2024, Welby declared official support for same-sex relations. He asserted that in spite of scripture declaring such behavior as abominable, the Anglican church will endeavor to bless those unions. Welby will vacate office on January 6th, 2025. We have to develop an environment of awareness in our day. Every man who carries a Bible and claims to be a preacher isn't called of God. As I've previously said, you need to know what you believe and why you believe it. Know the truth and you'll be able to recognize heresy. See, there's a move in our day to water down theology and to teach a message that the world wants to hear. And Lighthouse, we have to stay true to the Word of God and stand upon it above all else. You know, it's not popular, but our children are depending on us to ensure that sound doctrine is taught here. You know, the world will have you believe that we're just too old-fashioned or they'll accuse us of teaching false doctrine. Truth is, guys, I really don't care what the world thinks. I don't mind the attacks either. If there was no opposition, I would wonder about what we were teaching and what we were preaching. See, bottom line is that I'm more interested in pleasing God than pleasing the world. Now we've seen the effort described. We've seen the environment developed. Finally, I want you to see the example displayed. Look at verse 5. He says, For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in 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 ye in him. rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you've been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. See, when we determine to put forth the effort and develop the right environment, those around us, they're going to begin to notice that there's just something different about those guys. And I desire that for our church. I want folks to come and feel the presence of God and leave knowing that He's in our midst. I want to be effective in letting our light shine and having people come and become just infectious. So let's consider what type of environment or what type of example we can display when we're living for the Lord. The first is a steadfast witness. Paul says in verse 5, he says, For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith. See, Paul, when he wrote this letter, was in a Roman prison. But he was hearing good things about this church. And he rejoiced that even in his absence, they were continuing the work of the Lord. They were committed to remaining a witness. See, Paul here, he spoke of their order. This is a military term relating to maintaining discipline in the face of persecution. They had drawn a line in the sand and they said, you can go this far but no further and I'm going to do the same. And they were persevering because of this even in difficulty. We need that discipline and commitment in our day. There's so many things that would lead us down the wrong path. There's so many things that would water down our lives. We need to be able to stand up for our children. We need to stand up for our church and stand up for our families and say, you know what? I'll go that far, but I ain't going no further. Many have abandoned the faith and compromised with the world. You know, we have an established witness here at Lighthouse. And I say that only to the glory of God. I have folks tell me all the time that they've heard good things about us. People are talking about us, whether we know it or not, and mostly in a positive manner. And we have to maintain that witness. Secondly, we need a sanctified walk. Paul says in verse 6, "...as you have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord so walk ye in Him." Paul reminded them, he reminded this little church to whom they belong. They were the children of God. They were the redeemed. And they had an obligation to be consistent in their walk. Guys, Jesus hadn't changed. He's still our Lord and Master. And together we reveal a witness. but that witness depends on individual lives lived for him each day. In 1 John 2, 6, he says, he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. See, we live in a day when many profess to know the Lord, but their lives tell a completely different story. Let's strive to make Jesus the focus of our daily lives and walk worthy of him each day. See, together, collectively, we can make a difference, but we'll never be the example we need to be if we only walk with the Lord for a couple hours on Sunday. We also need a successful work. In verse seven, Paul says, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. See, this little church at Colossus had been established on sound doctrine and faith in the Lord. And the people were to continue to build on that sure foundation. There are a lot of endeavors that end in ruin because it wasn't built upon the Lord. You know, I remember back when I first started coming here and first got saved, I wanted to build a place where Christians could go on Friday and Saturday. Because Dickinson at that time, and I guess still does, just rolled up the sidewalk at five o'clock. And there was nowhere other than bars and stuff like that that we could go. And I had asked him, I said, well, how much did this church cost and everything like that? And I told him what I wanted to do. And he says, there's no Lone Rangers in the Lord's house. If we're gonna do this, it needs to be done collectively with the church. The church at Colossi, they'd been founded on sound doctrine. And we gotta, these endeavors, this endeavor that I was looking to do, as good as it sounded, it would have ended in ruin because it wasn't, the Lord wasn't in it. And it wasn't built with my brothers and sisters. See, we have a solid foundation here at Lighthouse, and we have to continue to build on that. You know, I thought of the difficulty that Nehemiah faced rebuilding the wall upon returning to Jerusalem. You know, it was a difficult task, and there was a lot of work to be done, and he faced danger on every side. They had a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. The city lay in ruins, and the weeds and the briars had grown, but the foundation was still there. You know, it took some work to find it. And it took even more determination to clear out the junk in order to begin rebuilding. But once it was complete, it was solid because of its foundation. See, the same holds true for us. There's gonna be times when individually or collectively, we allow the cares of this life to grow and hide the foundation. There may even be times that we can't see it. But brothers and sisters, it's still there. Solid and secure. See, we have great potential and opportunity for the coming year if we will commit to continuing the course that is set before us. See, if we're concerned with doing things the Lord's way, He's gonna make our work to prosper. Now, I rejoice in all that He has done through us and for us. But I can stand up here and tell you, I'm in no way satisfied. There's still a lot to be done. There's so much to be done. We serve one who deserves the very best we can offer. And I want him to be pleased with everything we do. And I pray that you're excited about what the Lord is doing as well as being a part of this church. See, together, we can see even greater things this year for the glory of God. And the start of the new year is always exciting. And I'm anticipating this to be the best year yet for us. The Lord's well able to accomplish whatever he pleases in spite of us or with us. There's no limit, though, to what we can achieve if we will seek his presence and his power. You willing to put forth that effort? You willing and interested in developing an environment where the Lord's work can prosper? Where lives are impacted, where eternities are changed? Do you desire to be a positive influence on those around us? See, these are challenging days, and I don't think they're gonna get better. Our world's changing. Our country's changing. Even our community is changing. But together, we can make a difference. And we'll do it one life at a time. Pastor. A message on the environment. You weren't expecting that today, were you? I got a set of instructions on the way to church this morning. I was informed, if somebody asked you how you're doing today, you're doing great. I said, we could be, and she named a few things. And she was right. I am doing great. I'm above the snakes. I'm walking upright, wobbling a little, but who cares? But I've still got the power of God, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.