The Word of God in Full (Colossians 1:25)

I preached from four OT texts and 2 NT texts for a 56-min sermon. I stopped rather abruptly as I have two more points as I sensed I might be nearing the one hour mark. But after the song of response, I made an altar call which I felt the Spirit prompting as lo and behold about 15 people came forward to be prayed for which was a third of the congregation. It's a small church of less than50 adults. It was a message in which I felt the anointing from the 3rd minute onwards until the end. When I prayed for those who came forward, 10 of the 15 people wept. In fact, I saw one member weeping as I preached as she wiped her tears dry for throughout the sermon. The Spirit was evident at work through His Word. If Christ's Word is exalted, His Spirit works powerfully to convict hearts. I told the church not to be too engaged with end-time prophecy.

I told them I felt the Lord's coming still requires much waiting from us. The temple of God in Jerusalem has not been rebuilt. The church is weak in the sense that most members only read part of the Word and it's God will to prepare His bride by the washing of His Word, his whole Word. I shared how I loved Galatians as a new convert. Then after 11 years in my first year of Greek class in 1993, I learned Galatians 1-4 in Greek. Even then, I felt I only understood half of Galatians. Then, onto my doctorate and 6 years of reading many books in TTC where its library was literally at my doorsteps. I could throw a stone with minimum energy and it can hit the big windows about 20 meters away. 

Then I told them when I started writing a commentary on Galatians I still have about 30 percent of the text which I have not fully understood. I read commentaries. I used dictionaries, but above all I cried out to God for wisdom. I then explained what happened in the seventh month of Tishri of Nehemiah 8 when Ezra took the book of the Law and read it before the people. He did not only read it, but explained its meaning until the people understood. I told the church that the church needed good preachers and Bible scholars like Ezra to explain the Word of God. It is not sufficient to just read half the Bible. But it is God's Word in fulness as He is preparing His bride at Christ's coming,