1 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,440 Well, I am delighted to be with you again. 2 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,600 I'd like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to get out of 3 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:22,320 Auckland. It was so good coming down this 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,640 morning. What a beautiful way to go to 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,920 church. You get on the Southern Motorway 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:33,770 and get out of it, and you come down here among the pastures and 7 00:00:34,730 --> 00:00:36,850 it's just beautiful. So thank you for that. 8 00:00:37,770 --> 00:00:41,370 We're in Ephesians Chapter 3. If you're not familiar with the 9 00:00:41,370 --> 00:00:44,970 Bible, it's the second-half of the Bible. 10 00:00:45,050 --> 00:00:49,810 If you don't know where Ephesians is, you can look it up 11 00:00:49,810 --> 00:00:53,490 on your table of contents at the front of your Bible. 12 00:00:55,730 --> 00:01:00,620 Or you might do what I do because I get mixed up. 13 00:01:00,620 --> 00:01:06,420 Where to go in which book? So I've memorized the letters of 14 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:11,980 Paul in this section and I just say to myself, Gentiles eat pork 15 00:01:11,980 --> 00:01:16,260 chops and that will give you Galatians, Ephesians, 16 00:01:16,260 --> 00:01:19,540 Philippians and Colossians. So you won't go to the wrong 17 00:01:19,540 --> 00:01:22,780 book. Well, we're at the eat section 18 00:01:22,780 --> 00:01:25,500 for Ephesians. That's my favorite section, as 19 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:33,450 you can see, and we're taking our reading from Ephesians, 20 00:01:34,050 --> 00:01:39,370 Chapter 3. For this reason. 21 00:01:39,370 --> 00:01:42,650 I pull the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of 22 00:01:42,650 --> 00:01:46,330 Eugentiles. And then he pauses. 23 00:01:46,610 --> 00:01:50,290 Digresses. Surely you have heard about the 24 00:01:50,290 --> 00:01:53,730 administration of God's grace that was given to me. 25 00:01:54,090 --> 00:01:59,650 For you, that is the mystery made known to me by Revelation, 26 00:02:00,290 --> 00:02:08,210 as I have already written briefly in reading this. 27 00:02:08,210 --> 00:02:12,970 Then you will be able to understand my insight into the 28 00:02:12,970 --> 00:02:18,370 mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other 29 00:02:18,370 --> 00:02:24,170 generations, as it has now been made revealed by the Spirit to 30 00:02:24,170 --> 00:02:27,620 God's holy apostles and prophets. 31 00:02:28,060 --> 00:02:33,460 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are airs 32 00:02:33,460 --> 00:02:39,700 together with Israel, members together of 1 body and sharers 33 00:02:39,700 --> 00:02:43,540 together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 34 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:48,180 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's 35 00:02:48,180 --> 00:02:51,220 grace, giving me given me through the working of His 36 00:02:51,220 --> 00:02:54,100 power. Although I am less than the 37 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:59,170 least of all God's people, this grace was given me to preach to 38 00:02:59,170 --> 00:03:05,290 the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make 39 00:03:05,730 --> 00:03:11,410 plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, 40 00:03:12,170 --> 00:03:17,730 which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all 41 00:03:17,730 --> 00:03:21,450 things. His intent was that now through 42 00:03:21,450 --> 00:03:26,100 the Church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to 43 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:31,380 the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms, according to 44 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:36,180 His eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our 45 00:03:36,180 --> 00:03:42,740 Lord, In Him, and through faith in Him, we may approach God with 46 00:03:42,740 --> 00:03:47,380 freedom and confidence. I ask you therefore not to be 47 00:03:47,380 --> 00:03:50,860 discouraged because of my sufferings, for you which are 48 00:03:50,860 --> 00:03:54,180 for your glory. For this reason. 49 00:03:54,180 --> 00:03:57,820 And now he picks up what he said in chapter 3, verse one. 50 00:03:58,500 --> 00:04:02,260 For this reason, before the Father, I kneel before the 51 00:04:02,260 --> 00:04:06,460 Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth 52 00:04:06,460 --> 00:04:10,020 derives its name. I prayed that out of his 53 00:04:10,020 --> 00:04:14,260 glorious riches he may strengthen you with power 54 00:04:14,260 --> 00:04:19,620 through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell 55 00:04:19,620 --> 00:04:25,680 in your hearts true faith. And I pray that you, being 56 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:32,440 rooted and established in love, may have power together with all 57 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:40,240 the Saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is 58 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,880 the love of Christ. And to know this love that 59 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:51,570 surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all 60 00:04:51,570 --> 00:04:57,250 the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do 61 00:04:57,250 --> 00:05:03,410 immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his 62 00:05:03,410 --> 00:05:09,090 power that is at work within us. To him be glory in the Church 63 00:05:09,810 --> 00:05:16,370 and in Christ Jesus through all generations, forever and ever. 64 00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:25,080 Amen. If you are familiar with the 65 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:30,640 book of Ephesians, you will know that in this book, as in most of 66 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:35,320 Paul's letters, he divides the book in two parts. 67 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:41,520 The first part is doctrinal goes from chapter one, verse one, to 68 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:47,080 chapter 3, verse 21. The 1st 3 chapters of Ephesians 69 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:55,440 give us information and then the last three chapters of Ephesians 70 00:05:55,440 --> 00:06:02,120 4-5 and six give us instruction. So we're in this section this 71 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:08,800 morning that is about information, and in chapter one 72 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,880 we have learned what God has done for us. 73 00:06:13,780 --> 00:06:18,300 He has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the 74 00:06:18,300 --> 00:06:21,940 world to be holy and blameless before him. 75 00:06:22,780 --> 00:06:27,620 And through the death of Jesus Christ and our faith in Him, He 76 00:06:27,620 --> 00:06:34,700 has forgiven us all our trespasses and has blessed us 77 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:39,940 with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ 78 00:06:39,940 --> 00:06:43,710 Jesus. So chapter one is about what God 79 00:06:43,710 --> 00:06:49,470 has done for us. Chapter 2 is about what God has 80 00:06:49,470 --> 00:06:55,430 done to us in terms of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 81 00:06:55,430 --> 00:07:01,190 He has raised us up with Christ and has seated us in the 82 00:07:01,190 --> 00:07:05,630 heavenly places in Christ, far above all power and 83 00:07:05,630 --> 00:07:12,200 principality. And He has transformed us and 84 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,920 and raised us up to be with Christ. 85 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:20,880 This is what God has done to us. Last week we broke into Chapter 86 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:27,120 3 and we began thinking about what God has done between us. 87 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,480 Now, in the passage before us, it's between Jews and Gentiles. 88 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,760 You and I don't have that kind of classification anymore, but 89 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,550 we are people from different backgrounds, different cultures, 90 00:07:40,550 --> 00:07:43,990 different ethnicity, different nationalities. 91 00:07:43,990 --> 00:07:49,070 And here we find ourselves coming together in the body of 92 00:07:49,070 --> 00:07:53,510 Christ, which is the church, and we begin to think what God has 93 00:07:53,510 --> 00:08:01,270 done between us. In Chapter 4, you break into the 94 00:08:01,270 --> 00:08:04,550 practical section. Let me just give you a heads up. 95 00:08:04,630 --> 00:08:08,690 Chapter 4 in the first part is about unity. 96 00:08:09,530 --> 00:08:13,490 In other words, we're talking about Jew and Gentile now coming 97 00:08:13,490 --> 00:08:19,130 together in the Church. Now when you get to Chapter 4, 98 00:08:19,170 --> 00:08:23,090 you move from the information to the instruction. 99 00:08:23,690 --> 00:08:30,090 Therefore keep the unity that the Spirit has created in the 100 00:08:30,090 --> 00:08:37,860 bond of peace and walk together in unity in the world that is 101 00:08:37,860 --> 00:08:42,820 shot through with division and hatred and tension. 102 00:08:43,419 --> 00:08:48,380 We are to be lights in the darkness and to show the world 103 00:08:48,380 --> 00:08:52,620 how true unity between peoples of different backgrounds, 104 00:08:52,620 --> 00:09:00,700 ethnicities, different social classes, can come together in 105 00:09:00,700 --> 00:09:04,840 love and in harmony and in unity. 106 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,920 So it talks about unity. Then it goes on to talk about 107 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,000 purity. Then it goes on to talk about 108 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,880 authority, because you cannot have unity without authority. 109 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:19,960 And it talks about authority in the home, talks about authority 110 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:26,000 in the workplace, and then it finishes up with victory as we 111 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:30,640 put on the armor of God. And when the evil day comes, 112 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,000 we're left standing. So that's the book of Ephesians. 113 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:40,520 Well, we're breaking into chapter 3 about this amazing 114 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:45,320 mystery. And chapter 2, verse 11 to the 115 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:50,680 end of the chapter has reminded us that God has reconciled us 116 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:56,280 not just to himself through Christ, but to one another 117 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,550 through Christ. He has brought us together. 118 00:10:01,150 --> 00:10:05,110 You know, one of the things that sin has done, and you see it in 119 00:10:05,110 --> 00:10:09,790 the Garden of Eden, is that the moment sin entered the world, 120 00:10:09,790 --> 00:10:15,350 the moment that Adam and Eve rebelled against God and sin, 121 00:10:15,910 --> 00:10:18,190 everything started to fall apart. 122 00:10:18,270 --> 00:10:21,830 Have you noticed that? That's where alienation began. 123 00:10:23,150 --> 00:10:26,750 And that's when Adam says it would have been all right except 124 00:10:26,750 --> 00:10:31,050 for her. The woman you gave me, she gave 125 00:10:31,050 --> 00:10:35,010 me the fruit to eat. So there's blame going on, this 126 00:10:35,010 --> 00:10:39,930 alienation going on. Hard to imagine that maybe just 127 00:10:39,930 --> 00:10:45,690 a few hours before Adam had been in the garden, and God had put 128 00:10:45,690 --> 00:10:49,650 him into a deep sleep. And God had brought from his 129 00:10:49,650 --> 00:10:55,490 side a woman woke him up from the anesthesia and and there she 130 00:10:55,490 --> 00:10:59,520 was. And he was amazed. 131 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,440 He'd been looking at the animals, naming the animals Mr. 132 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:10,080 missus hippopotamus, Mr. missus rhinoceros, Mr. missus monkey at 133 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:14,920 but no Mr. missus human. And then God said not good for 134 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:19,640 men to be alone, and he put at him into a thick and dreadful 135 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,480 darkness, a bit like what comes over us. 136 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:28,410 Church on a Sunday morning, and in a deep sleep he takes from 137 00:11:28,410 --> 00:11:33,570 his side a woman and fashions her to be his wife. 138 00:11:34,130 --> 00:11:38,930 But you know, it's only a matter of hours, and that beautiful 139 00:11:38,930 --> 00:11:44,170 harmony is splintered. And Adam is not only separated 140 00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:48,250 from God, separated from his wife. 141 00:11:48,250 --> 00:11:51,370 There's tension there now. There's discord there now, 142 00:11:51,850 --> 00:11:55,230 Disunity now. Now he's separated from the 143 00:11:55,230 --> 00:11:59,270 world he lives in, and instead of it being under his control, 144 00:11:59,270 --> 00:12:03,590 he has to work by the sweat of his brow, and he has to sort out 145 00:12:03,590 --> 00:12:06,030 the weeds and the thorns and the thistles. 146 00:12:06,030 --> 00:12:11,590 And what used to be paradise has now become sheer frustration and 147 00:12:11,590 --> 00:12:13,670 hard work. But that's not all. 148 00:12:14,270 --> 00:12:17,990 There's more separation to come for God, said to Adam. 149 00:12:18,590 --> 00:12:23,390 In the day you eat that fruit, dying, you will die. 150 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:31,520 And Adam knows that until dust returns to dust, he's going to 151 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:36,600 live in a world of frustration and alienation and tension. 152 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:43,440 That's where it all began. But thankfully, God sent the 153 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:48,120 Lord Jesus, and he stepped into this world of alienation and 154 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:54,330 disunity and disruption. And He has brought us together 155 00:12:55,210 --> 00:12:58,010 in Christ. We've not only come home to God, 156 00:12:58,770 --> 00:13:04,410 we've come home to one another. When you get to Ephesians 157 00:13:04,410 --> 00:13:06,930 chapter three, you find out something else. 158 00:13:06,930 --> 00:13:12,450 God has not only reconciled us, He has equalized us. 159 00:13:12,490 --> 00:13:19,850 Now I I face up. I'm not sure if if equalized is 160 00:13:19,850 --> 00:13:21,930 a word. Is it a word? 161 00:13:22,810 --> 00:13:24,930 I I'm hoping. Well, if it wasn't, it is. 162 00:13:24,930 --> 00:13:30,770 Now it's up there, it's too late and words are important, as you 163 00:13:30,770 --> 00:13:34,050 know. Well I shouldn't have said that 164 00:13:34,050 --> 00:13:38,930 because that reminds me of the story of a lawyer in London who 165 00:13:38,930 --> 00:13:47,530 went up to Edinburgh for a a court case and he hired a con as 166 00:13:47,530 --> 00:13:51,750 he was driving around Edinburgh. He went through 1 intersection 167 00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:54,830 and suddenly blue and light, a red light started flashing 168 00:13:54,830 --> 00:13:59,830 behind him and and the the Scottish police had pulled him 169 00:13:59,830 --> 00:14:04,350 over and they said good afternoon Sir. 170 00:14:06,670 --> 00:14:15,630 Do you realize you've just driven through the stop sign And 171 00:14:15,630 --> 00:14:19,740 the lawyer said well I'm sure you noticed I slowed right down 172 00:14:20,980 --> 00:14:26,100 he says I I noticed but the sign didn't say slow down. 173 00:14:27,180 --> 00:14:31,380 The sign said stop and you did not stop. 174 00:14:33,220 --> 00:14:36,980 He said well you know I'm I'm a lawyer and you're a police 175 00:14:36,980 --> 00:14:40,700 officer and between the two of us we really know there isn't 176 00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:43,900 too much difference. I slowed right down, look left, 177 00:14:43,900 --> 00:14:48,020 look right and I very carefully went through the stop sign. 178 00:14:48,020 --> 00:14:55,140 I he said I noticed it but you did not stop and the sign says 179 00:14:55,140 --> 00:15:00,860 stop and the lawyer said look, I'll give you £500 if you can 180 00:15:00,860 --> 00:15:07,420 tell me the difference between stop and slow down, he says I I 181 00:15:07,420 --> 00:15:12,740 think I can do that for £500. Would you kindly get out of your 182 00:15:12,740 --> 00:15:15,880 vehicle? So the lawyer got out of the 183 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:22,240 vehicle and the glass wedge and cop pulled out his his baton and 184 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,920 he started to beat the living daylights out of the lawyer and 185 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:31,960 he said, now would you like me to stop or shall I just slow 186 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:37,880 down? Words are important, huh? 187 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:44,980 This word, very important. He has not only reconciled us, 188 00:15:45,740 --> 00:15:51,220 he has equalized us. Now, if you and I were Gentiles 189 00:15:51,220 --> 00:15:55,860 back in that day, the only way that you could get close to God 190 00:15:56,580 --> 00:16:02,940 would be by becoming a proselyte to the Jewish religion. 191 00:16:05,150 --> 00:16:08,470 You'll remember an X, Chapter 8. The Ethiopian eunuch is 192 00:16:08,470 --> 00:16:12,310 traveling from Africa up to Jerusalem to worship. 193 00:16:12,310 --> 00:16:17,710 He was a proselyte. As a gentile, you could not come 194 00:16:17,710 --> 00:16:20,710 into the religious system of Israel. 195 00:16:20,950 --> 00:16:23,950 As a Gentile, you had to become a proselyte. 196 00:16:24,470 --> 00:16:29,670 You had to bow down to the Jewish laws and rules. 197 00:16:29,670 --> 00:16:34,030 You had to be circumcised to become part of that community 198 00:16:34,690 --> 00:16:41,250 and so you realize that you were not an equal as a Gentile. 199 00:16:41,250 --> 00:16:47,170 You virtually had to become a Jew in order to find God. 200 00:16:48,250 --> 00:16:51,930 Well, the wonderful thing is that according to Ephesians 201 00:16:51,930 --> 00:16:54,250 chapter 2, God has got rid of that. 202 00:16:55,010 --> 00:16:58,450 God has broken down the middle wall of petition that is the 203 00:16:58,450 --> 00:17:04,819 Mosaic Law and He has brought us, who were far away from God, 204 00:17:05,060 --> 00:17:07,980 near to God. And he's not only brought us 205 00:17:07,980 --> 00:17:11,500 near to God, he's brought us near to one another. 206 00:17:11,900 --> 00:17:18,619 And this is the great mystery that you have in Ephesians 207 00:17:18,619 --> 00:17:25,740 chapter 3. The mystery is not that the 208 00:17:25,740 --> 00:17:32,600 Gentiles will be saved. A mystery is a secret that has 209 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:37,920 been hidden for ages, as you find over there in Ephesians 3, 210 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:43,280 but has now been revealed by God's spirit to his holy 211 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,640 apostles and prophets. A secret or a mystery is 212 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:53,040 something that had been hidden but now has been revealed. 213 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,520 It's been unveiled. It's been disclosed. 214 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:04,900 It had always been true that God would save the Gentiles. 215 00:18:05,460 --> 00:18:09,180 That's why he called Abraham. You find it in Genesis chapter 216 00:18:09,180 --> 00:18:13,220 12. Through you and your seed, all 217 00:18:13,220 --> 00:18:17,300 the families of the earth will be blessed. 218 00:18:17,820 --> 00:18:23,380 And in calling Israel into existence, God has spilled the 219 00:18:23,380 --> 00:18:27,020 beans. He's done it specifically to 220 00:18:27,020 --> 00:18:29,860 bless all the families of the earth. 221 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:34,560 So God did not choose Israel to be an end in itself. 222 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:40,760 God chose Israel as a vehicle, as a as a conduit, if you like, 223 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,800 to administer His grace and His blessing and His forgiveness to 224 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,920 the whole world. And as you go through the Old 225 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,080 Testament, you find this over and over again. 226 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:57,440 Isaiah Chapter 11. The nations will rally to him. 227 00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:03,060 In other words, God has chosen Israel not just to be his pet 228 00:19:03,060 --> 00:19:08,620 child, but that through Israel he will reach the nations of the 229 00:19:08,660 --> 00:19:13,780 earth who will come as nations separate nations to worship the 230 00:19:13,780 --> 00:19:16,500 Lord. And Isaiah looks forward to that 231 00:19:16,500 --> 00:19:22,180 Kingdom age when the gentile nations will come and worship 232 00:19:22,180 --> 00:19:25,180 the Lord. The reason he called Israel 233 00:19:25,740 --> 00:19:31,180 Isaiah 42 is that they might be a light to the Gentiles and then 234 00:19:31,380 --> 00:19:37,340 nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of 235 00:19:37,340 --> 00:19:42,020 your dawn. So God's anticipating that non 236 00:19:42,020 --> 00:19:45,340 Jews will come to worship the Lord. 237 00:19:46,020 --> 00:19:52,250 The nations on every shore will worship him, Zechariah. 238 00:19:52,650 --> 00:19:59,130 And then Malachi says my name will be great among the nations. 239 00:19:59,130 --> 00:20:04,610 So it was no mystery that God would move to save the Gentiles 240 00:20:04,610 --> 00:20:06,970 and bring them to worship himself. 241 00:20:07,130 --> 00:20:10,690 That had been this plan, and that was a major reason that God 242 00:20:10,690 --> 00:20:14,230 had called Israel. When all the nations of the 243 00:20:14,310 --> 00:20:18,670 earth had rebelled against God, plunged the world into virtual 244 00:20:18,670 --> 00:20:22,870 spiritual blackout. In mercy he reaches down, takes 245 00:20:22,870 --> 00:20:26,670 Abraham and says, I'm going to create a great nation out of 246 00:20:26,670 --> 00:20:30,510 you, and you'll be great not only numerically, but you will 247 00:20:30,510 --> 00:20:34,510 be great spiritually. You will be the light to the 248 00:20:34,510 --> 00:20:37,470 Gentiles who are now in darkness. 249 00:20:39,190 --> 00:20:45,280 So that was not a mystery, and it was not a mystery that the 250 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:52,720 Gentiles would overtake Israel. There's a a teaching going 251 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:57,680 around the world today called replacement theology that God 252 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:03,440 has saved the Gentiles and he's wiped the floor with Israel. 253 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,800 The moment they put Jesus on the cross, he ditched them, said 254 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:12,240 it's over, Red Rover, I'm done with you, I'm through with you. 255 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,640 And now I'm I'm going to work with the Gentiles. 256 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:20,280 But when you get into Romans Chapter 9, you find out that to 257 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,960 them belong the adoption of sons. 258 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,720 And Paul is saying in Romans Chapter 9, you know, if I could 259 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:32,360 be cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of 260 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:39,310 the race of Israel, if I could be cut off, I would be, if that 261 00:21:39,310 --> 00:21:44,390 were possible, such as my love and my passion and my concern 262 00:21:44,630 --> 00:21:48,190 for people of my own race. Now this is after the church has 263 00:21:48,190 --> 00:21:51,910 been born and Paul is still thinking about Israel in 264 00:21:51,910 --> 00:21:54,990 national terms. He's still thinking about the 265 00:21:54,990 --> 00:21:59,270 salvation of Israel. He's still thinking how Israel 266 00:21:59,270 --> 00:22:02,830 is God's peculiar and special nation. 267 00:22:03,190 --> 00:22:07,750 There's is the adoption of sons, there's the divine glory to them 268 00:22:07,750 --> 00:22:11,830 belong the covenants to them, the receiving of the Lord and 269 00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:16,790 the temple worship, and so on. All of these blessings He gave 270 00:22:16,790 --> 00:22:20,230 to Israel and they remain with Israel. 271 00:22:23,980 --> 00:22:27,220 In Romans Chapter 11, you read these words. 272 00:22:27,220 --> 00:22:31,100 I do not want you to be ignorant of the mystery brothers so that 273 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:39,660 you may not be conceited. Israel has experienced hardness 274 00:22:39,780 --> 00:22:41,380 in part. How you say. 275 00:22:41,380 --> 00:22:46,060 What does that mean? Well, it means that God has set 276 00:22:46,060 --> 00:22:50,460 aside the nation of Israel to be disciplined. 277 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:57,760 And so a hardness has become has come upon that nation, but only 278 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,840 in part because some Jews still get saved. 279 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,120 And we know about Messianic congregations today where Jews 280 00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:10,600 come to Jesus and find him to be their Messiah. 281 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:16,240 But nationally speaking, God has set aside the nation of Israel, 282 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,840 and he has placed them under divine discipline. 283 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:21,720 Now, please, let's get this straight. 284 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,520 God has not finished with Israel. 285 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:30,040 Some people say all, but he's not dealing with Israel now. 286 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,640 Oh, sure he is. He's taken them to the woodshed. 287 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:38,000 That's exactly where they are. They're under divine discipline. 288 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,880 You know, I used to go stay with my uncle and aunt out in what 289 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,920 was the edges of Auckland City and they lived up the back of 290 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,440 Glen Eden and and they had this old villa there. 291 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:53,680 And at the back of the old villa was a woodshed and whenever we 292 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,240 got in trouble we got taken to the woodshed. 293 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,720 They had a beautiful big Magnolia tree there and we used 294 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:04,240 to run inside, my cousins and I, more them than me. 295 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,840 And we used to get a roll of toilet paper and we would sit 296 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,760 under the Magnolia tree, pick the dried leaves, roll them in 297 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:17,000 toilet paper. These in the days before 298 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:23,120 marijuana. And as soon as we got caught off 299 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:27,960 to the woodshed, bend over and down came the hand of 300 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:29,840 discipline. Well, that's what God's doing 301 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,600 with the nation of Israel right now. 302 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,680 For these hundreds of years, he's taken them to the woodshed. 303 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:41,800 And they have been under Gentile domination and depression ever 304 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:45,720 since. But that hardening is only in 305 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,120 part. Individual Jews come out from 306 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:55,480 there and come to faith in Jesus Christ, and one day the whole 307 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:59,720 nation will repent. God is going to take them 308 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:03,720 through the woodshed of the tribulation period, and when 309 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:09,400 they can't bear it for another minute, they shall look to Him 310 00:25:09,740 --> 00:25:13,700 whom they have pierced, and they shall wail and mourn in 311 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:17,100 repentance because of what they did to the Lord Jesus. 312 00:25:17,380 --> 00:25:22,380 And then Messiah will return and he will save them on a national 313 00:25:22,380 --> 00:25:28,060 basis, and Israel will return to what Deuteronomy says. 314 00:25:28,340 --> 00:25:30,420 They'll be the head and not the tail. 315 00:25:30,420 --> 00:25:32,500 They'll be the top and not the bottom. 316 00:25:33,340 --> 00:25:36,780 Now what Paul is saying here in Romans to the churches don't 317 00:25:36,780 --> 00:25:41,360 become conceited. God has handed Israel over in 318 00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:47,320 part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in and 319 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:54,000 then all Israel will be saved. Now I don't know what else to do 320 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,440 with that scripture except to say that as a Gentile when the 321 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:03,560 full number of us have come to faith and not a minute sooner, 322 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:10,560 then God is going to take up Israel again and the whole 323 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:15,840 nation will come to faith and experience the blessings of the 324 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:21,440 new covenant. So it doesn't mean that Gentiles 325 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:28,480 will overtake Israel or supplant Israel or replace Israel, not at 326 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:33,480 all. Have a look at this from Romans 327 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,640 Chapter 11. As far as the gospel is 328 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:45,440 concerned, they that's Israel. Are the enemies on your account. 329 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:52,320 Their enemies on your account, but as far as election is 330 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:59,880 concerned they are loved on account of the patriarchs. 331 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,400 Did you get what this text is saying? 332 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:11,610 Israel are considered enemies when it comes to the gospel, but 333 00:27:12,290 --> 00:27:17,770 when you talk about God's choice of them, God's election of them, 334 00:27:19,370 --> 00:27:24,570 they are loved on account of the patriarchs. 335 00:27:24,610 --> 00:27:26,490 Did you get it? Did you get it? 336 00:27:26,490 --> 00:27:30,250 This is really important. They are enemies of the gospel, 337 00:27:30,250 --> 00:27:39,020 but they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts 338 00:27:39,300 --> 00:27:45,100 and calling are irrevocable. Now that's true with Israel. 339 00:27:45,740 --> 00:27:49,340 And let me tell you something, it's true with you and me too. 340 00:27:50,380 --> 00:27:52,700 Once you're saved, you're in for good. 341 00:27:54,450 --> 00:27:57,770 You can never be booted out, you say, but doesn't matter how bad 342 00:27:57,770 --> 00:27:59,890 I've been. You mean I'll never get booted 343 00:27:59,890 --> 00:28:00,930 out? No, you won't. 344 00:28:01,130 --> 00:28:05,290 You get taken to the woodshed. That's that's the way God works. 345 00:28:05,930 --> 00:28:09,250 And down will come your your trouser and you'll be bent over 346 00:28:09,250 --> 00:28:11,050 and you'll be glowing in the dark. 347 00:28:11,490 --> 00:28:15,730 I can tell you that You'll see the serious side of the severity 348 00:28:15,730 --> 00:28:18,250 of God, but you'll never be booted out. 349 00:28:18,370 --> 00:28:21,090 Why? Because the gifts and calling of 350 00:28:21,090 --> 00:28:27,000 God are irrevocable. If Israel can be lost, so can 351 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,480 you. If we cannot be lost, then 352 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,720 neither can Israel. They are enemies in terms of the 353 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,560 gospel, but they are loved as enemies. 354 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:43,200 They're still loved on account of the patriarchs for the gifts 355 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,840 and the calling of God. Irrevocable. 356 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:49,280 Well, what does it mean then that has happened? 357 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:55,220 It means that we have come as Gentiles to experience the 358 00:28:55,220 --> 00:28:59,220 spiritual blessings of Israel. Now what did God promise in the 359 00:28:59,220 --> 00:29:02,020 New covenant? He promised he'd write the lore 360 00:29:02,020 --> 00:29:03,820 in their hearts and in their minds. 361 00:29:03,820 --> 00:29:08,180 He promised that he would never remember their sins again, that 362 00:29:08,180 --> 00:29:12,460 he would forgive them and give them complete freedom from their 363 00:29:12,460 --> 00:29:14,380 sin. Now we've come into that. 364 00:29:14,700 --> 00:29:17,980 He then said, I will put my spirit upon them. 365 00:29:18,260 --> 00:29:21,020 We have experienced the Holy Spirit. 366 00:29:21,020 --> 00:29:24,780 That's how we got saved. We came under the influence of 367 00:29:24,780 --> 00:29:28,900 the Holy Spirit, and the moment we came to faith in Christ, the 368 00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:33,740 Holy Spirit stepped in to us, into our lives and then dwelt 369 00:29:33,740 --> 00:29:37,020 us. And His presence is the seal 370 00:29:37,380 --> 00:29:40,100 that keeps us until the day of redemption. 371 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:43,900 Now these are spiritual blessings that God promised to 372 00:29:43,900 --> 00:29:46,420 Israel. But we as Gentiles are 373 00:29:46,420 --> 00:29:52,770 experiencing these blessings. We're experiencing the blessing 374 00:29:52,770 --> 00:29:58,730 of the blood of Jesus that cleanses us, as Gentiles from 375 00:29:58,770 --> 00:30:03,130 all sin, all kinds of sin, and every single one. 376 00:30:03,730 --> 00:30:07,810 Now see, we're sharing in the spiritual blessings, but we 377 00:30:07,810 --> 00:30:11,290 don't take over the physical blessings of Israel. 378 00:30:11,690 --> 00:30:14,530 No, Sir, we we don't become a great nation. 379 00:30:14,530 --> 00:30:19,070 We don't possess the land. We don't have victory over our 380 00:30:19,070 --> 00:30:22,230 enemies. All of that is promised to 381 00:30:22,230 --> 00:30:24,870 Israel. God never promised that I'd be 382 00:30:24,870 --> 00:30:27,350 the top and everyone else would be the bottom. 383 00:30:27,670 --> 00:30:30,990 God never promised that I'd be the head and y'all would be the 384 00:30:30,990 --> 00:30:34,910 tail. No, He promised that to Israel. 385 00:30:35,110 --> 00:30:39,150 Those are geopolitical blessings that belong to Israel. 386 00:30:39,390 --> 00:30:42,470 And when they come to faith in Christ, they're going to 387 00:30:42,470 --> 00:30:45,630 experience those geopolitical blessings. 388 00:30:45,940 --> 00:30:50,860 But as a Gentile, I come and I am enjoying the spiritual 389 00:30:50,860 --> 00:30:53,780 blessings that I get from Israel's Messiah. 390 00:30:55,140 --> 00:31:00,940 Now here it is. Now, however, I am on my way to 391 00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:04,700 Jerusalem in the service of the Saints. 392 00:31:05,140 --> 00:31:13,340 There from Macedonia and Archaea were pleased to make a 393 00:31:13,340 --> 00:31:18,600 contribution to the poor among the Saints in Jerusalem. 394 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:27,720 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. 395 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:36,040 For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews spiritual blessings, 396 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:43,560 and we have, then they owe it to the Jews to share with them 397 00:31:44,180 --> 00:31:47,980 their material blessings. I'll stop for a moment and let 398 00:31:47,980 --> 00:31:52,420 the Holy Spirit rivet that into our minds. 399 00:31:53,660 --> 00:31:56,460 We have received their spiritual blessings. 400 00:31:56,780 --> 00:31:59,460 Have we overtaken Israel? No, Sir. 401 00:32:00,500 --> 00:32:06,820 We are now in the whole new family and the whole new body. 402 00:32:07,740 --> 00:32:10,260 We've been equalized in the church. 403 00:32:10,580 --> 00:32:13,500 You don't find the Church mentioned in the Old Testament. 404 00:32:14,260 --> 00:32:17,260 It can't be in the Old Testament, for the church is the 405 00:32:17,260 --> 00:32:21,300 body of Christ, and the body didn't have a head until Jesus 406 00:32:21,300 --> 00:32:26,220 was raised back to heaven after his resurrection. 407 00:32:26,980 --> 00:32:30,100 And so the church is a whole new ball game. 408 00:32:30,140 --> 00:32:34,860 It's where Jew and Gentile come together, and they are heirs 409 00:32:34,860 --> 00:32:39,100 together and they're members together of 1 body and their 410 00:32:39,100 --> 00:32:41,860 sharers together of the promise in Christ. 411 00:32:42,180 --> 00:32:46,700 Until that wonderful day when when you hear the sound of the 412 00:32:46,700 --> 00:32:51,940 trumpet and the call of the Archangel and we're caught up, 413 00:32:51,940 --> 00:32:55,060 we're raptured, we're caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 414 00:32:55,420 --> 00:32:58,900 And then at that point God takes over and starts dealing with 415 00:32:58,900 --> 00:33:02,740 national Israel again. But right now we're equal in the 416 00:33:02,740 --> 00:33:04,100 body. Did you get that? 417 00:33:04,100 --> 00:33:07,660 We don't have to become Jews. We don't have to get into 418 00:33:07,660 --> 00:33:12,420 Messianism in that sense, where we come as Gentiles. 419 00:33:12,460 --> 00:33:17,340 As a Gentile, I have perfect access to the Father. 420 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:22,780 As a Gentile, I have my sins cleansed by the blood of Jesus. 421 00:33:23,060 --> 00:33:27,900 As a Gentile, I enjoy the indwelling power and ministry of 422 00:33:27,900 --> 00:33:33,140 the Holy Spirit of God. I have all of those blessings as 423 00:33:33,140 --> 00:33:35,690 a Gentile. I don't have to change my 424 00:33:35,690 --> 00:33:37,690 background. I don't have to change my 425 00:33:37,690 --> 00:33:42,370 ethnicity. I come just as I am, for way 426 00:33:42,370 --> 00:33:46,650 beyond the world ever began. God had set his heart on the 427 00:33:46,650 --> 00:33:51,650 nations of the world and Israel was but of me means to those 428 00:33:51,650 --> 00:33:55,410 nations, Wow. It's a wonderful thing. 429 00:33:56,970 --> 00:34:01,390 Now, when Paul's done explaining that, he says now the reason I 430 00:34:01,390 --> 00:34:05,030 kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven 431 00:34:05,030 --> 00:34:09,150 and on earth derives its name. I'm praying that out of his 432 00:34:09,150 --> 00:34:12,750 glorious riches he may strengthen you with power 433 00:34:13,150 --> 00:34:19,110 through his spirit in your inner man, that Christ may dwell in 434 00:34:19,110 --> 00:34:24,030 your hearts through faith. We're going to finish here. 435 00:34:25,389 --> 00:34:28,949 You know what he's saying? I just got through telling you 436 00:34:29,780 --> 00:34:36,340 that you Gentiles and you Jews are equal members of the one 437 00:34:36,340 --> 00:34:42,020 body, the new man. And I've created out of both of 438 00:34:42,020 --> 00:34:47,179 you one new man. And you are members together of 439 00:34:47,179 --> 00:34:50,260 the body. You are sharers together of the 440 00:34:50,260 --> 00:34:55,100 promise of Christ. And you have become a 441 00:34:55,100 --> 00:35:01,100 habitation, A dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. 442 00:35:03,380 --> 00:35:07,420 He is here. He indwells this local body of 443 00:35:07,420 --> 00:35:11,900 believers. The church is vitally important 444 00:35:11,900 --> 00:35:16,940 to God. The Bible tells us if we destroy 445 00:35:17,860 --> 00:35:22,140 the temple of God, the church, He will destroy us. 446 00:35:23,180 --> 00:35:26,180 He'll take us to the woodshed. You. 447 00:35:26,180 --> 00:35:30,510 You don't mess with the Church, but can you see what he's 448 00:35:30,510 --> 00:35:33,190 saying? I just told you that you are 449 00:35:33,350 --> 00:35:36,270 equal sharers together in the body. 450 00:35:36,710 --> 00:35:39,870 You are a habitation of God in the Spirit. 451 00:35:40,510 --> 00:35:47,430 He lives in you as a body. But now I am praying that the 452 00:35:47,430 --> 00:35:53,910 Holy Spirit will take you as individuals and that he will 453 00:35:53,910 --> 00:36:00,620 strengthen your inner man to the point where the Lord Jesus will 454 00:36:00,620 --> 00:36:05,860 be pleased to be at home in your body. 455 00:36:06,980 --> 00:36:10,660 Now He's in the body collective. But now we're talking about the 456 00:36:10,660 --> 00:36:13,820 body of the individual Christian, and he's praying the 457 00:36:13,820 --> 00:36:15,660 Lord Jesus will be at home there. 458 00:36:16,660 --> 00:36:20,300 We all know you can't be a Christian unless Christ is in 459 00:36:20,300 --> 00:36:22,860 you. If you don't have the Spirit of 460 00:36:22,860 --> 00:36:24,740 Christ, you don't belong to Christ. 461 00:36:26,270 --> 00:36:30,150 No, we know that at the moment of cry of conversion, Christ 462 00:36:30,150 --> 00:36:32,790 comes into our heart. That's not what he's talking 463 00:36:32,790 --> 00:36:36,150 about here. He's saying, Yes, that's true. 464 00:36:36,150 --> 00:36:40,270 At the moment of conversion, the Lord Jesus became a resident, 465 00:36:40,270 --> 00:36:45,110 but now I'm praying he'll become the president and that he will 466 00:36:45,110 --> 00:36:50,990 dwell in your hearts by faith. When I was a young believer, we 467 00:36:50,990 --> 00:36:54,430 were all given a copy of this lovely little book called My 468 00:36:54,430 --> 00:37:00,070 Heart Christ's Home, and it was a book that helped you 469 00:37:00,070 --> 00:37:03,990 understand how to let Jesus into every area of your life. 470 00:37:04,670 --> 00:37:08,590 And just like your home has many rooms, so our lives have many 471 00:37:08,590 --> 00:37:11,950 rooms. And Paul is praying that the 472 00:37:11,950 --> 00:37:16,070 Lord Jesus will be at home in those many rooms. 473 00:37:17,310 --> 00:37:19,950 Now nowadays you would have a media room. 474 00:37:21,030 --> 00:37:24,350 Is the Lord Jesus at home in the media room? 475 00:37:25,270 --> 00:37:29,630 Does he have access to the drawers or have you locked the 476 00:37:29,630 --> 00:37:34,230 door? Is that a secret place where he 477 00:37:34,230 --> 00:37:40,310 can't go? What about in the in the social 478 00:37:40,310 --> 00:37:42,710 activity of your home? In your living room? 479 00:37:43,150 --> 00:37:45,470 In the place where you mix it with friends? 480 00:37:45,470 --> 00:37:48,540 What about on the patio? Is he at home there? 481 00:37:49,820 --> 00:37:53,900 What about in the kitchen? What about in the bedroom? 482 00:37:57,420 --> 00:38:06,180 What about in your child's room? He's praying that we will be 483 00:38:06,180 --> 00:38:13,500 strengthened by the Spirit to let Christ be at home in every 484 00:38:13,660 --> 00:38:18,250 room of our heart. And you know what happens when 485 00:38:18,250 --> 00:38:23,610 Christ is at home in every room of your heart while he takes 486 00:38:23,610 --> 00:38:31,730 over and you become more and more like the one who's 487 00:38:31,730 --> 00:38:36,130 occupying your dwelling? That's a beautiful thing. 488 00:38:40,570 --> 00:38:47,790 Long time ago, a book was written by Keith Miller called A 489 00:38:47,790 --> 00:38:53,150 Taste of New Wine. I read it when I was 14 or 15 490 00:38:53,150 --> 00:38:57,790 years of age. In it he tells a story I've 491 00:38:57,790 --> 00:39:03,790 never forgotten. He relates the story of a 492 00:39:03,790 --> 00:39:09,030 Christian businessman who was in New York and he come to the end 493 00:39:09,030 --> 00:39:12,230 of the day and he was on his way home and he headed for Grand 494 00:39:12,230 --> 00:39:14,870 Central Station. Anyone been to Grand Central 495 00:39:14,870 --> 00:39:17,090 Station? It's a zoo. 496 00:39:17,810 --> 00:39:22,570 It isn't licensed, but it's a zoo and it's just this massive 497 00:39:22,570 --> 00:39:26,090 humanity pushing and pulling every which direction as they 498 00:39:26,090 --> 00:39:31,290 all converge down on the on the subway to go home. 499 00:39:32,130 --> 00:39:36,330 And this man had had a real day of it, and it was the end of the 500 00:39:36,330 --> 00:39:39,370 week and the end of the day, And he was heading home. 501 00:39:39,370 --> 00:39:44,410 And as he came down the steps of Grand Central Station onto the 502 00:39:44,410 --> 00:39:50,460 platform, he saw his train and the lights of the sign were 503 00:39:50,460 --> 00:39:54,780 flashing, letting him know it was about to depart, put his 504 00:39:54,780 --> 00:39:57,140 head down, held on to his briefcase. 505 00:39:57,180 --> 00:40:02,780 And with the rest of the animals, he made a beeline for 506 00:40:02,780 --> 00:40:09,980 his train when all of a sudden he banged into a little boy who 507 00:40:09,980 --> 00:40:18,840 was carrying a box of jigsaw. And the jigsaw puzzle pieces 508 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:23,400 went everywhere. The women in stiletto heels were 509 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:27,520 puncturing them. People were crushing them. 510 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:34,720 And the businessman looked at the train and it started to 511 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:38,080 move. He looked at the little boy. 512 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:46,370 He looked at the train. Then he put down his briefcase, 513 00:40:48,850 --> 00:40:53,450 and he got down on his hands and knees in his New York lawyer's 514 00:40:53,450 --> 00:41:00,010 suit, and they began picking up the pieces, and he didn't stop 515 00:41:00,010 --> 00:41:02,930 until every piece was back in the box. 516 00:41:02,930 --> 00:41:12,290 He stood up and handed the box to the little boy who looked up 517 00:41:12,290 --> 00:41:19,730 at him and said, Excuse me, Sir, is your name Jesus? 518 00:41:23,410 --> 00:41:26,650 I'd give my right arm for someone to ask me that this 519 00:41:26,650 --> 00:41:38,850 week, that Christ is so at home in the rooms of my life that 520 00:41:38,850 --> 00:41:43,450 when you knock on the door, you'll find Jesus. 521 00:41:46,210 --> 00:41:49,770 Wouldn't you love that? That, to me, would be the 522 00:41:49,810 --> 00:41:55,130 ultimate compliment. And here's the challenge. 523 00:41:56,090 --> 00:41:58,970 That's exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do. 524 00:42:00,090 --> 00:42:06,810 He wants you to so open your heart to Christ in every room 525 00:42:09,050 --> 00:42:16,970 that when you bang into a little boy, Jesus will come through 526 00:42:16,970 --> 00:42:20,890 you. And you know people can tell. 527 00:42:22,210 --> 00:42:26,170 People can sense it. Where did you get this 528 00:42:26,170 --> 00:42:29,690 individual who is so different to the others who are pushing 529 00:42:29,690 --> 00:42:34,370 and shoving? Well, he belongs to a unique 530 00:42:34,370 --> 00:42:37,940 group. God lives in that group. 531 00:42:38,260 --> 00:42:41,820 He belongs to. Is he a Jew? 532 00:42:41,820 --> 00:42:43,900 No, he's not a Jew. He's a Gentile. 533 00:42:46,500 --> 00:42:51,220 But he belongs to this whole new body where Christ lives. 534 00:42:54,340 --> 00:42:57,860 And not just in the body, but in His body. 535 00:43:02,580 --> 00:43:11,090 Our Father in heaven, you have blessed us beyond imagination 536 00:43:14,170 --> 00:43:18,370 this side of Calvary. We we don't realize what it must 537 00:43:18,370 --> 00:43:23,730 have been like to try and get close to you, and to be near 538 00:43:23,730 --> 00:43:25,890 you, and to be in fellowship with you. 539 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,090 But we thank you that with the coming of your Spirit, you have 540 00:43:35,090 --> 00:43:37,970 created this new body, and we all belong to it. 541 00:43:38,530 --> 00:43:43,250 And now we're all Jew and Gentile, regardless of our 542 00:43:43,250 --> 00:43:48,970 ethnicity, our age, our background, we're equal sharers. 543 00:43:49,730 --> 00:43:53,090 We're members together. We're heirs together. 544 00:43:54,490 --> 00:44:01,050 We're partakers together of the promises in Christ for bringing 545 00:44:01,050 --> 00:44:04,370 us into this place of unparalleled blessing. 546 00:44:04,700 --> 00:44:10,220 We praise your name, and we ask our Father that we will be 547 00:44:10,220 --> 00:44:19,780 conscious of the work of your Spirit to quietly but 548 00:44:19,780 --> 00:44:29,980 determinedly change us into the image of your son, because 549 00:44:29,980 --> 00:44:34,260 that's why you saved us. We bring you our morning worship 550 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:36,840 in Jesus name. Amen.