1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,280 Good morning everyone. It's a great day to see everyone 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:06,840 who's here. It's a great day to worship. 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,960 I'm thankful for the chance to lead our study today and we have 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,560 a wonderful set of passages and Ephesians chapter three that 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,280 we're going to study. I remember this is 1 continuous 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,480 letter that was written by Paul and we've had to break it up in 7 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,840 the study after study. And this overall book is broken 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,520 into two sections. This book was broken into. 9 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,930 The first section was to give teaching to the Ephesians. 10 00:00:29,930 --> 00:00:33,770 We learned it was it was a letter that was going to be 11 00:00:33,770 --> 00:00:36,610 broken into some teachings and and the other half of the 12 00:00:36,610 --> 00:00:39,530 application. So we're finishing up the last 13 00:00:39,530 --> 00:00:43,650 chapter of teaching that's going to ultimately remind Christians 14 00:00:44,250 --> 00:00:48,010 of our spiritual blessings in Christ and we're finishing that 15 00:00:48,010 --> 00:00:50,170 section today. The next section we're going to 16 00:00:50,170 --> 00:00:54,210 get into is exhorting Christians to have a walk that is worthy of 17 00:00:54,210 --> 00:00:55,850 the calling that we are called by. 18 00:00:56,010 --> 00:00:57,730 And that's going to start in the next chapter. 19 00:00:58,980 --> 00:01:03,740 This third chapter is going to be Paul's kind of second prayer, 20 00:01:03,740 --> 00:01:06,740 and it's going to be a prayer for enablement for them to give 21 00:01:06,740 --> 00:01:10,460 a quick overview of the outline of this book, if you have not 22 00:01:10,460 --> 00:01:13,260 been with us already. The first chapter was talking 23 00:01:13,260 --> 00:01:15,380 about our spiritual possession in Christ. 24 00:01:15,660 --> 00:01:19,580 It is from the Father, from the Son, from the Spirit, and we 25 00:01:19,580 --> 00:01:21,700 read it a beautiful prayer Paul had for them. 26 00:01:22,140 --> 00:01:23,980 It was a prayer that I hope we all take. 27 00:01:24,060 --> 00:01:27,350 And is that prayer that we will be enlightened, that the 28 00:01:27,350 --> 00:01:30,430 understanding of our minds will be open, so we can see the 29 00:01:30,430 --> 00:01:34,510 realities that God has for us? He reminded us in chapter two of 30 00:01:34,510 --> 00:01:38,270 our spiritual position in Christ, that we are raised and 31 00:01:38,270 --> 00:01:41,830 seated on the throne, that we are reconciled and set into the 32 00:01:41,830 --> 00:01:44,270 temple. And now he's going to give us a 33 00:01:44,670 --> 00:01:49,310 give a prayer for enablement, and we'll talk about the call to 34 00:01:49,310 --> 00:01:50,550 walk. It's going to be OK. 35 00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:52,870 So you got to get up now. You got to move, You got to 36 00:01:52,870 --> 00:01:55,590 respond to this. We'll talk about that later. 37 00:01:56,650 --> 00:01:59,810 OK, so let's get a running start from Ephesians chapter 2, verse 38 00:01:59,810 --> 00:02:04,290 14, where we were kind of coming up to at the last point he was 39 00:02:04,290 --> 00:02:08,729 saying for he himself, Speaking of Jesus is our peace, who has 40 00:02:08,729 --> 00:02:11,730 made both one and has broken down the middle wall of 41 00:02:11,730 --> 00:02:13,370 separation. We talked about in the Old 42 00:02:13,370 --> 00:02:16,930 Testament how that middle wall separated the Gentiles from the 43 00:02:16,930 --> 00:02:21,490 Jews, having abolished in His flesh the enmity that is the law 44 00:02:21,490 --> 00:02:25,330 of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create and 45 00:02:25,330 --> 00:02:31,520 himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that 46 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,600 he might reconcile them both to God and one body. 47 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,240 Through the cross. Therefore, therefore, thereby 48 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,040 putting to death the enmity, He came and preached peace to you 49 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,480 who are far off, and to those who are near. 50 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,000 For through him we have both have access by 1 Spirit to the 51 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,400 Father finishing up that last chapter. 52 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,960 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, 53 00:02:55,570 --> 00:02:58,370 your fellow citizens, with the Saints and members of the 54 00:02:58,370 --> 00:03:02,410 household of God having been built on the foundation of the 55 00:03:02,410 --> 00:03:05,730 apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the 56 00:03:05,730 --> 00:03:09,290 chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted 57 00:03:09,290 --> 00:03:12,980 together grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you 58 00:03:12,980 --> 00:03:17,460 also are being built together for a dwelling place of God and 59 00:03:17,460 --> 00:03:20,020 the Spirit. That was kind of the the last 60 00:03:20,020 --> 00:03:22,540 thought he left off on. And he's going to continue with 61 00:03:22,540 --> 00:03:25,460 a because of this. So he wanted to leave us with 62 00:03:25,460 --> 00:03:28,740 the thought that we are being built together as a dwelling 63 00:03:28,740 --> 00:03:33,020 place for God himself. That's a big deal for a group of 64 00:03:33,020 --> 00:03:36,750 people who who maybe we're distracted with the week we had 65 00:03:36,750 --> 00:03:38,590 before. Maybe you're just coming in here 66 00:03:38,590 --> 00:03:40,150 trying to get your mind right for worship. 67 00:03:40,270 --> 00:03:42,110 We have a great responsibility today. 68 00:03:42,270 --> 00:03:44,990 We have a great honor today that we are being built for this 69 00:03:44,990 --> 00:03:47,190 purpose. And what a great commitment we 70 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:51,310 should have to his body. OK, Ephesians, Chapter 3. 71 00:03:51,630 --> 00:03:55,150 I'll admit to you Frank told me before I did this study. 72 00:03:55,150 --> 00:03:56,830 He was like, man, this is a great chapter. 73 00:03:57,750 --> 00:04:02,070 He said that donkey one time was talking to Lynnwood Smith about 74 00:04:02,070 --> 00:04:05,610 these verses, And Linwood, while he was talking about it, just 75 00:04:05,610 --> 00:04:09,930 started crying. These verses are beautiful. 76 00:04:10,290 --> 00:04:12,490 And to be honest with you, that was intimidating for a speaker 77 00:04:12,490 --> 00:04:14,970 like I I better have something good to say about these verses 78 00:04:14,970 --> 00:04:17,329 that they'll bring up a man who's heard this his whole life 79 00:04:17,329 --> 00:04:20,529 to tears. And so my prayer was that I 80 00:04:20,529 --> 00:04:23,770 would have something to say that would do that, you know, to to 81 00:04:23,770 --> 00:04:25,890 make it meaningful in the way that needs to be. 82 00:04:27,370 --> 00:04:30,530 But that's my prayer changed because it's not about what I 83 00:04:30,530 --> 00:04:32,290 have to say. God said it. 84 00:04:33,050 --> 00:04:35,690 My prayer changed to that we will have hearts that will hear 85 00:04:35,690 --> 00:04:38,490 God's work. That I will have a heart to hear 86 00:04:38,490 --> 00:04:42,210 this for the beauty that it holds, for the power that God 87 00:04:42,330 --> 00:04:46,010 intended it to hold for us as Christians, to the Ephesians. 88 00:04:46,010 --> 00:04:49,210 And when he was trying to motivate and strengthen these 89 00:04:49,210 --> 00:04:52,090 Ephesian brethren who may have been getting weak, who may have 90 00:04:52,090 --> 00:04:56,290 needed that uplifting, here's what he had to say for this 91 00:04:56,290 --> 00:04:58,010 reason. So because of the fact that 92 00:04:58,010 --> 00:05:01,810 you're being built up together as a dwelling place for God here 93 00:05:01,810 --> 00:05:06,530 in this place, for this reason, I pull the prisoner of Christ 94 00:05:06,570 --> 00:05:09,930 Jesus for you, Gentiles, if you indeed you have heard of the 95 00:05:09,930 --> 00:05:12,770 dispensation of the grace of God, which was given to me for 96 00:05:12,770 --> 00:05:14,650 you. It's hard to break up Paul 97 00:05:14,650 --> 00:05:17,250 sentences because he gives a lot of, he's throwing a lot of 98 00:05:17,250 --> 00:05:19,650 information in there, but we're going to pause it right here. 99 00:05:19,850 --> 00:05:23,530 He says because of this I pull the prisoner of Christ Jesus for 100 00:05:23,530 --> 00:05:27,120 you Gentiles. Paul was remembered in prison in 101 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:33,160 Rome and somehow through all of his struggles, he sees that he 102 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,880 is not a prisoner of Rome. He doesn't say I'm a prisoner of 103 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,840 of this king at this time. He's not worried about that. 104 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:46,680 He is a prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, because of the 105 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,280 message that he was preaching to the Gentiles, and primarily to 106 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:54,840 spread this gospel is why he's in prison and he has the the 107 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,640 place in his mind. He's decided in his mind he's 108 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,880 not going to be a prisoner man. He's going to be a prisoner of 109 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,240 Christ Jesus for the benefit of others. 110 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,120 Oh, that we could have a mind to look at our life's challenges 111 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,920 like Paul did. It's not about the affliction. 112 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,640 It's not about Rome that had him in prison. 113 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,520 It's not about what he was going through. 114 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,320 He could have looked at this imprisonment as the only thing 115 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,960 that was keeping him from doing what he really wanted to do. 116 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,960 God, I just want to preach the word. 117 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,440 Why am I stuck in prison? Of all the people in this world, 118 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,440 why am I the one who's in prison? 119 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,920 Why am I the one who's locked up to guards and can't go anywhere? 120 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:40,640 He could have had that mentality. 121 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:41,400 But you know what? He said. 122 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:44,200 I'm in here. I'm a prison preacher. 123 00:06:44,970 --> 00:06:47,090 I'm going to share the word. I'm going to write letters. 124 00:06:47,210 --> 00:06:49,090 I'm going to preach to the guards around me. 125 00:06:49,250 --> 00:06:50,770 I'm going to do whatever I need to do. 126 00:06:52,210 --> 00:06:55,730 May we may have, may we have that mindset in our own life 127 00:06:56,490 --> 00:07:00,170 that we could look at an imprisonment as simply an 128 00:07:00,170 --> 00:07:03,610 imprisonment for God, as whatever we're going through as 129 00:07:03,610 --> 00:07:06,650 an opportunity to glorify God in our situation. 130 00:07:09,050 --> 00:07:11,890 You know, and and Paul was at one point said he had no one 131 00:07:11,890 --> 00:07:14,330 like minded to care for a certain set of brethren. 132 00:07:14,870 --> 00:07:17,550 So it wasn't like Paul was just one in a million. 133 00:07:18,150 --> 00:07:20,630 He was one of the few people that was doing this work. 134 00:07:20,630 --> 00:07:22,630 He could, he could have looked at this differently. 135 00:07:23,150 --> 00:07:26,070 He felt alone. He felt alone, maybe like you 136 00:07:26,070 --> 00:07:29,550 do. But he had this mentality. 137 00:07:29,550 --> 00:07:32,470 He says, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the 138 00:07:32,470 --> 00:07:35,870 grace of God which was given to me for you, He's implying that 139 00:07:35,870 --> 00:07:39,030 he knows these Ephesians know something about the God 140 00:07:39,030 --> 00:07:43,520 dispensing a gift that was previously withheld from them 141 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:48,880 and now God is giving them this gift which is a of the grace of 142 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,680 God for you. How that by revelation he made 143 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,360 known to me the mystery. This word revelation just means 144 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,640 an opening it up and revealing to to make it known. 145 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,800 It's not a complicated idea it's it's making it clear how that by 146 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:08,600 opening up to them he made known to me the mystery as I have 147 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:13,840 briefly written already by which when you read you may understand 148 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:15,880 my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. 149 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:20,280 OK, so he's going to talk for a minute about this mystery and 150 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,240 and he used that word multiple times. 151 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,720 He's very specific about what he's about, what he's saying 152 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,960 here. This word mysterion in the Greek 153 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,760 has an interesting history and background. 154 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,120 Now, he's not saying a mystery in the sense that that it can't 155 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,900 be understood. Let's look into this word. 156 00:08:41,140 --> 00:08:45,220 This word Mysterio was often used during this day and time to 157 00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:49,620 discuss secret teachings. So there were things called 158 00:08:49,620 --> 00:08:54,780 mystery religions in which you couldn't know what their 159 00:08:54,780 --> 00:08:57,820 religion had to offer until you were initiated. 160 00:08:58,900 --> 00:09:03,460 These mystery religions said, if you want to learn our special 161 00:09:03,460 --> 00:09:07,740 enlightenment, our special knowledge, be initiated into our 162 00:09:08,020 --> 00:09:11,180 what we call a cult and you'll be able to know what we know 163 00:09:11,180 --> 00:09:15,820 today. They had, you know, in Ephesus 164 00:09:15,820 --> 00:09:18,860 in this city. They had Diana or she was also 165 00:09:18,860 --> 00:09:21,180 called Artemis who would have fit this bill. 166 00:09:21,500 --> 00:09:24,820 The Greeks had their mystery religions of the Elysian and 167 00:09:24,820 --> 00:09:27,140 Orphic. You had the Persians who had 168 00:09:27,140 --> 00:09:30,780 myth, realism, Egyptian had Isis and therapists. 169 00:09:31,060 --> 00:09:34,100 These religions were mystery religions. 170 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:38,590 And in the sense that you got to join us to know this spiritual 171 00:09:38,590 --> 00:09:41,030 knowledge that we have that you don't. 172 00:09:42,670 --> 00:09:46,950 And Paul here is being clear. He says we're writing to you so 173 00:09:46,950 --> 00:09:50,590 that you can read, so that you can understand my knowledge in 174 00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:54,870 the mystery of Christ, this is the difference in our religion. 175 00:09:55,510 --> 00:09:59,230 God doesn't ask you to join to know, he says. 176 00:09:59,670 --> 00:10:01,870 I want you to know so that you may join. 177 00:10:02,630 --> 00:10:04,190 I want you to know what you're getting into. 178 00:10:04,350 --> 00:10:07,560 I want you to have a head on your shoulders, that is, that is 179 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:10,280 circumspect, that is wise in his understanding. 180 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:14,280 And Paul wanted them to know this mystery because it used to 181 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,960 be a mystery. It's not a mystery anymore. 182 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:21,240 Paul's opening it up to them. He says it which in other ages 183 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:26,600 in time past was not made known to the sons of men as it has now 184 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:31,120 been been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and 185 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:37,140 prophets. In other ages we get so focused 186 00:10:37,140 --> 00:10:41,180 on today we think a long time ago is 100 years ago, 200 years 187 00:10:41,180 --> 00:10:42,380 ago. I think that's natural for every 188 00:10:42,380 --> 00:10:44,740 generation. But if you look back, there were 189 00:10:44,740 --> 00:10:48,860 people who lived for 900 years in the Old Testament. 190 00:10:49,380 --> 00:10:52,900 We have thousands of years of history before Gio's even came 191 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:56,980 into this world. So the fact that sometimes we 192 00:10:56,980 --> 00:11:00,420 get so caught up in here and now, I think it can be easy to 193 00:11:00,420 --> 00:11:07,930 forget how many people, how many lives went through this world 194 00:11:07,930 --> 00:11:10,290 without an understanding of what you and I know today. 195 00:11:11,130 --> 00:11:13,770 This wasn't always revealed in other ages. 196 00:11:14,010 --> 00:11:18,010 Think about the promises made to Abraham in the beginning, that 197 00:11:18,010 --> 00:11:22,890 he would bless Abraham seed, that he would see the the this, 198 00:11:23,130 --> 00:11:26,250 his generation would be like the stars in heaven, like the sand 199 00:11:26,250 --> 00:11:27,810 by the sea. Think about Moses. 200 00:11:27,810 --> 00:11:31,460 With the Israelites, all Moses went through in the wilderness. 201 00:11:31,460 --> 00:11:34,460 Think about every story you can remember from the Old Testament, 202 00:11:35,420 --> 00:11:37,780 every wonderful accounting of events. 203 00:11:38,220 --> 00:11:43,620 Those are history lessons. All those people, they didn't 204 00:11:43,620 --> 00:11:46,700 know what you and I know today. They didn't know what Paul was 205 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:50,140 revealing to them. Think about Isaiah, Jeremiah, 206 00:11:50,140 --> 00:11:56,380 Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Jonah, Obadiah, Amos, Joel, Hosea, 207 00:11:56,380 --> 00:12:00,100 NAIA, My back of Zephynaya, Hagai, Zachariah, Malachi, and 208 00:12:00,100 --> 00:12:03,260 the list goes on. Who had lives, Who were 209 00:12:03,260 --> 00:12:06,700 spreading the gospel or trying to teach a nation that was 210 00:12:06,700 --> 00:12:08,940 rebellious to God? Come back to God. 211 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:11,020 This is what you've done wrong. Come back to him. 212 00:12:12,540 --> 00:12:15,740 This is the God that wants you to repent and change your life. 213 00:12:16,460 --> 00:12:24,300 All these prophets had their lives lived in faith, yet they 214 00:12:24,300 --> 00:12:28,160 didn't know. But you and I know today who in 215 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,840 other ages was not made known to the sons of men that has now 216 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,240 been revealed by the Spirit God's Spirit revealed. 217 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,400 The scriptures inspired the scriptures to the apostles and 218 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,760 prophets and what you and I have today. 219 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,000 These prophets were not Privy to that. 220 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,140 The Gentiles should be fellow heirs. 221 00:12:48,380 --> 00:12:51,820 This is what they did not know back then that the Gentiles 222 00:12:51,820 --> 00:12:54,300 would be fellow heirs. We've already established you 223 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:56,740 and I are Gentiles. No one in this room can prove 224 00:12:56,740 --> 00:13:00,740 that you were a Jew by by by your your lineage. 225 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:02,220 OK, They destroyed all his records. 226 00:13:02,220 --> 00:13:06,100 We can't do it. You and I are called to be 227 00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:11,780 fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in 228 00:13:11,780 --> 00:13:17,860 Christ through the gospel. This is what was not made known 229 00:13:17,860 --> 00:13:21,580 to them. They had, they were told this in 230 00:13:21,580 --> 00:13:24,260 the Old Testament, but they didn't have a full picture. 231 00:13:25,420 --> 00:13:29,740 And they thought about things like maybe an Isaiah, how it 232 00:13:29,740 --> 00:13:33,980 said that he was going to be a light to the people in darkness, 233 00:13:34,340 --> 00:13:36,460 that this Jesus that would come would be a light. 234 00:13:36,460 --> 00:13:39,860 He was going to be good for the Gentiles, but they didn't really 235 00:13:39,860 --> 00:13:43,290 grasp why. I mean, think about it once. 236 00:13:43,490 --> 00:13:47,010 Once these people, these Jews, were taught that the Gentiles 237 00:13:47,010 --> 00:13:50,770 are going to be brought in, they said OK, but they still have to 238 00:13:50,770 --> 00:13:52,890 be circumcised. After they're baptized. 239 00:13:53,010 --> 00:13:56,650 As Christians, they were still trying to hold the old law after 240 00:13:56,650 --> 00:13:58,890 they were taught what was really supposed to happen. 241 00:13:59,050 --> 00:14:02,210 Imagine how they thought about the Gentiles before they were 242 00:14:02,210 --> 00:14:06,610 even taught. From some of the research I did, 243 00:14:06,730 --> 00:14:09,210 there were some pretty intense views of the Gentiles. 244 00:14:09,620 --> 00:14:12,500 Their merit may have been even certain groups of people who 245 00:14:12,500 --> 00:14:17,100 said things like God made the Gentiles to fuel the fires of 246 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:20,980 hell. They had some pretty serious 247 00:14:21,540 --> 00:14:25,460 views of the Gentiles where they didn't think they were on the 248 00:14:25,460 --> 00:14:28,900 same level as the the rest of the Jews and it was always going 249 00:14:28,900 --> 00:14:32,580 to be that way. The scriptures tell told them 250 00:14:33,060 --> 00:14:36,820 about what would happen with the Gentiles, but not in full. 251 00:14:39,020 --> 00:14:41,100 They're going to be met, fellow heirs. 252 00:14:41,420 --> 00:14:44,180 They're going to be family members together of the same 253 00:14:44,180 --> 00:14:46,780 body. Not of when the Jews come into 254 00:14:46,780 --> 00:14:48,980 God's family. They're going to be coming in 255 00:14:48,980 --> 00:14:53,420 and limousine through maybe the High Road and the Jews and the 256 00:14:53,420 --> 00:14:57,460 Gentile was going to come in, you know, ball and chain into 257 00:14:57,460 --> 00:15:00,100 this Kingdom. Maybe that's the mentality they 258 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:03,700 had, but that's not it. They're going to be the same 259 00:15:03,700 --> 00:15:06,050 body. That's what the Church is today. 260 00:15:06,050 --> 00:15:09,210 We are the body where Jew and Gentile, those who are 261 00:15:09,210 --> 00:15:12,650 historically God's people and those who are not, are one in 262 00:15:12,650 --> 00:15:14,170 Christ Jesus. You know what? 263 00:15:14,170 --> 00:15:16,930 You know what else? We're partakers of His promise. 264 00:15:17,330 --> 00:15:20,730 These Gentiles are going to get the same promise, this promise 265 00:15:20,730 --> 00:15:23,850 that was promised to Abraham long ago of a blessing. 266 00:15:24,250 --> 00:15:27,090 The Gentiles are going to get the same promise that the Jews 267 00:15:27,130 --> 00:15:28,930 thought was only protected for them. 268 00:15:30,250 --> 00:15:35,360 How? In Christ through the Gospel, 269 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,640 this gospel that we teach is how it all comes together. 270 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:47,120 It's how it all happens of which I became a minister. 271 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:50,600 A minister means a servant. That's another word for a 272 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,200 servant. Paul saying I became a servant 273 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:57,280 or a minister according to the gift of God-given to me by the 274 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,000 effective working of his power. Who walk? 275 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,520 Who willingly walks right into servitude? 276 00:16:04,340 --> 00:16:07,900 Sure, we'll walk into a job if it's worth it or we get paid for 277 00:16:07,900 --> 00:16:10,460 it. But who walks into servitude 278 00:16:10,820 --> 00:16:14,900 willingly? This is back to the mentality 279 00:16:14,940 --> 00:16:18,660 Paul has. He willingly became a servant 280 00:16:19,340 --> 00:16:24,020 and he considered it according to the grace of the gift of God. 281 00:16:25,980 --> 00:16:29,020 How did Paul see this? How is it that someone could 282 00:16:29,020 --> 00:16:32,580 voluntarily give themselves, and to call it an honor? 283 00:16:34,860 --> 00:16:39,740 Shame on me when I fail to see what an honor it is, what I'm 284 00:16:39,740 --> 00:16:43,940 carrying with me when I seek to glorify, as the New Testament 285 00:16:43,940 --> 00:16:46,740 calls it, a clay pot that's just holding treasure. 286 00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:51,380 I am the clay pot. The treasure is the word of God. 287 00:16:52,460 --> 00:16:55,540 Shame on me when I look to glorify the clay pot. 288 00:16:55,900 --> 00:16:59,540 When I look to glorify myself, when I look to put myself first 289 00:16:59,540 --> 00:17:04,079 in life, instead of putting attention to and giving glory to 290 00:17:04,079 --> 00:17:08,079 God and putting his message at the forefront of my life because 291 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:11,599 it is a treasure. Paul willingly became a servant 292 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:17,400 and called it a gift because he knew the reality of what God 293 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:22,839 could do and what God's word had to bring the God of this world 294 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:25,040 effectively working his power in Paul. 295 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:31,600 To me, whom less than the least of all the Saints, this grace 296 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:37,110 was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles, that I have 297 00:17:37,110 --> 00:17:38,990 the ability of all these people. I'm the. 298 00:17:39,030 --> 00:17:40,590 I consider myself to be the worst. 299 00:17:41,070 --> 00:17:43,830 But I have all these people. I'm the one who gets to do this, 300 00:17:44,070 --> 00:17:48,870 that I get to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches 301 00:17:48,870 --> 00:17:51,310 of Christ. He when he says unsearchable, he 302 00:17:51,310 --> 00:17:53,390 doesn't mean that you can't look through it. 303 00:17:53,390 --> 00:17:55,790 You can't look into it, you can't stay out. 304 00:17:55,790 --> 00:17:57,790 It's a mystery. We've already been told that the 305 00:17:57,790 --> 00:18:01,070 mystery was revealed. So even though it's 306 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:04,200 unsearchable, it doesn't mean you can't look into it. 307 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,600 The word unsearchable means it's past finding out. 308 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,440 Go ahead. But you're never going to 309 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,000 understand fully. You're never going to grasp the 310 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,000 depth. You're never going to see it all 311 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:23,080 in this life. It's incomprehensible. 312 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,960 Not that we shouldn't look into these blessings, not that we 313 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,760 shouldn't look into these riches, but whatever we do to 314 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,240 look into them, it's never going to scratch the surface. 315 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,080 We will never be able to fathom what has been given. 316 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,680 Sometimes I feel pretty bad that my mind can't fully appreciate 317 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,800 this. I want to fully appreciate what 318 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,600 God has done for us, and I want to fully appreciate these 319 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,280 riches. But he's going to tell us in a 320 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,720 little bit. That's kind of the point. 321 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:55,360 This life. You can't fully appreciate it. 322 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:57,960 That's how awesome it is. That's the point. 323 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:03,590 And to make all see this is Paul's goal, to make all see. 324 00:19:04,710 --> 00:19:07,470 What is the fellowship of the mystery? 325 00:19:08,710 --> 00:19:12,110 Do I want everyone to see this? Do you want everyone to see 326 00:19:12,110 --> 00:19:14,950 this? If this is that, great, that is 327 00:19:14,950 --> 00:19:17,310 unfathomable. This beyond our ability to 328 00:19:17,310 --> 00:19:19,790 comprehend it. Do you want to see, You want all 329 00:19:19,790 --> 00:19:22,030 to see it? Look, I know there are things 330 00:19:22,030 --> 00:19:25,590 that distract us, that discourage us, that distort our 331 00:19:25,990 --> 00:19:28,470 focus. But that's why we're in this 332 00:19:28,470 --> 00:19:33,880 book, to get that focus, that goal back, that intentionality 333 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,120 back. I want you to put yourself on 334 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:40,240 the edge of eternity, looking into the most beautiful home you 335 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,920 could ever imagine. All of your life's work is done. 336 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:49,320 You're standing on the edge of eternity looking in, and you 337 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:50,920 have all these wonderful blessings. 338 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,160 But did you in your life want to make all see? 339 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,840 There's going to be a time where our chance to tell people is 340 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:04,720 gone, where our chance is over. We had our shot to tell people 341 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:09,840 and where we may ever want to look back and try to do it over 342 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:10,800 again. But we can't. 343 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:14,560 This is our one shot, Paul said. I want to make all see. 344 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,560 He later says I'm innocent of the blood of all men because I 345 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,800 try to make everyone see what is the fellowship of the mystery? 346 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:23,560 There's fellowship in this mystery. 347 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,320 There's a fellowship that we all have. 348 00:20:26,700 --> 00:20:29,540 As brothers and sisters that we are sharing the best thing that 349 00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:32,660 anyone's ever thought of, there is no better thing in this world 350 00:20:32,660 --> 00:20:35,180 to think about than the mystery that has been revealed to us, 351 00:20:35,260 --> 00:20:38,260 where the Gentiles get to be saved in a part of God's family 352 00:20:38,540 --> 00:20:43,260 which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who 353 00:20:43,260 --> 00:20:45,380 created all things through Jesus Christ. 354 00:20:45,620 --> 00:20:47,260 This message was hidden for a time. 355 00:20:48,060 --> 00:20:52,460 Why? Why was this hidden to the 356 00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:59,280 intent that now the manifold wisdom of God, the word 357 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,920 manifold, just means variegated. It's many colored, it's many 358 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:06,560 faceted. That this many colored wisdom of 359 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:12,760 God might be made known by the church to the principalities and 360 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,240 powers in heavenly places. This has a purpose. 361 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,360 Who it's going to, Who's going to do it and who's going to 362 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:21,480 receive it? And it's interesting. 363 00:21:22,740 --> 00:21:25,100 The purpose is that God's wisdom is going to be shown. 364 00:21:25,460 --> 00:21:28,220 God's wisdom was it was hidden. For a time. 365 00:21:29,620 --> 00:21:32,020 There were people who wanted to see that, but it was hidden. 366 00:21:32,140 --> 00:21:34,580 It was hidden. But now there's a group that's 367 00:21:34,580 --> 00:21:36,260 going to share it. Who is that? 368 00:21:36,740 --> 00:21:39,500 It's us. We're the group that gets to 369 00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:42,820 share this hidden wisdom of God. We're going to show this hidden 370 00:21:42,820 --> 00:21:47,340 wisdom of God to who? To the principalities and powers 371 00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:53,840 in the heavenly places. That's interesting. 372 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,720 So what's the deal with these principalities and powers in 373 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:05,000 heavenly places? Basically, the church is showing 374 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,160 and proving God's wisdom to the angels. 375 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,360 That's interesting. I don't have all the answers. 376 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:20,310 The Bible doesn't give us all the answers, but somehow you and 377 00:22:20,310 --> 00:22:25,750 I are teaching angels or showing angels, or proving something to 378 00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:28,990 angels. If you go to Luke chapter 15 379 00:22:28,990 --> 00:22:31,230 verse 10, part of the other hints that we know that this is 380 00:22:31,230 --> 00:22:34,870 going on, something's going on. And Luke 15, verse 10, it says 381 00:22:35,070 --> 00:22:37,670 likewise. I say to you, there is joy in 382 00:22:37,670 --> 00:22:40,990 the presence of the angels of God over 1 Sinner who repents. 383 00:22:40,990 --> 00:22:45,870 You know what that tells me? Angels are aware of what's going 384 00:22:45,870 --> 00:22:48,790 on here. That's interesting. 385 00:22:49,550 --> 00:22:51,470 We're not going to do an exhaustive study because there's 386 00:22:51,470 --> 00:22:57,590 not a We don't know everything. But angels are somehow aware of 387 00:22:57,590 --> 00:22:59,950 what's going on here. Think about that for a second. 388 00:23:02,110 --> 00:23:05,150 That's your Our eyes are always here. 389 00:23:05,310 --> 00:23:08,550 Sometimes we need to look up. First Corinthians are 11. 390 00:23:08,550 --> 00:23:12,510 Verse 10 gives us another clue. For this reason, the woman ought 391 00:23:12,510 --> 00:23:14,550 to have a symbol of authority on her head. 392 00:23:14,910 --> 00:23:17,710 That's a discussion about something women get to do 393 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:22,040 regarding her own physical makeup. 394 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,160 You can study into that chapter if you wanted to Low. 395 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:26,800 But he says because of the angels. 396 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,480 He doesn't give us much more than that. 397 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,160 But there's this reason in the background going on that we 398 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,680 don't always see. And first, Peter one verse 10 399 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,560 says this of this salvation. The profits have inquired and 400 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,520 searched carefully. It's very similar to the the 401 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:44,840 grain of the the grain of thought we're in here. 402 00:23:45,370 --> 00:23:48,090 These prophets inquired and searched carefully, who 403 00:23:48,090 --> 00:23:51,450 prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching 404 00:23:51,450 --> 00:23:55,930 what what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, who is in them 405 00:23:56,010 --> 00:23:59,490 was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of 406 00:23:59,490 --> 00:24:02,250 Christ and the glories that would follow these prophets. 407 00:24:02,250 --> 00:24:06,290 The when, how? What's going to happen to them? 408 00:24:06,290 --> 00:24:10,170 It was revealed that not to themselves, but to us they were 409 00:24:10,170 --> 00:24:13,330 ministering the things which have now been reported to you 410 00:24:13,870 --> 00:24:17,230 through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy 411 00:24:17,230 --> 00:24:20,910 Spirit sent from heaven, things which angels desire to look 412 00:24:20,910 --> 00:24:24,150 into. You know what you are listening 413 00:24:24,150 --> 00:24:28,030 to right now? Angels have wanted to like, get 414 00:24:28,390 --> 00:24:29,550 they want to see, they want to see. 415 00:24:29,550 --> 00:24:33,430 What's this all about? That begs the question. 416 00:24:35,550 --> 00:24:39,070 Wood said this the angels desire may be indicative of the fact 417 00:24:39,070 --> 00:24:41,830 that the angels for whom no provision for salvation has been 418 00:24:41,830 --> 00:24:44,910 made are outside the realm of redemption. 419 00:24:46,230 --> 00:24:50,550 Maybe they're angels who are curious for their own who when 420 00:24:50,550 --> 00:24:55,590 they rebelled against God and fell from from good graces in 421 00:24:55,590 --> 00:24:57,190 heaven because of their own rebellion. 422 00:24:58,310 --> 00:25:03,550 Maybe these angels are curious. For can our fellow angels get 423 00:25:03,550 --> 00:25:05,590 this salvation? Maybe that's what they're 424 00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:08,750 curious about. Hebrews 2 verse 16 tells us no. 425 00:25:08,910 --> 00:25:13,830 For indeed he who he who for him deed, he does not give aid to 426 00:25:13,830 --> 00:25:17,590 angels, but he does give aid to the seat of Abraham. 427 00:25:18,670 --> 00:25:22,750 So angels aren't getting the same blessings from Jesus that 428 00:25:22,750 --> 00:25:25,230 we are. And Glenn Osborne said this in 429 00:25:25,230 --> 00:25:29,830 his commentary, How fortunate are we to be the objects of 430 00:25:29,830 --> 00:25:33,070 God's unmerited love? Sure. 431 00:25:34,190 --> 00:25:39,030 You know, angels are probably not all together like us. 432 00:25:39,270 --> 00:25:41,250 OK? You know, they they're heavenly 433 00:25:41,250 --> 00:25:43,210 beings. And I would probably equate 434 00:25:43,370 --> 00:25:49,770 angels, since they are in God's presence in some way to be like 435 00:25:49,770 --> 00:25:53,810 someone who, when Jesus said these people are are going to 436 00:25:53,810 --> 00:25:56,290 be, they're committing an unforgivable sin. 437 00:25:57,050 --> 00:26:00,050 When people see one of God's miracles here on earth and they 438 00:26:00,050 --> 00:26:03,130 say, oh, that's the power of the devil, the Bible says there's 439 00:26:03,130 --> 00:26:04,330 nothing we could do for that person. 440 00:26:04,330 --> 00:26:06,930 They're going to say God's work is the work of the devil. 441 00:26:07,050 --> 00:26:12,180 There's nothing we can do here. If they're angels who sinned in 442 00:26:12,180 --> 00:26:15,980 heaven, I compare that to them in my mind, to people who would 443 00:26:15,980 --> 00:26:18,780 be in God's presence, see his glory, and rebel against it 444 00:26:18,780 --> 00:26:21,740 anyway. So they're a little bit 445 00:26:21,740 --> 00:26:26,100 different than us before we give God, oh God, you're so evil to 446 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:28,100 you're you're so hard on these angels. 447 00:26:28,260 --> 00:26:30,540 They saw things maybe that we don't get to see. 448 00:26:33,580 --> 00:26:37,340 But how fortunate are we to be the objects of God's emeritted 449 00:26:37,340 --> 00:26:40,920 favor? What if God looked at us with no 450 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,600 grace? What if God didn't give us a 451 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:47,800 chance, but he did? How fortunate are we? 452 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,560 And angels desire to look into what we get to see and be. 453 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:59,200 So it's to be made known by the Church to the principalities and 454 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,720 powers in the heavenly places. I've heard it described as kind 455 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,840 of a graduate course for angels. Angels have been in God's 456 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,650 presence. They get to see God for all he 457 00:27:08,650 --> 00:27:11,410 is, but there's stuff today they don't even know about. 458 00:27:11,450 --> 00:27:14,130 And getting to watch us, they get sort of a graduate course. 459 00:27:15,090 --> 00:27:19,970 Interesting thought, but the point is the Church teaches the 460 00:27:19,970 --> 00:27:22,810 physical world. Here we teach people, but we're 461 00:27:22,810 --> 00:27:26,770 also involved somehow in teaching angels powerful, 462 00:27:27,690 --> 00:27:29,650 powerful thoughts. Verse 11 According to the 463 00:27:29,690 --> 00:27:33,290 eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our 464 00:27:33,290 --> 00:27:38,000 Lord, in Him we have boldness and access with confidence 465 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:40,600 through faith in Him. We've already established in 466 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,840 this letter that this was all part of God's plan the whole 467 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:44,760 time. It wasn't Plan B, it was His 468 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:49,680 eternal purpose through Jesus our Lord, and we have boldness 469 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:52,720 and access with confidence through faith in Him. 470 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,920 God didn't use this word by accident. 471 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:01,560 He wants us to access him with confidence, not with timidity, 472 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:07,190 not with doubt, not with angst, not timidly. 473 00:28:08,110 --> 00:28:11,550 Sometimes our world gets so consumed with self that even our 474 00:28:11,670 --> 00:28:14,590 own failures look bigger than God. 475 00:28:15,470 --> 00:28:18,190 So like when? Like if if we really think that 476 00:28:18,190 --> 00:28:20,310 our failures are bigger than God, that's arrogance. 477 00:28:20,830 --> 00:28:24,670 God is so much greater. Maybe we not look at any of our 478 00:28:24,670 --> 00:28:28,190 past as greater than God's grace, but then when we repent 479 00:28:28,190 --> 00:28:32,510 and change our lives, we have confidence through faith in Him. 480 00:28:33,470 --> 00:28:35,830 God didn't stutter when you use that word, confidence. 481 00:28:35,950 --> 00:28:38,870 He intends for you to be confident before His throne. 482 00:28:40,150 --> 00:28:42,950 He intends for you to come before His throne with boldness 483 00:28:45,670 --> 00:28:50,390 through faith in Him. Therefore, because of all this, 484 00:28:50,390 --> 00:28:54,910 therefore, Paul says, I ask that you do not lose heart and my 485 00:28:54,910 --> 00:28:59,830 tribulations for you, which is your glory because of all this. 486 00:28:59,830 --> 00:29:01,430 Look at all this great stuff that's happening. 487 00:29:01,430 --> 00:29:04,990 Look at your responsibility and the privilege you have to do 488 00:29:04,990 --> 00:29:07,390 these wonderful things to be a part of these wonderful things, 489 00:29:07,390 --> 00:29:09,150 he says. Don't don't worry about me, 490 00:29:10,070 --> 00:29:12,670 Don't get discouraged. Don't lose heart. 491 00:29:12,670 --> 00:29:15,750 And my tribulations, things I'm suffering for you, which is your 492 00:29:15,750 --> 00:29:19,910 glory. Paul's suffering has resulted in 493 00:29:19,910 --> 00:29:22,830 them getting the gospel. They get to glory because of 494 00:29:22,830 --> 00:29:25,590 that. They are receiving glory because 495 00:29:25,590 --> 00:29:28,030 of Paul's suffering. So he says don't worry about it. 496 00:29:28,190 --> 00:29:30,150 My suffering is worth it for your benefit. 497 00:29:31,710 --> 00:29:37,990 Again, what a mentality. For this reason, I bow my knees 498 00:29:37,990 --> 00:29:40,070 to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 499 00:29:41,550 --> 00:29:46,310 It's a it's a physical and an internal disposition. 500 00:29:46,310 --> 00:29:50,830 I bow before gone for this prayer he's going to describe. 501 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,320 I bowed before this God in prayer from whom the whole 502 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,560 family and heaven on earth is named. 503 00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,800 We all come from God. We are named from his initial 504 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:03,440 lineage. God created this all. 505 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:11,320 I bow my knees that he would grant you according to the 506 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:15,560 riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might. 507 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:18,640 There it is. We're starting to see that vein. 508 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:23,360 Paul is trying to teach them things of the beauty of their 509 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,200 reality so they will be strengthened, not just 510 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:28,840 strengthen, strengthen with might. 511 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,280 He wants them to be strong people, not couch potato. 512 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,600 Christians, Strong Christians, Christians. 513 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:37,240 They have a reason to live. Christians who have a reason to 514 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,880 be in the fight. Christians who are ready to do 515 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:44,640 his work with might, to be strengthened with might through 516 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,920 his spirit and the inner man. God's word teaches us and we 517 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:53,390 draw strength from God in our inner man, one person said. 518 00:30:53,830 --> 00:30:57,710 I'll get there in just a second. He says strengthen in the inner 519 00:30:57,710 --> 00:31:00,390 man that Christ may dwell in your heart. 520 00:31:01,310 --> 00:31:04,990 Through faith. We learn from Galatians chapter 521 00:31:04,990 --> 00:31:09,430 four that Paul would Christ to be formed in them. 522 00:31:09,910 --> 00:31:12,710 What does it mean for Christ to be formed inside of someone 523 00:31:12,710 --> 00:31:17,310 except when our lives promote and give evidence of the mind of 524 00:31:17,310 --> 00:31:21,810 Christ inside of us? So he's saying he wants Christ 525 00:31:21,810 --> 00:31:24,850 to dwell in our hearts. We know that it's a it's a mind 526 00:31:24,850 --> 00:31:29,530 thing that makes its way out in action, in our in our heart that 527 00:31:29,530 --> 00:31:31,850 Christ would live inside of us through faith. 528 00:31:33,690 --> 00:31:37,410 And it's through faith because we may have faith in God and His 529 00:31:37,410 --> 00:31:40,410 word because his word is trustworthy where it's been 530 00:31:40,410 --> 00:31:42,810 tested. We don't have to go into all 531 00:31:42,810 --> 00:31:46,610 that God's word has produces faith because it's trustworthy 532 00:31:46,610 --> 00:31:48,890 where tested. But there are things you cannot 533 00:31:49,290 --> 00:31:54,490 do a scientific test to figure out, and that requires faith for 534 00:31:54,490 --> 00:31:59,090 what is yet to be tested. He wants Christ to dwell in our 535 00:31:59,090 --> 00:32:03,970 hearts through faith. Sometimes we overcomplicate it. 536 00:32:03,970 --> 00:32:06,690 One man said this. You have your Bible, you have 537 00:32:06,690 --> 00:32:10,250 your knees use them. Sometimes we don't need to 538 00:32:10,250 --> 00:32:13,690 overcomplicate it. The Christ would dwell in our 539 00:32:13,690 --> 00:32:20,810 heart through faith that you being rooted and grounded in 540 00:32:20,810 --> 00:32:24,050 love. So he's he's praying this prayer 541 00:32:24,050 --> 00:32:26,370 for them that they would be strengthened and that they will 542 00:32:26,370 --> 00:32:31,410 be rooted. Being rooted means a a tree is 543 00:32:31,770 --> 00:32:33,810 holding on to something that can't be moved. 544 00:32:35,170 --> 00:32:37,770 And God, we are holding on to something that cannot be moved, 545 00:32:37,930 --> 00:32:40,690 that cannot be shaken. He wants them to be rooted, 546 00:32:40,970 --> 00:32:45,660 strong and grounded in love. Being grounded simply means 547 00:32:45,660 --> 00:32:47,020 basically the same thing as being rooted. 548 00:32:47,100 --> 00:32:50,660 You're attached to the ground. The ground is going to give you 549 00:32:50,780 --> 00:32:53,340 security strength and it cannot be moved. 550 00:32:53,380 --> 00:32:56,420 Nobody moves the ground. That's why they put anchors in 551 00:32:56,420 --> 00:32:58,380 the ground, because you can't move the ground. 552 00:33:00,780 --> 00:33:02,460 But he wants them to be grounded in God. 553 00:33:02,460 --> 00:33:08,540 How? In love, in love, you know, 554 00:33:08,540 --> 00:33:11,700 that's very specific. He says that he didn't say in 555 00:33:11,700 --> 00:33:13,880 fear. There's there's a place in the 556 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:19,240 Christian life for a reverential fear that we would see God's 557 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,800 greatness and his power and and tremble before him like Moses 558 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,680 did his greatness. But it's interesting he didn't 559 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:29,400 say that's what he wants them to be grounded in. 560 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:32,880 You know, if I told all of you, I'm going to go for another 3 561 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,280 1/2 four hours. I want to talk and I have pulled 562 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:38,840 out a gun. None of you are going to leave. 563 00:33:40,010 --> 00:33:42,570 But the second, if I were to say I got to go do something, I'll 564 00:33:42,570 --> 00:33:44,850 be right back. All of you would bolt. 565 00:33:46,170 --> 00:33:51,610 Fear is a very temporary is a very specific kind of 566 00:33:51,610 --> 00:33:56,370 motivation. Now, if I told you all I really 567 00:33:56,370 --> 00:33:59,850 need you right now and I'm asking you to do this for me as 568 00:33:59,850 --> 00:34:02,770 someone who loves you, would you please stay here for three, 569 00:34:02,770 --> 00:34:06,130 eight, 3, 1/2 more hours? Most of you would probably stay. 570 00:34:09,219 --> 00:34:15,900 Fear will keep people somewhere until that threat, whether 571 00:34:15,900 --> 00:34:19,780 reality or imperception, is lifted and the reality is in our 572 00:34:19,780 --> 00:34:21,820 faith. There may be times where you've 573 00:34:21,820 --> 00:34:26,380 been motivated by fear. Your fear will only hold you 574 00:34:26,380 --> 00:34:29,540 somewhere as long as you see that threat as imminent. 575 00:34:30,739 --> 00:34:34,500 Once you see or think that God's not a threat anymore and that's 576 00:34:34,780 --> 00:34:37,330 sane, can deceive us, you can make us, we told them in the 577 00:34:37,330 --> 00:34:39,409 garden, Is God really going to do that to you? 578 00:34:40,290 --> 00:34:44,530 Our minds can be twisted to think that God's not there all 579 00:34:44,530 --> 00:34:49,090 the time and as powerful as he is and as present as he is, And 580 00:34:49,090 --> 00:34:52,370 so it's only a matter of time until our minds don't see God as 581 00:34:52,370 --> 00:34:55,290 someone to be feared. And where you say, OK, I could, 582 00:34:55,489 --> 00:34:57,890 I could go now, I could do this God. 583 00:34:57,890 --> 00:35:00,410 I'm not thinking about God right now. 584 00:35:02,810 --> 00:35:08,710 Fear will only last our face so long without love because love 585 00:35:08,710 --> 00:35:11,350 will ground us. If you've seen people try to 586 00:35:11,350 --> 00:35:14,670 pull a a tree out with a truck, there's these videos all over 587 00:35:14,670 --> 00:35:16,630 the place. Because people try all kinds of 588 00:35:16,630 --> 00:35:19,790 things to remove a stump and people will hook their truck up 589 00:35:19,950 --> 00:35:22,390 to a tree and drive away with all those. 590 00:35:23,350 --> 00:35:27,550 All those horsepower and the truck will break apart a lot of 591 00:35:27,550 --> 00:35:32,910 times before the tree does. If you are grounded in love, 592 00:35:33,590 --> 00:35:35,990 people aren't going to have to, aren't going to be able to pull 593 00:35:35,990 --> 00:35:37,990 you away from God. They're not going to be able to 594 00:35:37,990 --> 00:35:40,950 deceive you, to think of God's not really here right now. 595 00:35:41,470 --> 00:35:45,510 You can do this because you're going to be grounded in love and 596 00:35:45,510 --> 00:35:50,110 rooted to where no one can rip us away and no one can deceive 597 00:35:50,110 --> 00:35:53,150 us into leaving him. He wants us to be rooted and 598 00:35:53,150 --> 00:35:57,590 grounded in love. That you be able, this is, this 599 00:35:57,590 --> 00:36:01,430 is just beautiful that you may be able to comprehend. 600 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:05,360 So to comprehend this, we have to be grounded in love. 601 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,680 To comprehend what to may be able to comprehend with all the 602 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,520 Saints. Saints just means God's people. 603 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:16,000 It's faithful people. What is the width and the length 604 00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:20,960 and the depth and the height. He's saying this the massiveness 605 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:25,800 of this thing of what? To know the love of Christ, 606 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,840 which passes knowledge. There it is again. 607 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:35,410 It's past finding out you can't fully grasp, but you can know 608 00:36:35,410 --> 00:36:40,010 it, he says. If you are grounded in love, you 609 00:36:40,010 --> 00:36:44,810 will be able to comprehend. You may not fully grasp it, but 610 00:36:44,810 --> 00:36:48,570 you will know the love of Christ, which passes the 611 00:36:48,570 --> 00:36:51,970 knowledge that we have, that you may be filled with all the 612 00:36:51,970 --> 00:36:54,210 fullness of God. That's part of the issue with 613 00:36:54,210 --> 00:37:00,850 being teacher or preacher. Knowledge won't give you things. 614 00:37:02,330 --> 00:37:04,490 Knowledge. Living inside of you and 615 00:37:04,490 --> 00:37:08,370 creating a change will. I can't say things up here. 616 00:37:08,370 --> 00:37:09,970 They're going to give you the right knowledge. 617 00:37:10,090 --> 00:37:14,130 Because I've had knowledge and I've used it and and I've made 618 00:37:14,130 --> 00:37:18,250 mistakes and there are things that my my heart knew at one 619 00:37:18,250 --> 00:37:21,930 time that it has drifted away because I didn't stay in that 620 00:37:21,930 --> 00:37:24,210 thing. Just knowing something will 621 00:37:24,250 --> 00:37:30,170 always last on your heart. It passes beyond what I can tell 622 00:37:30,170 --> 00:37:32,170 you and give you knowledge about. 623 00:37:32,170 --> 00:37:36,450 Or I can try to get knowledge about is beyond knowledge that 624 00:37:36,450 --> 00:37:39,290 you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 625 00:37:40,850 --> 00:37:45,010 What a statement that we could be filled with all the fullness 626 00:37:45,010 --> 00:37:48,890 of God. How do I, how do I even describe 627 00:37:48,890 --> 00:37:54,570 that he was describing the dimensions in width and height 628 00:37:54,570 --> 00:37:57,330 and depth? How wide is God's love? 629 00:37:57,650 --> 00:38:00,780 It's wide enough to include every person who would come to 630 00:38:00,780 --> 00:38:03,660 him. How long is God's love? 631 00:38:03,660 --> 00:38:06,460 It's long enough to last through all eternity. 632 00:38:07,780 --> 00:38:10,460 How deep is God's love? It's deep enough to reach the 633 00:38:10,460 --> 00:38:14,700 worst Sinner, to reach into the lowest places to save. 634 00:38:15,980 --> 00:38:20,020 How high does God's love go? It's high enough to take us to 635 00:38:20,020 --> 00:38:25,340 heaven, to know the love of Christ with Pat, which passes 636 00:38:25,340 --> 00:38:27,780 knowledge. This knowledge gives us a sense 637 00:38:27,780 --> 00:38:31,590 of groundedness. And you know, I think about the 638 00:38:31,590 --> 00:38:35,710 ancient religions as you study. If you look at ancient religions 639 00:38:36,190 --> 00:38:40,030 like the Native Americans, they would make sacrifices to a God 640 00:38:40,030 --> 00:38:41,670 where they didn't really know where they stood. 641 00:38:42,390 --> 00:38:44,470 They'd be reeling because they're in a famine, they're in 642 00:38:44,470 --> 00:38:45,590 a drought. What do we do? 643 00:38:45,590 --> 00:38:48,390 We got to make a sacrifice. It would make human sacrifices 644 00:38:48,390 --> 00:38:50,870 on their altars because they didn't know where they stood 645 00:38:53,110 --> 00:38:57,140 during the Old Testament. God, I told you all the prophets 646 00:38:57,140 --> 00:39:00,700 God was teaching through them to say This is why I'm upset at you 647 00:39:01,100 --> 00:39:03,340 Change and I will take care of you. 648 00:39:03,420 --> 00:39:05,340 God has always been clear with his people. 649 00:39:05,900 --> 00:39:10,060 He's given them a sense of groundedness to know where we 650 00:39:10,060 --> 00:39:12,500 stand with him. How great is that? 651 00:39:12,780 --> 00:39:15,340 That we don't have to wonder and worry about where we stand, but 652 00:39:15,340 --> 00:39:18,820 then we can know where we stand. We can know the love of Christ, 653 00:39:18,820 --> 00:39:25,780 which passes knowledge. Part of the question is if God's 654 00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:31,860 fullness is to fill us, are we ready to make room, to empty 655 00:39:31,860 --> 00:39:35,220 ourself, To make room for God's fullness? 656 00:39:35,220 --> 00:39:38,020 I have to empty myself. John said it this way. 657 00:39:38,580 --> 00:39:40,860 He must increase, but I must decrease. 658 00:39:41,620 --> 00:39:45,260 He who comes from above is all. And Are you ready? 659 00:39:45,260 --> 00:39:50,500 Even today? Like I said, it's we forget 660 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:52,300 stuff. You may have known it at one 661 00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:55,930 point. Are you ready today to empty 662 00:39:55,930 --> 00:39:59,930 yourself, to be filled with the fullness of God, beyond self, 663 00:40:00,170 --> 00:40:03,690 beyond selfishness, beyond anything else that might stand 664 00:40:04,130 --> 00:40:10,970 in our way, even me, even you? Now to him finishing up these 665 00:40:11,090 --> 00:40:13,810 last verses. Now to him who is able to do 666 00:40:13,810 --> 00:40:18,650 exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, he didn't 667 00:40:18,650 --> 00:40:23,270 have to use all of these. Repetitive. 668 00:40:23,430 --> 00:40:24,870 Seemingly. Yeah, we get the point 669 00:40:24,950 --> 00:40:28,790 exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask her Think. 670 00:40:28,870 --> 00:40:34,430 But he did, because he's making a point He's able to do. 671 00:40:34,710 --> 00:40:36,910 Above all that we ask her Think You know how awesome that is. 672 00:40:36,910 --> 00:40:40,510 That means there's hope, because you haven't seen, nor have I, 673 00:40:41,190 --> 00:40:43,270 how great the things are God has planned for us. 674 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:46,240 How many billions of people have walked this earth? 675 00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:49,800 How many millions have followed him with sincerity of heart, And 676 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:55,240 none of them, none of us have ever come close, because it's 677 00:40:55,240 --> 00:40:58,200 exceedingly and abundantly above all that we could ever ask God 678 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:01,160 for or beg God for on our knees when we're struggling. 679 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:04,000 It's above all of that. Anything we could ever think 680 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:09,720 it's above that he only has one response according to the power 681 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:13,280 that works in us. To him, the glory in the church 682 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:18,520 by Christ Jesus, to all generations, forever and ever. 683 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:19,960 Amen. And that's the only thing there 684 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:24,480 is left to say. May we glorify him this morning 685 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,840 because of the wonderful things that we can't even grasp our 686 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:33,400 minds around today in this place. 687 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,040 But the church is a people. It's not a place. 688 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,480 When I leave here today, When you leave here today, what are 689 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,760 your motivations? Why are you alive? 690 00:41:44,500 --> 00:41:45,740 Why do you get up in the morning? 691 00:41:46,980 --> 00:41:54,700 What gives you peace at night to him be glory here and wherever 692 00:41:54,700 --> 00:41:58,860 we go? Because he is worthy of all 693 00:41:58,860 --> 00:42:01,260 praise. That's the lesson today. 694 00:42:01,460 --> 00:42:05,300 And if you have not been added to this glorious body, who he 695 00:42:05,300 --> 00:42:08,580 said was once a mystery, you have a chance to see it now. 696 00:42:09,180 --> 00:42:12,740 How could you not want to? How could you not see this and 697 00:42:12,740 --> 00:42:16,100 want to follow him? We learned that today that he 698 00:42:16,100 --> 00:42:18,980 wants us to have faith. Well, faith's not complicated. 699 00:42:18,980 --> 00:42:22,780 You have to hear the Bible says to have faith. 700 00:42:22,780 --> 00:42:24,980 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 701 00:42:25,340 --> 00:42:30,500 We hear, we believe, we repent. We have to follow God if we want 702 00:42:30,620 --> 00:42:33,500 Christ to dwell in us. That means repenting to change 703 00:42:33,500 --> 00:42:34,780 our life. Because I sure didn't come in 704 00:42:34,780 --> 00:42:36,660 and go, Hey, Jesus, I'm doing the same thing you're doing. 705 00:42:36,660 --> 00:42:38,420 I'll just go with you. No, he said. 706 00:42:38,420 --> 00:42:40,060 You better. You better change everything 707 00:42:40,060 --> 00:42:41,820 you've ever thought, everything you may have ever done. 708 00:42:42,620 --> 00:42:46,460 We're repenting, confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, 709 00:42:47,140 --> 00:42:50,460 that we can be saved by no other name, the name of Jesus and the 710 00:42:50,460 --> 00:42:52,540 blood of Jesus, that we be baptized. 711 00:42:53,300 --> 00:42:56,860 Not because we're doing some great work to to save ourselves, 712 00:42:56,860 --> 00:42:59,380 but because we are submitting. When you're baptized, you get 713 00:42:59,900 --> 00:43:03,540 lunged underneath the water and buried in that water to rise and 714 00:43:03,540 --> 00:43:05,980 walk a newness of life. If you've already been added to 715 00:43:05,980 --> 00:43:08,300 the Church, what a wonderful thing. 716 00:43:09,420 --> 00:43:12,420 But if you've done that, and you need to make something right, if 717 00:43:12,420 --> 00:43:14,900 you need the prayers of the church, that's why we're here 718 00:43:14,900 --> 00:43:17,260 together. We're ready to support take care 719 00:43:17,260 --> 00:43:19,140 of one of either case while we stand and what we say. 720 00:43:20,780 --> 00:43:23,780 We thank you for listening to our podcast put on by the Church 721 00:43:23,780 --> 00:43:28,220 of Christ at 2215 Plans Rd. in Bakersfield. 722 00:43:28,940 --> 00:43:32,380 If you would like any additional information or you would like to 723 00:43:32,380 --> 00:43:35,340 receive a free Bible correspondence course by mail, 724 00:43:36,100 --> 00:43:41,420 please e-mail us at info@churchofchristbakersfield.com. 725 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:47,360 Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM and 726 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:51,840 Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. Please make plans to join us. 727 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:54,480 We would love for you to be our honored guest.