The Riches of Christ in His Saints: Seeing the Body — Stephen Kaung

Lord, we are before Thee, make Thy presence known to us, make it real to us. May the light of Thy countenance shine upon us. Live up Thy countenance towards us. We do come together to Thee to behold Thee.

With unveiled face, that Thou mayst be able to transform us according to Thy Son, from glory to glory. Lord, we do pray that at this very moment, Thou will make us forget everything, that our whole being may be fixed upon Thee.

Lord, that we may see Thee, hear Thee, and be in touch with thyself. Lord, we ask Thee that this night, Thou will open our understanding, that we may know Thee as Thou dost know us. Lord, we ask Thee to deliver us from ourselves, even the best, that we may be absorbed into Thee, to all that Thou art.

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ in the Church

Lord, we do look to Thee together, for Thy Spirit's working in us, that Thy Son may be magnified, expressed, and glorified in the church. In the precious name of our Lord Jesus. We do thank the Lord that this morning our brother has helped us to see the need, and not only the need, but the way to spiritual balance.

I believe you all agree with me that we need this very much. And we do see that this is possible, not in us, but in Him. And we also thank the Lord for our brother, who has again led us into that unsearchable riches of Christ, the glory of His inheritance in the same.

Brothers and sisters, I believe that we all marvel at what the Lord has done. He always surprises us. And we do thank Him. Tonight, God willing, we will look into more or less the same direction. I hope I will just keep myself low at the practical level.

Will you please turn to the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1. The letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1, we read from verse 17 through verse 23. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him, being enlightened in the eyes of your heart, so that ye should know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the same, and what the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the working of the might of His strength, in which He wrought in Christ, in raising Him from among the dead, and He set Him down at His right hand in the heavenlies, above every principality and authority, and power and dominion, and every name named not only in this age, but also in that to come, and has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be a head over all things, to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him, fulfills all.

The third chapter of the same letter, chapter 3, we'll read from verse 2 through verse,. If indeed ye have heard of the administration of the grace of God which has been given to me towards you, that by revelation the mystery has been made known to me, according as I have written before briefly, by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ, which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the power of the Spirit, that they who are of the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus by the glad tidings, of which I am become minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me, according to the working of His power.

To me, less than the least of all things, has this grace been given to announce among the nations the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches of the Christ, and to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God, who has created all things in order that now, through the principalities and authorities in the heavenlies, might be made known through the church the all-various knowledge of God according to the purpose of the ages, which He purposed in Christ Jesus.

Our dear brothers and sisters, by the grace of God, we hope that tonight we may touch upon the unsearchable riches of the mystery of the Christ. Now, first of all, we have to explain what do we mean by mystery.

The Mystery Revealed Through the Ages

When this word is mentioned, immediately you are thinking of something mysterious, to the extent of being something hideous. Brothers and sisters, certainly this is not the meaning in the word of God.

It is mystic, but not mysterious, but not hideous. It means a strange unknown, but it doesn't mean it's unknowable. The word of God is hidden in the mind in eternity past. Patience means that there is a counsel, administration, an economy.

Through the ages, God, according to that will, with that will, progressively working towards the fulfillment of that. Through the ages, and the generations, has been working. And that purpose, which He purposed in Christ Jesus before the foundation.

In the Old Testament times, we know that God was working. But He worked, without telling anybody He was working in this way. What was the objective of His working? What was His working, church? God did not tell anybody.

But that does not mean that God did not work. God had been working throughout the ages and the generations in the Old Testament times. And never God worked without. He was always working towards one thing.

But it was not known. It had not been announced. It had not been told to anybody. But then God, after He sent only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus, to this world, and after our Lord Jesus had accomplished the work that was entrusted to Him, then we find God began to unveil that mystery by revelation.

In other words, all day, with the definite purpose, but without announcing it, now God is still working, still working. But He has declared to us the objective that He is working. He has told us. I think there is one thing that by the grace of God lay hold of.

Oh, may I say it more correctly? That we must be laid hold of by that one thing. It is the mystery. But it is now made known to us. The mystery. Very carefully, the third chapter of Ephesians. You will find that on the one hand He says, made known to Him the mystery of the Christ.

God has appointed Him to announce the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches. It is the mystery. You will find that sometimes before the word Christ there is an article. A definite article. There is no article before the word.

In many versions you do not have this difference. I guess that the translator would just put Christ there without any definite article. If you go to the original, or more original, more closer to the original, you will find that sometimes they put The before Christ, and sometimes they do not have that The before Christ.

Now, what is the difference? They tell us that there is a difference. The difference is here. Whenever Christ is used without a definite article, it means Christ Himself. That is to say, the personal article The before Christ.

To someone else. Together with someone else. His death and resurrection. Whom He has the glorious head. He has obtained it for Himself. Dear brothers and sisters, if this is true, then you will find the word here, the unsearchable riches.

Shall we say, modulated. In His, with Him, into one. Not only the head alone. That display, unsearchable. Dear brothers and sisters, this is unsearchable. How richest it be, that we who are born and dead in unsearchable riches.

Dear brothers and sisters, I try to mention in the very beginning. That is, I try to limit myself just to the demonstration of the unsearchable. We will again take a pause. Now, dear brothers and sisters, we know that before Paul was converted, he was called Paul.

Whether he knew Christ personally or not, I do not know. Only we find in the letter to the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, he did mention something like this. If we have known Christ in the flesh, we know Him in the flesh.

Whether the apostle Paul knew Christ in the flesh or not. That is to say, did he meet Christ personally? When Christ was on earth? Is sure. Known Christ in the flesh. To say, he has measured Christ. Examined Christ.

Conclusion, that he has known all about Him in the flesh. Educated person. A Pharisee. Known of religion. Orthodox person. Not being brought up. Right way. A blasphemer. Set himself up as a teacher. Dare to be a teacher.

A little man. One who is worthy to die. And was dead. And that's that. And thank God, was Jewish. That he had the agreement with the consensus of the ruling class. Is it not true? That this is not only the Christ that saw Him.

This was the Christ that the Jews at the time of our Lord Jesus knew. Whenever the Lord did something glorious, wonderful, as the grace of God, as such power might be manifested. And immediately, they came down and said, I know, we know who He is.

He is. We know His mother. We know His brothers and sisters. Oh, we know Him from inside out. Dear brothers and sisters. Unknown. In the high priest. Ready to go even to foreign cities. To lay hands upon those followers of Jesus.

And to condemn them. We are all familiar. On the way to Damascus, as He was approaching that city. I do not know what He was thinking. While Damascus was in view. Upon Him. Why do you pursue? Don't you know it is hard?

Revelation and the Heavenly Vision of Paul

Dear brothers and sisters. There on the ground. He knew before. That in our life, we must begin with Him. The life of Paul begins with a heavenly vision. Does not begin with himself. With what he thinks.

What he has figured out. Heavenly vision. Was caught up to the third heaven. Speakable things. Came down to him. To begin. Dear brothers and sisters. We have to begin with Him. He cannot begin with. Cannot begin with our own understanding of Christ.

With the natural mind. Very low level. We have to begin with a revelation. And when you see that. He is so rich. But dear brothers and sisters. Do you know that? What surprises Paul? May I say more? If I can use that.

Surprises him more in a sense. Humanistic. Obedient. Obedient. Lord. Who are thou? I am Jesus. Persecute me. Persecute you? A earthly being persecutes a heavenly person. Persecute you. Why do you persecute me?

Persecute you. I cannot persecute you. You are beyond my reach. Powerful for me. Too high for me. What do you mean by that? Dear brothers and sisters. You know what he means. Paul was persecuting the beast.

That soul was persecuting. Have become followers of Jesus. Instead it seems as if the Lord delights in choosing. And he does. If you think you are something. I am afraid. You are nothing. Nothing. Thank God.

That is what he is looking for. He is looking at something that nobody will look at. So someone said. Our Lord Jesus will even pick up the devil's castle. And it seems as if the Lord is always looking for that.

Seeing the Church as the Body of Christ

Brothers and sisters. When you try to see the believers. In the flesh. Them through your flesh. What is the result? What is the picture that you see? Describe to you. Because we all know. But dear brothers and sisters.

If you see the body. So that God has chosen for himself. A peculiar people unto himself. If you see them in the spirit. By revelation. Oh dear brothers and sisters. You see that the church is the body of Christ.

The fullness of him who fills all. In chapter 1 it is said. God has made all things. The fullness of him who fills all. We say that our head is the most important. Because it is the nerve center. It is the center of everything.

The brain is there. Everything is there. The head. Why don't we just have the head? And not the body? The richest of this being is in the head. The head needs a body. Dear brothers and sisters. Something to contain is rich.

It needs something. I remember. I cannot forget. A brother says. When you are talking. Like when I am talking now. Of course I am talking with my head. My mouth is. When I am talking I am talking. It is the head who is talking.

Why is it? That I need to use my hands. And even use my feet. Sometimes I have to walk here and walk there. And sometimes I have to bend forward. And sometimes I have to bend backwards. Have you ever seen someone who stands there?

And just talk and talk and talk. If anyone is doing that. The first thing is. He cannot get his thoughts across. There might be words. But these words without expression. On the other hand. The longer he talks.

The quieter the audience will be. Dear brothers and sisters. All the unsearchable riches. He is so rich. He has to find a body. To contain his riches. And by containing his riches. It may give him a chance opportunity.

To express himself. Dear brothers and sisters. Dear brothers and sisters. I have to confess. I have believed the Lord for many many years. But after all these years. I am still a fool. I remain a fool.

He is to himself. He is to him. He is to be a body. He shall manifest himself. That the world may see him. Brothers and sisters. Never think this. But what is seen. Dear brothers. We have this treasure.

It is like an earth. But thank God. If you see the church. In the spirit. The church is the body. The full composed. In chapter of Ephesians. You find it is said. The fall has come. That the cross has come.

One Body Across Jewish and Gentile Divisions

And it breaks down. The wall of partition. Between the Jews and the Gentiles. Even one body. You know that. They have found. Actually found. In the ruins of the temple. They found a sign there. That was used to be posted.

In the temple. To warn the Gentiles. Not to go in too far. They may stay in a certain section of the outer court. But beyond that. If you go beyond that. There was a wall of partition. Between the Jews.

And yet our Lord Jesus. Breaks down that wall of partition. He brings the Jews and Gentiles together. And make them one body. You remember. In John chapter 10. Our Lord Jesus says. That does not. Do not belong to this fold.

You will hear my voice. And I will make them. Into one body. But in Christ. Every nation. Every tribe. Every tongue. And. Dear brothers and sisters. We do thank the Lord. It is wonderful in our eyes. That he has broken down.

All the. Between nations and nations. Race. And race. All sectors. And social sectors. And education. The Lord has broken down all these discriminations. He has drawn us. But dear brothers and sisters.

That is good. Every tongue. Language. Tribe. He has gathered us together. And make us one body. Let us use. Not that there are. No more Christians in this world. Aside from this. There are many many more.

Suppose let us use this audience as an illustration. He has drawn people. From this country. United States of America. He has drawn some. He has drawn others. South America. He has drawn still others.

He has drawn some others. And the Lord has broken down. The wall of partition. And has brought us together. And make us one body. Thank God for that. I see Chinese. I see Americans. I see British. He has taken us out of these.

And put us together. As our brother mentioned today. The Chinese. Have their culture. Their way of thinking. The oriental way. Then you find there is. The American way of life. And so on and so forth.

The Fleshly Divisions That Persist in the Church

All partition has been broken. But how about. That English. It is made up of. Such a mixture. Because it won't be true. For a hundred years. Together day and night. Dear brothers and sisters. What will happen.

Not only the Americans. Will migrate to one corner. The Britishers will migrate to another corner. The oriental will migrate to another corner. You'll find even among the orientals. They will be divided.

There is flesh. There is division. In a sense. We are all. Become one flock. Under one shepherd. If that English reality. Is not. Nothing happened among God's people. We are supposed to be saved. Supposed to have the life of Christ.

Why isn't the spirit of God speaking. Can you answer that. Not to say. With so many of us here. I always like to use. A simpler illustration. Who's there. Are only three Christians. The best. The closest.

Nearest. Dearest. Three persons. Put them together. And make them one body. Under the head. They know the Lord. Very much. And they are good friends. But dear brothers and sisters. We figure out. If anything should happen.

It will come from people. But do you know. That John and James. They have another name. I did. You remember once. Our Lord Jesus. Was on his way to Jerusalem. He passed by. A Samaritan village. And because they saw the Lord.

Was going to Jerusalem. They were not listening. John and James said. Lord. Do you want us to call down fire from heaven. And burn us these people. Do you hear the thunder. Oh dear brothers and sisters.

Christ Expressed Through a Unified Body

What is the church. What is the body of Christ. Is the church. Are we the body of Christ. Yes and no. Yes in the sense. That we are. Gathered up. Because. In the church. There is neither. Nor. Is just another way of saying.

The body. The fullness of him. Who feels. If he feels. All in all. Then where are you. And where. All in all. Not even a little. Dear brothers and sisters. To simplify it. We need to use a formula. You know spiritual things can never be put into.

I think our brother Mr. Sparks. Was told me that. I just used. What is the church. Plus John. Plus James. Equal the church. Equal to the church. Minus Peter. Plus Christ in John. Minus John. Plus Christ in James.

Minus James. Equal to. Am I right. Thank you for helping me. With this arithmetic. Dear brothers and sisters. There is no such formula. But the principle is. Body of Christ. What is the church. The church is Christ himself.

Christ who is in you. And in me. Do not forget. You have to be. If you try to bring yourself. In with Christ. Oh dear brothers and sisters. This is a mystery. That God can take hold of us. And give us the spirit of wisdom.

And revelation. That we may know Christ. Give us revelation. That we may know God. Oh that we may see that one. The eternal.