Bible In A Year - Ephesians

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Let's go to the Lord and ask his blessings upon our time together this morning Our Father in heaven we do come before you with with humble hearts and yet with with grateful hearts that We woke up this morning and your mercies were renewed unto us this day
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Grateful for your kindness to us your loving kindness Lord for the great grace and mercy
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You you bestow upon us Lord the way that you deal with us is amazing
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Father as your children we lift up our hearts in grateful praise We're thankful that we have this opportunity to gather for worship for a mutual edification for exhorting one another for stimulating one another in the faith to good behavior and to love and Good works, and we pray that today would be
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And all that we do and say would be pleasing in your sight and that we would be helped today that we would be taught
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That we would be blessed by you and molded and shaped convicted and convinced of truth
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So that we may walk in it and walk in your ways and be a people pleasing unto you
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Lord I think of all the classes that are going to be going on even at this time while we're meeting with the
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The new the newcomers and the teens and the young children
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Father those even in the nursery the teaching that goes on there may the Spirit of God Impress the truth of scripture the truth of Christ the truth of salvation through him alone upon hearts and may
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May Lord people be saved today. I pray that That you might work mightily and that you do what you do best as Our glorious and amazing
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God that you would save sinners to the glory of Christ please teach us as we now study this next book in our series and Bless us as only you can in Jesus name.
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Amen Well as you can see on the sheet We're heading to the next book of the
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New Testament in our study of going through the Bible and it is the book of Ephesians I feel like I ought not to have to teach this class and you know, why?
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Pastor Mike spent how many years were we? I'm just kidding. How many we were there for quite a long time in the book of Ephesians and Getting the review every week and going chapter by chapter and in verse by verse through this precious book
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Which has three chapters at the beginning three one two, and three are full of doctrine
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Paul laying down the foundation of what it is that we're to believe and who we are and what it's all about to be a believer
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To be in relationship and fellowship with God to be to be saints called of the
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Lord to serve him and then in chapters Four five and six the the practical application of that truth and how it ought to be lived out
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And you will see that on the backside. You don't have to turn there right now of your sheet But there is an extensive outline which deals with what
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I was just speaking of chapter by chapter and sometimes I You know, I type this thing up and do the best
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I can it doesn't always line up and under the outline part in the back I put this one through ten Going through there or eleven through with Roman numerals and then over to the right
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I kind of slipped in this thing about key chapters and what subjects are take are being handled in those chapters
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But kind of you know, don't don't look at the format so much as the content I try to give you as much as I can and where I glean it from all the different sources that I say that I pull this from For for our benefit this this book
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Dealing with the body of Christ dealing with the Church of the Living God Tremendous verses that are well familiar to us can particularly like chapter 2 in Verses 8 and 9 for by grace he is saved through faith and that not of yourselves
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It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast and we don't stop there
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Verse 10 says for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus on two good works
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Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. God has a particular
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Calling upon his people that we are to be a people as you heard in a previous Message that I believe
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I had taught when I dealt with the book of Ephesians and doing a walk through Ephesians That we're not just saved just to be just to be a people who are saved and happy and on our way to heaven
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But God puts us to work the Lord desires for us to be a people who worship him But also a people who would serve the
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Lord Christ He is the master. He is the head of the church. He is He is whom we bow the knee to when it comes to submission and salvation
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And it also he it is he who we give our heart to when it comes to serving him
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With all of our heart soul mind and strength loving him and showing that we love him by serving him now this church this book or The church in Ephesus Had received two letters in Scripture as you see on the sheet in the first paragraph basically this epistle of That Paul wrote
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Ephesians as we know it and then if you look in the in the book of Revelation the very first letter that was penned by the
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Apostle John was to the church in Ephesus and this was a true
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New Testament Church a one that was growing one that the gospel had come to this area
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God had saved folks. The church was established and Paul in this book here gives challenges
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He gives examples of how people who who claim to be Christians and who are the people of God?
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How how they ought to live with authentic Christian living? Loving in the body the the idea of the that central focus in that theme of chapter 4 of striving for the unity of the body and caring one for another and showing it and and How it is that we ought to forgive one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us at the end of chapter 4 the whole idea of the relationship with with husbands and wives the idea of employers and employees
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The Christian warfare in chapter 6 and I put a little tidbit in the back here that I cut and pasted out of MacArthur's quick reference
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Bible under miscellaneous notes the different in point 3 chapter 6 being key though Even though the
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Christian is blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ There still is a daily warfare that we experience and here's the provision of the armor of God And I kind of put them in there just given a little
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Description of that for for your benefit, but Ephesians is a book that focuses on the responsibility of every believer
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To walk in accordance to the heavenly calling whereby which God has called us
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Ephesians 4 in verse 1 I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you I implore you
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I beg you This is a strong desire from the Apostle Paul for these believers that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called that we that we maintain and that Understanding that we are the people of God and that we don't live like the world
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We haven't been we haven't learned Christ as he's talked Shows us that in this book.
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We have we have We have been a people have been called out of the world Saved from our sins not only the penalty of our sins
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But God also saves us from the passion and the pleasure of sin through the working of the
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Holy Spirit and through our progressive Sanctification we are a people who are set apart for God and to serve him all the days of our lives and Paul Presses and encourages the body
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The church here as he as he pens this book to live According to the
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Gospel by which you have been saved and to uphold the testimony of what we say that we are
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Christians, I'm an American. What does that mean to be an American? What does it mean?
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What citizen of this country America and I am an American and when we say that we're a
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Christian We're citizens of heaven. We're people who have have heaven as our home
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God is our father the scriptures before us to live in obedience to Hearts that ought to be loving the
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Lord and showing it in a daily walk upholding our testimony before the
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Lord written by the Apostle Paul one of the prison epistles of Ephesians is along with Philippians Colossians and and Philemon and they were of course written by the
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Apostle Paul while he was awaiting his trial in Rome Something about the background of this book the church in Ephesus probably began as we see in Acts chapter 18 under the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila They were a gifted couple who were left there by Paul during his second missionary journey
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And later then Paul comes back to Ephesus during his third missionary journey spends about three years in this in this area establishing this church
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Helping them teaching them shaping them Encouraging them and then when Paul leaves then
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Timothy pastors this congregation probably for about a period of a year and a half Giving more instruction against the false teachers that would come
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Maybe even influential men that were elders in the church. Do you remember in Acts?
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Chapter 20, I believe it is when Paul meets the Ephesian elders. He's not going to see them ever again
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Crying on their shoulders weeping because of the great bond and love that he has for these men and for that church and He commends them to God and he commends them to the
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Word of God the word of his grace which is able to to build them up and he says but beware because there's going to be those that are among you that are going to come in and They're going to be like wolves and they're gonna just try to devastate the church be on guard be careful
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And of course Timothy was there helping also during that period of time Let's see, what else do
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I want to pull out of here? in this book Paul explains the unique relationship between Jesus and The church as his body and we see that in chapter 2 at the end of chapter 2
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Where we see where where Paul writes? Concerning all believers in whom all chapter 221 and all the building fitly framed together
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Groweth up unto a holy temple in the Lord in whom you are also Builded together for inhabitation of God through the spirit.
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There's this special Relationship and the church is seen here as being like a spiritual temple a house that's being built by God Brick by brick stone by stone and not out of dead stones not out of physical stones
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But even though we're physical folks God has saved us and we're living stones
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What spiritual life and God is placing us into his? church into the body
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And we are his very own I Really as you can see I'm trying to rip through this because I want to get through get to actually what
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I want to discuss with you this morning Because we've spent and you've heard chapter by chapter as I said before pastor might teach through this book
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You can look at the sheet and you can see much of what he spoke about really what I what I would like to Look at this morning is in our first preface it by asking this question.
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What is unique about Christianity? What is it that? sets
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Christianity apart from all the other religions in the world. Give me some ideas It could be very short and I know that I'm gonna try to get it right down to of course the point
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I'm gonna get at It'll be great if somebody comes up with what I'm trying to get at but give me some ideas.
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Yes, and Only one way to heaven through Christ and not by works and certainly that sets
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Christianity apart. It's grace and not works Good, but not where I'm going but good.
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Yes bill in the back saying did you have the same? Almost grace based.
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Okay, anybody else flow Christ alone. Yes No, not of our human efforts and that's a piece of what
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I'm going to be dealing with this morning. Yes Pat relationship with Christ Very unique very different and I'm going to touch on that this morning and what
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I'm what I'm getting into just other things Lewis Christianity is the only region that claims its founder rose from the dead and isn't that that quite unique it definitely is
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We serve a living risen Savior today, don't we anybody else? All right
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Let me let me read some verses out of Ephesians and then maybe that we'll be able to narrow it down a little bit more so open your
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Bibles and look in chapter 1 Ephesians 1
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I'll begin reading in verse 7 I'm reading from the King James in whom we have redemption through his blood
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The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace and I'm going to emphasize a word when
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I get to it what I'm looking For it's in verse 9 verse 8 wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence verse 9 having made known unto us the mystery of His will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself chapter 3
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Verse 3 How that by revelation He hath made known unto me
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Paul speaking. God has made known unto me the mystery as I wrote a four in few words whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ chapter 5
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Verse 32. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church chapter 6 and For me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly
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To make known the mystery of the gospel So you got the word, right?
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What I was emphasizing now when it comes to this mystery and It comes to all of the knowledge all of the facts concerning Christianity all of the truth
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All of the doctrine and If you think of this word mystery What is it that is different about Christianity than all of the other religions of the world or even
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I put it this way quasi religious Organizations or I'll use a word to kind of really tip my hat here secret organizations
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Bob Special revelation of God. Yes, that's
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That's where that's where I'm heading and I'm going to deal with this subject of this mystery because What Paul is contrary to the use of the word mystery as we think of it we think of mystery we think of maybe the game of clue
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You know who killed who in what room and with what lamps? Candlestick or or whatever and I don't even
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I don't remember how to play the game It's been a long time since the kids played that or maybe you think of like an
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Agatha Christie with Inspector what's -his -name Poirot and trying to find out what's the the mystery that someone is
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Been murdered and you got to find out Who's behind it? The people can't figure it out and there's something mysterious going on a
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Webster a private secret. This is what a mystery is a private secret a secret or specialized practices or rituals of a particular group particularly religious or vocational like the and he gave this example in the dictionary the mysteries of the
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Taylor's craft something not understood or beyond understanding now think about this is
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This what God has done in Christianity something that is not understood or beyond understanding in parentheses a
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Word that it comes from or or a synonym for mystery in the in the dictionary was enigma.
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I remember enigma from history World War two the Germans had a Coder we would say encrypt or a decryptor today with data to win a past military messages
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They had one called the enigma that the Allied forces were were after and contrary to the movie
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I think u57 it was actually the British that that u57 one was it?
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The British that That recovered that one. Although Americans did recover some other pieces of this coding machine
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Is that how God's dealing with with the truth of the scripture? Is it is it in the code and you got to know the you got to have the decoder?
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You got to have a little decoder ring, you know to be able to put the Bible verses through like the folks that have taken
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The Bible you've heard recently all this hype about taking the Bible There's a message there's a message that God has put under the
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English words Pog the English words into the computer and the message is going to come out about who is going to be the the next president of the
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United States and so on and All the historical accounts about World War two and Hitler and I mean it just John F.
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Kennedy's assassination. That's all foolishness God is not
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Concealing or hiding truth that way another did difference about or definition of mystery a secret religious right or Privilege that imparts bliss to the initiates or to the participants and when you think about it
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I mean we could we could go through Religions like when
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I was growing up in the Roman Catholic Church I remember as a young boy going into the service and sitting sitting in the cold wooden pew so don't complain we have nice padded chairs and Looking at the folks up in the front doing whatever they were doing and not understanding
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What was going on and what I did understand what the nuns told me in? My CCD class or what we would call
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Sunday school was that God was behind those doors up there When the priests went up and he opened those golden doors and took out the chalice
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God was being handled and we needed and you need to be careful. You didn't drop
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That chalice and there was all this clouded truth and shrouded mystery and even when you go to a
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Catholic service, and I I'm not saying I am NOT if anybody in here is
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Catholic or Knows people that are Catholic. I'm not getting after the people
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We love people we want people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, but it's false teaching that we are to contend with and I remember even in services
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Let us proclaim the mystery of the faith Christ has died
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Christ has risen Christ is coming again and all this all this mysterious rituals and and you know, it's only for the priests to understand
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They're the only ones that can really know what's going on they've got the they're in the inner circle and it doesn't stop there
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What about the Jehovah Witnesses? It's it's only the hundred and forty four thousand They are the ones that they are the elite group.
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They are the ones that have the decoder ring They're the ones that are going to get the real truth and be and be close to the
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Lord in the Mormon Church You've got to be baptized in a temple
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Married in a temple and if you're an elder, you're a man you're in you're just gonna shoot up to the
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Third heaven or whatever. There's three heavens and there's three Separations in those and and in there there there are there are times in the in that and I'm talking these are religions or cults today
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There are oaths Times when you swear an oath and there's an oath of death in the
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Mormon Church You will not divulge any of this inner secret mysterious Information because if you do
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It could mean your death. It could mean your life same with the Masons there's
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Different degrees within that that's just an offshoot or I think the beginning of that is the
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D Malay for young boys D Malay and then it goes to the Masons and there is this allegiance to Jacques D Malay and this whole idea of of You know, there's this a supreme being not
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God not Jesus even in some of the oaths even some of the things that they say really is defaming to Christ Not holding them up as deity, but they take and swear oaths and you've got to be
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Initiated in and there's different rituals and rites. You see where I'm kind of heading There's this there's this whole idea that there's this shrouded truth
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Mysterious in the in the Webster dictionary is an exciting wonder curiosity or surprise while baffling the efforts to comprehend or identify so there's this a mystery writer is a good mystery writer if they can hold back the or the the divulging of the of the whole plan of how the murder of the mystery happened until the very end because They've concealed it from identity or concealed it from from being known or another last definition for mysterious as being beyond one's ability to discover or understand or Explain now we ask ourselves the question is
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God baffling the efforts for us to comprehend or identify
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Is what God has given us in his word beyond our ability to discover it to?
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Understand it or for it to be explained to us now some would say And I understand what you're saying, and I'm not really kind of going in this way that God hardens the heart of Pharaoh That there are those who will hear and not
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Understand those who will see and not who will be able to see but they will be blinded there are though I mean it is as Bob Dunn said it is a unique in that Christianity is not something that you can be educated into it is a revelation
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Directly from God of the truth I understand that but what I'm what I am speaking about is when it comes to ministry
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When it comes to BBC When it comes to the truth that we've been given by God.
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We've been entrusted with the gospel of Jesus Christ is That something when you look at Christianity is it something that is concealed and mysterious
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And there's codes and and there's hidden truth, and it's shrouded and it's covered of course not because we've been given the gospel, and we've been given the
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Bible and and it is to be openly proclaimed and In this book and anybody can buy one in the
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United States I mean, it's not easy to go down to the bookstore and buy for any of these other mystery religions or these secret
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Organizations to get everything that you want to know about it all of the oaths all of the codes all of the things that they
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Swear to and believe it's covered. It's hidden Intentionally, but when it comes to the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ It is not a mystery in That sense of the term as We would use it as kind of a series of clues to be figured out what
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Paul Paul's use of this word mystery Is that a truth?
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That was up to that point in time In the Old Testament time and up to this point in time.
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It's a truth that has Has been concealed but now
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It's being completely revealed and that's what he means by a mystery and let's take a look at this in and kind of kind of flesh it out a little bit more and Then maybe put an apple practical application on this to finish up chapter in chapter 1 again notice
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How Paul puts it verse 9 having made known unto us
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Paul of course he's going down through this great chapter And he's speaking about how wonderful and glorious God is in the way that he is he has chosen us the father's
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Work the son's work the Spirit of God's work in this chapter. Just dealing having dealt with in Christ We have redemption through his blood.
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We are forgiven our sins according to his grace he abounds unto us with wisdom and with With prudence or insight having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure
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Which he hath purposed in himself, and if we read on We could stop there, and it's it's it's we wouldn't get the meaning of the intent of what is here
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Look in verse verse 10 is going to explain what this mystery is about that in the dispensation of the fullness of times
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He might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in Him and he begins to say that Though we didn't understand this
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Though we may not have got it to this point What God is doing is he is revealing truth that up to that point had not been clear
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Had not been fully understood in the Old Testament It might have been by type or by shadow or by symbol or by figures
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It's it's it's a bit It would be this way. It is got a veil over it and Barnes puts it in his commentary this way there was a veil thrown over the
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Old Testament these truths in the Old Testament Men didn't understand them until God revealed them and When they were revealed the mystery was removed and men were able to see clearly the manifestation of God's truth
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And that's what Paul is doing here And I would add to that and and they'd fully come to know the truth of God fully to come to know what do these what?
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Did these types mean in the Old Testament? What was that whole thing about the lamb being?
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Slain and the hands being put on the lamb and that lamb being slain and that blood being shed sprinkled upon the altar in the tabernacle pictures and type of Christ But in the
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New Testament when Jesus Christ comes on the scene. He is born. He lives his life grows in Stature as it says in the scripture with his with his parents and then 30 years of age
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He comes on the scene in ministry and the and John the Baptist sees him And he says what behold the
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Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world It's Christ is present the the shadow or that picture goes away and all of the
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Old Testament Scriptures that deal with the coming Messiah Which was so unclear to so many people
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Because they would say to Jesus Are you him who they who the scripture says are you the
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Messiah? Are you the one and people say no? He couldn't be the one because to them their interpretation was that he had to have pomp and circumstance
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He had to come with great power and dignity God wouldn't send The Messiah to be lowly born in a manger not possible
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This this idea where people didn't fully understand what was going on and even and I got
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I guess I really better get to the point of what how The Apostle Paul is using it in this book this idea of a mystery
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It was when it comes to the plan of salvation when it comes to who are God's elect
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Who is it that God had intended to save if you look back on the Old Testament? You you will see that the economy was the
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Hebrew nation it was Israel this was whom God had chosen and Yet with all of the the blessedness of the truth that came to Israel We still see that there are provisions for the stranger.
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That's within the gate true There were those in the Old Testament that were not they were not of the
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Jewish nation Jewish nation They were not Hebrews They were not of Israel and yet they were still able to partake of the blessing and of the truth and to come into a
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Relationship with God think of Rahab just as an example how God allowed that to happen think of Ruth I mean yeah
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Ruth the Moabitess allowed to come in Pagan folks people on the outside.
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There's a provision there, but people didn't didn't quite get it And you come into the
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New Testament Times and even at the time of the preaching of the gospel in the book of Acts the church in chapter 13 sends out
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Paul on his missionary journey in the Gospels being preached as he goes from city to city and people are being saved and Peter goes to one place in particular, and if you'd like to just turn there for a moment turn to Acts chapter 11 as I want you to see how they they didn't quite fully get it
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We know that Peter Received the vision from the from God the sheep being let down that he it was okay for him to go to who and preach the gospel
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To the Gentiles right and he does that back in Jerusalem in chapter 11
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Verse 1 the Apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the
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Word of God Verse 2 and when Peter was come up to Jerusalem There they that were of the circumcision
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Contended with him saying why did you do that basically in our terms today?
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What were you thinking? You went to the Gentiles and you ate with them and Peter rehearsed from the very beginning
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Everything that took place in the previous chapter chapter 10 the vision of the sheep being let down God says go ahead and eat.
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It's okay to do so and then he is called to go To preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family and this is what takes place in verse 15
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Chapter 11 verse 15 and as I began to speak as he's at Cornelius's house the
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Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning What is he saying?
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The Gentiles are converted God is
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Allowing the Gentiles to be saved and the Spirit of God is coming upon them.
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They're becoming Christians Then he says in verse 16. I remembered the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed baptized with water
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But you will be baptized with the Holy Ghost notice verse 17 for as much then as God gave them the like gift or the
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Same gift or the similar gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus What was
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I that I could withstand God when they heard these things they held their peace peace and glorified God saying
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Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life in the Old Testament.
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We have this idea that it's Israel it's Israel Israel Israel and we have God in the
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New Testament the gospel coming even Jesus when he sits down at the well at Samaria and he's dealing with the
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Samaritan woman who who is converted She's talks about you know when the
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Messiah comes he will he will show us He will tell us these things and Jesus said I who speak unto thee am he and she is and she becomes a believer
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And the gospel is going out not just for the children alone But but but for the
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Gentiles and we see it unfolding and here in the book of Acts Some people didn't understand it.
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They didn't have the full picture But how could they possibly contend with what
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God was doing before their very eyes? God was showing Everyone that the gospel was not just alone for the
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Jews, but it was for for the Gentiles It was for every tribe and nation and tongue and if you go back with me to Ephesians chapter 1 and You look where he uses this word
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Me get back to chapter 1 Ephesians 1 Verse 9 he says
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God has made known unto us the mystery of his will Verse 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of times
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He might gather together in one all things in Christ And if you go to chapter 2 you will see that you were
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Gentiles you were aliens from God foreigners of God foreigners of the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the
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Covenant But now in Christ Jesus the wall is broken down and God has put together both
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Jew and Gentile Allowing them to come in union as they come in union with Christ.
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They are part of the body of Christ They are part of the building that he is that he is raising up a lot of build of living stones
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He's abolished the enmity that's in the flesh. He says making one new man. So making peace
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Reconciling both using those words like that making them one the Jews and Gentiles one and this is
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Something that was unknown before and in the mind of many people in the
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New Testament times and and especially those Who had said in Acts chapter 11 there they didn't understand what what they had held as far as their interpretation of who
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God was going to save in the economy of who God who was going to Be the elect of God and Paul says in this book and in occasion go to read chapter 3 and it'll make it even more clearer
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Look in chapter 3 How that chapter 3 3? Well, I'll start in one so we get the context for this cause
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I Paul the prison of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me you word how that by revelation
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He made known unto me the mystery and then in parentheses as I wrote afore in few words whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ and unlike other religions
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There's nothing Although yes, we sing a song. Oh, what a glorious mystery
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You are don't let us ever come to the place where we think we can fully understand God because his ways are past finding out
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God God is an awesome God and we can't fully comprehend with our finite mind an infinite
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God But there are some things that we can understand, you know With one of my favorite verses to go at you know
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How when you memorize verses and you forget to memorize the next like Ephesians 2 8 9 you forget 10 How about this one in 1st
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Corinthians 2 9 as it is written? I have not heard I Have not seen neither ear heard neither have entered in the heart of man the things which
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God had prepared for them that love him And we stop there and we say, you know what? We just can't understand heaven.
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We just don't have the whole picture and true. We don't but read on Memorize the next verse.
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I think I got a written on the back because I haven't I haven't even fully memorized it one I've got to work with because I've memorized first John 2
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I mean 1st Corinthians 2 9 I Has not seen ears not heard neither has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for us verse 10
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But God has revealed them to us by his spirit There are things in Scripture that we will not understand as things about God that we will not understand
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But there is much that we do understand and it isn't Concealed and when it comes to the mystery of Christ that he's speaking about that The Apostle is speaking about here
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He's not saying that God is hiding or concealing truth about Jesus and it's only for the elite few
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It's only for the ones who have the special paths that can go in and go all the way into the inner circle and find out
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Who Jesus is? It's not it's not that way. It's not the ones.
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It's not the privileged few God's salvation is freely coming to all and God has
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Peter says it this way that God has given us Everything that pertains to life and godliness 2nd
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Peter 1 round verse 3 or so Everything is given to us in the scriptures
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God gives wisdom it says in Proverbs chapter 2 and in in verse 2
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Proverbs 2 6 the Lord gives wisdom some I mean Daniel chapter 2 in verse 22
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God reveals the deep and secret things James 1 5 if any of you lacks wisdom
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Let him ask of God and God holds it and he doesn't give it out. Is that what it says? No, it says God gives it liberally.
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He gives out wisdom First John 5 21 of the most fabulous verses when it comes to what
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God does when it comes to salvation and he Has given us an understanding
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That we may know him God gives us an understanding that we might come to know him and everything that has to do with Christianity is in this book and Anybody can buy one and it's all there and anybody can read it now where they understand and I as our brother reminded us
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It's by Revelation. Yes But when it comes to having the facts There's there's no
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Agatha Christie mystery here There's no there's no secret right or ritual or oath or something that you you have to be on the on the ends to be
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Able to get it and when it comes to when it comes to The ministry when it comes to the this mystery as he uses it here in chapter 3 verse 4
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He we may understand that you might understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ There's nothing shrouded when it comes to to Christ as you think about it in his ministry what kind of ministry did
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Jesus have a We would say it with the word begins with a P a Public ministry public open preaching
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Declaring the truth from the Father public minute miracles seen by all
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It wasn't like it wasn't like when it came to the truth of what it meant to be saved and who was the
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Savior? He was declaring it openly to all Even when it came to his crucifixion it says in Colossians chapter 2 15
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That Jesus disarmed principalities and powers and he made a show of them or an open public display of them
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Triumphing over them in it or in his cross in his public crucifixion
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It was declared manifested before the world God put on display his love
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Demonstrated his love and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, and he did it not in hiding not in Concealing and Christianity has no hidden truths
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False religions keep people from truth. They keep their followers in the dark It's only the privileged few who get the juicy important reserved for the inner circle truth as I've I've said
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Earlier and what ought this to do for us? Think about it look back in chapter 3
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Just so that you get the definition here, and I'm you don't see that I'm not just trying to squeeze this out
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Paul mentions miracle a minute miss yeah mystery in chapter 3 3 and in 4 and then he says this and it describes it this is a perfect description of what this word mystery is
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Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy prophets
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And apostles By the Spirit, so this is a truth that was formerly concealed
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But now being revealed in time and it says in verse 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel and what
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Paul is saying here is is that this doctrine of the
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Gentiles being included in salvation is Had been previously set forth only in figures and symbols
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But the gospel the good now news Now is made clear and plain to be understood by all like every other
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Truth it's for the world of men every race tribe and tongue MacArthur puts it this way the gospel is not mysterious
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Because it is hard to understand that's not what Paul is dealing with the gospel is mysterious
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Because it is unexpected It is unmerited and it is free
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It is not what they thought when they look back on the Old Testament They saw all the pictures and the types and the shadows many did not understand it
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But now Paul through his ministry is openly declaring that the Gentiles are allowed and the gospel comes to them and they and it's happening
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With their ministries there they are being saved and what ought this to do for us Well, this is such awesome truth
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When we see that this really comes right down to us doesn't it It comes right down in it.
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It's when the rubber meets the road. It comes down to us that God in his goodness God in his wisdom has brought this truth to all the world and The opportunity to come to Christ is unto all and the church is to declare that We are to preach the gospel that if anyone would believe on the
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Lord Jesus Christ, they can be saved They can be forgiven all of their sins. They can come to this knowledge
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Understanding we know that it is God who is going to do this work. It is a work of grace It is a powerful work of God only by I mean none of this truth these truths that have been speaking about in this one here is in any mystery is
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Something that only can be understood not with the human power or abilities or our mental capacity
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It has to be revealed. It has to be taught We have to be instructed by God, but all of the facts are there before us
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I mean how many of us knew before God saved us if you think about it look back on your life How many of you knew the facts of the gospel quite?
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Well You knew that that that there was a God you knew that his son was Jesus Christ You knew that Jesus Christ died on the cross and you had heard that he died so that people could be forgiven of their sins and you that God could be a
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God that could be some type of a Relationship or some type of a maybe a participation anyways
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We knew those things but we didn't really know Christ And when
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God revealed as Paul said what God did in his life it pleased God to reveal his son in me
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Bring me to a knowledge and Paul's ministry then was to go out and make it known to other people also to let others know that they could have a relationship
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With God through his son Jesus Christ and he talks about it here
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There's if you're taking notes, we didn't get there Well, I read the verses but he uses it six times this word mystery in this book.
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It's one nine Three three and four verses three and four and verse nine and then chapter 532 and Chapter 6 19, which he says is the mystery
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He says the mystery of the gospel. I might make known the mystery of the gospel. And what is that?
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That God is doing something special in saving sinners and that it is Jews and Gentiles the
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Gentiles are being included and the word mystery Preserves the sense that this revealed truth when
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God reveals this to anyone it has such awesome implications because what we're talking about is eternity and the saving of our never -dying soul and the the
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God Allowing us to come into relationship with him Even though we don't deserve it and it's unmerited by by his grace is nothing we could do to earn it and it's totally unexpected
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It's a surprise to us that God would save us because we don't deserve to be saved and because of that and it's free
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We don't pay for this God paid for it in the blood of his Son And we come into a relationship with God and you know what that ought to do it ought to do two things
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It ought to amaze us and it ought to humble us shouldn't it amaze us and humble us and you know
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What it does for us after after the Sunday school class It prepares us to worship when we think this way when we think on these things the mystery of God not something that's just concealed and hidden only for the special elite and you have your
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Special ring or decoder or crypter or whatever so that you can so that you can get it
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And it's to be held and held back and no God is openly freely giving it
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And we've received it and aren't we blessed and aren't we just so glad that God has in his wisdom
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Purpose to save a people for his very own and include us today any questions or any comments about What we looked at this morning just another ask
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I don't know if anybody had ever maybe you've knew about this mystery But I remember the time when when somebody taught me about this that it's a it's a truth that is concealed now being now being revealed as God is unfolding by the by the
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Inspiration of the of the of the scriptures the the penning of the Word of God and the
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The actions of God in the church We see it unfolding and the Old Testament truths that had to veil the veils being pulled back and we're seeing what is taking place before our eyes
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Let's pray father we are we are amazed and We are in awe before you this morning to think that what is man that thou art mindful of him or we
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Would consider and look back upon our lives and we can say that we were completely undone Totally unworthy of a view a coming and saving us
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Not meriting anything only thing that we merit should have been eternal separation eternal judgment damnation from the presence of God because of our wicked hearts our
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Rebellion and disobedience But you as in this book Who are rich in grace and of great love and of great kindness?
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for by grace we've been saved and We give you all the glory We understand that it is you in whom we boast and Jesus Christ is to be praised for The unsearchable riches of this salvation and the wonders of our
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God To save us and to include us Gentiles Lord God, please
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Forgive us for not being amazed forgive us for Times being so apathetic and cold -hearted about truth and just kind of going along No knowing that we know things, but it not gripping our hearts.
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May our hearts be melted this morning Lord may may we just be in wonder and awe this morning of you as we continue to worship
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And father, please help us to be a people with glowing and burning hearts who share this great news this gospel to others
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So that they may be able to be saved also in Jesus Christ your son. We ask it in his precious name