God’s Eternal Purpose for His Church...2014/08/31 · 4. 1 Tim. 3:16, “Mystery of Godliness”,...
Transcript of God’s Eternal Purpose for His Church...2014/08/31 · 4. 1 Tim. 3:16, “Mystery of Godliness”,...
God’s Eternal Purpose for His Church
Preaching Aug. 31, 2014, CBF, VP Page 1 of 6
Morning Brothers and Sisters. I thank you for given me the opportunity to share
Jesus with you and His grace that is beyond human understanding.
For whom is this word meant? For all CBF church members who are present here.
The ones on vacation or absent have to be enlightened by you. The word today is
not for the ones who have chosen to leave CBF church.
How do we take this word? We need to understand the word spiritually, as the
Holy Spirit guides you in to a deeper understanding. At this moment it is
important that you think of the word as meant for yourself instead of “o this is
good for that brother or that sister “. The word should urge us to evaluate
ourselves, not others.
The Method we follow? The Word is very clear about God’s “eternal purpose” for
His Church. Consider the Word as a reminder what it is all about. Because of this it
is of lesser importance how we think of it ourselves; God’s purpose is of greatest
importance. Remember that He sacrificed His Son to die for us and for His Church.
Remembering how the Jews are teaching their children the word of God and how
the Police teach their people to recognize counterfeit money. They teach people
to recognize how the good money looks like, then they know all there is to know
about a certain money bill. Then the recognition of counterfeit is easier and more
effective. This is the same with us believers. We need to know the word of God
intimately so we will recognize the false or counterfeit teachings.
This is what we will do this morning.
God’s Eternal Purpose for His Church
Eph. 3: 8‐11, 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship[a] of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through
Jesus Christ;[b] 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be
made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly
places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus
our Lord,
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Do we still wonder as God’s Church what we have to do? Are we still waiting for
His will for the church ‐ CBF to be revealed? Here it is glaring at us through His
Word.
1. We preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, V8
2. Make all see what is the fellowship of the Mystery, V9
3. To make known the manifold wisdom of God, V10
Unsearchable Riches of Christ. These are riches in Christ that are
untraceable. They are from past eternity to the future. His grace and Love
for us are so much abounding that we can hardly understand it. We have
just scratched the surface of it. These riches are visible within our brothers
and sisters in the Church. That is if they care to manifest it. The Church is
actually the steward of the riches of Christ. I challenge you brothers and
sisters to dare to speak about the riches you have already experienced.
Don’t burry them! He is coming soon!
The fellowship of the Mystery, V9. Eph. 3: 3‐6, He made known to me the
mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other
ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed
by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should
be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ
through the gospel,
Do we as a church realize enough that we are fellow heirs with the Jewish
Christians, members of the same body and that we enjoy God’s promises in
Christ through His saving message, the gospel? Again, let me challenge you
to speak about these wonderful things in church. Remind one another of it
in season and out of season. What do you say? You don’t know the bible
very well? Start with the humble and little things that you know and have
experienced, tell it to your brother or sister in church!
Make known the manifold wisdom of God, V10. Do you think that God’s
wisdom could be contained by Paul or one person special in your life? What
about your own experience? What about the way God dealt with you
personally? That is so unique. You have a personal relationship with him
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too, don’t you? How does God deal with CBF? Do you believe that He deals
with CBF in a special manner, a manner characteristically suited to CBF? We
are all peculiar people, but a people chosen by God to be His Royal Priest
Hood, 1 Peter 2: 9.
The task is too great for one person, it involves the whole Church. Each brother
and sister is needed to accomplish God’s eternal purpose through His Church.
There is no space enough for chair fillers or relaxing consumers. Ask yourself,
when was the last time that you shared your experience with the Lord Jesus with
your brother or sister in church? Don’t you find it an irony that we are so much
concerned to share Jesus as a personal savior with unbelievers and we don’t even
dare to share it with our brothers and sisters in Church? As if in a family a man is
ashamed to talk to his own brother or sister!
Mysteries and Secret Things of God
There are about seven of them, others are belonging to the main seven. For a
Church to gain a full grasp of these, much maturity is required. So, what do you
think, is this work too small for a church, for CBF?
1. Eph. 3:6, “Mystery of our Inheritance”, Jews and Gentiles are heirs
together.
2. Mark 4:11, “The mystery of the Kingdom of God”. Referring to an
understanding of how God is at work in history, carrying out His purpose
through the great and small event of our day.
3. 2 Thes. 2:7, “Mystery of Lawlessness”, understanding why we never make
any progress in solving human dilemmas. This is because of our fallen
nature, the influence of the world system and the spiritual forces that
distort our thinking.
4. 1 Tim. 3:16, “Mystery of Godliness”, the amazing secret that God has
disclosed to us, whereby we can live a righteous life amid the pressures,
perils and temptation of this corrupt world. We don’t have to run for it, but
instead we can overcome it, Col.1:27.
5. Eph.3: 1‐6, Eph. 5: 22‐32, “mystery of the Church”, God established the
Church as His body. We are physically powerless, but we are on the march
and transforming the world. That is a mystery!
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Preaching Aug. 31, 2014, CBF, VP Page 4 of 6
6. Eph.2:5, “Mystery of Grace”, saved through grace. There is nothing in my
works that could save me.
7. 1 Cor.15:50‐58, “Mystery of our resurrection”, we will not all sleep, but we
will all be changed. We wait for the blessed hope, Titus 2:13.
All of these are the secrets, treasures and the real wisdom that God has entrusted
in Christ to the Church.
Now you say, I don’t know those things and how could I get to know those things?
First, they are all available to each believer in Church. However, you should
strive to get hold of it and Jesus will be so gracious through the Holy Spirit
to give it to you.
Second, pray for it that the Holy Spirit will make you see the truth. You have
to meditate on it, see it with spiritual eyes and understand it with your own
mind.
Third, cherish and enjoy it. Thank the Lord for His revelation and then share
it with a brother and sister in church.
These are the fundamental steps that all church members have to take to be
increasingly involved in the growth of the church spiritually. As the word goes
through the church in love, it cleanses and purifies everything and everyone and
Lord Jesus will be the one to bless the church with more brothers and sisters.
Executing God’s tasks
The word of God is very clear of the methods to be used in dispensing the secrets
and mysteries. Col.1:28‐29, 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching
every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me
mightily.
Here it is, we can’t get God’s guidance clearer.
1. Him we preach. We preach Jesus.
2. Warning every man about the consequences of rejecting Him.
3. Teaching every man in all wisdom. This is wisdom that Jesus gives us
through the Holy Spirit. We know this as discipleship. We don’t rely on
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worldly wisdom or human novelty to bring the word or to make it more
appetizing to the church. We do this in Spirit and in Truth.
4. That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Can we do that as a
church? This is a beautiful challenge for the church. This is where God’s
love through his people will be manifested. A sure sign that the devil with
his schemes has lost.
5. We strive through the Lord’s power working in us.
God’s Protective Equipment
Companies are legally obliged to provide their workers with Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) when they are working with Hazardous materials or in
hazardous environments. I am glad that they are obliged legally, otherwise they
would not even think of it!
As a church we are also involved in hazardous works. Bringing God’s word has its
hazards and God knowing this has given us equipment to protect ourselves. Eph.
6: 11, 11 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
Are we still afraid?
When the Church fails to surrender to God’s Eternal Purpose
One of the apostles warns us when we reject God’s eternal purpose for the
Church. Heb. 5: 12‐14 and Heb. 6:1‐8, if the Church rejects God’s eternal purpose
this will cause the believers to remain spiritually undernourished and the final
result is then that they will “fall away”. So the church has nobody to present
perfect in Christ!
We can see this happening in the letters to the seven churches of Revelations
chap. 2 and 3.
Ephesus was a good church, but the Lord still warns them in Rev. 2: 5.
Smyrna, Rev. 2: 8, they suffered many afflictions and poverty, yet the Lord
called them rich!
Laodicea, Rev. 3: 16, Jesus called them lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. He
would spit them out of His mouth.
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Ephesus and Laodicea, allowed the world to infiltrate in the church and the result
was idolatry, disunity, disorderly conduct, quarrels and sexual immorality.
If we allow the world with all its appeals to replace the holiness of God’s church
the following will happen. (slide)
Just as the soft wood lying in mineral rich water will petrify (becoming as stone) to
the core, our hearts will become hardened and the love we have for God will
grow cold and as a consequence also to one another in church.
We need the pure and living water of God’s word to make us tender hearted and
to keep us like that. Then each one of us will be ready to be presented to Jesus.
Conclusion
Did you notice that I have not been speaking about personal sins, but about
corporate sins of the Church of God? The corporate sins in the end are very
destructive to God’s Church which is His body. These block us from entering in to
an intimate and beautiful experience with Jesus as His body. It all starts with
striving unceasingly to let the manifold wisdom of God dwell richly in our hearts.
This is the only way to remain a servant. A servant who takes care of what God
has entrusted to him.