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 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.


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,



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



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!



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



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.



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.

god’s eternal purpose for his church...2014/08/31 · 4. 1 tim. 3:16, “mystery of godliness”,...

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