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But I only suggest this. I don't insist on it. I think of First Corinthians two and three if we get into it.
1St Corinthians 2 And I, brother, when I came to you, came not with Excellency of change or wisdom, bearing them to you the testimony of God. So I determined not to know anything among you say Jesus Christ is crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear, and much trembling, and my speech and my preaching was not written entice the words of man's wisdom, but.
In demonstration of the Spirit and the power.
That your face should not stand in the wisdom of men.
But in the power of God, albeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world or of the Princess of this world that come to know, but we speak the wisdom of God in mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained for the world under our glory.
None of the Princess of this world knew, for had they known it, they were not crucified. The Lord of glory. But as it is written, I have not seen, nor hear heard, neither have entered into the heart of men of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has to remedy them unto us by His Spirit.
As a spirit searcheth all things Jay the deep things of God.
For what man N the things of a man save the spirit of man, which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teaching.
But which the holy dose teaches impairing spiritual things.
With spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, that He made her construct him? But we have the money, right?
Three versus more. And I rather did not speak on the on the spiritual, but as under carnal, even as under faith. And Christ I fed you with milk, not with me, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able, or you are yet harmful, whereas there is among you ending in strike and divisions, are you not carnal and wrong as men?
Give that statement, you have the mind of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is in you if you are saved and belong to Jesus. The Holy Spirit indwelled you and He gives you the mind of Christ.
First, John 220 The unction of the Holy One. What does it say? There we know all things.
That mean you can close it, forget it, you know all things. No, what it means is anything a believer needs to know, to do the will of God here and to have a happy existence till the shout. He can know. That's it. There's nothing withheld by the Spirit. It doesn't mean you got it all now, but you can have it, and often it's as you need it.
So this is a very beautiful part. He even mentions the mystery.
But I think that's beautiful. There'll be much here.
You know, in the second verse I determined not to know anything among you say Jesus Christ and him crucified. Corinthians says I think it's the 2nd, 11Th. Maybe they crucified the Lord of glory. What does that mean? They gave the worst possible death ever meted out in this world to the highest.
Possible land that ever walked.
Here they crucified the Lord of glory. It's the contradiction of sinners against himself. Think of that. Well, that's what he that's all he preached. But of course, when you get into the Lord of glory, it never ends, does it? The preaching goes on and on forever.
00:05:18
The subject in the first four chapters of the Epistle is that to do with divisions that were that had developed among the the Corinthians. And he seeks to correct that. And he traces in the first chapter the cause of the division that were there to human wisdom and worldly wisdom that had intruded the assembly and their thinking. And he goes immediately about to show the futility of such.
Human wisdom by showing that first of all human wisdom does not help in saving souls and their own conversion as an outstanding mark of it. Not many mighty, not many noble and so on as he speaks in the first chapter. But then in the second chapter he shows that human wisdom does also does not help in building up the Saints and giving them the truth.
And then in the third chapter, we'll find that he shows that human wisdom.
Actually hinders growth and development. And then a little further on in the third chapter, he shows the human wisdom does not help in our service for the Lord only bringing in defilement into the House of God. And so he seeks to show the futility of human wisdom at work in the things of God and the the need for the cross comes up in the first chapter verse 18.
To show us that God has done with everything to do with man in the flesh and all of his wisdom.
Then in the second chapter we have the Spirit of God coming in, and these two things are to be applied in the correction of every problem that there might be in the assembly. You might put it this way, that the cross shuts man out, but the Spirit of God brings God in and God's mind in. So as our brother was saying, how we get the mind of Christ is really before us in the second chapter.
By the Spirit of God having come down and illuminated our souls, and has given us the truth.
And there is a process here that you see that we'll probably see in the latter part of this chapter how the truth actually comes to us, that we get the mind of Christ.
God makes quick work of the wisdom of this world. He makes quick work of the world too. You know, we are not of the world even as I am not of the world. That's our position. We're heavenly people.
Not worldly, earthly either. And so he says in the 19th verse of the first chapter, it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the the understanding of the prudent. Where is the scribe? Where? Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?
I'll tell you there's masses of them that like to show their intelligence.
Wisdom by disputing creation. And they have all kinds of foolish ideas that had to come from the apes. I think, you know, can't come from wisdom. Not gods, all right.
For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them. That belief. Very simple, isn't it, Preaching.
Of the cross and the crucifixion and to God in Jesus. Dying on the cross brings out mockery from the wise of this world. Some of the greatest of this world can't grasp it because later on it'll tell you the only way you could grasp it. That's why the Holy Spirit, the teacher in you, the only way you can't without.
And I was thinking of foolishness.
Let's see.
Well, He destroys it, but every thought and every reason you have in spiritual things is wrong. That's what I say. It's completely wrong. Don't reason. If you come to a verse that you don't understand, leave it. Pray to God the Father that it will clarify it and when He does, thank you and He'll keep help with you.
By the Spirit of God. But don't wrestle with it. Don't use this. You know the reason they'll always put you.
00:10:08
In A at a point far from God, you know, the apostles in Luke 24 were the hardest ones to bring into the knowledge of what Jesus had told them. On the third day. I'll rise again. They couldn't grasp it, the apostles, the women.
Were the first group, they learned it quickly. And when the Lord told them by the angels, He's not here, he's risen, Remember what he said to you, what he was yet with you. They remembered and they went and told the disciples and the apostles what they do. They laughed at them. The women were so far ahead of the apostles at that time.
What did the apostles do? The Lord appeared in their midst because they doubt it. He rose and he said, Why do thoughts arise?
In your heart, never let your thoughts get involved with this book. Never. You'll be wrong every time.
This is what they needed, Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Simple, isn't it? That's our foundation. Everything now rests on Christ. Everything we have tomorrow morning we'll offer nothing but Christ to our Father, by the loaf his body, and by the cup his blood. And that's it. We're not going to divert and get away from it because it's too fast. We never exhausted. It's so wonderful.
Yeah.
Remember Brother Norman very speaking about when they crucified the Lord, it was in the place of a skull and they dropped the heel of the cross right down through the skull to show that man's wisdom was a thing of the past. And what a deliverance we still have very intellectual men. We, they're not lending ear to them because.
Their desire is to tickle the mind, and it's all apart from conscience and affectionate affection of the heart.
And so this is a guard, is it not, that when we speak the truth, we speak it from the affections of our hearts and our consciences is engaged, that we not speak anything that is not true?
And so they Corinthian Saints, they were intellectual brethren, and they were using their gift in competition to one another. Can you imagine that state of affairs to see who's number one and who's number two and who's number three? And by doing that, everything they said was nullified.
And so competition has been taken out for the Christian.
And thank God for that.
You have many teachers, they were gifted, but not many with a father's heart. And that's what we need. We needed to come out in love, not in learning. And you know that isn't the thought at all. Don't you take it in and love, I mean, God is revealing to you these great things. We can't hardly grasp them, but we believe them. We don't argue with Him, but He says it. I believe it.
Go on. So it's very beautiful.
Does the batter about his speech any more than Moses?
The Lord says Jehovah said to Moses, I'll be thy mouth. But why don't you just go? Who made man's mouth? Yeah, that's nice.
Well, we could make a lot of excuses, you know.
Well, it's been said that Paul could have come to Corinth and put all those.
Gifted men down with his own gift, but he knew the worthlessness of that spirit of things and the value of being moved by the Spirit of God. And that's how we're going to thrive is the operation of the Spirit of God in our midst, as you have mentioned.
Not with enticing words. Who can tell me on that question? I'm not raising question, I'm sorry. But anyway, what's the average word in the Word of God? All the New Testament, anybody could have a guess.
00:15:07
They're not enticing.
5 letters.
5 letters. The average word in the word of God. It's for everybody. It's not with enticing words, it's things you understand, you know.
Saved life. Hope you can keep going, Grace. I mean, these words are not big words and Paul used them. That's really something.
If you counted, if you knew the average word of Shakespeare in his place, you wouldn't believe it. Well, I won't get into it, but anyway.
We have a lot of enticing words going on today in this world, especially United States. There's a lot of pulpit ear itching features and they're enticing words make them feel good. As they leave, of course the collection gets bigger, but that that isn't God, that isn't for God. He doesn't use in typing words so.
It's been astounding to me, brethren, that.
We we now observe the fact that they do not call him the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's wonderful to hear his name, Lord Jesus Christ. They don't even know him as Lord. They seem to put him at a distance and they use God. They they use the word God in speaking in regards to him. Brother, we have a closer relationship.
To our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. God puts them at a distance, but we have access to the Father by the Lord Jesus Christ. And so God himself loves to hear his his his sons name given.
The Lord Jesus Christ and I have to say too, brethren, that it's not a trivial matter as how we address.
Jesus Christ do not put him down command level, but put him up to God's level and how God sees him and we should not.
Soften the the strength of that precious name. We should not degrade him as to our dad, and I will have heard it expressed, brethren, that they call him dads. What a dishonor to our blessed Lord our God and Father.
But above all, to our Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest, God seen and heard, the heavens, beloved one he is, He's the He's there in the glory for us. And we have access to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't forget it, young brethren, young sisters, we have a close relationship.
With the Lord Jesus Christ and with the Father and.
We have access into the Holy by the blood of Jesus, and so we have strength in the power of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who is the Christ? The one that the Jews were looking for, children of Israel. They were looking for the Christ. That means the anointed one of God sent as their Messiah. That's the Christ, and we ought to look at him as the Christ and call him that, because that's the one chosen of God and sin, That's the anointed One. What about Jesus?
Jesus is Jehovah.
Can't say Jehovah is Jesus, but you can say Jesus is Jehovah. The whole Old Testament speaks of him. Isn't that beautiful? And not the church so much as Jesus Christ, the one sin of God. They were waiting for the Messiah, and they crucified him. And every sign of prophecy of the Old Testament he fulfilled in his birth, his life.
His death, he fulfilled them all.
And they knew them. In fact, when he told the parable of the vineyard, you know, the scribes and Pharisees took account that he spoke this of them. Think of that. They do. And yet they crucified their Messiah.
00:20:17
What have you done with Jesus?
Well, I made him Lord in my life, not too good but the best I can. That's why I call him Lord. You call him Lord, Make him Lord in your life. Jesus means Savior also. He is Jehovah. Hova means to exist, eternal existence.
What Moses told to tell the children of Israel, I am sent you. That's over. That's Jesus. You never had a beginning, but I think these are wonderful truths.
But don't ever pray Jesus. I mean, the Pentecostals have a sort of corner on that go into a hospital room and there's a Pentecostal that the brother Kobe to go and people sitting around in pretty bad shape on their way into eternity his way eternity. And when I started praying with him, I heard a whole bunch of voices Jesus.
Jesus, oh holy Jesus, I could hardly pray anymore.
You know that's what they do not Lord in their life, not Christ, Son of God, Jesus. It isn't right. You demote him to our level.
No.
The new translation of Romans 10/9, I believe, brings out a very significant point, not only for those of us, not only the young, but the old and the old and the young. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth, it should be Jesus as Lord. And how many?
And I hesitate saying it.
But unless we to the world, unless we look like a Christian, as far as they're concerned, we're not. And to think of honoring Jesus as Lord in our life, how many things would pass by and we wouldn't have anything to do with them? To think of the difference it would make in everyday life if we really owned Jesus.
As Lord, so I'm not trying to corner anybody or do you know?
Jesus, Oh yes, I sang Jesus loved me when I was a kid, you know, and I go to Sunday school. I was raised in the meeting. But to own Jesus as Lord, what a difference it makes and.
There's not one person in the narrative of the Gospels where we have the Lord's earthly ministry ever, ever recorded to us in the Gospels, who called or came to the Lord Jesus and called him Jesus, except demons.
Isn't that striking? For instance, the demoniac. What have I to do with thee, Jesus?
One of the few that ever told him Jesus.
Every other person called him Lord.
So on, but ought to teach us how we need to address our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. The demons know Him, they know His name, and they can really mess you up. Don't let him do it. Just own Him as Lord in your life and then give him his full title and God will answer your prayers because He said so.
Whatsoever you ask in my name, it shall be granted you by my Father in heaven.
It's a wonderful promise, but don't shortcut that name. He's worthy of it. You know there's only a change of one letter in that is to pass.
And it makes a world of difference for eternity in hell or heaven, just that is to have, it says.
Every knee shall bow to him, and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ.
As Lord.
God is Lord, like we do as Lord, because they'll not own him that he is their Lord, they'll own him that he is the Lord. Then they'll go to hell and that thought will be in their minds for eternity. That's the word that dieth not forever.
00:25:00
Your conscience well, but I'm getting into that. What says in verse two saved Jesus Christ and each time that you come across the names and titles of the Lord Jesus, there is lessons in it. And when it's Jesus preceding Christ, it's usually you looked at it as the one who has come here to glorify God, come down from heaven to glorify God, as it goes on to say, and him crucified.
But sometimes you'll read in Paul's writings Christ Jesus turning it around the other way.
And that's referring to the man who has glorified God of the cross and has gone back to heaven and is seated on high in the glory as a man. So Christ comes first and then his manhood, the name which is Jesus, follows. And it goes along with what we have in Acts chapter 2 where it says that in resurrection it made him both Lord and Christ. And so we see his.
His title Christ put before his manhood name when it's referring to Him.
In his position on high, in the glory as a man.
Here it's Jesus Christ because he's talking about him coming into this world for the purpose of dying on the cross to settle the question of our sins.
But getting back to our chapters, you say brother Bob, but I think in the 1St 5 verses or so Paul is alluding to his manner of preaching to show them that the the the way in which the a Christian should really announce the gospel.
Is not anything to do with human wisdom, but to lean upon the the power of God by the power by the Spirit of God, and thereby working souls. And so you have there in that first verse.
And the style of his preaching that was not with Excellency of speech. He was not going to try to to tingle the ears of people with with eloquence. And then in verse two, you have the subject of his preaching that's Christ crucified.
He wasn't there to to intrigue people with a lot of paraphernalia. No, he wanted to bring out Christ and Him crucified. Then in verse three, you see there the spirit that characterized his preaching and that was with meekness and with trembling.
He was dependent on God. Then in verse four we have something more. We have there the the source of power in his preaching. Of course, that's the Spirit of God. He says that in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. And then in verse five we have yet another thing, and that is the end. They had a view in his preaching. And what was that? That the Saints would stand in the wisdom not of men, but in the power of God.
So he wanted his ministry to stick in the hearts of this, those to whom he ministered, and he relied upon the power of the Spirit of God that would reach that end with them. And so if we have faith as we minister the Word of God, that God by the Spirit would use it and make it good in souls, we don't need to lean to all these human devices and appliances to try to make impact. Is that right, Brother Ron?
Indeed it is.
I was just thinking about a verse in Job 32 about.
Speaking otherwise enticing words. Believe it's a lie here that says in verse 22 for I know not to give flattering titles.
In so doing, my maker would soon take me away.
So if we try to be impressive and.
And so on and not have this spirit of things that you're bringing out here. What's going to happen when the Lord may just have to take us away because there's there's no fruit not getting fruit as a corollary. Amen to what you said Ecclesiastes 1010 If the iron be blunt and he do not wet the edge then must.
Put then must he put two more strength?
But wisdom is profitable to direct.
If we don't have the edge of the Spirit of God and what we say, then we have to use emotion. We have to to raise our voice. We have to try to move the audience by emotions. We put two more strength.
But wisdom is profitable to direct.
But only if the iron be blunt. But if it's not blunt, then we can follow.
00:30:04
In the household steps.
It says in Proverbs 4 seven. You don't have to turn to it. Wisdom is the principal thing.
And I believe it's true, you know, on the 8th chapter.
I wisdom dwell, you know that is Christ. He is wisdom personified.
Then if you look at First Corinthians, this is where it comes in so beautifully.
1St Corinthians 10 it says this.
Verse 15 I speak.
As to wise men, judging what I say, the cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?
He speaks to those that are white. That means the Spirit of God as it relates. No one else could understand it. No, I don't care how religious they are, how well read they are. They couldn't grasp this that we love so much. You notice here, it's not the breaking of bread, it's the Lord's table.
First, why? Because it's your standing. The blood is your standing tomorrow at that table. Because God doesn't see any sin in or on you. He sees you only in the preciousness of His beloved Son. That's all He can see. He doesn't see sin and it's gone. And then in the 11Th chapter.
What which comes first? Well, the table. No, what I meant was in the 11Th chapter.
Loaf and then the cup.
That's a beautiful, isn't it? But notice of teaching, you know, I have many who believe that Jesus was not until he was born.
But He's the eternal Son of God. Many Pentecostals, not all, believe that. Liberty Baptists and many of those free will Baptists believe that. And you know, you got much to talk about. But look how careful God is. Turn to Isaiah 9. Notice how careful He always is.
Chapter 9 of Isaiah, verse six. For unto us a child is born. Now notice unto us a son is given.
That's something, isn't it? Yes. He became a man incarnation. He was a babe in that Manger. Doesn't matter, but he was. But he was a son always, and God gave him. Just grasp that and then don't let him bother you. You know, you don't have to know all the counterfeits because there's a lot of them out there.
I mean you have to know the reason and the counterfeit has a bad sound.
Learn the real, the truth, and you'll take care of the rest.
Maybe a test of not merely the one that is giving out the truth, but the the ones that are receiving it? Which would we prefer?
We prefer a brother that came in weakness and in fear and much trembling. Why was that brother ever asked? I know of someone that my, you know, the words flow and I thought he was rather disconnected. But you know that test not only the giver but the receiver. And we need to be careful that we're not intrigued.
By the opposite of weakness.
The opposite of fear and the opposite of trembling, because it manifests a state of soul, each one of us. And how when the apostle Paul spoke, what did he have? He had revelations from God, from the blessed Lord. And if we accept the word of God in that manner, is it going to make it more real to my heart and conscience? Because a person can can be eloquent.
And if he came in weakness and fear, and much trembling.
I have to admit that I have to change channels to be able to really take it in.
00:35:06
The power of God verse 5 does not stand in the wisdom of man. That's a statement that's there. Romans 116.
Got to think about it. Not ashamed, not ashamed of the gospel of God. Or is it Christ? Whatever, it's the power, power of God under everyone that believeth. Now I use that on all my Letterheads and envelopes. It used to be back of my car but.
In my office, I had a big one. I like that verse. And one woman came in and I recited to her, she says, Mr. Obama, why don't you finish it? I thought.
Because you first and then the Gentile. She was a Jew. She didn't enjoy the way I said it. Well, I thought that taught me a lesson really, to Jew 1St and then the Gentile.
That first kind of like your face should not stand in the wisdom of men, black in the power of God. That's not a theory. And that's kind of what man falls into it, isn't it? I was just thinking about that man's wisdom.
And you go to Second Timothy chapter 2 and verse.
23.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strikes. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, and not to teach patients and make this constructing those that oppose themselves, God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth so.
We're Speaking of these things and man has his theories. He likes to act to the word of God.
And for instance, you might say we were speaking about this last night, brother and I.
We see in the Word of God that He chooses us. We're chosen before the foundation of the earth. So therefore there must be those that were not chosen. No, do not go beyond the Word of God. And that's what we.
Tend to do anything theorizing and adding to what's not there the wisdom of that.
Albeit 6 we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. How many in this room are perfect?
Define the word first. I want to.
Patience is the best thing. The second Timothy, I think it's wait a minute, Second Timothy 316 and 17 describes it beautifully, but many places, not just there, OK.
1St.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration.
Of God, we just had that with Peter permeating last night.
And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Why, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Perfect is.
Is really.
A fullness of knowledge or able to take in the truth. I mean you're a babe before, but as you grow in grace, you become perfect. That means you can take in what the Spirit gives you from the word of God. That's a perfect man. It's it doesn't mean you never sinned. We know better than all that you know, but that's the description I have. You have a better no better than just the same.
Ephesians 4, verses 11 and 12. They gave some apostles and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints.
For the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, that the main point is for the perfecting of the Saints, and the the latter 2 clauses are the means to that end. That's the purpose of God and connection with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
00:40:01
Is for the perfecting of the Saints.
And also in Philippians 3 and verse 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And he is speaking in that chapter of how that he had one object before him that was to pursue Christ. He had no other things in his life, no other pursuits or interests. It was totally Christ. And he says that is the mark of Christian perfection.
It's the idea of full growth and maturity, isn't it? So.
So coming back to our chapter with these 3 verses that have been brought forth, it would show us that he did not seek to minister the truth on the line of the flesh or the worldly Christian. He didn't seek to make it palpable, palatable to those who were on our Colonel lines.
But he sought to minister the word of God as to build up the Saints and to make them perfect. And I think this is important because many are trying to stress that we should keep the the ministry of the of the word of God always on a level that doesn't go beyond the the the gospel or go go belong the very elementary things in Christianity. But you see with the apostle that he sought to bring them into.
As he says in Acts 20, and not shun to declare unto you all the counsel of God. And so we want to give the Saints all the truth of God as they're able to hear it.
But you get it from the Word, from those that God has raised up.
They're a little, they're a little lineup online, line up on line and it begins to take. I know the first conference I attended probably 40 years ago was that.
Senior moment, I'll have it.
It's up in the balcony.
Anybody help me look down? They're all down there too, but I wanted to. I was so amazed.
Hamilton, Anybody was there 40 years ago, But there was Harry Hagel, George Hale, Albert Hey Hope, John Burton and Paul Wilson. I could keep naming. There must have been 20 laborers. And I look right down on them. And I thought Cardinal mind that I was. How great. You know how great. I wish I knew what they were talking about. I told my wife on the way home. I wish I knew what they were talking about, but I know.
Speaking truth from the Bible. This is it, young people, don't be troubled just because it's a little over your head. It's good if it's a little over your head. You don't want stuff that's underneath you and you don't pick up any truth. And so it wasn't long. In fact, the first year I was gathered, we, we attended 13 conferences and it wasn't long. That was beginning to get the idea.
And all it was wonderful.
You know, it is wonderful. I didn't understand it before, but oh, to hear it, minister, that's what God has in mind. You know, every joint supply. That doesn't mean you're you sit back. It means you can supply too, as the Spirit of God moves you. Everyone, every joint suppliers. I love that.
I think we can safely say that there isn't a meeting that we attend, that we can't get something out of it. Oh, yeah. And we don't need to be frustrated by the fact that we don't know everything that's said.
Because I hear things and what do I do about it? I take it home and weigh it over and wonder and.
And all of a sudden the light goes on.
And so if the Spirit of God has free course among us, we can't attend the meeting. Say I didn't get anything out of it If I say that I want to check my state of soul and.
The Lord said to Abraham as God Almighty said, Abraham, I know there's a lot of distractions, but I want you to walk before me and be thou perfect. And I thought, you know that just weeds a lot of things away just to hear the Lord say that to us. You walk before me.
I'll take care of the of your growth and see that your plan.
00:45:02
We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world and unto our glory, which none of the rulers or Princess of this world know or knew, For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Isn't that beautiful? Now the next verses are so so dramatic and and inexhaustible.
But I like this is the first mention of the mystery. But the mystery is pretty broad. And Paul brought it out. He got it from above and it was a mystery not because it was hard to find. It was a mystery because it wasn't revealed until Paul was allowed to do it. He got it right direct from the Lord.
And he gets something and look at look at Ephesians chapter 3.
Just a little here.
Chief 3 averse.
Pardon me here.
Fly well for the mystery of Christ. There it is, 434.
Chapter 3, Verse four OK, is that right? The mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not known or made known under the sons of men.
Abraham didn't know it, Moses didn't know it, Jonah didn't know. None of them knew it, but they had faith that somehow God would do it. Now are we blessed? We have faith and we know how God did it. Isn't that a great difference?
OK.
Revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. That's the only way that the Gentiles. I don't know if there's any Jews here, but the Gentiles of all things can enter into something that the Jews just could not grasp. Still, the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same holy the same.
Body and partakers of the promise.
Christ in Christ by the gospel. Wherefore I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God-given unto me by the effectual working of his power unto me, which have less than the least of All Saints. I wanted that title, but he got it ahead of me.
Is this?
Great is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world.
Has been hid.
God who created all things by Jesus Christ. That's a mystery. There's one body. You're going to preach it. You've got to believe it tomorrow. One body.
And.
One spirit.
And one God and Father of all who know him.
One Lord, that's mystery, but you were Gentile alike.
And as you read there in verse nine, it says it was hid in God. Some have thought that it was hidden in the Old Testament and just needed little searching and you'd find it. But that's not true. It was hit in the heart of God and not brought out until the apostle was raised up to bring out the truth of the mystery to us. And the mystery is not Christ in His person, His deity, and so on, because that's found in the Old Testament.
The mystery is not Christ that he would come here in this world.
That he would die up on the cross. It's not that Christ would rise from the dead and that Christ would reign in this world. All those things are given to us in the Old Testament. But what the mystery discloses to us is that when Christ would reign and that coming day of display, which we call the Millennium, he would have a bride as a compliment at his side who would transmit his glory to the wandering worlds and to the angels and to all.
00:50:11
Of created beings.
That was something that was not found in the Old Testament and required the mystery to bring it to us.
You know, you were chosen of God in Christ before one thing was made. That is, I mean, personally, He knew all about you. I mean, don't try to understand it. Believe it because it's in the Word of God, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
You're very special that we ought to really remember the Lord, as that position we have in standing in Christ is so special, brother.
Maybe you answered this question already, Bruce, but in the end of verse seven it says which God ordained before the world and this expression, our glory, what does that? What does that embrace our glory?
I just share a thought that I've enjoyed and that is in Isaiah chapter 60. It simply says thy God, thy glory. And so we come to the point where we realize that all the blessing that we have received has originated in the heart of God, and thus He is our all and all. But when you say more.
Did he just say Amen? Yeah, I did, I did. And we share that great glory that Christ will have in that day. Is that not the end of the.
Purpose of God to display Christ glory in this world and he will use the church to transmit that glory and So what a wonderful future is ours to have such a chosen place to be used to transmit the glory of the greatest person in the universe. But we will enjoy his.
Acquired glory, not his intrinsic glory. And he'll never share. Share that with anybody.
Yeah, although he gave a glimpse of it to, let's see, John chapter one. I think that I think they had a glimpse. I don't know, it reads like it, John, chapter one.
Let's see verse 14 telling us who the Word was in the first second verse. And the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us. Now he hasn't got the acquired glory.
Let's see and.
What is it like?
As at the and we beheld his glory. It had to be a glimpse, I think, of his.
Intrinsic. Yeah, because this is Him as incarnation God in flesh. We beheld that glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So I believe they had a glimpse.
Well, we'll not get that. I don't think I'll leave it. Help me. And I don't mean to make this humorous, but that's not a 5 letter word.
Intrinsic. Bring it down, bring it down. What does it mean? His intrinsic glory. His glory had from eternity, and he'll have for eternity. It's the glory of the one who inhabits eternity.
That's the only time eternity is mentioned in the Bible that I hold. I say that because.
NIV messed it up. But anyway, eternity can't exist without him. Who has that intrinsic glory? I mean he, he inhabits eternity. Without him, there's no eternity.
It's hard to grasp, but it's true.
This may not help, but it's also been called his essential glories. I know that's more than 5 letters again, but.
The essential glories of his person, yeah.
There's a lot of glories connected with Jesus. Oh yes, but.
His first acquired glory is that of creation. When He created the heavens in the world, He acquired a glory. In Psalm 19 tells us that the that the creation declares His glory.
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But the greater glory is that what she acquired at the cross we call redemption glory, and that He shares with this those with whom He has redeemed. Then we have a sonship. It is His new creation glory also in the end of John 17, that He has a place that stands out above all the others, that in the new creation race of men.
These are always a result of him coming into this world, dying and rising again.
No, that would come out what you just said in John 17 verse 24. That's it. This is the Lords Prayer. And whenever they say insist, and I hope you're never there, let's say the Lords Prayer together, don't give the apostles prayer. It doesn't ring true. It's not the Lord's Prayer and then everybody's reciting out there.
It's this is the Lord's Prayer. Look at the verse 24. Father, I will.
That they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.
Which thou hast given me as they acquired glory. For thou hast loved me. Thou lovers me before the foundation of the world. Isn't that a beautiful verse? You know he only mentions his will three times in the New Testament. That's all.
The first time, he didn't.
Do away with it. In the first time, His will was the same as the Father's will. The leper said, if thou will, thou canst make me clean. He said I will. That's His will because that's why God sent him. That was beautiful, isn't it? And then the second time, let's see, that would be I shouldn't start something I can't finish the second time.
This will. Oh, it was.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, yeah, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass for me. Not my will, but I will be John now. He said his will aside because he would never will to be forsaken of God, nor would he ever will to be made sin. We don't realize how often sin is, but.
So he says I will be done and he came to do God's will. This is the third time he doesn't set it aside. Father I will that they also who now has given me.
Also, who can always give me, be with me where I am? I love that.
Whatever. I don't know what you're asking, but.
Where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou has given me.
Before.
For thou lovers.
I can read it. I just got one eye, but it's the other ones. No good. Anyway, love is me before the foundation of the world. I love that one. He didn't set it aside. It's exactly the same as the father. We'd be with you.
Forever hold his glory.
And we need to be instructed that we cannot add to His glory anything.
And as you are saying, we're going to.
Reflect His glory, but we have added nothing to His glory where there is trophies of His marvelous grace. And to think that He would allow us to reflect His glory and there will be no nothing deflective about it.
As the hymn writer says, to display to wandering worlds to come.
And you think of those companies looking up and wondering how do those people get there and what is their history?
They learn what our history is.
That would shake their heads in astonishment.
What a place we're about to have higher than the Angel.
It tells us in Isaiah 26 when thy judgments are in the earth, the world shall learn righteousness and.
So the world will learn the righteousness of God and so on by the judgments that he will execute, but they'll learn the grace of God by beholding the vessel that he has made for himself, for his own glory in the church. And so it's going to be a day of instruction for the millennial people. And I don't even just say the millennial people, also the the angelic beings are going to be watching and beholding and learning.
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Of such wondrous grace.
I think we should look now at from verses 6 onward. I noticed in Mr. Darby's translation there is a paragraph marker.
He shows now from verse six to the end of the chapter how the truth of God comes to us. And you'll see here just at a glance that it's completely outside of the the mind of man, the scope and the the the capacity of the mind of man. You'll find 5 links in a chain here. I'll just point them out as we would go over them.
Verse seven it says it's wisdom that God first has ordained. Then secondly, we'll find in verse nine it is something that God has prepared, it's a step further, and then in verse 10 it says it's something that God has revealed a step further. And then going on to verse 13, it's something that God has communicated.
It says comparing spiritual things with the spiritual means it should read Communicating spiritual things with something that's something that God has communicated.
And then at the end of verse 14, he had a step further. It is something that is spiritually discerned. And so this is how the truth comes to us. God first ordained it before the world was made. And that would tell us that it's completely outside of them. There was no man what He made this wisdom.
When he ordained this wisdom.
And you'll see as we pass through these various things, it is entirely outside of all human wisdom and capacity. And that's why he says in verse 9 those three things. The I have not seen the ear if not heard, neither have the heart of man entered into. These are the three ways in which man acquires his wisdom. We might say that one of them is through observation, the eye. The other one is through tradition, listening to what our elders have told us and what history is given to us.
And then thirdly, what the heart of man would answer that would bring before us what is intuition? But notice what he says here that I have not seen, so you can say goodbye to all of.
Human observation then he says, an ear hath not heard, but you can say goodbye to all human tradition. And then he says, And neither the heart of man hasn't acquired it either, so you can say goodbye to all human meditation and intuition and all of that.
That's not how the truth of God comes to us though. Then how does it come? Well, he goes on in verse 10 to show that God has revealed it's by revelation.
Says in Job I think it's Chapter 11. Can't stop by searching find out God.
Yes, the occult, they would say yes, we just got to keep searching harder, get up earlier in the morning and meditate and all this. The answer is no, can't stop by searching, find out God. No, you cannot learn God by your own human searching. It comes and from only one way and that is by God revealing himself by revelation.
The great truth of the mystery is not only ordained, is prepared, it's revealed, communicated, and now discerned by those who have the mind of Christ.
God did not have to learn anything.
And yet he's going to pick up a creature that never had one right thought.
And fill that vessel with.
Knowledge and with wisdom. And to thank this morning that we can say that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him and that is what we can draw on and that wisdom will never perish. It won't change with changing time.
It's found in a person, in an unchanging person.
Christ is the wisdom of God.
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Interesting little thought and Ecclesiastes Chapter 9.
The Ecclesiastes.
Nice. Just.
14 There was a little city, of course that's Adam and Eve, because this earth was made for men to dwell, and that's the only that's the size of the time. There was a little city and few men within it, and there came a great game against it and besieged it and built great ball works against it. Now there was found in it.
A poor, wise man.
And he by his wisdom delivered the city, Yet no man remembered. Let's say poor man. Then I said, wisdom is better than strength.
Nevertheless, the poor man, poor man's wisdom.
Is.
Is disguised and his words are not heard.
Been pretty clear today, isn't it? I mean, you're not gonna get very far going down and Skid Row and start reading the pipe too much.
They don't. They want something dollars by proper separately. Not interested in these things.
Despise, but you still give it out. Make it responsible to God and the Spirit will do the rest.
We say #4.
Yeah.