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200.
Straightforward.
Can ride along.
Our living Lord.
Cancer.
God and their Father, we would just give thanks for Thy kind provision for us.
My word, we've been able to have together over the last couple days and.
We just look to the again freshly hold up our hands as little children expecting to receive again more concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please guide us as to what portion will be thy mind for us to take up.
That would be for the glory of our Savior. Just thank Thee for we've been able to consider Him. Just ask for help too. That we would not just be hears of thy word, but that we would be doers as well Just.
Ask for help in this time. Do so in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
23.
23.
If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul, and made minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church, whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God.
Which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God even.
To the ministry, to the mystery which hath been hid from ages past and from generations, but now has made manifest to his Saints, to whom God would make known. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles? Which is Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that you may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Whereunto I also labor, striving according to this, to his working, which worketh in me mightily. For I would that ye knew what great afflict, what great conflict I have for you and for them, La Tocia, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.
00:05:23
To the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.
In whom we and whom are hit all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit. Join, and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.
Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as he had been taught, abounding therein with Thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you through the philosophy.
And vain deceit after the tradition of men, and after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the putting off the body of the sins, the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.
Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which is contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers. And He made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you, and meet or drink.
Or in their respective and holiday, or in the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come. The body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward and voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment.
Ministered and knit together increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if he be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world. Why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances, Touch not, taste not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men, which things have indeed a show of wisdom in All in all worship.
And all will worship and humility and neglecting of the body.
Not any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
Somebody could give us a little help with the way the word IF is used in Scripture and to help us understand how it's used in verse 23. I don't think I want to make an attempt at that, but I will ask a question of you. Are you referring to the way that if is used in the Old Testament as a strong negative and also in the book of Hebrews? Is that what you're thinking about?
Well, I think there's a way, you know programming language. There's if then statements. If this is true, then that is true.
And then there's a if of a more of a question, but I don't know how to explain it well I think.
I know that.
Talked about in the book of Hebrews, quoted the Old Testament when he said, if they shall enter into my rest.
It wasn't a question. It was they're not going to because of unbelief. And that's the strong negative use of that word. But I don't know that that's what was intended here. I think the faith here is not personal faith, but the body of truth that has been given to us in New Testament, revelation, the Christian faith.
And certainly.
Delivered to us through the Gospel.
And he speaks of the hope of the gospel, which I think we get in verse 27, the hope of glory that is to be with Christ.
Where he is glorified, that's the hope of the gospel, and that gospel has been preached in all creation.
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Rather maybe than every creature which is under heaven, but rather in all creation under heaven. And Paul was a minister of that gospel, and there were those who were putting a slight on the gospel.
In colossi and saying, well that's just a elementary thing and you know a good place to start get.
Percenters But now you need to get past the gospel and grow on to.
Better things and sort of leave your childhood behind there. And Paul says I'm a minister of the gospel.
And not only that, the gospel brings you your hope, the ultimate end which God is going to bring you into and glory glorified with Christ. And he really he really puts the gospel in the place of honor that it should have and he says I'm its administer and he does not take place for those who would put a slight.
On the Gospel in any way.
But really, he presents.
His ministry have two platforms and the first one is the gospel and that it brings really that platform forward strongly in the epistles to tie this in Philemon where he presents God as God our Savior and the Savior God will not is not willing that any should perish and it takes the place as the first platform.
In his ministry when he presents it that way.
But the second platform of his ministry is the truth of the mystery, the church and the the teaching and administration of that truth that was especially given to him. So 2 great platforms of Pauls ministry, the gospel and the truth of the church. It's a mystery.
Yesterday in the open meeting we had two aspects of reconciliation. We had the fact that the Lords has reconciled all things.
His work on the cross and then we had the fact that he has done the work to reconcile us believers individually.
One that was general, one that was broad, one that encompassed all creation. And then there's another aspect that is specific to believers.
And now it's as if Paul says if the work of Christ.
Had two aspects. Then my ministry has two aspects. I'm a minister of the gospel which goes out to through all creation, but I'm also a minister of the the truth of the church.
You know, and it's, it's a, it's a beautiful thing.
To what what Christ has done on the cross influence the way we think and the way we serve.
That we not lose sight of the gospel in our daily service for the Lord.
It's so important, but then there's that other side of things that he had a special object in view.
Paul had both those things in view.
And we should as well.
Follow the question.
Question with the if.
So if you continue in the faith.
Grounded and settled be not moved away. It's not putting a question mark on the certainty of.
Internal security I believe. Where is it that if there?
I would maybe I need to be correct, but I would think that.
The true believer will continue in the faith.
And.
Will not be moved away from the hope of the of the gospel. So this is not a verse that some will take and say, well see, you have to do something. You have to continue in order.
To be certain of your salvation.
Is that correct? I think that's right. It really ties in with.
That we have been reconciled in the body of his flesh through death. That's true.
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Then the other is true. It's really, if this is true, I'm one of those reconciled, then I will continue in the faith. You know, it's, I think it's, it's not a question of will I continue in the faith or not.
But it's really if one is true, then the other is.
They were falling into asceticism, which is the thought that if I afflict my physical body in some way, deprive myself in some way, I'm going to be more spiritual.
Now there is there is a place for fasting and neglect of occupation was S in that way and and to be set apart for God. But that's not what they were doing. They were seeking to deprive themselves and click physical pain and thinking that was going to elevate them to some higher spiritual plane or enlightenment.
And Paul says I've got afflictions too. I'm going to tell you what mine are, and they're nothing like yours.
I'm suffering afflictions of Christ in my flesh, Bruce Body sake.
He suffered for the truth of the church that was committed to his trust. He was. And he gives that long list in Second Corinthians of the things that he suffered in connection with the administration of that truth. And it really was when he told the Jews that he was told by the Lord to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
They wouldn't suffer him at that point to hear him anymore through dust in the air and said away with this man. It's not fit that he should live on the earth. And really it was for that truth, Jew and Gentile and one body united to a glorified man in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he suffered in his body to achieve a higher spiritual state.
No, for the sake of the truth and that the Saints would have it and enjoy it.
Walk in it. Why? Because Christ would be displayed in this world that cast him out. If they went on in that truth and walked in the in the good of it and light of it, Christ would be displayed. You know we had a little bit before us about the strongman Satan.
You know, he thought he got a victory.
When the Lord was put on that cross and he died.
You might say, he said. Well, good, we got rid of him all. But then three days later he rose from the dead.
Disappointment.
Thought I got rid of him. Well, anyone back to heaven? Well, good. At least he's back up there. None of the Day of Pentecost. He was here again, and the members of his body and Satan well knew what took place in the Day of Pentecost long before the Saints did. He knew it was a Christ in his members here on this earth.
We are united to a man.
Who has been glorified at God's right hand, God's righteous and just response to the man who glorified him in his death and calvers cross. We are not united to a man in his humility.
In his lowly pathway here was brought before us, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground, and died abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit in resurrection.
And ascended into glory. He sent the Spirit of God down. And that is what united you and I to Him in heaven. We are united to an exalted and glorified man in heaven.
And as we walk on in that truth, and it is walked in the reality of our lives, Christ, the glorified, exalted man is displayed in this world. And Satan hates that testimony.
It's not even just the lowly man in his humiliation and grace that's displaced. It's the exalted man that's displayed, the man that he thought he got rid of on the cross, but then finally out of the scene in heaven. What? He's exalted at God's right hand. And that is the one that's displayed in this earth, the one who's coming, the one who's going to claim the Kingdom, which is his by right, who is going to take Satan's.
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I'll gotten dominion from him. That's the man that's displayed. Do you think he wants that? Do you think he wants a little company to gather to his name on the ground of that truth? That there is one body composed of many members, a display of Christ in this world? It's an affront to him. He hates it. Why do you think he tries to attack that truth?
Because of the display of that exalted man in this world and the very truth that he has defeated.
And his end is coming.
Hates that this one and so Paul suffered.
That's a suffering that's acceptable with the Lord.
Not the suffering of their asceticism.
That had that had no value on the side of God. It just ministered to the vanity of the first man and the flesh.
And that's really what it means in verse 23 of chapter 2. Not in any honor.
To the satisfying of the flesh. No honor before God, just the satisfying of the question.
And certainly not even any honor to our natural bodies, which are the temple of the Holy Ghost.
If any younger, I don't necessarily mean young, just younger.
Brothers might have a question that they're afraid to ask.
About these scriptures, if you ask it, it could prove to be very useful to the Holy Spirit.
In this meeting so.
Don't be afraid to speak up.
Just the way it comes by way of orientation, because this is a very precious chapter, but we read the beginning of it yesterday and perhaps we've lost the context of why these things are brought before us. I just suggest that would be in verse 10.
That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful, and every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Perhaps you could help us out, someone that knows more than I do about how the chapter is broken up because I think it's important to see, you know, our King James Version is all versed by verse and really there are paragraph breaks and I believe the first break besides the greeting of the first verses and the 14 and then you have the preeminence of Christ.
From verse 15 down to 23 and then you have Paul's ministry to the church.
This chapter so I'm sure someone can illuminate us a bit more in that it helps us understand the little chapter in a better way.
I think you just did a pretty good job of it brother, actually.
I just wondered if anybody had a?
The question as to how he says there's a lack in the sufferings of Christ. That sounds kind of alarming, doesn't it?
And so we need to understand what he's saying here. There was number lack in the sufferings of Christ for our redemption.
None at all.
But what he suffered at the hands of men for the testimony that he bore was martyrdom.
That suffering was not a.
Redemptive work. That was a martyrdom. That was a witness, a testimony.
And it's so suffering we can share in. You get that? Philippians chapter 3 and verse 10.
We are. It's our privilege to partake of the sufferings of Christ, not the sufferings for redemption.
But the sufferings of martyrdom for his body's sake, and is exactly what our brother Steve was saying. Paul suffered, and he suffered physically for his ministry of taking this truth to the Gentiles. And he suffered mostly at the hands of the Jews, sometimes at the hands of Gentiles too, but usually stirred up by the Jews.
But those, those afflictions of Christ.
We all have the privilege and the possibility of being able to share in those sufferings that are for His body's sake, for the sake of the building up of His body. So Christ suffered for the Church that He gave Himself for it, but the truth of the Church was not known. But in making known the truth of the mystery which could only come after the Cross, all suffered for that truth.
00:25:16
That it might be administered. And so he was preeminently the administer of that truth. The stewardship was given to him, a dispensation. He had to dispense that truth. He had to administer it. It was given to him especially to administer it. And so he suffered in that way. So the Lord could not have suffered for the truth of the church. The church hadn't been formed, but that was the object of his heart.
So he gave himself for the church. He's like the man and Matthew 13 that found that Pearl of great price and sold all that he had that he might have it for himself. But Paul subsequently, that's why it says that which is behind. In other words, it's really what came afterwards. After the truth of the church now is made known. There was suffering connected with its administration.
But if fulfilled or filled up or completed the revelations that God had to give and.
So the truth of the mystery, once that was brought out, God had no more revelations to give out. Well, we have the Book of Revelation though, don't we? Written long afterwards. True. And there's things in there that were not known previously. True, But Revelation really is an unfolding of the prophetic ways of God that were spoken of in the Old Testament but now filled out with truths connected.
Church, because not only do you get God's judgment in connection with apostate Israel and Judaism, but you get His judgment with what eventually is the apostate church too. And so there's a filling out of details, but it's not new. And that sense it was already the subject of Old Testament prophecies that Christ was going to come.
There is going to be a period of trouble and judgment. The day of the Lord would then unfold on this earth. He would take His rightful place in a millennial Kingdom.
So John doesn't really give us anything new in that sense in the revelations of God. What Paul brings out with a mystery completed all the revelations that God had to give.
To to us. And so that truth of Christ in the church, the mystery unfolded. It completes the revelations that God has to give. There's not some secret in the heart of God.
Like the mystery yet waiting to be unfolded. It's true. I have not seen nor ear heard. The heart of man hasn't entered into those things that God is.
Purpose to give us, but they are known by the Spirit to us now. And certainly there are things to unfold in the wonders of God's creation and all that He's going to bring us into in the new heavens and new earth. But there's not going to be some new thing like the church and Christ in the church yet to be unfolded.
It's the peak has been hit, the pinnacle has been reached. There's no further revelations to be unfolded.
From the heart of God.
This is his masterpiece.
Paul is referring to at the sufferings that we have reported in Second Corinthians for the church.
The mystery of Christ and the church was a secret in the heart of God that could not really be revealed.
Until the work of the cross was finished.
The Lord certainly introduces.
A subject in Matthew 16, Upon this rock I will build my assembly, but it really does not unfold the truth of the mystery. Let's just turn back to Ephesians to get the core of that truth, that there was going to be a new assembly in contrast with the assembly of the congregation of the wilderness.
With Israel the Lord brings out, and it was going to be founded on himself.
Dead and risen, That's what we get in Matthew 16. But in Ephesians chapter 3, we get the core of what Paul calls the mystery, capital T, capital M, the mystery. And so he takes that up in verse six of chapter 3, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs or joint heirs of the same body or joint, body and joint.
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Takers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, and that we get in Titus 2.
Let's just turn to it, because sometimes there's been a little confusion on that. Titus chapter 2.
Excuse me, chapter three. I think it's the verse I'm looking for.
Verse seven. That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, that is, the hope of which we are joint partakers as Jew and Gentile.
The hope of eternal life, eternal life in the Old Testament was the life that they look forward to, to living in the Millennium for as long as the Millennium went because they had no thousand year definition of the time or length of the Millennium like we get in Revelation.
The Kingdom would come and it would just go on and on and on. And any Old Testament reference to eternal life is just that. But the eternal life that we have referenced here at Titus is that possession of the very life and nature of Christ which we have in the hope of the gospel. That was part of the mystery that was hid in God.
Joint partakers of His promise in Christ, the promise of eternal life.
In the gospel the other thing was that we would be joint heirs with Jew and Gentile together with Christ, joint heirs, equal status in the inheritance with Christ and with one another, and of the same body or joint bodies, members of the one body of Christ, of one another, united to our head in heaven those.
Thanks. Have no revelation in the Old Testament scriptures. They do not form part of any prophetic Old Testament utterance. And I will be quite bold to say they do not form any part of any typical teaching in the Old Testament scriptures. Yes, there is typical teaching.
Of the truth of Christ in the Church, and the aspect of the bride of Christ.
You get it with Eve, You get it with Rebecca. Truths that could not be known. You would never know them from those types until the truth itself had been revealed.
But the truth of the mystery in its core joint body, joint heirs, joint partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, we do not even have in tight. It was a mystery hid in God, not even hit. Typically in the Old Testament, it's not there. It was something that was just in the heart of God.
And it's been now revealed. And so the strength of the New Testament language in it.
The mystery which has been had hit hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His Saints, where we were reading in Ephesians. We get it so strongly put.
Which in other ages verse five was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto this holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
Verse nine. And to make all men see what is the fellowship or administration of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hitting God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known.
By the Church, the manifold wisdom of God, Romans 16.
00:35:04
Romans 16.
Verse 25 not to him that is a power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. First platform of Pauls ministry. According to the revelation of the mystery. Second platform of Pauls ministry.
Which was kept secret since the world began.
But now is made manifest and by it should read by prophetic scriptures, not by.
The scriptures of the prophets, whenever you get the expression in the New Testament, the Psalms, the Law, the prophets is referring to Old Testament scriptures. If the right translation here was the scriptures of the prophets, it would be referring to Old Testament.
It's really by prophetic scriptures or scriptures that have a prophetic character that is New Testament prophetic scriptures, because the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, New Testament apostles, New Testament prophets, gifts of Christ to his church that have unfolded this truth, and so now it's made.
Prophetic strippers, not the Old Testament prophets. That's not the point of Revelation 16. Otherwise it would make no sense that it was a mystery. Hidden God only now reviewed. It would have been part of the prophetic scripture three times over. God stresses this is a mystery that was hidden God. It is not part or subject of the Old Testament prophecies.
That is the fallacy of the reformed theology.
That says the Old Testament prophets are Speaking of the Church.
It's not true. It was a mystery hitting.
Thank the the imperative point of understanding what you very clearly pointed out, Steve, that this is a part of the increasing of the knowledge of God, isn't it, where we have the truth of the word of God as to the position that we have as a church as opposed to being a continuation of Judaism?
We're not that. We are a different thing. We've been made one Newman.
Is that not correct, Ephesians? This brings it up clearly in other places too, but I think that's the import. A lot of times we don't necessarily connect. What you've said is very excellent, and yet we need to know the why. And I think what you just brought out at the end there is very important. It really gives us clarity as to the church's position.
Why do we meet the way we do?
I think here's the wine we may have touched on before. Why? Because that truth, what it speaks of, is the display of Christ in this world. That's the importance of it. And the importance of the ground on which we meet, the ground of the one body, is that each local assembly meeting on that ground.
Is the local expression of that truth and that place.
And it is God's testimony for Christ in this world. And the church is the vessel of the testimony to the risen, ascended, glorified man in God's right hand. And it's that which Satan opposes in this world. That's the importance of it.
It's the exaltation of the man that we have in this chapter, and that's the theme of this chapter, the exhibition, the glory of that man.
And the truth of the Church is bound up with the glory of death.
And so he says, to whom God would make known what is the richest of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. Here in Colossians he especially has the Gentiles, and views that truth going out and reaching the Gentiles.
Among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you? The hope of glory. What does that mean? There is only one person in the Godhead that indwells the believer, and that's the Holy Spirit.
00:40:03
Christ in you. That word you is is plural. It's collective. It's Christ in you, Gentiles who form the Church of God on this earth. It's Christ displayed in you in this world, all of the features of the glorified, exalted man.
Displayed in his church.
And that display is a testimony and witness to the hope of glory that is ours, of being there with that ascended man, glorified with him. The display in the Church now of that glorified thing is.
Truth that we are going to share that place of exaltation with Him for all eternity.
Christ in Israel had Jehovah with them, the Glory Club.
The hope of the land for us, the church. It's Christ in you, the hope of God. What is the percentage of Christianity Today that.
Is in the enjoyment of these things.
That would be walking worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing.
Bearing fruit in every good work and growing by the true knowledge of God.
What percentage of the Christian testimony today is in the good of those things? If we had a true sense of that, it's it's it's, it's a remnant at best, and a sense of that. And if we had a sense of what's expressed in these wonderful Scriptures to the Lord's glory.
All we can do is weep.
At what has been lost?
For God's glory.
And it should make whatever is left in that remnant character versus.
Especially if we see how precious it is to God.
Every man 100%. And he wouldn't stop until that truth. Yeah. He wanted to carry it to the regions beyond. He wanted, as it says here at the end of our chapter, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. If you're sitting here and you're hearing what some of these brothers have been talking about, the truth of the church, the mystery, you think you know?
You know, all I all I need is to know what I'm going to do tomorrow. I just need something to Get Me Out of my bed, get me to school, get my homework done and fall back into bed at the end of the day.
Paul would not agree with that. He would say, actually, I want to present you.
Perfect in Christ Jesus and this truth is required. It really is to be full grown. To be full grown and to really see the big picture, you need to see this truth.
Of the mystery.
Chapter 2.
We've read it a couple of Times Now and haven't got a chance to touch on it, but you know, he says verse two, that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery.
It's God wants us to understand this truth that we've talked about and then it goes on to say in verse three in whom? But it's really a poor translation. It should say wherein our hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. You know, guys, this is not just some bonus thing. This is not just some side issue.
In this truth of the mystery that we've been talking about.
Our hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
You you can't see the the the the mind of God displayed without understanding what we've talked about here. So I do realize that perhaps it's been a little bit hard for some of.
Think about when I was your age, my early teens, this these things were, I perhaps thought they were over my head, but you know, they're really not. And when we lay hold of these things, it allows us to grow.
00:45:08
In our understanding, as Brian mentioned earlier, of the knowledge of God. So I just encourage you in that you know, these things aren't maybe say whether they're over our heads, but you know you can you can still reach up and and lay hold of them and God intends them for you.
And he's not. He's not going to be satisfied any less than Paul was satisfied to until he could present every man perfect in Christ Jesus or full grown.
Romans 16 really bears that out because he says not to him that is a of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. We won't be established Christians really and a stable steady pathway going on for the Lord's glory without knowing that truth.
Isn't establishing truth as to our pathways, believers? It steadies us. It keeps us going straight in a way that's pleasing to him.
Oh God.
I wanted to dress up.
Mistry.
Bright love rise.
Our loving God, our Father, we thank Thee for this time We've had together in that presence these beautiful crews concerning Thy will. I desire Thy purposes.
00:50:09
That we that we have just sung. We are.
That was part of as the church that.
And so we give you thanks for these things we thank thee for.
Liberty enjoyed.
Spirit to bring forth these things.
The refreshment we've been able to have together considering these things.
Love binds us together.
So we just give thee thanks, bless the name of our Savior.
Jesus Christ.