WEBVTT 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:22.620 When Satan tempted Eve, he said to her that God 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:25.940 was withholding knowledge of good and evil from 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:29.559 her. And that if she would but eat the forbidden 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:33.500 fruit, her eyes would be opened and she would 00:00:33.500 --> 00:00:38.020 have complete knowledge. Now, of course, Satan 00:00:38.020 --> 00:00:40.600 was a liar in saying that to her. His words were 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:46.479 deceitful words that she bit. She took the temptation 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:50.520 and ate. The actual result was the opposite of 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:52.460 what Satan had promised. She did not receive 00:00:52.460 --> 00:00:56.399 full knowledge and become like God, but actually 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:58.979 she inherited at that moment a certain kind of 00:00:58.979 --> 00:01:03.399 spiritual ignorance that became worse, increasingly 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:07.859 worse, with the passing generations. You see 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:12.489 that reflected in the words of Romans 1. And 00:01:12.489 --> 00:01:14.930 the Apostle speaks about those days and says, 00:01:15.189 --> 00:01:18.750 even though they knew God, they did not honor 00:01:18.750 --> 00:01:23.189 him as God or give thanks. But they became futile 00:01:23.189 --> 00:01:27.030 in their speculations and their foolish heart 00:01:27.030 --> 00:01:32.150 was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became 00:01:32.150 --> 00:01:39.049 fools. Whereas Satan promised enlightenment and 00:01:39.049 --> 00:01:43.680 knowledge. Even to become as God, what mankind 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.900 inherited by his sin was actually futility, speculation, 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:52.540 and foolishness. Instead of becoming wise, mankind 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:57.900 became foolish. The world of unregenerate mankind 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:03.159 is unenlightened as to the things of God. The 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:05.700 Apostle Paul, writing about the pagan Gentiles, 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:08.520 said that they walk in the futility of their 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:12.319 mind. being darkened in their understanding, 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:16.080 excluded from the light of God because of the 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:19.099 ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness 00:02:19.099 --> 00:02:22.439 of their hearts. Notice those phrases from Ephesians 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:25.060 4. They walk in the futility of their minds. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.759 They're darkened in their understanding. They 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:36.650 have ignorance that is in them. One of the blessings 00:02:36.650 --> 00:02:39.629 of being a child of God who is saved from the 00:02:39.629 --> 00:02:44.210 Lord Jesus Christ is having one's mind enlightened 00:02:44.210 --> 00:02:50.289 as to the things of God and eternity. God has 00:02:50.289 --> 00:02:54.370 done that for us. He has lavished upon us his 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:59.069 grace. And one of the things he has done in doing 00:02:59.069 --> 00:03:03.610 that is that he has made known his will to us. 00:03:04.780 --> 00:03:07.180 I'm looking today again at Ephesians chapter 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:10.800 1, and we begin with the last part of verse 8. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:16.159 In all wisdom and insight, he made known to us 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:20.039 the mystery of his will, according to his kind 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:24.759 intention, which he purposed in him with a view 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:28.879 to an administration suitable to the fullness 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:32.939 of the time, that is, the summing up of all things 00:03:32.939 --> 00:03:37.500 in Christ. things in the heavens and things upon 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:41.500 the earth. God has made known to us his will. 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:46.060 Now I'd like for you to look with me at the action 00:03:46.060 --> 00:03:49.000 that is stated, first of all. God has made known 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:54.740 to us his will. God has endowed mankind in general 00:03:54.740 --> 00:04:00.139 with amazing powers to reason, discover, and 00:04:00.139 --> 00:04:06.020 learn. These gifts given to all men are for the 00:04:06.020 --> 00:04:10.599 benefit of the human race. But there are some 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:13.939 things that cannot be discovered through these 00:04:13.939 --> 00:04:19.339 natural means. Those are the things of God, spiritual 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:23.860 truths. They cannot be discovered through reason. 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:31.319 God has taken the initiative. to reveal these 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:34.680 things to us. Otherwise, we could never know 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:38.939 them. They would remain unknowable. They would 00:04:38.939 --> 00:04:42.240 remain hidden. I'd like you to come back with 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:46.060 me to 1 Corinthians 2, where we see a longer 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:49.000 paragraph dealing with this same truth that is 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:52.920 briefly stated in our text. We're going to begin 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:59.930 in verse 6 of 1 Corinthians 2. Yet we do speak 00:04:59.930 --> 00:05:03.129 wisdom among those who are mature, a wisdom, 00:05:03.170 --> 00:05:09.029 however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of 00:05:09.029 --> 00:05:12.649 this age who are passing away. Notice he says 00:05:12.649 --> 00:05:16.069 that what they preach, the wisdom that Paul has 00:05:16.069 --> 00:05:20.250 imparted, did not come from the age in which 00:05:20.250 --> 00:05:23.930 he lived, nor did it come from the rulers of 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:26.990 that time. He says, but we speak God's wisdom. 00:05:27.870 --> 00:05:32.290 God's wisdom in a mystery. Just for the moment 00:05:32.290 --> 00:05:35.910 I want you to notice that word, mystery. The 00:05:35.910 --> 00:05:39.410 hidden wisdom which God predestined before the 00:05:39.410 --> 00:05:43.509 ages to our glory. The wisdom which none of the 00:05:43.509 --> 00:05:47.750 rulers of this age have understood. For if they 00:05:47.750 --> 00:05:49.750 had understood it, they would not have crucified 00:05:49.750 --> 00:05:53.889 the Lord of glory. But just as it is written, 00:05:54.670 --> 00:05:57.670 Now he's going to read a freely quote from Isaiah 00:05:57.670 --> 00:06:02.829 64, verse 4. Things which eye has not seen and 00:06:02.829 --> 00:06:06.290 ear has not heard, and which have not entered 00:06:06.290 --> 00:06:09.089 the heart of man, all that God has prepared for 00:06:09.089 --> 00:06:12.689 those who love him. Paul is pointing out here 00:06:12.689 --> 00:06:16.529 in the first part of the quotation that not through 00:06:16.529 --> 00:06:20.370 the eye gate or the ear gate has this mystery, 00:06:20.449 --> 00:06:24.259 the hidden wisdom, come. We might say it today, 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:27.160 but it has not come to us through the scientific 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:32.339 method. The discoveries of science, as wonderful 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:35.279 as they are in the natural realm, cannot uncover 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:41.220 supernatural truths. Now he says, if I nor you 00:06:41.220 --> 00:06:44.079 could perceive this wisdom that we've been seeking. 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:47.439 And he goes on to say, neither has entered into 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:49.560 the heart of man these things. In other words, 00:06:49.579 --> 00:06:52.000 man could not imagine these on his own. He could 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:55.860 not rationalize them. He could not bring them 00:06:55.860 --> 00:06:58.959 to his own mind. They could not enter into his 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:05.339 heart. But in verse 10 he says, to us God reveals 00:07:05.339 --> 00:07:08.759 them. So that's how we seem to know these truths, 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:11.759 this hidden wisdom, the mystery that he's talking 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.699 about. He says to us, God revealed them through 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:17.899 the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, 00:07:18.019 --> 00:07:21.060 even the depths of God. For who among men knows 00:07:21.060 --> 00:07:22.920 the thoughts of the man except the spirit of 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:25.920 the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:29.079 of God knows no one except the Spirit of God. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:32.819 Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:35.620 but the Spirit who is from God, that we might 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:41.290 know the things clearly given to us by God. We 00:07:41.290 --> 00:07:45.149 also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, 00:07:45.310 --> 00:07:47.930 but in those taught by the Spirit, combining 00:07:47.930 --> 00:07:51.449 spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But 00:07:51.449 --> 00:07:54.230 a natural man, that is, an unsaved person, an 00:07:54.230 --> 00:07:58.050 unregenerate one, does not accept the things 00:07:58.050 --> 00:08:01.529 of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness 00:08:01.529 --> 00:08:04.310 to him, and he cannot understand them because 00:08:04.310 --> 00:08:09.120 they are spiritually appraised. Paul could not 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:12.319 make it more clear that the spiritual truth that 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.279 he is writing by the Holy Spirit's inspiration 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:20.180 did not come from him or from anyone else, either 00:08:20.180 --> 00:08:25.500 through philosophy or through science. He says 00:08:25.500 --> 00:08:28.279 these things have been given to us to know by 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:30.980 God who has revealed them to us by his Spirit. 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:36.159 This is what we call revelation. It is truth 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:38.559 that could not be known except someone outside 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:41.259 of ourselves showed it to us. God showed this 00:08:41.259 --> 00:08:45.460 truth to us. He has exposed it to us that we 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:49.580 might know it. Now let's go back to Ephesians 00:08:49.580 --> 00:08:54.080 chapter 1. Just in one brief sentence here, Paul 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:59.360 summarizes all of that, and he simply says, He 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:04.129 made known to us the mystery of his will. The 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:06.769 tense of that verb is such that this is a completed 00:09:06.769 --> 00:09:10.389 action. It's already done. Paul is not saying 00:09:10.389 --> 00:09:13.809 here God is continuing to show us things because 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:19.289 God is not continuing to give revelation. That's 00:09:19.289 --> 00:09:24.269 ceased with the writing of the 66th book. It's 00:09:24.269 --> 00:09:26.169 not something that's taking place today. Those 00:09:26.169 --> 00:09:29.090 who claim to speak and be receiving revelation 00:09:29.090 --> 00:09:33.500 from God are not saying the truth. God has once 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:39.220 and for all delivered to us his revelation. Now 00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:42.700 the apostle says here that this revelation of 00:09:42.700 --> 00:09:47.259 the mystery, as he calls it, has already taken 00:09:47.259 --> 00:09:52.559 place. Now when did it take place? Well, it began 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:55.919 to take place at the incarnation of the Lord 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.889 Jesus Christ when he came into the world. It 00:09:59.889 --> 00:10:02.789 began then, but it was not fully exposed until 00:10:02.789 --> 00:10:10.250 the ministry of Paul himself. What God desired 00:10:10.250 --> 00:10:13.049 to reveal to man regarding the mystery began 00:10:13.049 --> 00:10:15.830 to be known when the Lord Jesus Christ came into 00:10:15.830 --> 00:10:19.889 the world incarnate. But it was not fully exposed 00:10:19.889 --> 00:10:23.490 until the ministry of the Apostle Paul himself. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:27.679 Now, in chapter 3, Paul gives us a little further 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:31.960 insight as to this mystery. He says, well, look 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:36.840 at verse 3. He says, By revelation there was 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:40.519 made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:42.879 in brief. That's the verse we're looking at today. 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:47.399 And by referring to this, when you read, you 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:52.360 can understand my insight into the mystery of 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:56.049 Christ. which in other generations was not made 00:10:56.049 --> 00:10:58.450 known to the sons of men, as it has now been 00:10:58.450 --> 00:11:01.389 revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in 00:11:01.389 --> 00:11:04.990 the spirit. To be specific, that the Gentiles 00:11:04.990 --> 00:11:08.429 are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body 00:11:08.429 --> 00:11:12.629 and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ 00:11:12.629 --> 00:11:17.309 Jesus through the gospel. So the apostle here 00:11:17.309 --> 00:11:20.009 begins to explain to the Ephesians and to us 00:11:20.009 --> 00:11:24.370 what this mystery involves. It is the coming 00:11:24.370 --> 00:11:26.509 of the Lord Jesus Christ and his incarnation. 00:11:27.990 --> 00:11:31.529 It is his death and resurrection, the gospel. 00:11:33.190 --> 00:11:36.830 And it is the calling out of a body of people 00:11:36.830 --> 00:11:43.190 in this age, from Jew and Gentile alike, to become 00:11:43.190 --> 00:11:49.169 old with Jesus Christ and co -regent with him 00:11:49.169 --> 00:11:54.720 in his coming kingdom. So when Paul in chapter 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:58.200 1 now, in verse 9, says, God has made known to 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:03.779 us the mystery of his will, what he has in mind 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:06.960 here is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.500 his death and resurrection, and the calling out 00:12:09.500 --> 00:12:15.039 of a people during this age to be the body and 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.220 the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the 00:12:18.220 --> 00:12:22.100 mystery of his will. And all of this, he says, 00:12:33.180 --> 00:12:37.720 Notice that this action of making known his will 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:43.559 is specifically said to be to us. I want to reiterate, 00:12:43.940 --> 00:12:47.299 it has not been given to the world to discern 00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:51.700 these things. Natural men cannot discern these 00:12:51.700 --> 00:12:53.220 things. perceive them. They cannot understand 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:58.100 them. But the children of God can know them because 00:12:58.100 --> 00:13:02.539 God has made them known to us. His grace has 00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:05.279 provided for us what he calls in the last part 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:11.460 of verse 8, wisdom and insight. God in his grace 00:13:11.460 --> 00:13:13.919 has in the first place given to us who are his 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:19.679 children wisdom. That wisdom is an objection 00:13:21.520 --> 00:13:25.820 understanding of him and his purposes. We might 00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:27.899 say it a different way. It's theological truth. 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:34.840 God has made known to us truth about himself. 00:13:36.860 --> 00:13:38.940 That's what he has in mind here when he says 00:13:38.940 --> 00:13:41.659 wisdom. God has given us wisdom. And coupled 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:46.799 with that wisdom is what he calls insight. Insight 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:49.960 refers to a subjective apprehension of it. In 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:53.460 other words, it is my ability to apply these 00:13:53.460 --> 00:13:57.820 things to my life. For God has made known to 00:13:57.820 --> 00:14:00.879 us the mystery of his will. He has given us wisdom, 00:14:01.139 --> 00:14:05.399 and he has given to us insight so that we can 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:07.879 apply these things to our lives here and now. 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:13.799 Grace from God has provided the ability to grasp 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:19.360 God's purposes, and to see their relevance in 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:25.000 the present time. God has made known to us the 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:31.080 mystery of his will. The world cannot, does not, 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:36.279 will not receive these things. But by his grace, 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:39.879 God has made them known to you and to me, so 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:42.879 that we understand who the Lord Jesus Christ 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:47.370 is. We understand why he came into the world. 00:14:48.049 --> 00:14:51.629 We understand the meaning of his death and his 00:14:51.629 --> 00:14:56.269 resurrection. And we understand that God is now 00:14:56.269 --> 00:14:59.690 at work in the world calling out a people for 00:14:59.690 --> 00:15:05.269 himself from Jew and Gentile alike to be heirs 00:15:05.269 --> 00:15:09.029 with the Lord Jesus Christ of all things and 00:15:09.029 --> 00:15:11.909 to be co -regents with him, to reign with him 00:15:11.909 --> 00:15:16.970 in his eternal kingdom. Now the Apostle Paul 00:15:16.970 --> 00:15:19.730 gives us even further explanation here as to 00:15:19.730 --> 00:15:23.429 the mystery of God's will. And he wants to tell 00:15:23.429 --> 00:15:25.990 us something very specific about that mystery 00:15:25.990 --> 00:15:31.490 that we have to look forward to. But first, just 00:15:31.490 --> 00:15:34.850 some background information regarding God's will. 00:15:35.909 --> 00:15:38.330 It seems to me that we can make four statements 00:15:38.330 --> 00:15:40.809 regarding God's will based upon our text here. 00:15:42.070 --> 00:15:45.570 In the first place, the will of God. It's what 00:15:45.570 --> 00:15:51.429 he has purpose to do. Notice how he says this 00:15:51.429 --> 00:15:53.590 in verse 9. He made known to us the mystery of 00:15:53.590 --> 00:15:56.690 his will according to his kind intention which 00:15:56.690 --> 00:16:03.210 he purposed in him, in Christ. The will of God 00:16:03.210 --> 00:16:06.690 is what he has purpose to do. It is his true 00:16:06.690 --> 00:16:14.539 desires. When did God purpose these things? When 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:19.519 eternity passed, before he even created, God 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.620 had set out certain purposes for his creation. 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:28.480 What he purposed to do is simply his will. The 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:31.340 purpose means to set before oneself. The idea 00:16:31.340 --> 00:16:33.740 is that God, even before he created the world 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:37.100 and mankind, set before himself certain objectives, 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:44.720 certain goals. And he said, I will do this. That 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:48.519 becomes the sovereign will of God. And those 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:53.419 things will, without doubt and question, without 00:16:53.419 --> 00:16:56.299 any diminishing whatsoever, those things will 00:16:56.299 --> 00:17:00.740 be accomplished. God's will is what he has purposed 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:07.279 to do. Secondly, God's will is revealed to us 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:10.579 now, although it was previously hidden. We see 00:17:10.579 --> 00:17:14.609 that again in this word mystery. God has been 00:17:14.609 --> 00:17:20.750 pleased to reveal to us his thoughts, those goals 00:17:20.750 --> 00:17:23.190 and purposes that he had in mind before anybody 00:17:23.190 --> 00:17:27.509 even was. He has made them known to us, although 00:17:27.509 --> 00:17:31.450 they were long hidden up until the time of the 00:17:31.450 --> 00:17:33.890 coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the writing 00:17:33.890 --> 00:17:39.849 of the New Testament. Third, God's will is all 00:17:39.849 --> 00:17:44.599 focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ. His will 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.859 is that which he has purposed in Christ, in him. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:51.599 In other words, all of it will be accomplished 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.359 through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the agent 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:57.299 or the means of which the will of God will all 00:17:57.299 --> 00:18:02.839 fully be realized. We cannot extract the Lord 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.240 Jesus Christ from any of this because it is all 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:08.119 really based upon him and his work at the cross. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:13.799 It's all focused upon him. Bevington Wood said, 00:18:13.980 --> 00:18:16.839 From all eternity the Father cherished in his 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:21.140 own mind a plan that was to be carried out in 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:26.099 Christ. And then a fourth statement regarding 00:18:26.099 --> 00:18:30.559 God's will. God's will is according to God's 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:34.579 kind intentions. You see that there in verse 00:18:34.579 --> 00:18:39.960 9? It is according to his kind intentions. In 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:41.920 other words, the will of God is not something 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:45.160 that is cold and calculating. It is not cruel. 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:49.519 But rather, the will of God comes out of his 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:56.039 kindness. It comes out of his intentions, which 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.980 are all according to his kind thoughts and deeds. 00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:03.259 It is all according to what we call his good 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:08.410 pleasure and cannot be improved upon. Now, with 00:19:08.410 --> 00:19:10.730 that background information regarding the will 00:19:10.730 --> 00:19:12.890 of God, let's look a little deeper here at what 00:19:12.890 --> 00:19:16.269 Paul specifically says regarding the will of 00:19:16.269 --> 00:19:20.210 God in this context. He tells us here the content 00:19:20.210 --> 00:19:24.849 of the mystery of God's will in two clauses. 00:19:25.549 --> 00:19:31.690 Do you see them in verse 10? He says with a view. 00:19:33.289 --> 00:19:35.369 Learn what the mystery of God's will is with 00:19:35.369 --> 00:19:39.670 a view to an administration suitable to the fullness 00:19:39.670 --> 00:19:43.410 of the time. That's clause number one. That is 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:50.170 the summing up of all things in Christ. Things 00:19:50.170 --> 00:19:54.230 in heaven, things upon the earth. And so the 00:19:54.230 --> 00:19:57.250 content of God's will is exposed more fully here 00:19:57.250 --> 00:20:01.789 to us in these two clauses. He fills out the 00:20:01.789 --> 00:20:05.859 details. in just a brief summary. He says, in 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:08.619 the first place, that God's will involves an 00:20:08.619 --> 00:20:11.799 administration suitable to the fullness of the 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:14.859 times. Now, does that seem like so many words 00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:18.640 to you? It's a little tough to get your hands 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.180 on that, isn't it? Let's think about a couple 00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:24.420 of the key words here. Administration, what does 00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:28.200 that mean? Well, in that day, the word administration 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:30.839 here referred to the management of a household. 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:35.779 Those people who had slaves would often have 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:41.619 a chief steward who was the one responsible for 00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:44.440 carrying out the details of administration within 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:46.400 the household. The slave owner didn't want to 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:49.759 bother with it, nor did his family. But there 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:53.240 was a slave who was highly trusted, and that 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:55.819 one was the administrator, the chief steward. 00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:59.799 He was responsible for the administration, the 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:03.180 management of the household. Now this same word 00:21:03.180 --> 00:21:06.680 is in our English language today. It's simply 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:12.720 the word economy. Same word. Except here it talks 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:15.720 about an administration of things, a management 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:19.740 of things. Now Paul says that God's will involves 00:21:19.740 --> 00:21:24.180 a management suitable to the fullness of time. 00:21:24.259 --> 00:21:28.079 What in the world is that? Well that is a phrase 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.880 that is found elsewhere in the New Testament. 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:35.740 identically or similarly, and refers to a period 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:39.559 or a moment. Now, follow me. The fullness of 00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:45.839 time is a period or a moment when everything 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:50.539 and all of the preceding times and seasons have 00:21:50.539 --> 00:21:55.279 been completed and come together. It's when all 00:21:55.279 --> 00:22:00.920 of the strands come together at one time. One 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:05.740 place. That is the fullness of the time. It is 00:22:05.740 --> 00:22:09.480 the appropriate time. In Galatians 4, it says, 00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:12.599 When the fullness of time had come, God sent 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:17.259 forth his Son. Now, in that context, it means 00:22:17.259 --> 00:22:19.920 that God had prepared for the coming of his Son. 00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:23.740 He prepared for the coming of Christ, of course, 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:28.380 through the Jews. But he likewise did that through 00:22:28.380 --> 00:22:32.880 the Greeks. and through the Romans, each of them 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:37.460 contributing certain things to their day. So 00:22:37.460 --> 00:22:41.119 that when everything then was put together, when 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:43.960 the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth 00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:47.940 his Son at exactly the right time, the appointed 00:22:47.940 --> 00:22:52.799 time, the appropriate time. Similar phrase here. 00:22:53.259 --> 00:22:57.279 He is saying that God's will involves a management 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:03.099 of things. which is suitable to the fullness 00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:09.000 of the time, to an appropriate time. It is a 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:11.740 plan or administration of things to be put in 00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:14.619 place at the right time. You say, well, when 00:23:14.619 --> 00:23:16.380 is that? Well, we'll get to that in a moment. 00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:20.640 Now there's a second clause here that kind of 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:25.380 fills in some of the details. He says that is... 00:23:26.670 --> 00:23:32.329 The summing up of all things in Christ. Now that's 00:23:32.329 --> 00:23:35.910 an interesting phrase. What does it mean? The 00:23:35.910 --> 00:23:41.130 summing up of all things in Christ. Well, you 00:23:41.130 --> 00:23:43.470 know what you do when you sum up a column of 00:23:43.470 --> 00:23:47.190 figures. You draw a line and you add them all 00:23:47.190 --> 00:23:50.750 together. That's something of the thought here. 00:23:50.849 --> 00:23:53.950 The verb literally means together, together again. 00:23:55.210 --> 00:24:00.109 under one head to gather everything up into one. 00:24:03.250 --> 00:24:05.809 The implication, of course, is that it was once 00:24:05.809 --> 00:24:09.769 that way and it has to be done again. The implication 00:24:09.769 --> 00:24:12.250 is that it was once under one head, but something 00:24:12.250 --> 00:24:17.690 happened to cause things to be scattered. Now, 00:24:17.730 --> 00:24:19.990 God's purpose involves bringing all those things 00:24:19.990 --> 00:24:24.099 back together again under one head. The summing 00:24:24.099 --> 00:24:27.660 up of all things in Christ. You say, what's it 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:31.140 describing here? I believe it is undoubtedly 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:34.819 describing the impact of sin's entrance into 00:24:34.819 --> 00:24:39.980 God's world. Sin brought separation and disorder 00:24:39.980 --> 00:24:44.480 to God's creation. Think of the way that sin 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:47.619 has caused separation. In Genesis chapter 3, 00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:51.460 it caused separation between God and man. Right? 00:24:53.160 --> 00:24:56.380 In Genesis chapter 4, it caused separation between 00:24:56.380 --> 00:25:01.180 man and man when Cain killed his brother Abel. 00:25:02.819 --> 00:25:07.579 In Genesis chapter 11, sin brought separation 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:10.720 among the nations, one nation from another, for 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.900 God scattered them throughout the whole earth 00:25:12.900 --> 00:25:18.740 in judgment. Sin has caused tremendous separation 00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:22.900 in God's creation. It has brought... disorder 00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:28.420 and disharmony to God's universe. The usurper, 00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:33.319 who is Satan, claimed man's allegiance back there 00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:37.599 in the garden and thus took for himself the right 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:42.460 to reign. God had given that to Adam and Eve, 00:25:42.740 --> 00:25:48.039 but they gave over that right to reign to Satan 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:53.299 and became slaves of his. God's harmony was shattered 00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:57.660 there in the garden. Now, my friend, God's gracious 00:25:57.660 --> 00:26:00.619 purpose, and by the way, it was shattered, but 00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:05.680 not outside of God's oversight. God allowed all 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:09.460 of that to take place. It was not something that 00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:13.720 got out of hand and God had to have plan B. But 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:15.579 the fact is that when Adam and Eve were tested, 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:20.359 they failed. They sinned. They brought separation. 00:26:21.740 --> 00:26:25.660 in God's universe. So God's gracious purpose 00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:29.920 is that through the Lord Jesus Christ, he would 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:33.579 restore the harmony that was lost. He would gather 00:26:33.579 --> 00:26:37.259 again under Christ's lordship as the last Adam, 00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:41.900 but the first Adam lost through his disobedience. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:46.980 It is the purpose of God, now follow me, it is 00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:49.180 the purpose of God that through the Lord Jesus 00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:57.690 Christ, He would give redeemed mankind rule once 00:26:57.690 --> 00:27:05.109 again. That is God's purpose. So you see, the 00:27:05.109 --> 00:27:09.349 mystery of God's will involves an appropriate 00:27:09.349 --> 00:27:11.990 time in the future when God is going to change 00:27:11.990 --> 00:27:16.089 the management of things. He's going to gather 00:27:16.089 --> 00:27:18.849 all things together. They've been scattered by 00:27:18.849 --> 00:27:22.970 sin. But he's going to sum them all up. He's 00:27:22.970 --> 00:27:25.390 going to bring them all back together under one 00:27:25.390 --> 00:27:30.329 head, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And 00:27:30.329 --> 00:27:33.970 redeemed mankind will reign with the Lord Jesus 00:27:33.970 --> 00:27:39.809 Christ over that creation. At the cross of Calvary, 00:27:39.869 --> 00:27:44.910 Christ Jesus fully dealt with sin and with Satan. 00:27:46.380 --> 00:27:49.019 In his resurrection from the grave, he guaranteed 00:27:49.019 --> 00:27:53.960 the future administration of his kingdom. I'd 00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:56.119 like you to turn now, in closing, with me to 00:27:56.119 --> 00:27:58.660 the book of the Revelation at the end of the 00:27:58.660 --> 00:28:05.740 New Testament. We're going to have to move quickly 00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:08.500 through several chapters here so that you can 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:13.299 see the flow of how this book is laid out. Chapters 00:28:13.299 --> 00:28:17.089 4 and 5 are you seeing? in heaven, which John 00:28:17.089 --> 00:28:21.869 records for us. And he says in verse 1 of chapter 00:28:21.869 --> 00:28:25.049 5, And I saw in the right hand of him who sat 00:28:25.049 --> 00:28:31.710 on the throne a book, or a scroll, written inside 00:28:31.710 --> 00:28:35.349 and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 00:28:37.230 --> 00:28:40.430 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud 00:28:40.430 --> 00:28:44.950 voice, Who is worthy? to open the book and to 00:28:44.950 --> 00:28:47.789 break its seals. Now you say, what in the world 00:28:47.789 --> 00:28:52.309 is that book? What is that scroll that the one 00:28:52.309 --> 00:28:56.049 who sits on the throne has in his hands? Well, 00:28:56.069 --> 00:28:58.170 it has been identified a number of different 00:28:58.170 --> 00:29:00.730 ways, but I think that the clearest understanding 00:29:00.730 --> 00:29:04.970 of it is this, that that scroll represents the 00:29:04.970 --> 00:29:11.869 title deed to the earth. It represents the right 00:29:11.869 --> 00:29:16.470 to rule. over the earth. And so the question 00:29:16.470 --> 00:29:21.289 is asked, who can take this scroll and claim 00:29:21.289 --> 00:29:26.589 the right to rule upon the earth? He says in 00:29:26.589 --> 00:29:29.730 verse 3, no one in heaven or on the earth or 00:29:29.730 --> 00:29:32.309 under the earth was able to open the book or 00:29:32.309 --> 00:29:36.009 to look into it. And thou began to weep greatly, 00:29:36.170 --> 00:29:39.650 says John, because no one was found worthy to 00:29:39.650 --> 00:29:42.470 open the book or to look in it. And one of the 00:29:42.470 --> 00:29:46.250 elders said to me, Stop eating. Behold, the lion 00:29:46.250 --> 00:29:48.730 that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of 00:29:48.730 --> 00:29:52.509 David, hath overcome so as to open the book and 00:29:52.509 --> 00:29:56.190 its seven seals. And I saw between the throne 00:29:56.190 --> 00:29:59.769 with the four living creatures and the elders 00:29:59.769 --> 00:30:05.049 a lamb standing as if slain, having seven horns 00:30:05.049 --> 00:30:07.589 and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of 00:30:07.589 --> 00:30:11.289 God sent out into all the earth. And he came 00:30:11.289 --> 00:30:15.049 and he took it out of the right hand of him who 00:30:15.049 --> 00:30:18.390 sat on the throne. You say, who is this lamb 00:30:18.390 --> 00:30:22.769 that is rather strangely described? John is here 00:30:22.769 --> 00:30:25.990 describing as best he can in human language what 00:30:25.990 --> 00:30:30.029 he sees. Obviously there is some symbolism here. 00:30:31.309 --> 00:30:33.930 But there can be no mistake about it that this 00:30:33.930 --> 00:30:37.789 lamb... who is standing there as if he had been 00:30:37.789 --> 00:30:40.029 slain and sacrificed, in other words, he has 00:30:40.029 --> 00:30:43.650 wounds, can be none other than the Lord Jesus 00:30:43.650 --> 00:30:48.049 Christ. And when the search is made as to who 00:30:48.049 --> 00:30:52.710 has the right to rule, who has the right to come 00:30:52.710 --> 00:30:55.190 down to earth and to gather things together again, 00:30:55.410 --> 00:30:58.210 when the search is made, no one was found who 00:30:58.210 --> 00:31:03.170 was worthy except the Lamb, who is also described 00:31:03.170 --> 00:31:05.980 as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. And it says 00:31:05.980 --> 00:31:08.859 that he steps forward and he took from the hand 00:31:08.859 --> 00:31:13.500 of God that book, that scroll, and he opens it. 00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:16.119 And now through the next several chapters of 00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:18.680 Revelation, you find the pouring out of judgment 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:21.799 from the earth. In chapter 6, verse 1, I saw 00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:25.680 when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals. And 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:28.319 as he begins to break these seals, judgment is 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:31.339 poured out upon the earth and its present administration. 00:31:32.660 --> 00:31:36.119 I don't mean from Washington. or from Moscow. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:39.839 I mean the administration of Satan over the earth, 00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:43.519 the world system. Judgment is poured out upon 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:47.000 it through chapter 6, chapter 7, and gone the 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:50.359 rest of the way through Revelation. The judgments 00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:53.559 from the seals become the judgments of the seven 00:31:53.559 --> 00:31:55.839 trumpets, and the judgment of the seven trumpets 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:59.079 open to the judgments of the seven bowls of God's 00:31:59.079 --> 00:32:03.480 wrath. And time is passing now, a period of time. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:07.859 Upwards towards seven years of time. Past, as 00:32:07.859 --> 00:32:10.079 all these judgments come out upon the earth. 00:32:10.140 --> 00:32:13.400 Now chapter 19. I told you it was going to go 00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:22.339 quick. Though the shout in heaven of hallelujah, 00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:26.940 salvation and glory and power belong to God. 00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:32.299 Verse 11. And I saw heaven open. And behold his 00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:34.900 white horse, and he who sat upon it, called faithful 00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:38.339 and true. In righteousness he judges and wages 00:32:38.339 --> 00:32:42.000 war. Verse 16. And on his robe and his thigh 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:44.339 he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord 00:32:44.339 --> 00:32:48.920 of Lords. This is the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 00:32:48.920 --> 00:32:51.680 20, verse 1. And I saw an angel coming down from 00:32:51.680 --> 00:32:54.920 heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great 00:32:54.920 --> 00:32:58.000 chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, 00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:00.660 the serpent of old. He is the devil and Satan. 00:33:01.130 --> 00:33:04.690 and bound him for a thousand years, and threw 00:33:04.690 --> 00:33:07.069 him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it 00:33:07.069 --> 00:33:10.490 over him, so that he should not deceive the nations 00:33:10.490 --> 00:33:13.829 any longer until the thousand years were completed. 00:33:14.809 --> 00:33:17.630 So you see, there is judgment in force at the 00:33:17.630 --> 00:33:20.470 second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the 00:33:20.470 --> 00:33:26.430 usurper, Satan, is dealt with. Not yet eternally. 00:33:27.150 --> 00:33:30.269 But he's taken off the earth for a thousand years 00:33:30.269 --> 00:33:34.509 and sealed in the abyss. And it says in verse 00:33:34.509 --> 00:33:37.630 4, And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, 00:33:37.670 --> 00:33:40.990 and judgment was given to them. The last part 00:33:40.990 --> 00:33:43.849 of the verse, And they came to life and reigned 00:33:43.849 --> 00:33:47.730 with Christ for a thousand years. Here's my point. 00:33:49.349 --> 00:33:52.589 The mystery of God's will involves a time in 00:33:52.589 --> 00:33:54.990 the future when he is going to gather together 00:33:54.990 --> 00:33:59.930 under one king, All that sin and Satan have scattered. 00:34:00.430 --> 00:34:05.049 And that time is the millennial reign of the 00:34:05.049 --> 00:34:10.489 Lord Jesus Christ. Before eternity, God purposed 00:34:10.489 --> 00:34:13.110 that this time would come. The kingdom would 00:34:13.110 --> 00:34:17.969 come. And everything that sin would do, undo, 00:34:18.269 --> 00:34:21.730 the Lord Jesus Christ would put back together 00:34:21.730 --> 00:34:26.090 and he would reign. In just a couple of words 00:34:26.090 --> 00:34:29.730 of application, we'll be on our way. My friend, 00:34:29.809 --> 00:34:31.769 you can see from this that it is the purpose 00:34:31.769 --> 00:34:34.150 of God to bring together what sin has separated. 00:34:34.530 --> 00:34:38.690 He provided to do that at the cross. But as long 00:34:38.690 --> 00:34:41.829 as sin remains an issue in the heart of an individual, 00:34:42.030 --> 00:34:46.269 there can be no peace with God. There can be 00:34:46.269 --> 00:34:50.949 no restoration with God, no reconciliation. God 00:34:50.949 --> 00:34:54.349 has provided for it. through the death of his 00:34:54.349 --> 00:34:58.510 son, that each of us as individuals must believe 00:34:58.510 --> 00:35:03.389 on the Lord Jesus Christ and through that act 00:35:03.389 --> 00:35:06.550 of faith, receiving the gift of salvation and 00:35:06.550 --> 00:35:11.090 be made at peace with God. Are you at peace with 00:35:11.090 --> 00:35:15.809 God today? God is the great peacemaker, eternal 00:35:15.809 --> 00:35:19.449 peacemaker, and he would make peace with you. 00:35:19.989 --> 00:35:23.130 You say, well, I'm not at war. Yes, you are, 00:35:23.250 --> 00:35:25.849 if you've never trusted the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:35:28.070 --> 00:35:30.889 Because you see, if you haven't trusted the Lord 00:35:30.889 --> 00:35:35.150 Jesus Christ, you're still in sin. And God is 00:35:35.150 --> 00:35:40.090 at war with sin. Would you today receive the 00:35:40.090 --> 00:35:42.630 Lord Jesus Christ? Say that sin issue is taken 00:35:42.630 --> 00:35:45.329 out of the way, and you can be reconciled to 00:35:45.329 --> 00:35:49.889 God. You can do that before you leave the auditorium. 00:35:50.329 --> 00:35:53.150 But a second application, because many of us 00:35:53.150 --> 00:35:55.570 have done that, and there's a great application 00:35:55.570 --> 00:35:57.829 for us. It is this, that since God is in the 00:35:57.829 --> 00:36:01.130 business of bringing healing, restoration, and 00:36:01.130 --> 00:36:06.269 reconciliation, so should we be. We should be 00:36:06.269 --> 00:36:09.550 the sons of God who are the peacemakers. Whether 00:36:09.550 --> 00:36:14.269 it be in our office, the school campus where 00:36:14.269 --> 00:36:17.329 we go, in our families and homes, in our church, 00:36:17.489 --> 00:36:21.599 on a national scene. We should be peacemakers, 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:25.780 not by compromising with sin, but rather by dealing 00:36:25.780 --> 00:36:29.119 with it in the right manner. Let me bring it 00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:31.619 down to a personal level. Are you today at odds 00:36:31.619 --> 00:36:36.800 with another person? Are you at war with another 00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:42.000 person? Are you a Christian? Then what are you 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:46.619 going to do to bring that war to an end? Because 00:36:46.619 --> 00:36:49.300 you see, God is in the business of bringing peace. 00:36:52.230 --> 00:36:56.969 Are you promoting unity, wholeness in your family? 00:36:58.170 --> 00:37:01.210 Or are you creating dissension and causing conflict 00:37:01.210 --> 00:37:06.250 there? In your office, are you known as one who 00:37:06.250 --> 00:37:10.250 encourages unity? Or are you one of those people 00:37:10.250 --> 00:37:16.289 that shows discord? God is in the business of 00:37:16.289 --> 00:37:18.889 bringing together what sin has separated. So 00:37:18.889 --> 00:37:23.679 ought we to be. And as ambassadors of the Lord 00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:26.440 Jesus Christ, we have a wonderful message of 00:37:26.440 --> 00:37:29.940 reconciliation. We can call men and women to 00:37:29.940 --> 00:37:33.920 be reconciled to God, to be at peace with God 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:37.079 through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. What 00:37:37.079 --> 00:37:39.059 a great message God has given us to declare. 00:37:39.960 --> 00:37:42.440 What a great purpose God has given us in the 00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:47.000 world. That we might reflect the mystery of his 00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:50.500 will in our own lives this week as my friends. 00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:56.860 Let's bow together. Father, we have only touched 00:37:56.860 --> 00:38:01.539 upon a subject that is far deeper than this mind 00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:07.760 can probe. Thank you for revealing to us what 00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:11.300 we could not know apart from that ask of yours 00:38:11.300 --> 00:38:15.519 in making it known to us. And I pray that as 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:18.639 we see the practical fallout of what this means, 00:38:18.760 --> 00:38:21.940 what you purpose to do in Christ, that this week 00:38:21.940 --> 00:38:26.659 you will make each one of us peacemakers, unifiers, 00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:32.280 encouragers, and strengtheners. And I pray, Father, 00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:34.800 that you will put upon our lips faithfully the 00:38:34.800 --> 00:38:38.780 message of reconciliation through the cross of 00:38:38.780 --> 00:38:40.900 our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we might call 00:38:40.900 --> 00:38:45.219 people to be reconciled to you by faith and pride. 00:38:46.449 --> 00:38:48.989 Lord, to that end, I pray that you will energize 00:38:48.989 --> 00:38:51.650 this message in our lives this week by the power 00:38:51.650 --> 00:38:54.550 of the Holy Spirit. Amen.