“The Mystery”
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament readings
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
New Testament reading
Ephesians 1:3-14 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of His glory.
The theme today is the mystery that we have in Christ and how it is no longer a mystery. God has now made known His mysterious plan to bring salvation to all who want it, all who are called. ~D. Moore
We live in the most individually focused society that has ever been. In most cultures a person tends to get meaning in life out of their relationships to institutions in society. ~D. Moore
This individualization view of life bleeds over into how we understand God. Most people want to know what God can do for them. I am focused on my needs and hurts, what does the Bible say about the blessing I will receive? ~D. Moore
The first part of the passage is about God adopting us and giving us grace and making us holy and blameless, we are redeemed and forgiven. In verse 9, Paul begins to explain God’s plan with Christ how this will unite all things ~D. Moore
All the decay and devastation of the world, Jesus is going to renew, all the disharmony is going to be harmonized under the authority of Jesus. Part of what that means for us is that we have to grow up. ~D. Moore
1 Corinthians 1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
We have to decrease our focus on us and live in Him because of all the things God has done for us. God wants to make us content in Him so that we will be for the praise of His glory. Because His glory is the way the universe will be healed. ~D. Moore
Romans 8:22 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
God’s process of the mystery:
1) Revealing His plan.
2) He tells us what the plans are.
3) How He is working out His plan through His sovereignty. ~D. Moore
The Bible, the stories it contains, and the truths and the understandings and theories are God revealing Himself to humanity. ~D. Moore
The plan to bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ, the word “here” to bring all things together or unite, in the Greek it means to reunite. The universe was united; but because of sin, disintegrated. Only in Jesus will the system, the universe, come together and begin working together. ~D. Moore
The plan is to have everything reunite under the authority of Jesus; at that point all that has gone wrong with the universe will be set right. ~D. Moore
We will be put back to a right relationship with God through Christ. ~D. Moore
In Genesis 3 and Romans 8 God will be coming back, in spite of our sin, God is not letting us go. He is going to deal with our sin and bring back His Lordship over us and the universe in the fullness of time and everything will be healed. ~D. Moore
God wants us to be part of a church where your spiritual gifts are working alongside the spiritual gifts of others, by seeking to obey God, through His Word and Spirit. ~D. Moore
Ephesians 3:9-10 And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
God is moving in the world and wants you to be on board, to contribute to the coming victory. He invites us on an adventure that never ends in this life but will eventually end in victory.
This week: Pray for the courage to step out in the adventure God has for you.
God bless, have a good week.