Let's take our Bibles. I want
you to turn with me to the book of Ephesians, chapter three. Ephesians, chapter three. Yesterday morning, I was contemplating
this passage right here. I got to thinking about it. The
more I thought about it, I wanted to try to make a few
comments on it. Ephesians chapter eight, chapter three, verse eight. The scripture says, unto me,
who am less than the least of all
saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Now we've assembled ourselves
together today to do something that is amazingly wonderful. It's more amazingly wonderful
than any creature can imagine. Here's what it is. To hear the
word of the Lord. He said, my sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. Now, when any man that is called
and taught of God stands to preach the word of God. Take my word for it. There is
a true sense and awareness of his frailty, of his unworthiness,
of his weakness. He knows that there's some, according
to the scriptures, that's going to hear what is being said with
an ear of indifference and there's going to be some,
by the grace of God, that's going to hear with eagerness and a
desire to be spiritually fed. They want to hear. I think back on what I heard
Brother Henry said. He said, God's people don't want
to hear a message, just a message. I can, I promise you, according
to my own personal studies and things, I've read enough scriptures,
and you have too, to where I could come up with a message that's
got, it's scripturally sound. It's scripturally sound. But as Brother Henry said, God's
people don't want to just hear a message. They want to hear
the message of the hour from the Lord. They want to hear that
which is right now. What does God have to say right
now? And the pastor that stands and
preaches, having sought and asked Lord, please guide my heart. There'll be times that I'll sit
down and I'll say, Lord, before I even open my Bible, Lord, where
would you have me? Lord, there was a leper that
came to you one day and he said, if you will, you can make me
clean. I know you can. And to say, Lord,
would you just direct my heart? I don't even know where to go.
I mean, where do you start? You say, well, you happen to
be in Proverbs. Well, that doesn't mean that it's gonna be Proverbs
right now. Lord, direct my heart, teach
me. Therefore, that man that stands
to proclaim the word of God is gonna say, who's sufficient for
these things? to speak on behalf of God. And the more that we're taught
of him, the more we feel our need to be taught and kept by
his power and by his grace. I feel as though that this is
the message for right now. This verse of scripture stirs
my heart. It's in the midst of a book that's
got, as Brother Neal said in his message last Wednesday, hundreds
and hundreds and over 1,100 chapters. Where do you go? The Apostle
Paul was moved to say, under the inspiration of the Spirit
of God, what I truly struggle to say of myself. He said, In
verse eight, now listen to this. These two words right here struck
my heart again this morning. Unto me. Unto me. Unto me, and here's an honest
confession. Unto me, who is less than the
least of all saints, What did Paul mean by that? He said, I
can see in me, I see in me, I don't see in you, but I see in me,
the struggles and the fightings within that I can't even imagine
that goes on in you, but I can see in me who am less than the
least of all saints is this grace The grace of Almighty God that
would be bestowed upon one that I didn't desire it of myself,
surely I didn't earn the right to stand here, and I don't deserve
the right of myself to stand here. This grace was given. What grace is that, Paul, that
I should preach among the Gentiles, that I should be permitted to
speak that which alone the Spirit of God will bless to the salvation
of the people of God? Grace that was given to one that
truly before didn't even care, didn't even care. What will you
preach, Paul? The unsearchable, riches of Christ. That I should be given the grace
to preach him who is greater than my tongue can utter or that
my brain can even imagine. I'm standing, who's sufficient
for this? To stand here and to proclaim
one that I cannot even grasp hold of his majesty, he who's more
ready, he who is more ready to pardon his people for whom he's
died, he's more ready to pardon them than I am to sin, and I'm
ready to sin. I'm ready, I'm always ready. Paul said, I see in me there
dwells no good thing in me. The will is present with me how
to perform. But he who is more ready to pardon, he who is more ready to forgive
me than I am to rebel against him, and again, I'm ready to
rebel. He's more ready. He's more willing
to supply all of my needs. He's more ready and able to supply
all my needs than I am to even ask for. I don't even know what to ask
for. He knows. He who's more worthy of praise
and honor and glory that I can comprehend, he who has given
his people heaven on earth. Now I'm telling you right now,
and I get it. We don't understand the depth
of this right now, but I'm telling you right now, heaven on earth
is right here. The Lord's with us. The Lord's
in our presence. And I'm not saying that lightly,
I mean it. I know everybody will stand up
and say the Lord's here. But according to his word, he
said, where two or three are gathered in my name, in my honor,
my character, my glory, I am in the midst of you. I know that we have heaven on
earth, though we see through a glass darkly. Brethren, we see. And soon, will experience heaven truly. Hold your place, turn
with me to Isaiah 64.4. I quote this a lot, but here's
where the Apostle Paul quoted it from, Isaiah 64.4. I'm talking
about the unsearchable riches of Christ. Isaiah 64, for since
the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived
by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. How many times have we thought
about those from our congregation that we've loved and passed on. How about your dad? How about Scott? Glenn? Gene? Darius? Rob? How about these precious, precious
people that struggle just like we do right now? Can you try to imagine, you know, And you just can't, you can't,
you just can't do it. Ephesians, turn over to Ephesians
three. Ephesians chapter three, verse 20, 21. Talking about the unsearchable
riches of Christ. Now unto him that's able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen. Yes, the Apostle Paul, he saw
himself as weak. And he knew he was weak. And
all God's people know that they're weak. They know that. But he
knew that the message he preached wasn't. The message we preach, actually this word power we quote,
it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek. This is the dynamite. This is the power. This is the
power of God. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians
1. Now this message that we preach, Every man, every woman, every
man, every woman, 1 Corinthians 1, they got an opinion on it. Everybody's got something that
they truly feel they believe. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 18. For the preaching of the cross, the preaching of what was accomplished
on the cross, the preaching of the one that hung on the cross,
the one that was sin of God, the Lamb of God, the preaching
of the cross, the preaching of the accomplishment, the fulfillment,
the satisfaction of the law, the putting away of all the sins
of God's elect, the debt, the preaching of the cross. That's
what that means. Not just that the crucifixion happened. Everybody
and their brother knows it happened. But the preaching of what was
accomplished, who was there, where is he now? What did he
do? Why did he go? The preaching
of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness. Particular redemption, Ben. Particular, that Christ died
only for the elect. When he went to the cross, who
did he die for? I lay down my life for the sheep. That's foolishness,
they say. Oh, no, no, no, no. But to them
perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it's the
power of God. You want some comfort? Almighty God and his unsearchable
riches of grace, would teach you in your heart that when Christ
died, he had you on his mind. Now that's comfort. I believe with all my heart,
when he said, my sheep hear my voice, I know them. Oh, the depth
of those three words. I know them. And let me tell you something
that'll settle my heart and yours too, if you know him. That as
I've said before, those stones that were in the heart of that
priest when he went into that holy place, that when he died
on the cross, and only God could do this, that he had my name
on his heart. I'm dying for my heart. Look at 1 Corinthians 1, 23,
24. But we preach Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block,
and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom
of God. You know, the Lord's preachers,
they never struggle. with the subject of what they're
going to preach. They're going to preach Christ
and Him crucified. Let me tell you the biggest compliment
somebody ever give me. I know exactly what you're gonna
preach. You have the same message every
week. Thank you. Thank you for at least
recognizing that. I know exactly what you're gonna
say. So if I'm preaching Christ, thanks
be unto God for that. They know what they're gonna
preach. Why? Because there's not another message.
I don't have another message. Listen to these words. I am the
way. Now who do you think I'm gonna
preach? I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. I got one message. We're gonna
preach. I'm gonna preach Him. I'm gonna
tell you about Him. Let me tell you what He says. Let me tell
you what He's done. Let me tell you where He is. Turn with me
to Luke 2, Luke 2 14. You know when the angels proclaimed
their message, which was God's message, Luke 2, verse 14. They preach the message that
God's preachers preach. Listen to what these angels said,
Luke 2, 14. Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth, peace, Good will toward men. Now if you have a
margin, marginal, you know, if you do, good. Let me tell you
what mine says. In my marginal reading where
it says good will toward men, there's a marginal reading, a
reference to two different verses, two scriptures. One of them,
John 3.16. For God so loved the world. And I've told you what that means,
the human race. Not everybody in it doesn't mean
they just love the human race. And wasn't gonna let the human
race die. He got a people, he chose a people. So John 3, 16,
God loved the human race. Look it up, that's what it means,
the human race. And also, there's a reference
there to Ephesians Turn over to Ephesians 2. Ephesians chapter
2, verses 4. Ephesians 2, 4, but God who is
rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. Look at verse 7. that in the
ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace
and his loving kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Now, to make sure that I don't
lead anybody unnecessarily to assume that which is wrong, somebody
could say, well, you see what it says? God says us, he means
all of us. What book are we in, Ephesians? What does the first two verses
of Ephesians say? Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God to the saints, which are at Ephesus, and to
the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be unto you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. And he goes right
on in the next few verses to tell how God has chosen us. in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without. So you have to understand who
he's writing to. So we set forth here this marvelous message of
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and his unsearchable riches of
grace that was given. How gloriously that Almighty
God announce the humble birth of our Savior. These angels that
proclaim the glory of him who was sent and the peace which
was brought and manifested toward men, not all men, but God's people,
God's people. God's people, this is good news. All for whom he would lay down
his life and all for whom the law would be satisfied and honored
And that goodwill and that peace proclaimed through those that
he's come to save, the sting of death, the victory of the
grave is gonna be removed. Those that's gonna be made willing
in the day of his power to robe, to be robed and wear that robe,
that royal robe of righteousness. Those who know, they admit, not
worthy. I am what I am by the grace of
God. Oh, how thankful we are that
our hope and our confidence and our assurance of life in Him
is not found in our fickle choice, my fickle will. If it was based on what I did,
then remember this. If it's based on what you do,
you better not, A, have ever sinned before. Now you've already
gone, we're already gone, because we were conceived in sin, so
it's already over if it's in us. But those that feel that
they've done something from the Lord, if you ever could have
done it, which you didn't, you couldn't, you better not have
ever done it, you know, offended at one point since then. I'm
telling you, if you're trusting in what you did, you better hope
which you're not, that you're perfect. And you're not. Oh, the riches of His grace.
He who finished the work of the Father. That's, that's our hope. Oh, the unsearchable riches. I looked up that word unsearchable.
Here's what it means. That which cannot be comprehended. Cannot be comprehended. Cannot
be searched out. Too deep to be understood or
measured. I remember as a child, I was intrigued with Space, how
far space, how far space was. Jeff trying to think, okay, how
far does space go? And I'd hear these people say,
well, there's no, there's no knowledge of how far it goes. And I just try, and then also
I'd sit in church and I was talking about, I heard a preacher talking
about the fires of hell. that will never be quenched. I try to think and imagine, and
I just couldn't grasp hold of eternity,
and we can't, but as a kid I would sit there, but Paul was moved
by the Spirit of God to speak of that which can't be traced
out. There's another one, another
word. It cannot be traced out. searchable riches of Christ. Well, I wrap this up. When I began writing out these
notes again this morning, I started to put something in my notes
and I thought, nah, I won't put that in, but I'm going to just
say what I was thinking. I don't want to try to explain
or muddy what I can't explain. I don't want to delve into something
and try to make something understandable that I cannot make understandable. Well then, let me ask you this.
These unsearchable riches, how are they attained? Three, verses one to three. For
this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
if you've heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was
given me to you, how that by, here it is, revelation. He made known unto me the mystery
as I wrote afore in few words. whereby, when you read, you may
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other
ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. We're born with a nature that
is incapable of knowing these things by our own ability. We do this every time we meet
together. We talk about chosen in Christ. And I'd ask every believer here,
how many believe that we're chosen in Christ? All of you's gonna
agree with me. Explain that to me. I mean, in
my fickle brain, the only thing that comes to my mind is a man, Christ Jesus, and in him. But I can't even, I can't. Him bearing
all of our sins, and I'm thinking to myself, I know that's truly
so. I know it because the Bible said
it, but think of all of the sin, all of the thoughts, all of the
evil of our minds. You're trying to pray and your
mind's wandering. The plowing of the wicked is
sin, and everything that I've done, or could do, or would do, that he bore all of that. That's
unsearchable for me. How do you get a hold of that? How do you grasp hold of this?
Turn to Ecclesiastes 7. That's just right there before
Song of Solomon. Ecclesiastes 7. Here was something that the wisest
man born in Adam said. Ecclesiastes 7, verse 23 to 25. Now listen, I'm telling you,
Solomon was a wise man. God gave him more wisdom than
any other creature. Ecclesiastes 7, 23, all this
I have proved by wisdom. I said I will be wise, but it
was far from me. that which is far off and exceeding
deep, who can find it out? I applied mine heart to know
and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reasons of things
and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and
madness, and I find more better than death the woman whose heart
snares and nets her hands as bands, whose pleasure a-pleaseth
God shall escape from her but the sinner shall be taken by
her. He said, I tried, I tried to grasp hold of these things,
and I, he said, I just couldn't do it, I just can't. We're all
born spiritually ignorant. We're all born sinners. Ephesians
chapter two, verse one to three. You have be quickened. who were
dead in trespasses and sin, wherein in time past you walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in
times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. Now that's just the way it is.
And if left in that state, we'll be in hell. But look at
this, the unsearchable riches of His grace. But God, who's
rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ
by grace, your saving, raised us up together and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages
to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. Beloved, God is unsearchable, unfathomable. Deuteronomy 29, 29, the secret
things belong to God. preaching Him that I cannot figure
out. That's God. That's God. And it's the glory of God to
either reveal these things, Matthew 11, 25, to either reveal them,
it's His glory to reveal them or to withhold them. That's what
the Lord prayed. The Lord prayed, Matthew 11,
Verse 25, 26, at that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them
unto babes. And the natural man says, that's
foolishness. That God would withhold something
from somebody, that's foolishness. The Lord said, verse 26, even
so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. that God would do that which
God is pleased to do, we believe the Lord. We believe God. Last verse, last passage right
here. Romans 9. Talk about the unsearchable riches
of God. Romans 9, 15 to 24. Okay, I just, unsearchable riches. Now you try to search this out,
you won't find it. You won't find the answer. It's
just this is what God said, and so we believe it. This is unsearchable.
He said to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and
I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. So then
it's not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but God
that showeth mercy. You try to figure that out. You
know what God's people do? They bow. For the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up.
Okay, you raised up a man, a Pharaoh, a king in Egypt, right? Yes,
that's what he said. Why? That I might show my power
in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. That's unsearchable. That's unfathomable. That's too deep. Therefore he
hath mercy on whom he'll have mercy and whom he will, he hardeneth. Oh, but the natural man's got
something to say about that. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay, but oh man, hear it again, this is unsearchable. Who art
thou that replies against God? What do you got to say about
it? The thing formed, say to him that formed it, why hast
thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power of
the clay of the same clay to make one vessel under honor,
another under dishonor? What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, that he might make
known the riches of his glory? on the vessels of mercy which
he had aforeprepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath called,
not the Jews only, but also the Gentiles. The things of God all says unto me, who am less
than the least of all the saints, is this grace given? that I should
preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Lord, give me a heart
to believe this and to rest in you and cast myself upon you
for mercy. Because you said, Lord, you said,
I'm going totally on your word. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. Every believer comes to him and
he's coming to him right now. for his glory and they're good.
Amen. All right, let's take a break.