It's so good to see you again.
I was telling some of the folks, I'm so thankful that you're streaming
these services. I look forward to being with
you on Sunday nights and be, be, I'm just right here, you
know, with you and I, I'm so thankful. Tonight, I, I pray the Lord bless
these services. As Gabe said, I started going
through the book of Ephesians and I got to looking at verse 10.
That's where I'd like for us to look this evening. Our Lord had said in verse 9, revealed that Almighty God, according to His good pleasure, to His delight, which He had purposed in Himself. He was pleased to make something
known to His people. And here's what it was, the mystery
of His will. That's a wonderful thought. That
Almighty God would be pleased to make known to His people something
that can only be revealed in the Scriptures. Almighty God is pleased to speak
through His Word. That's how He speaks. Now God
at sundry times and in diverse manner spoke unto us by the prophets. But He hath in these last days
spoken unto us by His Son. And these scriptures are the
Word of God. Now if you want to find the final
authority on anything concerning God's will, God's purpose, God's
mercy, God's compassion, God's salvation. If you want to go
to the final authority, Isaiah 8.20 says, To the law and to
the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it's
because there's no light in them. You want to know the final word?
It's God's Word. This is it. The scripture is where a believer
is going to go for confirmation of truth. If you want to know
if what your pastor is saying is so, you go to the Word of
God. You listen to what he says. And then you check it out. And
I've got scripture on that. Acts 17 11 says, there was a
group in Berea and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica
in that they received the word with all readiness, all willingness
of mind and searched the scriptures daily. Whether those things were
so. I'm telling you, You go to God's
Word. You rest in God's Word. His Word is not going to return
void. His Word is going to stand. Heaven
and Earth are going to pass away, but not His Word. His Word endures. His disciples were with Him. They traveled three and a half
years with him. And the Apostle Peter made this
statement. John also. We were with him on
Mount of Transfigurations. John said, we saw him. Our hands
touched him. We looked on him. We saw him. But 2 Peter 1 19-21 says concerning
the eyewitness accounts of the apostles, the ones that were
there, the ones that saw him, the ones that heard him. Peter
says in 2 Peter 1 19, he said we have also a more sure word
of prophecy. Where into you do well that you
take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until
the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation." God wrote this. For the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The scriptures are a more sure
witness and evidence, more sure than the eyewitness account of
an apostle to the truth as it is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What does God have to say? Almighty God has been pleased
to reveal something. And knowing that God's Word is
going to stand, here's what God has to say in His Scriptures
back in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 10. Verse 9 says, Having made
known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good
pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on
earth, even in Him. Now just to understand what the
Apostle Paul was speaking about under the inspiration of God's
Spirit, we need to understand what the word dispensation means. It means Stewardship. Stewardship. The arrangement of the house. Keeping things in order. Bringing about that which is
fit. Stewardship. That's what dispensation. means look over to Ephesians
3.2 Paul the apostle talked about a stewardship that was given
him and this word dispensation is used Paul says a calling this
is a stewardship a responsibility a call Paul says in Ephesians
chapter 3 and verse 2, if ye have heard of the dispensation
of the grace of God which is given me to you word. That word dispensation, a lot
of times we hear that word dispensation we think it means like a period
of time or something. It's just like a, you know, there
was a dispensation of innocency and then there was a dispensation
of, you know, from the time of the fall to the giving of the
law. Stewardship. Stewardship, that's
what the word means. Stewardship, the arrangement
of, the keeping of the house. So stewardship, that in the stewardship,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather
together in one all things, or that is all manner, all manner
of things, in Christ that which Christ was given the responsibility
to answer for he who was the surety for that he might in the dispensation
of the fullness of times gather together in one all things in
Christ which are in heaven which are on earth even in him according
to God's good pleasure This is what God has revealed concerning
a great mystery that the world knows nothing about. These scriptures
are spiritually discerned. They're taught. The Spirit of
God reveals to God's people the truth of Christ in these scriptures. I heard the other day that the
Bible was the number one bestseller ever. Everybody and their brother. Just about got a Bible. More
Bibles sold than any other book. This book, this precious book,
these holy scriptures, is a mystery revealed to God's people. Why,
the disciples asked, why do you speak in parables? It said the
Lord spoke in parables. Except in parables, he didn't
speak. That's what scripture says. Why
do you preach in parables? These proverbs. Have you ever
read the Proverbs? I've been trying to go through
the Proverbs now for five years. We're about verse by verse through
the book of Proverbs. I read those, and how often do
I tell the folks in Fairmont? These proverbs, when you read
them, a lot of times you'll read them, it's like the next verse
is just completely separated from the next one, and it's just
a different thought. You know, you read them, and
you think, well, it appears as though to me it's just good moral
advice. If that's all we see, we've missed
it. We've missed Christ. The Lord said, concerning the
scriptures, these are they that testify of me. If we don't see
the gospel, the gospel of God's free grace in Christ, in the
redemption of God's people, we missed it. It may be good advice,
but we missed the gospel. The gospel is concerning Christ. Here we are. God is going to
reveal something a mystery we're going to hear something revealed
by the Lord God of heaven that this world doesn't know anything
about revealed to God's people Almighty God according to his
good pleasure is going to according to his stewardship the Lord's
stewardship in the dispensation of the fullness of time when
time shall be no more The Lord Jesus Christ is going to gather
together in one all things in Christ, both in heaven and in
earth, even in Him. He's not going to gather together
every individual person that was ever created. The scripture
says in Romans 9, 15, for he saith to Moses, I'll have mercy
on whom I'll have mercy, I'll have compassion on whom I'll
have compassion. But he's going to, and here's
the word, that word, he shall gather together, he's going to
sum up and present as a whole in unity, in oneness, all things
In Christ, how easily we miss. Somebody would say he's going
to gather all things that God ever created back into oneness.
That's not what it says. In the dispensation of the fullness
of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
chosen in him from before the foundation of the world. In Christ
is the key. Here's the great mystery. Both
things in heaven, which are on earth, even in him. Genesis chapter
one reveals that God created the heaven and the earth. He
made the ground. He made the seas. He made the
celestial. He made the creatures of the
sea. He made the creatures of the earth and he made man. And
this is what God said. It was very good. It was very
good. I looked up that word very, very
good. And here's what the word, I mean,
look, it's in strongs. Look it up. Vehemently. And I thought, vehemently. Totally. It was vehemently good. I can't even enter into the depth
of that, what it means. It was very good, God said. The Lord Jesus Christ, John 1
3, reveals that all things, all things, were made, were caused
to be by Him, and without Him was not anything made, not one
thing made that was made. Revelation 4.11 says that the
glorified saints praised the Lord, says, Thou art worthy,
O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou has
created all things, and for Thy pleasure, for Thy will, for Your
desire, they are and were created. Colossians 1.16, for by Him were
all things created that are in heaven. That is the aerial heaven,
the stars, you know, and the abode of the angels. All things
created that are in heaven, all things in earth, and everything
that the earth contains, visible and invisible. Those things we
see, I read what brother Henry said, he said even the things
we don't see, the souls of men that you don't see, the spirits
of men that you can't see, things I can see and things I can't
see. He made all things they were
created by him and for him for his glory. Everything that was
made was made for the glory of God and he made everything And
everything that He made was very good. And it was unified. It was together. And everything
that the Lord Jesus Christ, that was made by Him, was made for
His glory and for the good of His people. This earth. This earth was created that the
Lord Jesus Christ might in time come into this world made flesh,
made of a woman, made under the law. This earth was made that
the Lord Jesus Christ might come into this earth and display The
glory of His mercy in the redemption of His people. You want to see
mercy? He came into this world, humbled
Himself. Heaven. Heaven. He made all things. In the beginning
was God. And He made heaven. The fullness
of that statement, I wouldn't even want to go there, but I
can tell you this. John 17, 24 says, Father, I will, that those
that thou has given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory, glory that you gave me from before the foundation
of the world for you have ever loved me. Heaven, Earth, all things were
made by Him and for Him. And it was all very good. Something
happened. Something that God eternally
saw. That which God eternally knew. Sin entered into this world,
into this creation. and never took God by surprise. God's never learned anything.
Almighty God knows the end from the beginning. And in this very
good creation, sin entered in. Entered into this garden where
Almighty God had placed man and woman. And man fell in that garden. And man died spiritually in that
garden. Genesis 2, 16, 17. And the Lord
who knew all things, who knew Adam would fall and saw Adam's
fall, the Lamb was slain because of Adam's fall from before the
foundation of the world. And Almighty God Commanded the
man saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not
eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die. And he
did. Everything that was created very
good was corrupted. Man who in the creation had no
shame, no guilt. But because of man's death, that
guilt was manifested. Turn to Genesis. Turn over to
Genesis chapter 2. All of this was very good. One,
man had no guilt. He and his wife, Eve, The scripture
says, for their fall there was no shame. Look at Genesis 2.25. They were both naked, the man
and his wife, and they were not ashamed. Before the fall there
was no guilt. There was no shame. But Genesis
3.7 says this. After they ate, the eyes and
the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were
naked. And they sewed fig leaves together, made themselves aprons. Oh, but where sin abounded. Romans 5.20 says, grace did much
more abound. The scripture sets forth that
unto Adam and also to his wife did the Lord make coats of skins
and clothed them. He came into the garden walking
and the scripture says that he called for Adam. Adam, where
are you? He said, I hid myself. Why? Because I was naked. He said, who told you you were
naked? Did you eat? Man was guilty. And the Lord
clothed their nakedness. After they tried to clothe themselves
by their own ability, by their own thought, I'll just cover
myself with fig leaves. That will hide my nakedness before
God. And the Lord clothed Adam and
Eve with the skins of animals. Oh, do we not behold the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ being put on? No provision of the flesh
to fulfill the lusts thereof. They tried to cover themselves.
God was going to have to cover them. Here was the shed blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ being set forth in type and figure
as that lamb slain from the foundation of the world. But also we behold
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as a garment of
holiness needed to cover our nakedness before God. Bless his holy name. It was the
Lord himself in mercy that covered Adam and Eve. He must cover us. He must apply the blood. But
where man's sin was found, enmity was now found between God and
man. Look at Genesis 3, 11th verse. Now listen. Here's what
sin did. It caused enmity between God
and mankind. Adam and Eve was mankind. Now
enmity. Now listen to the words. Because
of sin, listen to the words of the enmity now. This It's causing separation, about
to be separated. Listen to this enmity. Genesis
3, 11 and 12. And he said, Who told thee that
thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded
thee that thou shouldest not eat? And listen to this enmity.
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest me to be with me,
she gave me of the tree and I did eat. He didn't say, I'm the blame. The woman that you gave me, she
gave it to me. Oh, the enmity caused by sin. And then man, because of that
enmity, was separated from God. Look at Genesis 3, 23-24. Therefore
the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the
ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man and he
placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming
sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of
life. Of mankind the Lord hath made
of one blood, man was made in unity, in oneness, the Lord hath
made of one blood, Adam's, all nations of men, for to dwell
on the face of the earth." That's what Acts 17 26 says. Sin has wrought enmity and separated
between man and God And between man and man, look at Genesis
4, 8. Cain and Abel. Cain talked with
Abel, his brother. It came to pass when they were
in the field that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and
slew him. Why? Sin. Separation. God made everything good. Oneness. Unity. And now, because
of sin, God Almighty has scattered mankind. Scattered. The reason that all mankind is
scattered is because of sin. Man cannot be trusted to be together
in unity. Man cannot be trusted. Look at
Genesis 11. 6 to 9. Let me show you what
happens when men get together. Genesis 11, 6 to 9. The Lord
said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language. And this they began to do, and
now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined
to do. Go to, let us go down, and there
confound their language, that they may not understand one another's
speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad
from thence upon all the face of the earth. And they left off
to build the city, and therefore is the name of it called Babel,
because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth.
And from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the
face of all the earth. Men are all over this world and
speak different languages because of sin. God made everything one,
together, in unity, and because of sin. Men are scattered, dispersed
over all this earth. Scattered according to God's
eternal purpose. He was going to show mercy though. All over this earth and every
kindred and tongue and tribe and people. God's got an elect. They're scattered because of
sin. They're scattered because of rebellion. They're scattered
because they will not have this man to rule over them, but God. But God, who is rich in mercy. Back in Ephesians chapter 1. Almighty God, Jehovah, the Father,
Father, Son, Spirit, in that eternal covenant of grace, from
eternity, had an elect surety. He was God's elect. He was God's
servant. An almighty God according to
that everlasting covenant of grace who would not let mankind
perish. God loved the arrangement. God
so loved the world. Everybody says that just proves
God loves everybody. That's not what it says. God
loves the arrangement. God loved this arrangement of
mankind. I'm going to quote a scripture
here. Bob, this is way over my head.
Let us make man in our image. I've heard people try to explain
that. Oh, listen, don't try to explain away the glory of it.
I don't understand the depth of it. Mankind made in God's
image. Let us make man in our image.
If it's made in the image of God, God loved it. And almighty God was not going
to allow the order of man to perish. And Almighty God, according
to that everlasting covenant of grace, has a savior, a surety. And that surety ever stood, ever
stood as the one who would account for, and answer for, and be responsible
for. He would be the steward I'll
answer. If I bring them not back, you
lay their death to my charge. Lay it to my charge. The steward. The scripture says according
to God's eternal covenant of grace, the steward came into
this world made of a woman, made under the law, made Himself answerable
for everyone that the Father had given Him in that eternal
covenant of grace and electing mercy and compassion. God chose
a people. That's what Ephesians 1 says.
Verse 4, according, He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world. Here is the Steward's work that
He's going to finish, that He did finish. Here's the work. My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent me. The one that sent Him, what did
He do? He, before the foundation of
the world, chose us in Him. This was God's will, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Predestinated
us unto the adoption of children, to be adopted into the family
of God. To be taken from, this is adoption,
to be taken from one family to be placed in another family and
being placed in this family no more, no more a part of that
family. A new creature created in holiness
and righteousness, a new man that doesn't sin. I know the
presence of sin is still with us, but it doesn't rule. Sin
shall not have the dominion over you. I mean, we got two natures,
an old man, new man, and they war one against the other. But
this coming time, we're going to be changed. This old man is going to be put
off. Paul said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? The Lord will. The steward will.
The Savior will. He predestinated us into the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved. We
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of His grace. And now He is going to make this
known to us. Having made known unto us the
mystery of His will, that in the dispensation according
to the stewardship of the fullness of times, that which has been
dispersed because of sin, scattered because of sin, Almighty God
is going to gather them together. He's always said he was going
to gather them together. The Old Testament back in Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, I'll just read this to you. Nehemiah 1.9, this is
what the Lord promised. But if you turn unto me, if he turns us, we're going to
turn. If you turn unto me, what he's commanded, he'll perform.
If you turn unto me and keep my commandments, the Lord says,
I've given them your word and they've kept it. You know what
his word is? You believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is the will of him that sent me. This is the will
of him that sent me. That you believe on the name
of the one that's been sent. If you turn unto me and keep
my commandments and do them, Though there were of you cast
out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather
them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have
chosen to set my name there. I'm going to gather you. Look
at Isaiah 11 verse 12. God's always said he was going
to gather his people. He's promised that in the prophet's
word. Isaiah 11 verse 12, And he shall
set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts
of Israel, and shall gather together the dispersed of Judah from the
four corners of the earth. All of this has been scattered.
Once it got scattered because of sin, we got exactly what we
deserved. We deserve, Tony, to be separated.
We deserve to be dispersed. We deserve. Oh, but in the dispensation
of the fullness of time, Almighty God is gathering His elect. And this precious book right
here is right. Look at James 1.1. James 1.1. Listen to the word of the Lord
to His people. James, a servant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered
abroad. Listen to this word. Greetings. Greetings. Greetings to you. Look at 1 Peter 1, 1 and 2. 1
Peter chapter 1. Verse 1 and 2, Peter, an apostle
of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. You that were scattered throughout
all these places elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Listen to this,
you that are scattered. grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Is that not the most tender thing
you've ever read? Greetings. Greetings. Greetings
to you. Remember back in Ephesians 1
this dispensation was a stewardship. It was a given work to the Lord
Jesus Christ A work given Him to finish, to accomplish. In John 17 verse 4 says He said,
I've glorified speaking to His Father in this high priestly
prayer. I've glorified Thee on the earth. I've finished the
work that Thou has given me to do. For that reason He cried
from the cross. It's finished. And now, according
to that finished work, he came into this world, was made sin. He went to the cross. John 10,
15, we were talking about that tonight. He said, I laid down
my life for the sheep. He died in particular. for His
elect. He died for God's chosen. This is His stewardship. To seek
and to save that which is lost. And He's going to save all of
them. I think about, let me think, is it Hebrews I think about this
precious passage. Let me see if I can find it.
Yes, Hebrews 2 verse 13. And again, I will put my trust
in him. And again, behold, I and the
children, which God has given me. This is the father's will, which
has sent me. that all that he has given me
I should lose none, none. This is his stewardship, his
dispensation. He's gathering his people and
the scripture says in closing that when time shall be no more
in the fullness of times, that is the completion of times, When
time is over, when Almighty God has called all of His sheep unto
Himself, when all of them that the Father has ever given Him,
all that the Father giveth Me, they're going to come. And when
He's come and saved all of them, there's going to come a time,
I know this, there's going to be some redeemed and regenerated
sheep that's still going to be here. Before the Lord Jesus Christ
comes back, there's going to be some regenerated sheep that
are still here. Because Paul the apostle spoke
of, we which are here on this earth, we which will remain.
We're not going to prevent those that sleep. But I can tell you
this, 1 Thessalonians 4.16 says, when time shall be no more. The
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead
in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord. The departed saints that are
there with him now are going to come back and we're going
to See them, going to be together. Again, listen, look at 1 Thessalonians
3.13. 1 Thessalonians, I'm going to
read a couple of verses out of 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians
3.13. To the end, He may establish
your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father,
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. with all his saints. Look at 1 Thessalonians 4, 14. If we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him. We were scattered, dispersed
all over this world, all times, but when the fullness of times
come, He's going to gather together in one all things in Christ, both of
which in heaven. Those things that are in heaven,
the souls we just read of that are departed but also reunited
with His holy angels. I'll prove it. Matthew 25. Matthew
25, verse 31-34. Matthew 25. This is where when
you make a statement, you back it up with the Word of God, Brother
William, and that ends it. Matthew 25, verse 31-34. When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, Then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered
all nations. And he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats. And
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, the goats on the
left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand,
Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. But I want you to
also consider, look at Revelation 5. verse 11 to 14, Revelation
5, 11 to 14. And I beheld and I heard the
voice, this is John the Apostle on the Isle of Patmos writing
as the Lord reveals to him the revelation of Jesus Christ. And
I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the
thrones and the beast and the elders. Now these elders, there's
four and twenty elders and it's the whole church of God. Glorified
church. Here's the whole church of God. And here's what he sees. I beheld
and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the
beast, the cherubim, the cherubim, and the elders
And the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands and
thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as in the
sea and all that are in them heard I saying, Blessing and
honor and glory and power be unto him that sits upon the throne
and under the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said
Amen, and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped
Him that liveth forever and ever. All of God's elect, all that were chosen out of the
fallen race of Adam, all that were dispersed with all the rest
of the world, God had a people And they were everywhere in every
nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue. And this stewardship that was
given him was to gather together in one, in unity, all things
in Christ. And Almighty God is going to
gather together when all of it's over. everything in oneness together,
in heaven and in earth. These glorious saints that have
died, those that have yet to leave this world are going to
be together. I wrote this down, I was thinking
about, it says he shall gather together all which are on the
earth, and I just jotted down Abraham, and Moses, and Elijah,
and Scott. Scott. All these dear saints,
God's gonna gather them together. And all his elect angels, these
angels, ministering spirits that minister to us who are heirs
of salvation. These ministering spirits that
look into this glorious redemption and wonder at it. These glorious
angels that God Almighty created for His honor, for His glory,
and for the good of His people. He's going to gather back together
all things in earth and all things in heaven, all in one. That's a great mystery. But Almighty
God's been pleased to reveal that to His people. May the Lord
bless these words for His glory and our good.