Alright turn to Paul's epistle
epistle to the churches of Galatia chapter 1 I will read the same
verses I read last Sunday Galatians chapter 1 I want to read 21 through
24 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia
and was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were
in Christ and But they had heard only that he which persecuted
us in time past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.
Now, as I read this, I don't remember exactly when, several,
probably several weeks ago, I was still on earlier passages then,
but I read through this, this phrase caught my attention. The
phrase that Paul uses here, it is in verse 22. Paul wrote these words. The churches
of Judea which were in Christ. Think about that phrase. It's
not used in scripture, if memory serves me right, and that's not
a very dependable thing. Only once. the churches of Judea
which were in Christ. So that's my title of my subject
this morning, or along that lines, that line, my title is Churches
in Christ. Now, let me say right off the
get-go, because I'm not going to deal with this in detail,
I want to deal with what he says here, which were in Christ, the
churches of Judea which were in Christ. Paul is not here suggesting
that there were some Christian churches who were not in Christ,
and there were other Christian churches who were in Christ.
And as we look at the Greek word for, that we have translated
in the King James Version for church, I will also say that
Paul is not trying to differentiate here between normal, regular
social gatherings and those Christian gatherings. However, I do believe
that in our day, and as I said, I'm not gonna preach on this,
I do believe in our day, this is a very valid phrase that we
should pick up and begin to use. Churches in Christ. Not church of Christ. Not the
denomination, though they claim they're not denominational. They
do not speak the facts. Today there are churches in Christ
and there are churches that are not in Christ. And I say that
not because the churches that are not in Christ are in any
way true churches, but this world is, it's mindset, it's the way
it's been taught. They think of any kind of so-called
professing Christian body as a church. They even speak of
Rome as the church. They'll use it on TV. newscasters. They're supposed to be trying
to get to the facts. We'll talk about the papacy and
Rome and talk about the church. Paul's not trying to distinguish
between that. We'll try to look at what he's
talking about here in a moment. Now that being said, the Greek
word church, that is the Greek word used in the New Testament
that we have translated in the KJV as church, means this, a
calling out, a people who are called out. But it's just that,
it's the word itself. I'm gonna jump
ahead of it. It's church, a calling out, a
popular meeting, a popular meeting, a religious congregation. That's
the meaning of the word ecclesia. The word church, or assembly,
and it's translated both ways in the New Testament, although
assembly is used very rarely, but the word ecclesia is used,
or translated, assembly in a few places. The majority, though,
the word is often used of church. But this word, ecclesia, or as
we have translated, church or assembly, is not, in the Greek
language, exclusive to God's people. This is what most people
don't understand. The word ecclesia or church simply
means a popular meeting, a religious congregation, a called out assembly,
and it could be called out for anything, anything. Now, but I must say this, most
New Testament references where the word is translated church
does refer to believers. I'm simply trying to point out
that we talk about the church and everybody thinks of Christianity. That's not so by the Greek word
itself. Having stated that, I want to
give two things just to give a little background to this.
The word ekklesia translated assembly. is used in Acts, I'm
not gonna read it, Acts 19, and I'll say it so that you can reference
this later, or others who hear this can reference it. The word
ekklesia, translated assembly, is used in Acts chapter 19, verses
32 through 41, and it's translated assembly three times. And it's
translated to describe a large gathering of unbelievers. It's called an assembly. But
in the same passage, that's Acts 19 verses 32 through 41, in that
same text, the phrase robbers of churches is used. But it doesn't
mean somebody that would come into here and get into our box
and take the money that people's giving. It actually could be
translated temple robbers. but it's translated church, but
it's not ecclesia, it's a different word than the three times ecclesia
is used, and all three times that ecclesia is used, it has
nothing to do with believers, and go back and read it sometime.
It's amazing. You'll get a little chuckle when
you read it as it really is. Now having established that,
remember, What I'm trying to point out is this. The Greek
word ekklesia, the word church or assembly, is not exclusive
to God's people. But God, in the majority of places
in the New Testament, uses that word to describe his people,
especially believers. Now, what I'm saying is this. You got to read the context to
know for sure what the word means. You just got to read the context.
And I know some people get tired of hearing that. Well, it doesn't
matter. Let me just read it and let the spirit lead me. Let me
tell you something. If you have the spirit of God,
he will lead you. If you don't have the spirit of God, you'll
be in la la land. Here's the second thought. The
church, And I thought once to stop and hammer on this for a
while, but I'm not going to do it. But for those who care about
things such as this, I'll mention it, just to stir your interest. The church is mentioned in the
Old Testament. Now, to prove that, I want you
to turn to the New Testament, and it's Hebrews chapter two. I have said it before, and I
thank God for forgiveness. Others have said it before, and
I thank God for their forgiveness as well. that there is no church
in the Old Testament. I used to say that years ago.
I was born and raised in that dispensationalism to where the
church is this New Testament age only, it's this gap, it's
this middle thing in between what God's doing for Israel here,
he stopped doing it, now he's doing something for the church,
and then he'll start back up with Israel again. I was steeped
in that in my younger years. But I'm here to declare it to
us by the word of God, because it's the word of God that matters,
not what we think or what we've been previously taught. The church
is mentioned in the Old Testament. And I refer to the New Testament
to prove it. Hebrews 2, verse 12. Now, we
don't know for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews. I think
Paul did, but that's neither here nor there. It's inspired. That's number one. And second,
Hebrews chapter two, verse 12. Now it's more than verse 12,
but it's specifically verse 12. Hebrews 2.12 is a quote from
the Old Testament, and it's the words of Jesus Christ. As a matter
of fact, as we will see that Old Testament passage, it is
the thoughts of Jesus Christ and the words of Jesus Christ
as he hung on the accursed tree. But here's the verse, Hebrews
2, 12, saying, ah, this is Christ speaking, saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren. So who's he talking about? He's
not talking about just Jewish folk, he's talking about believers.
Believers, this is clearly established in the New Testament. A person
is not one of God's elect simply because they're a Jew. They're
elect because God chose them before the foundation of the
world, Jew or Gentile. Not all Jews are elect, not all
Gentiles are elect. Some Jews are elect, some Gentiles
are elect. So again, saying, Christ's one
words, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst
of thee, what's that word right there? church, do you see that? In the midst of the church, and
when you look it up, in say strong, so some of the, one of those
Greek concordances, it will be ecclesia, okay? In the midst
of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Now if you have a
reference Bible, it will reference you back to Psalm 22, so turn
to Psalm 22, the 22nd Psalm. Now, I know you feel this way,
I'm sure of it. I feel this way, Joe feels this
way, Paul feels this way, other assemblies feel this way. We
want to preach, thus saith the Lord, not preach some system
or some opinion. Now we know Psalm 22 is the words
of our Lord's on the tree because it begins with what? Verse one.
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And as you go through
this, there is no doubt, this is the very cries of the person
of the Son of God on the tree. But now look at verse 22. This
is the verse quoted by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews two. Verse
22 of Psalm 22, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in
the midst of the, see how it's translated in the KJV in the
old, congregation. You see that? Congregation, will
I praise thee. So that lets me know this. by
the divine authorization of the Word of God that the Old Testament
word for congregation is the same word in the Greek for what? Church. Because the Spirit of
God could have used a Greek word for congregation, but it didn't. It used the word ekklesia in
the New Testament. Why do I say that? Because in
the Old Testament, congregation refers to believers, but it's
just like the New Testament word ekklesia, and I'm not gonna try
to pronounce the Hebrew word in the Old Testament. It can
refer to an assembly of believers, or it is sometimes called the
congregation of the wicked, the church of the wicked. Now there's a subject for our
day. The congregation of the righteous and over and I'm just
saying this in the Old Testament You got it. There's more than
one word for congregation in the Old Testament But many times
when the word congregation is used it's the Hebrew equivalent
to the Greek Ecclesia And Christ spoke of it in the Old Testament
in the Old Testament. Now, having stated that, let
me give you four thoughts about church from the New Testament. And I'm not here to try to argue
these things. I know there are people that
differ on these things, but they can be wrong if they wish. I
don't care. Number one, there is the church. There is God's elect. Christ,
blood-bought people. gospel converted, and those yet
to be gospel converted. They are included in the church. Although some of the elect are
yet to actually be called into the assembly, they are a part
of the assembly by the design and purpose of God Almighty. Listen to our Lord's words himself,
Matthew 16. And this is familiar, if you
don't know already when I mentioned that, when you get there, you'll
understand where I'm coming from. Matthew chapter 16. And for the sake of time, just
one verse. Matthew 16, verse 18. And I say unto thee, that
thou art Peter, And upon this rock, I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. The natural mind says, well then.
If he's going to build his church, then the church didn't exist
because it still needed to be built. And I say that is a poor
understanding of the words of the sovereign king of heaven
and of earth. Because Christ did not come into
the world and say, oh, I can have a church. As we will see,
he came and shed his blood for the church. So the church had
to exist in the mind and purpose of God before it ever existed
in reality by being called out by the gospel. We see that ratified
by Paul in Ephesians chapter five. Turn that, I mentioned,
but turn there. Ephesians five, verse 25. Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved, what? The church. And what? And gave himself for it. So Ellen, the church existed
before he gave himself for it, because he did not give himself
for that which was non-existent. It was existent, yes, only in
the mind and purpose of God, in eternity. But it existed nonetheless,
nonetheless. So there is God's elect. Christ's
blood-bought people. I'm talking about all of them.
I don't care whether they're Jew or Gentile. I don't care
whether their skin color is black or white, light or dark, male
or female, rich or poor, bond or free. It does not matter.
They include those who are converted by the gospel and those yet to
be converted by the gospel. Here's a second thought, number
two. There are local assemblies of
gospel called believers. Actual gospel called believers. There are local assemblies of
gospel called believers. They may be in a city, they may
be in a locality, as we read here in Galatia, it was the churches
of Galatia. That wasn't a city, that was
a locality, a region. So there are local assemblies
of gospel called believers in a city, a locality, even in one
place, it's even said to be the church that is in thy house.
I have a question, and I don't intend on spending a lot of time
to answer the question. Is a person who claims to be
called by the gospel a part of the church? a part of the church
who refuses to assemble with other believers. How could that
be so? When the whole meaning of ecclesia
is what? To call out. Even if it's just
a popular meeting. Even if it's just a religious
congregation. This idea that I'm a member of
God's blood-bought family, but I have no desire and unction,
just this earning thing to be with the people of God, is not
so. Now, Penny and I talked about
this some yesterday, and it was in view of certain individuals,
but I'm not gonna mention them, that's not the point, and I'm
certainly not gonna try to harp or judge those individuals this
morning. But the writer of Hebrews makes
it quite clear. You forsake the assembling of
yourselves together, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin for
you. You have turned your back on
Christ. Now I know there are some who
have no local assembly to gather with. I understand that, but
that's not the point. Anyone who has a group of people
that believes the gospel has been called by the gospel In
your locality and you refuse to gather with them you prove
you're not a part of the church Somebody says you're being awful
strict. No, I'm telling you the truth
I'm telling you the truth Look at our look at our text and was unknown by face unto
the churches of Judea which were in Christ. Somebody says you
don't have to be a member of a church to be in Christ. You
will be a member of the church or you're not in Christ. And
if you are a member of the church and in Christ, and there is a
local church nearby and you know about it, you will seek to be
with them. Seek to be with them. As the
command goes, and forsake not the assembling of yourselves
together, as the manner of some is. But what are we to do? And
I'll paraphrase it now. We're to encourage one another
to be there, be there, be there. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 2. Now look at what it says. And most of you here already
know this. Remember I said there are the
elect, God's blood-bought people, those who are called by the gospel,
and those yet to be called by the gospel. But there are local
assemblies of gospel-called believers, and in 1 Corinthians, look at
how it puts it, 1 Corinthians one and verse two, unto the church
of God, which is at Corinth. Anytime a singular locality is
mentioned and the word church is connected to it, it's always
singular. because it's talking about the
local assembly in one distinct locality. But in our text letter,
Galatians chapter one, Paul an apostle, not of men, neither
by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him
from the dead, and all the brethren which are with me unto the churches
of Galatia. And yet, they were still one
church. And we'll show that in a moment.
And still they're one church, but they're churches because
there were many different local assemblies, because this is a
region, a large region, not just one local city. You could go
on through the other passages in scripture, of course. Now
here's a third thought. The church includes all believers, Think
about turn to Colossians 1 and then I'll read it. I'll read
it for you I want you to be there if you're if you're following
along Colossians chapter 1. I'll give you the verse in just
a moment The church includes all believers as individual members
of Christ's one body Ready hear what I said? The church includes
all believers as individual members of Christ's one body. We can
say there are many churches, but we cannot say there are many
bodies. You remember that one fella,
Penny, on that song we were listening to from YouTube, and he talks
about that John Newton pastored many church bodies? It ain't
so. There are not many church, but
there, what does the book of God, there is, how many body?
One body. One Lord. One faith. Now, a passage
that'll help us with this is Colossians 1, verse 18. And he, verse 18, Colossians,
and he, that's speaking of Christ, of course, look at the context,
and he is the head of the, what? Body, do you see it? He is the
head of not bodies, he is the head of the body, and what's
the body described as? The church, do you see it? Now
while, again, we can say there are many different churches because
there are many different localities, but we dare not say there are
many different bodies. And of course we know from the
Apostle Paul in his letter to our brothers and sisters in Corinth
that in the one body there are many what? Members. So you see
it? Members. So that's number three.
Here's number four. The church is this. It is a local
assembly. A church. But it may include
unbelievers who masquerade as believers. I'll turn to the book
of the Revelation. We'll see this clearly. The book
of the Revelation. Now there are other passages
we can look at. Remember Hymenaeus and Philetus? They were a part of some local
assembly. but they were apostate. But here
we're gonna read it in particular. Now look at Revelation chapter
two, I'm just gonna hit a few verses here. Remember there's
seven different churches, that's local assemblies, because they
were in different cities. Revelation chapter two, verse
nine. Let me make sure I got my, yeah, Revelation two, nine.
This is to the church of, Ephesus, right? I think I'm right
there. But anyway, that's not the point in itself. Look at
verse nine. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty,
but thou art rich. And I know the blasphemy of them
which say they are Jews, and are not. Now is he talking about
just physical Jews? He's talking about a local assembly. In Ephesus, if my looking at
this is right. Look at it. who say they are
Jews and are not, but are actually, they are of the synagogue of
Satan. But yet they're referenced to
this local assembly, one local assembly. Look at chapter two,
verse 14. Verse 14, this is to the church
of Pergamos. Verse 14 and verse, let me look,
14 and 15. But I have a few things against
thee, because thou hast, See it? Because thou hast there. There, where? Pergamos. Thou
hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught
Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel,
to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold
the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Now, in our day and age, Ellen,
everybody's kind of split up into their different churches.
Now, the best name is denomination, because they're not truly different
churches. But don't try to argue that with the world. It'd be
like beating a dead horse, but you can say, there's a church
I believe is in Christ. but use their language, but there's
a church, I'm afraid they're not in Christ. Now that's not
what Paul's referencing, but Jack, I think that's very valid
for our day and age. There are a lot of churches out
here. Some of us pass 15 or 20 of them on the way here, but
I'm afraid I have to say some of them are in Christ, some of
them are not. But look at, here's two different
groups of people that God despises right amidst the church of Pergamos.
All right, we're not done yet. Look at chapter two, one more
verse. Verse 20, this is Thyatira. Notwithstanding, I have a few
things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
which calleth herself a what? A prophetess. to teach and to
seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat things
sacrificed to idols. I gave her space to repent of
her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her
into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. Do you see it?
Somebody says it's got to be metaphorical. Maybe, but I don't
think so. And let me tell you how many
people it'll boggle your mind. How many people in this world
say, well, since I'm saved by grace, it don't matter how I
conduct myself. Ever known some people like that?
I've known some people like that. What's God say? She gonna suffer. I gave her space to repent, she
didn't repent. So I'm saying that a local assembly,
a church, may include unbelievers who are masquerading as believers,
and they may or may not even know it. Some of them may clearly
know, I don't believe like these folks, but I wanna move right
in there. We're not done yet, look at chapter
three. And this will be Sardis, chapter three, verse four. Thou
hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their
garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are
worthy. You see it? So right in the midst
of Sardis was some folks. It didn't matter to them what
they believed, who they believed, how they lived, how they conducted
themselves. We're a member of the church.
Everything's okay. But it wasn't. Now, I'm not gonna
read this one. I will just use this word, Laodicea. And that's all you gotta, if
you've known anything, ever had any instruction from the seven
churches of Asia, if you just mention Laodicea, what do you
think? Christ said, I'm gonna puke you out of my mouth. Huh? So when a person's hope is, well,
I'm a member of that church, Really? What church are you really
a member of? Now somebody says, give me the
answer, preacher. No, because they're called the churches in
Christ. Now, in our text, Paul's phrase,
the churches of Judea, we can put that in any, remember Judea
was not a city, it was a region. basically the southern part of
Israel, basically of the tribe of Judah. Now it included more
in Christ's day because they did not have it separated up
then in Christ's day as it was in the days of say Joshua or
some of the David and some of those. Now in our text, Paul's
phrase, the churches of Judea which were in Christ. is used
to express those Judean believers' blessed position. Since they
were the church, their position was what? In Christ. How many people do I know? I
used to be in this boat myself. Well, but I'm a member of such
and such Baptist church. I made my profession. I went
forward. I prayed the prayer. I gave my
heart to the Lord. None of that is used in scripture.
Turn with me to the, here's a central passage. If you wanna look at
what it means to be in Christ, turn with me to Ephesians chapter
one. If you're not turning, just listen
to what the word of God says. There are many passages in scripture
that will define to us what it means to be in Christ, but this
I will call the central passage of what it means to be in Christ.
And you can't pick and choose what parts of it you want and
what parts of it you don't want. To be in Christ includes it all. And here's what it says, Ephesians
1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God, to the saints which were at Ephesus, and to
the faithful in Christ Jesus. Do you see it? Faithful where
and how? In Christ Jesus. Grace be to
you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places,
where and how and in what way? In Christ, right? In Christ. Outside of Christ,
there's nothing but judgment and woe and wrath. And now he
goes on further to define this, what it means to be in Christ. And he doesn't start with these
people. He starts with God. Before the
world ever began. Look. who have blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ, not
the end of the thought, not the end of the sentence, according
as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. You see it? And somebody says,
I don't like that election. Then you don't like being in
Christ. because God's people were chosen in who? In Christ. Well, I believe God looked down
and seen what I would do. No, God knew what his son would
do and who he would do it for. He chose them in him, not in
themselves. And it's right there in the text.
And yet I was born and raised in a so-called church that just
refused to take this as it says it. According as he has chosen
us where in him Before the foundation of the world that which would
holy and without blame before him in love and yet there's even
more foundation under it than that having Predestinated us
unto what not heaven or hell That's not the point People say,
well, you believe that God predestinated some people to heaven and predestinated
other people to hell. I believe no such thing. God
predestinated those He predestinated unto what? The adoption of children. That's something that takes place
and they experience now, not glory then, but now. having predestinated us under
the adoption of children. But then look at that next phrase.
By Jesus Christ to himself. So who's the actor in this predestinating
thing? Jesus Christ himself. According to the good pleasure
of his will. to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted, how? In Christ. You see it? In the beloved. In whom? He just, Paul just keeps
on, and keeps on, and keeps on, and keeps on with this, in Christ,
in Christ, in Christ, in whom? We have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, and notice that according, according
to the riches of His grace, not out of. Now if I, see if I can illustrate
this. If you come to me and you need some help, you need a few
dollars, you're way behind, and I give to you according to my
riches, you're not, you don't have any reason to expect much.
Right? Now I can give you out of whatever
riches I think I have, but that in reality, Ellen doesn't mouth
to anything. But if my name happened to be
Rockefeller, and I happened to be amongst the Rockefellers a
lot of us know of, and I give to you out of my rich, or no,
according to my riches, you can say, you know what? I probably
won't ever have to worry about money again. He didn't give us
out of his riches. He gave us according to. How much he gave us equals what
he's got. Do you get that? It's not he's
got this much, but he gave us this much. That's from, out of. No, he gave us according to his
riches. You see it? In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace. Wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence. Our minds are so petty. And our
minds are so limited. We think of here's this all wise
God and he gave us just a little speck of that. Wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence. You don't have the wisdom, you
don't have the prudence, but he's abounded toward us in all
wisdom and prudence. Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, aren't you glad God didn't say, well, I'll
just wait till the end before any of them know whether they
have any hope or not? Aren't you glad he didn't do
that? Aren't you glad he gives you a glimmer of hope in the
face of Jesus Christ right now and yet that glimmer I'll use
that word Intentionally that glimmer is the glory of God Revealed
in the face of Jesus Christ We don't really comprehend The magnitude
of him whom we know You know what I mean? But we don't comprehend
them. That knowledge, you say, my knowledge
is so limited. But you know him whom to know
is everything. That's the whole point. To know
Christ is to know God, the creator of this whole universe. Have he made known unto us the
mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he
purposed, where? In himself. In himself. That in the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ. Now you talk about a church gathering
there. That'll be a church gathering.
You remember how the book of the Revelation, John describes
it? Just bear with me. Turn to Revelation, let me find
it. Now I don't have that one down.
Yes, Revelation 19. I thought that was it, but I
wasn't for sure. Turn to the book of the Revelation, chapter
19. And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people
in heaven saying, hallelujah. salvation and glory and honor
and power unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous are his
judgments. For he hath judged the great
whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath
avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said,
hallelujah. And I just, I wish I could say
it in a way that would just, You remember moose parks here
preaching for us one of the first times he said the first time
I went to Niagara Falls He said I heard it way before I ever
saw it He said you just think of if you know what that's like
just think of a thousand Niagara's just this roar of Alleluia, but
look at it. Let's go on and again. They said
alleluia and her smoke rose up forever and ever and the four
of the twenty Elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped
God that set upon the throne saying amen Hallelujah, but they're
not done yet. I just hear this roar of thousands
of redeemed Saints crying Hallelujah, and you're going to be there
If you're in Christ, if I'm in Christ, Jack, you're going to
be there with them. But look, they're not done yet.
We're not done yet. Verse five, and a voice came
out of the throne saying, praise our God, all ye his servants,
and ye that fear him, both small and great. That's what it means
to be in Christ. That's what it means to be in Christ. You
see it? Be his servant. Deferim, listen, and I heard
as were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of,
this is why Moose used that illustration, many waters, like this gigantic
waterfall, this sound, rushing sound, as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of mighty thundering saying, listen to it, this is
what we're gonna say, we're gonna say, alleluia! for the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth. I don't comprehend that right
now, Jack. I just don't. Sometimes I sit
here and I mope in my mind. I mope and I complain and I grumble. Why? Why? Why? Hallelujah. You see, we can say it now, by
His grace. Because He reigns, not just then,
He reigns when? Right now. But one day, is that
a pipe dream? No, it's the truth of God. One
day we'll all cry this cry together. Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth. Now back to our text so I can
close this up and we will take our Lord's table. Ephesians chapter
one. 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 in earth, even
in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will. that we should be to
the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. Who's God
the Father first trusted the Son to get the work done? I was
always taught the Jews trusted Him first, now us Gentiles trust
Him next. That ain't what that's talking
about. The nearest antecedent is God the Father who did all
the predestinating. He trusted Him first. He sent
Him to do a job, and He said, I came to do my Father's will. He made statements like this,
and I'm sure he made them more than once. It's only recorded
once in the New Testament. This commandment have I received
of my Father. You see, I don't know how it
went. I'm just using a human illustration. But I picture in
my mind, God the Father saying to God the Son, now you gotta
go do that. You gotta do that. You gotta
do that. And the son saying, lo, I come
to do thy will, O God. I'll take away the first that
I might establish the second. Let's go on. that we should be
to the praise of his glory, God's glory, who first trusted in Christ,
in whom ye also, that's what it means to be in Christ, in
whom ye also, and trust is not bad, it's not in there, but that's
what he's talking about. God the Father trusted him first,
what do we do? We trust him. You see, most people
believe him, I'm using the word, most people believe him, but
they do not trust him. Now, do they? How do I know that? Because they're always trying
to add to his work. And if you're trying to add to
his work, it means you don't trust him. Let me give this illustration. Everybody, well, maybe not everybody,
most people here may know Darwin Pruitt, he's a country
boy, preacher from down in Alabama, a country boy. He said, can you
imagine, he said, I went to, he's telling the story, he said,
I went to Washington, D.C., they have the, what's the big, Smithsonian,
have all of those big, nice museums, and he said, I went in there
and was looking at these paintings by these men they call the Dutch
Masters. He said, it was just masterful paintings. He said,
and over here to the side was this big burly guy, about 300
pounds, about six foot four, and it wasn't fat, it was all
muscle. And he's standing there real calm right beside that painting.
He said, what do you think he would have done if I'd have sat
there, picked up my little box of crayons, and headed toward
that Dutch master painting and said, I think I'm just gonna
touch this up a little bit and make it a little bit better.
He said, well, he would have wallowed me in the floor into
nothing. But that's what it's like when we try to add to the
work of Jesus Christ. We can and do trust Him. We trust Him. What did Paul say? I've committed it to Him. But when do we trust Him? How
is it that you ever come to trust him? Did you just decide one
day, I think I'll just trust Jesus Christ? Paul tells us here
that we should be to the praise of his glory, verse 12, who first
trusted in Christ, in whom he also trusted. After, after that
you heard the word of truth. The gospel, the good news of
your salvation. You didn't hear that you could
be saved? You heard that Jesus Christ had
saved you. And in this way, you heard that
He'd redeemed you already. You heard that He'd reconciled
you already. You heard that He'd already made
peace with God. Already! That's what you heard. And whom you also trusted after
that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Whom also after that you believed ye were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise God's got his seal on you That dose that don't just mean
you can't get away You seal something Mac if you want to lock it up
so nobody else can mess with it. You seal it We do know what
a seal also does It preserves you so you won't rot and and
tell what you do when you preserve your vegetables. And I know this
is a human illustration. They'll eventually go bad, Ellen,
but you put those vegetables in that jar, and you put that
lid and that ring on there, and you put it in that hot, you know,
steam thing. Well, it preserves it. God's preserving you. And you
say, but preacher, look at what I am. That's why he's got to
preserve you. Don't you get it? You'll rot
on your own. That's the whole point. That's
the whole point. And after that you believed,
you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the,
and I like the way Earl used to say this, it's the truth,
which is the guarantee, the earnest. You heard of guarantee money?
Okay, man says you owe me a thousand, well I'll give you a hundred
for now. He said that's fine, that'll hold it. That makes it
so, the rest has gotta come. It's coming folks, it's coming. God's not gonna let you rot.
I'm talking about rot in here, in your mind. Oh this body may
rot, but he's not gonna let your heart and your mind rot. Which
is the earnest of our inheritance, look at it, until the redemption
of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory I Remember
Don Fortner said is his life. It's like one of these days Jesus
Christ is going to present us to God the Father But he's not
going to do it like we are now He gonna change even our vile
body and fashion it like into his own glorious body. And he will present to God the
Father and say, here, look at what I've done. You see, those
called by the gospel, those who find it a joy to be in one body,
those who gather together Here it is, why do we gather together?
Because we're so important? Is it because I'm so great and
you just got to be around Walter Pendleton and see what he went
through last week? It has nothing to do with that,
does it? Why do we gather together? To hear of and worship Jesus
Christ. That's what's drawn this group
together for all these years, is Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ. I'm telling you, those who are
called by the gospel, those that find it a joy to be in that one
body, those who gather together for the worship of Christ, they're
the ones in Christ. And nobody else. Nobody else. Heavenly Father, Lord, may these
words, they won't cease all of our conflict. and all of our
difficulty, but Lord, may you be pleased by the power of your
spirit to comfort us in the midst of our difficulty, in the midst
of our failures and our sins. But Lord, we don't simply confess
our sins. We cry out unto you, oh God,
work in us both the will and the do of your good pleasure.
In Christ's name, amen.