I'll turn to Matthew chapter
16 again. I will not stay there long. I
will just read the one verse again. Matthew chapter 16 and
verse 18. Our Lord is speaking here specifically
unto Peter. He's certainly saying this to
all the disciples that were with him there. He says, 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.
Christ declared, I will build my church. Build my church. The whole thought of the word
build to any believer's mind and hearing the Lord of Glory
saying that, knows that this is no slip shod thing as I've
said before. Last week I talked about the
church's organization. And the main theme was oneness.
Oneness. You remember from Ephesians 4.
One. One. One Lord. One faith. One
baptism. Now I want to talk about the
church's organization. And one of the words I will use
is this. Order. Order. Now let me reemphasize. I'm not talking about the church
being an organization. That's not what I'm talking about.
The word organization means arrangement. Structure. Not a structure, but
structure. Order. Anyone who has been trained
and has some experience in building knows that you must build in
a certain way if it's to be built properly. So when I say the church's
organization, I mean it in that light. Arrangement, structure,
and order. That's the meaning of the word
organization. That word's not used there. But
when you build, and when Christ builds, we can rest assured he's
doing it according to arrangement, structure, and order. But the word also implies, that's
organization, implies coherence and union, coherence and union. That's why I used the word this
morning, the church's organization order. Some of these terms are
actually directly used and expressed in scripture concerning the church.
And I want to give you several things, about eight, but I want
to try to be brief on them, but we'll see how that goes. So as
I said, some of these terms are directly expressed in scripture
concerning the church. Paul told Titus, he said, I left
you in Crete to set in order the things that we're wanting. The whole meaning of that phrase,
especially as manifested in the Greek language, is to straighten
further that which is lacking. to make needed corrections. The church is perfect in Christ,
but only perfect in Christ. We are one and at unity in Christ,
but only in Christ. The church local, in all of its
local assemblies, being made up of men and women, regenerated
though they may be, and converted though they may be. And I say
that because the local assembly also has imposters in it. The
church universal has no imposters in it. But the church local has
imposters in it. Some know they're impostors,
others are deceived and don't realize they're impostors, but
be that as it may, the church being made up of believing men
and women is made up of imperfect men and women. And that's why
I believe is one of the reasons Paul, before he speaks of that
great oneness, you know, one this, one that, one everything,
he still says, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace. Why? Because he's speaking, he
was speaking to, and those words still relate to imperfect men
and women. So Paul said, I left you in Crete
to set in order the things that we're wanting. and to ordain
elders in every city. So to this order we see is to
straighten further what is lacking, to make needed corrections. One
thing here, let us never think that simply because we've always
done something this way that that makes it right. But at the
same time, let us never be so rebellious that we say we don't
need change. We don't change for change's
sake. And we dare not change to be
conformed to this world that we might have the results that
this world looks for in numbers or whatever it might be. But
never let us be afraid of change when we realize the Word of God
warrants that change. Mason and I talked a little bit
about this the other day. It's easy to fall into the trap
of And this applies to me and everyone else, but I've always
understood it that way or this way. That's perfectly valid if
your understanding was right in accord with the Word of God.
But if our understanding is discovered to be wrong, then by God's grace
may He bow us to things being needed to be set in order. It's also used, another word
for order is used, regular arrangement. or official dignity. Paul spoke
of it in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 40. Let me just
read that verse so you get the idea of what I'm talking about
here. 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 40. Let all things be done decently
and in order. That is regular arrangement.
If you go back, one of the first times this word is used is back
in Luke chapter 1 of John the Baptist's father, who was a priest. So go to Luke chapter 1, and
we'll get an idea of, and as one preacher once said, the law
of first mention is very important. Especially in the scripture.
Luke chapter 1. Just a little bit of the context,
verse 7, and they had no child because that Elizabeth was barren
and they both were now well stricken in years. This is John the Baptist,
mother and father. And it came to pass that while
he executed the priest's office because God, before God, in the
order of his course. In other words, in the Old Testament,
it's clear, especially as seen in the law and the worship of
God under that Old Covenant, everything was ordered specifically,
designed and arranged by God specifically. It had structure
to it. Yes, sir. Will you remember one
of the preachers mentioned it yesterday? It may have been Gabe.
I don't remember exactly or correctly for sure. Speaker, do you remember
the deal with Uzzah? when they were bringing the Ark
of the Covenant back. And according to the structure,
the arrangement, the order of the law, it was to be carried
on the shoulders of the priest with the staves in the rings.
But David had this new idea. We'll use oxen that's never pulled
anything, which was a bad idea to start with. and we'll make
a brand new cart, and this will be a glorious thing." And as
the oxen stumbled, the cart evidently began to shift back and forth,
and that ark began to evidently sway, and Uzzah retched up. An
honorable thing, wouldn't you think? But he retched up to steady
the ark, and God struck the man dead. Why? Because they did it not according
to due order. Now that's what we read here.
Let all things be done decently and what? In order. We're not talking simply about
using religious rites. That's not what we're talking
about. That's not what Paul's talking about here. But it is regular
arrangement. It is to do something with official
dignity. When we gather here, we gather
to worship the Lord of glory. I'm not saying we can't laugh,
enjoy one another's company and that kind of thing, but we are
gathered here to worship the eternal God. And this eternal
God is a God of order and arrangement and structure. And it should
be engaged in with official dignity. Official dignity. So much so
that this is why we read, Paul uses the word again, that is
this other Greek word for order Colossians chapter 2, and he
writes these words to the believers at Colossae. And they're sound
words for us. Chapter 2, For I would that ye
knew what great conflict I had for you, for them at Laodicea,
You know, when you then read, I can imagine, Joe, him writing
this to them and thinking, yes, our brothers and sisters in Laodicea.
But then when you read the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ
and what Christ said to the church at Laodicea, you know something
went wrong terribly somewhere. Did it not? Even so much that
Christ was saying to some, I'll vomit you out of my mouth. That's
striking. Joe a little frightful. To them
that lay I see, and for as many as have not seen my face in the
flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together,
and there you see what I say, the coherence and the union.
Their hearts being knit together in love. You don't find this
out there in pseudo-Christianity. You do not find the coherence
and the order and the union that is manifest amidst the people
of God. You just don't do it. And the
religious world, pseudo-Christianity, just don't get it. It's like
water off a duck's back or an old friend right over their head.
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and
into all riches of the full assurance of understanding. So understanding
is beneficial because it'll do what? Full assurance. You can't
be fully assured of something that you're not quite sure of.
Full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the
mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I listened to a little
bit of the radio this morning before our broadcast came on.
And it was an announcement by the Salvation Army that said,
in the Bible is where most wisdom is found. Really? Most wisdom is found there? All wisdom is found there. Wisdom will be found nowhere
else other than in God's Word. But it is personified in the
person of the Son, in whom, notice that, in whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man
should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent
in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding
your what? Order. Order. And steadfastness
of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Rooted and built up
in Him, established in the faith, and so forth and so on. So it
means to straighten further that which is lacking, to make needed
corrections. It means to walk in, to stand
firm in the regular arrangement, and to do so with official dignity. This is not a sports arena where
we're merely here to hoop and holler about something we really
like real well. This is about the worship and
the praise and the adoration of God as manifest in the person
of His Son Jesus Christ. But thirdly, it means to arrange
thoroughly, to institute or prescribe, and you'll see that word used
by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 specifically verse 34, where he corrects irregularities,
even dangerous irregularities, concerning the table of the Lord.
Right? They were making it into a day
with a drunken feast. I mean, that ought to have been
the furthest thing from their mind. And yet here a church,
one of the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ had let the table
of the Lord denigrate into a drunken feast. Paul says, the rest will I set
in order when I come. So evidently there were some
other problems there. Right? The rest will I set in order.
I'll arrange it thoroughly. We'll institute this thing and
prescribe it the way it ought to be prescribed. Now he was
an apostle. being given direction by Christ.
Christ spoke specifically with him. I'm not an apostle. I don't
have that office. I'm not one of those gifts. Right
here is all we have today. And this book, this word, is
the rule of our faith and our practice. You remember, turn
back, I'm not going to turn there, but turn back there for me to
Judges chapter 17 just a moment. I will not fully get to what
I was wanting to get to, but I'm wanting to lay the foundation.
Remember, the church is an organization. There's order here. There's arrangement
here. Even in the way we conduct the
Lord's Table. Now Mason, there's a lot of things about it. We're
not told, so we're at liberty to do it as best we know how
in a good conscience. But there are other things we're
told. He said, you got houses to eat in, you eat in your house.
Don't make this table a drunken feast. The rest of it I'll set
in order when I come, as an illustration of what I'm talking about. But
go to, you're in Judges 17. Now go to verse six. There's
a phrase there, and it's used, I think, another time. And every
man did that which was right in his own eyes. You remember
that phrase? But look why. Do you see the
first few words? And there was no king in Israel. And this is why men do what is
right in their own eyes. This is why the so-called church
today, pseudo-Christianity, I believe it's a false church. Mason, I
believe it's so far removed from the truth you can't even really
call it a church. Why is it that it's so disordered? Why is it
that this book doesn't matter to them? Why is it that the steadfastness
of the faith in Christ does not matter to them? Because there's
no king in that church. That's why. And when there is
no king to rule and to reign, what do the subjects do? They
turn to total anarchy. They begin to do that which is
right in their own eyes. Thank God according to Ephesians
chapter 1 verses 20 through 23 of the church Christ is the head
and he is preeminent in all things to the church. Seeing that we
have a king, we have order, we have structure, we have arrangement,
and we like it. that way. You see a true believer
likes it that way because I am reminded of back yonder Joe when
I wasn't in my right mind and even David of my flesh now of
how much it rebelled against order and structure. I wanted
to do that which was right in my own eyes. But now I know there
is the superior way. The superior way. So let us never
think that this thing is just some wild, cut loose, do what
everybody and anybody wants to do. It ain't that way. Is it? I mean, we're even told, you
know, about working. I mean, I've mentioned this before,
and I know there are exemptions, but they're not exemptions to
the rule. They're just exemptions. You know, Paul said, if a man
don't work, He's not to eat. And if he walks around disorderly
and is in a busy body, then don't treat him like he's not a brother,
but you better exhort him and warn him. And remember, Paul
even told Titus about the Cretans. He said, one of their own prophets
said, there are always evil beasts and slow bellies. He wasn't very
politically correct, I'll tell you that. But what did he say? This witness is true. You know,
it's a fact. Wherefore, rebuke them sharply
that they may be sound in the faith. So order, arrangement,
structure is necessary. Why? Because God knows how we're
so prone to scatter to do our own thing. Don't we? That's why. But for the believer,
we desire to have it so. Because I still know how prone
I am to want it my own way. And he's allowed me to see, he's
suffered me to see and suffered himself to put up with. Sometimes
letting me have just enough cord mason or rope to hang myself
so to speak. But thank God aren't you glad
he's got the noose around your neck. Well, that means you can't
go but so far. You ever had a choke collar on
a dog? I know the SPCA may not like this message since I mentioned
this. What's it do? It constrains. It restrains. And sometimes that's what it
takes. Yes, sir. Sometimes that's what it takes.
But nevertheless, I say we desire it. Now, if that is totally offensive
to you, then you're not a believer. I don't care. It's a small group
to preach to and to say that. But a person who doesn't want
it to be so, doesn't believe God. But, there is also coherence
and union. There is coherence and union
established by Christ. And I'm just going to read some
of these, make a few statements, because I definitely want to
at least get started on the summing thing of this. The church's organization
order. There is coherence and union
established by Christ. Ephesians chapter 2. And many of these passages I've
already mentioned to us. I've already went over them.
Some of them in detail to some degree. Verse 19, now therefore
you're no more strangers and foreigners. He's writing to Gentiles
who are now, have experienced I should say, being a part of
the body of Christ, the church. Now therefore you're no more
strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints.
and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together. In other words, He's not just
throwing up a few two-by-fours here and there. Now speak of
a stick building, which I said the church is not a stick building,
but he's not just throwing up a few little walls here and there
and say, boy, well, that's all right. I don't know. It's fitly
framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in
whom ye are also builded together. Now think about this. For an
habitation of God through the Spirit. God is not just up there. He is. Father and Son. But God the Spirit is where?
In here. In this physical body. What an amazing thing to contemplate. So there is coherence and union
established by Christ. Secondly, there is coherence
and union in the body which is to be guarded. Turn to 1 Corinthians
chapter 12. Now, you see, we must be careful
lest we get on this, and I've done lost the word. What is it when you just, something's
inevitable, but it's just gonna happen, but it doesn't matter.
Somebody help me. Fate. Yeah, fate. We must, that's
the one. We must be careful lest we have
this fatalistic outlook on things. Because remember, the church
is manifested, manifested, manifested in its local aspect. And it is
not perfect in its local aspect. And we must fight against that
imperfection constantly. But anyway, let me get back.
There is coherence and union in the body which is to be guarded. 1 Corinthians 12, did I tell
you that already? Are you there? In verse 24 and
25. For our comely parts have no
need. But God hath tempered the body
together. Do you see that? It's not an
arm over here and a leg over there and a foot down yonder.
It's a body. It's not pieces in a morgue.
That's what pseudo-Christianity is at best. Tempered the body
together having given more abundant honor to the part which lacked
and said, but why would he have some parts lack? Well, that's
his business. He put us in the body as it pleased
him And if you don't have what somebody else has quit complaining
against God be thankful for what he did give you He could have
left you without the building and without the body. We don't
deserve to be a part of the body and I mean, believe you me as
a preacher of the Gospel for 30 years, there are times when
I find my flesh rising up and murmuring and complaining. Then I'm ashamed of myself. But,
that there be no schism in the body. Do you see it? It needs
to be guarded. You see? that there be no schism
in the body, but that the members should have the same care one
for another. So there is coherence and union
in the body, which is to be what? Guarded. Thirdly, there is coherence
and union to our mutual benefit. I've read this one to you, Ephesians
chapter 4. Verse 16, from whom the whole body fitly joined together
and compacted by that which every joint supplies. Now yes, all
of our sustenance comes initially, intrinsically from the head. But just as a body works, the
head, all the body is not connected directly to the head. The body,
the head is a part of it. It's there. Blood flows all throughout
the body. Nourishment goes all throughout
the body and different parts help other parts. That which
every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part maketh increase of the body under the
edifying of itself in love. You see it? That is there is
coherence and union to our mutual benefit. We need one another. Well, I
got Christ. I don't need anybody else. You're
mistaken. It may sound to be a noble thing,
but when you're a part of a body, it's to deny the body. It's to
make Christ nothing but a big head, David. Have you seen the
commercial where you have the horseless headsman, not the headless
horseman? And his great old big head on
his little teeny body. And once he eats in the Snickers bar,
you know. That's the way some people want
to view Christ. He's just this great big head. As long as I'm
connected to him, it don't matter. No, we're in a part of a body.
Why? Because God structured it that way. God has arranged it
that way. God has ordered it that way.
And to think any other way is to say there must be some better
way. And there is no better way. Why? Because God said, do it
this way. He said, I'm doing it this way.
That's right. Fourthly, there is a common theme
of coherence and union. Turn to Philippians. Philippians
chapter 1, verse 27. Let your conversation, and that
means more than what we say. It has to do with the whole of
your life. Only let your conversation be
as becometh the law of Moses. Is that what it says? That was
a different version. I must have been reading that
one. Only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of
Christ. That whether I come and see you
else be absent. I may hear of your affairs that
ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind." Do you see the union,
the coherence there? Do you see it? Doing what? Striving
together for the faith of the gospel. Now the first priority
of the body in the body, Mason, is to defend the body. That's
the first priority of the body in the body is to defend the
body. And that's why in Ephesians 4,
the first thing, remember we went over that in detail, the
oneness, the first thing, these gifts, these men, gifts given
to the church, the first thing was verse 12, for the perfecting
of the saints. You see that? For the perfecting
of the saints. In other words, the church, when
it comes to things in this world, the church is number one. when
it comes to things in this world. Well, my community comes first. No. No. My marriage comes first. No. No. Your marriage is of a
high order. But your marriage doesn't come
first. God sometimes splits people up. You remember he killed one
woman's husband and his name was Nabal and she said he's a
fool. Remember that? Huh? David came in and she went
out to entreat David because she knew David was going to take
his head off. Well, God ended up killing him anyway and he
was out of her hair. And David ended up marrying the woman.
Now, go figure that one out. Let that be preached at the First
Baptist Church in downtown Beckley. Well, what are you saying? I
didn't say anything. I just told you what the scripture says. Striving together for the faith
of the gospel. But as I've pointed out, let
us never become so complacent that all we do is try to protect
ourselves. Let us take this battle out here
to the enemy. Because there's some of the members
of the body that are still stuck out there. They're still out
there. They're still behind the walls
of the citadels of man's pride and rebellion and false religion.
And they need the gospel. They need it. They must have
The gospel. It don't matter. I'll just wait
for God to bring them to me. Whoa, no. Whoa, no. Is that what
Jonah did? Well, I'll just wait. Jonah,
if you want Nineveh to be alright, you send the kings there to me.
No, God says you go to them. That's right. There was an Ethiopian
eunuch. God could have easily have sent
him and left him in Jerusalem. Yes, sir. He'd just been in Jerusalem. Exactly, yeah. God had sent him
out of Jerusalem. Why didn't God keep him in Jerusalem?
Because God was pleased to send. Yeah. But sin, and that's what
God does, is sinned. He sins. See, it's not just,
we're going to sit here, and as long as God brings, you know,
maybe they'll come in here every once in a while. People out yonder
ain't going to come here to listen to us. The only place we're going
to have any contact is to take it out there. Take it out there. Can God bring somebody here?
Yeah, he can. But usually he only brings them
here once they've been attacked and assaulted by the gospel and
conquered by the gospel out there. And then they say, I want to
go beyond it and hear what that's all about. I think I need to
join up with those folks. No, there is a common theme of
coherence and union. And it's summarized that striving
together for the faith of the gospel. You know, I know some
people become a little perturbed. All y'all people talk about though
is the gospel this, Christ that, this gospel that. Because that's
the whole of this message. The whole of this book all points
to Jesus Christ and that is the gospel. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. Because it is the power of God unto salvation. Unto everyone that believeth,
to the Jew first, also to the Greek. In other words, my word
shall not return to be void. Everything we do by the enablement
of the Spirit of God will accomplish exactly what God Almighty ordained
for it to accomplish. Even if it hardens some. Even
if that's all He does is harden Everybody that hears it I don't
necessarily David Like I want to see some results some positive
results. I want to see these But that's
God's business is it not If God breaks down a citadel Because
he structured and arranged and ordered to do it if he leaves
that citadel standing That's his business. That's his business. Fifthly, our union has eternal
weight. Turn to Romans chapter 8. This
union I'm speaking of has eternal weight. Romans 8. The last part of this is going
to have to be another message. Wasn't planning on it being,
but that's alright. It's kind of hard to preach after
a message like Job preached. I would just as soon sit down
there and not have to say anything else. Got another scripture reading
to be done with it, but be that as it may. Romans chapter 8,
I'll begin at verse 14. We say our union has eternal
weight. Romans 8 verse 14. For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. I will use part
of Joe's message. That prodigal son began to fear
first. I perish. Well, I thought y'all people
believed that the elect wasn't going to go to hell. They're
not going to go to hell. But they know they deserve to
go to hell. They know, was it not for God's mercy and grace,
they ought to go to hell. And if they're not really one
of the elect, even though they may think they are, they will
go to hell. The first thing God does is bring
you to see the very bondage you're really in. That's the first thing. Darwin Pruitt mentioned it yesterday.
He said the gospel won't even make any difference to you until
God Almighty shows you what you really are as a sinner. That's
right. And that's the truth. Yes sir. For you have not received
the spirit of a bondage again to fear, again, but you've received
what? The spirit of adoption. And that
prodigal son said I'll rise and go to where? He wasn't thinking
about the Father before, he's thinking about himself. But it's
I'll rise and go to the Father. That's right. Now look, the Spirit
itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children
of God. And if children, then heirs. Heirs of God. And joint heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified, what? Together. You see it? Together. Well, as
long as I make it to heaven, that's all that matters. No,
if we don't all make it, then God Almighty is a liar. Now,
you hear what I said? If we don't all make it, the
whole body, the whole church, every member of that body doesn't
make it. If one member wants to fall outside,
Joe, then God was a liar. But God cannot lie. We shall be glorified, how? Together. Now think, I said, our union
has eternal weight and it will be gained, not by bits and pieces,
one here and one there. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Now you know what this is, verse
13. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 13. This is the passage that most
modern day Pre-millennials will use to try to scare people to
make a religious decision. So you're not left behind when
Jesus comes again Right, that's not what this passage is for
No way shape or form Look at it first Thessalonians 4 verse
13, but I would not have you to be ignorant why because their
structure There's order there's arrangement here But I would
not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no
hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord. that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent,
and that word would be better, proceed, that's go before, shall
not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise, what? First. First. Then, we which are alive and
remain shall be caught Up, you see that next word, together. It's not they gonna go up there
and then we gotta sit around here and mill around so I wonder
what's going on now. According to Paul, first Corinthians 15,
it's gonna happen like that. In the moment, in the twinkling
of an eye. The dead's gonna, trumpets gonna
sound. The last trump will go forth,
Joe. The dead in Christ, the ones
that have been brought with him, they're going to be raised first,
but it's going to be so quick that right after that, in a millisecond
if I can say so, with reverence and all, in a millisecond, those
of us who are alive and remain will be changed and we'll all
go up how? Together. You see that? Together. Now where was I at? Yeah, together. will be caught
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And why do we teach
this? Wherefore comfort one another with these words. In other words,
God ain't going to leave none of us behind. In the ground dead,
in literal language, or alive and remaining. He ain't going
to leave none of us behind. I mean the left behind series
is a misnomer. It's a misnomer. They're worried
about the ones that are going to be left behind. The ones that
are going to be left behind will be left behind no matter what
because it's meant for them to be left behind. The ones that
are supposed to go up, they're going up and they're going up
together. I like that because I know if
God takes you and I'm like you are in Christ, He's got to take
me too. When this happens, if you're
in Christ and I'm in Christ, He takes you, He's got to take
me too. He promised to do so. That lets me say. I don't want to be left behind.
You don't want to be one of those that's left behind. But if you
are, you're a goner. Now, I've got some of this up
and just let you have a little taste of God willing next time.
Think of this, the heavens, the scripture says this, the heavens
declare the glory of God. I'm intrigued and I know this,
I'm intrigued when I see these pictures of NASA of these distant
Joe galaxies. I mean a whole nother galaxy.
You know we look at it with the naked eye and it looks like one
star. It's not just one star. This is what they say. That's
a whole nother galaxy out there of billions of stars swirling
around in different configuration, but swirling it around the central
mass. But in all of that, that intrigues
me. I just look at that and I'm like, why? Because I know my
God did this. And it lets me know that in the
scheme of things, I ain't nothing. all of that distance out there
and I'm this little speck of breathing flesh and blood and
bone and yet God sent His Son to this terrestrial ball for
little specks like us. The heavens declare the glory
of God and one of the ways that this is seen is in its organization,
its arrangement, its order. We look out there and we might
say, well there's an explosion of this or this or that, but
there's still arrangement and order. I mean everywhere we look,
David, every one of them galaxies, they don't find one just doing
this. They're all doing this. All of them. And then they're
doing this. Now, yeah, they say they collide
every once in a while. We don't know if that's still
happening. Even they admit, that took place, could have took place
billions of years ago. See, we don't really know if
them things are still out there. Have you ever thought about that?
Mason, if it takes so many millions of years for that light to get
there, what's out there that we're seeing now may not even
be there now. It may have done went, pfft. But here's the whole
point. Our God holds all this together. We keep going around our sun
because God Almighty said so. When that sun spews forth one
of those solar blasts and the particles hit the northern atmosphere
and they see those lights, those northern lights, that's God Almighty
doing those things. But it's all structure. even the eternal purpose of God
in Christ, which was all in God's mind at one time. God never has
a new thought. God doesn't plan one thing and
say, hey, this will work good with that. We think that way
because we're finite creatures. God never thought that way. It
was all predestination, election, redemption, Regeneration, conversion,
perseverance, resurrection, rapture, all of it was in the mind of
God. And I can't even say at one time,
at once, if even that's the most appropriate way to say it. And
yet, and yet that God has spread out before us this very eternal
purpose with order. He gives it to us in an orderly
arrangement. And we see that clearly presented
in Ephesians chapter one. Now you know where I was going
with all of that. And I know again, if it wasn't for Ephesians
chapter one and Romans nine, we'd have no basis for what we
believe, wouldn't we? Well, wait a minute, isn't that
enough? I mean, you know, people say, well, you always go to that.
That was actually said about me. I always preach from Romans
nine. I wish, I would do that. If I
thought you all wouldn't get tired of it. Quit coming, I'd
preach from Romans 9 every Sunday. There's enough there to do 50
lifetimes of preaching. But be that as it may. Think
of it though, what I'm saying. The eternal purpose of God, which
was all in the mind and purpose of God at once, yet God lays
it out for us creatures with order and structure. Isn't that
amazing? Why? Because He wants us. No? No. He has purpose for us
to know these things. To comprehend with all saints. Isn't that what Paul goes on
to say? Joe, you preached on that here.
Verse 18, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may
know what is the hope of His calling and what is the riches
of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. God has been pleased
to reveal to us this beauty and splendor that's all in himself
at one time. Yes sir. But Mason for him to
do it he has to lay it out for us with structure and order and
arrangement. There's no way we could even
fathom to even begin to comprehend it apart from that. You're right.
Now let me tell you, let me give you this and Lord willing we'll
look at it next week. What's this beauty and splendor?
God the Father, and we'll look at it God willing in detail,
but I'm going to give you these seven things God the Father,
in chapter 1 verse 3, hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places. He hath. He says, I pray that
you comprehend it. Say, I don't understand that.
It's because it's impossible to get it all at one time. Or
no, comprehend it all at one time, even though it's been given
to you all at one time. He hath blessed us. Not His blessing. Hath blessed us. But there's
a preceding cause, according as, verse four. You see it? According as, he chose us. But even the election had a precedent.
Oh, you did know that didn't you? Having predestinated, in
verse five. So God gives us, actually though
he mentions election first, the predestination actually preceded
the election in God's order. in God's arrangement. Now it's
not that God, see yesterday we were saying, well we predestinated,
then He said, alright, who am I going to choose to do that? That's
not the way God works. But that's the way it's presented
to us. But having, having predestinated,
and it's not until these two, or actually three, blessed us
with all spiritual blessings. According as He chose us. Having
predestinated us, and then He said, listen, you had to be redeemed
and forgiven too. Huh? Think about that. What's
that tell me? Oh yeah, it looks like Christ. Yes! You know what that tells
me? There was going to be a problem with us. If God had the purpose,
this redemption and forgiveness, Mason, then something was going
to go wrong with us. Not wrong with His purpose, but
something went wrong with us. You know what went wrong with
us? We fell in Adam. Remember that father said, my
son, which was lost. Lost. Redemption. And then he says, what? But this
flow, redemption flows what? Wherein. Verse 8. Wherein. And from this flows what? The
gospel declaration. You also trusted, but you didn't
trust until what? After that. Well, I, you know, I trusted
the Lord and then I came to know the doctrines of grace. That
is not the way God does it. It's not. You don't trust until
after that Jew year. And then we get this summarization
by Paul. This arrangement has its effect
in verse 15. He says, wherefore? Now God willing, next week we'll
look at some of those things in detail. Father, be with those
who weren't able to be here today, for whatever hindering cause
or reason, Lord, comfort their hearts and minds, and Lord, give
them some sense of peace and normalcy even in their bodies,
Lord. We pray this as finite creatures, Lord, not knowing
what is best for us, putting our petitions before
You. But Lord, in all things, bow us, bow us to Your sovereign
will, and bow us down joyfully in Christ. It's in His name I
ask these things. Amen.