Your Bibles, if you would, to
Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. This morning in Sunday School
we looked at how the believer is kept by the power of God.
And I had mentioned there that we ought never to let this wondrous
salvation that we have in Christ become commonplace to us. May
we ever let it be freshened. And as we hear the gospel preached
and proclaimed, and may it be a wonder to our souls each time
we hear it, because it truly is wondrous that God would have
mercy upon sinners. It's truly wondrous. And let
us remember too, as we look at the scriptures, that these scriptures,
like in Ephesians, these are written to saints like you and
I, people who are going through life. I think we often forget
that, that these letters are written to to people who are
suffering and going through the same things that we are while
we journey through this world. And these letters were sent by
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God to encourage and to build
up the saints in Christ Jesus our Lord, to encourage them while
they go through trials. And whether they be, again, as
I mentioned this morning, physical or mental trials or tribulations.
And both can be very hard. And the scriptures bring great
comfort to the believer. Great comfort to the believer.
Today I'd like to look at how, at some points of how it pleased
God to do these things. And let us remember who it is
who's doing these things. Whom it pleased to do is God
Almighty. The sovereign God of the universe
who is in control of all things, the Almighty, the self-existent
one, the eternal one, And there are some things that pleased
him to do. And I think we who are redeemed will be greatly
blessed by seeing these things. Look at Ephesians chapter 1 verses
1 to 12. an apostle of Jesus Christ by
the will of God to the saints which are Ephesus and to the
faithful in Christ Jesus. So Paul's writing to a group
of believers in Ephesus, saints like you and I are, we who are
redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, we who are born again
by the Holy Spirit of God. He's writing to like-minded individuals
who go through the same things that we go through. And as I
say, oftentimes we forget that. But this is who he's writing
to. the faithful in Christ Jesus. And we're only faithful because
Christ keeps us. It says, 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 in Christ. Look at that
marvelous verse. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us. Well, who's
he blessed? He's blessed his people, his
elect. Those saints that he's writing, that Paul's writing
to. With all spiritual blessings, there's not one left out, everything
we need, all spiritual blessings that we need to stand before
God, justification, forgiveness of all our sins, sanctification,
is all provided in and through Christ Jesus our Lord. All in
Him. All spiritual blessings in heaven
and places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us
in Him, So again, he's taking us back to before the foundation
of the world. He's taking us to eternity. Eternity
past. According as he has chosen us
and chosen their means to choose, chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in law. Having predestinated us into
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to
the good pleasure of his will. This is what God has done. This
is what God's done for the believers. This is what God's done for the
saints at Ephesus, and if you're a believer, this is what God's
done for you. It fills me with awe. This is
what God's done. And look at verse five. Having
predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself according to the good pleasure of what? His will, because
it pleased him to do so. It pleased him. To the praise
of the glory of his grace, Wherein He hath made us accepted in the
Beloved. Note, He did it. He made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption. There
is the payment price for all our sins through His blood. The
forgiveness of sins. How many sins? All of our sins.
Every single one. Past, present, and future. It's amazing. And it's all, and
because when we look at that mountain of sin in our lives,
right? Augustus Toplady, who wrote Rock of Ages, he was supposed
to be a mathematician of some kind. And he figured out that
if we live to be 80 years old, we sin like eight billion times. Eight billion times, if we live
to age 80. I remember telling one grace
preacher that, he says, well, I think I doubled that. But it's
true though, isn't it? Because we're all sinners. So
eight billion sins, just put a number on it like that. Can
we pay for one of them? No. But Christ paid for them
all, didn't he? He paid them all. Well, that's
according to the riches of his grace. My grace, grace, wondrous
grace. wondrous grace, wherein he hath
bounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known
unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure,
it pleased him, 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 in earth, even in him, in whom also we have attained
an inheritance, and we looked at that inheritance this morning,
what an inheritance we have in Christ, and it's undefiled, uncorruptible,
and fadeth not away. My goodness, being predestinated
according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after
the counsel of His own will. Do you notice something in what
we're reading here? It's all according to God's will.
Man boasts about his own supposed free will. Our will is bound
to our nature, beloved. Oh my, if we're dead in sin,
we have a dead nature, and our will is bound to that nature.
And if we're born again, then our will is bound to that nature.
So if we're dead in trespasses and sins, all virtues is sin.
You don't have no free will. Your will is bound to your nature. But this is the only one who
truly has free will, if you could say that, is God. He does whatever
He pleases. He does whatever He pleases.
That we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted
in Christ. Now as always, my hope is that
God will be glorified in the preaching of His word and that
the Holy Spirit will illuminate the scriptures for us and teach
us the things of Christ and take our minds away for a time from
the things of this world and the troubles of this world and
the trials of our lives and grant us comfort and strength. Just
as this letter probably strengthened the Ephesian believers when they
saw this and read these wonderful truths. And may we be pointed
to Christ and away from ourselves and our circumstances. I'd like us to look at the phrase
in the text we just read. It's found in verse 9 there.
It says, Heaven made known unto us the mystery of His will according
to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. According
to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. Verse 9. having made known unto
us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he
hath purposed in himself." Everything God does, beloved. Everything
God does, He does on purpose. He does on purpose. The text
before speaks of the forgiveness of sins that the believer has
in Christ Jesus. And how that forgiveness is through
the shedding of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And through His death, we have the forgiveness of sins. And
it's all according to the riches of His grace. And He did that
on purpose. To redeem His people from their
sins. This is wonders. Wonderful tidings. Wonderful. And here we have before
us mercy undeserved. mercy undeserved, and it flows
from the free grace of God in Christ, through Christ to His
people. And we don't seek it out, no
matter what people say, there's none that seek God, the Scripture
says. We don't understand it unless He gives us seeing eyes
and spiritual ears to hear, because there's none that understand
what the Scripture declares. There's non-righteousness in
our own selves, But we who believe are made righteous by Christ
all according to riches of his grace and his mercy. This is not undeserved, unmerited,
undeserved. It's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. And we should always remember
that the gospel has for its chief aim, the glory of God, the glory
of God. And if we regard salvation as
a means only of lifting up our race from its fall and putting
it among the princes, putting those who are electing God among
the princes, we've made a mistake because we should remember that
God's glory, God's glory is the greater object of the gospel
than our salvation. Because what do we do? What do
we do? We give God all the glory. We
give Him all the praise. Because He is at mercy, and not
just mercy, He's at abundant mercy upon we who believe, isn't
He? My, and can you imagine the Ephesian
readers, the saints getting this letter? They would just be marveling
in these precious truths, just as we do. Just as we do. And they probably read that letter
again and again and again. Just like we do. Oh my. And it's fresh all the time for
them. Look at this. God chose me. God
redeemed me by His precious blood. Praise His mighty name. My goodness. Oh, just fills the believer's
heart with joy. Wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he
hath purposed in himself. Oh, my. Notice God's wisdom and
prudence is according to that which please God. Which please
God. Wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will. according to His good pleasure
which He had purposed in Himself." What a great God! What a great
God! So let's look at eight things
revealed in the Scriptures that are the good pleasure of God. Turn, if you would, to Colossians
chapter 1. And this is how God abounded
toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Number one, it pleased God to
give all preeminence to the Lord Jesus Christ. It pleased God
to do this. It pleased Him to give Christ all the preeminence,
all the preeminence to His Son in all fullness dwells in Him. All fullness dwells in Him. And the Lord Jesus Christ must
have all the preeminence, beloved. He must. He must have all the
preeminence. This must be the reason for all our service within
the church. This must be the reason the pre-eminence
of Christ The preons of the Lord Jesus Christ we serve him. We're
his servants We serve him now natural man. They want the pre-eminence.
They want the glory They want the glory and they want the pre-eminence
look what I've done Look what I can do Religious folks they
want the pre-eminence But the Bible says God that Christ must
have the pre-eminence He must have it all. And it pleased God
for it to be so. Look at Colossians 1, verses
12-19. Giving thanks unto the Father
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. Now that meet there means to
be qualified. We're qualified for heaven by
Christ. Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness. That was our natural state. And
if you're here lost, that's your natural state. You're under the
power of darkness, whether you believe it or not. And every believer says, I was
there. I was there. But we've been delivered, beloved.
We've been set free. We've been redeemed, who have
delivered us from the power of darkness and have translated
us into the kingdom of his dear son, born again by the Holy Spirit
of God. And look at this, in whom we
have redemption through his blood. It's not a question. We have
this wondrous redemption through his blood. Even the forgiveness
of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
of every creature. For by him were all things created.
The creator himself redeemed my soul. For by Him were all
things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible
and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers. All things were created by Him
and for Him. He's absolutely sovereign. And
He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Now
you think that. Let each one of us think here.
Saved and lost. Let us each think here. We consist
because God has mercy on us. We breathe air. Because God allows
us to breathe air. And He can stop you breathing
in the heartbeat. That's sobering. By Him all things
consist. By Him. By Him. And He is the head and the body,
the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things He might have the preeminence. It pleased God
to give Christ all the preeminence. It pleased God. For it pleased
the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. It pleased
God. So we see it pleased God to give
all preeminence to Christ, His Son, because all fullness dwells
in Him. Next turn, if you would, to 1
Samuel 12, verse 22. And we know, most of us know
by heart Ephesians 1.4, which proclaims, 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. It pleased God to
choose whom He would to be His people. It pleased God to choose
whom He would to be His people. It pleased Him to do that. Now the believer, this leaves
us in awe. that we were included in that
number. Now think of how it would have
been for our dear brothers and sisters in Ephesus, too, to get
this letter. You're chosen in Christ before
the foundation of the world. My goodness, what joy that would
be. And we know that they struggled
again. They struggled just like we struggled. They went through
things just like we go through things. He'd be greatly comforted
by these precious truths look at 1st Samuel chapter 12 verse
22 For the Lord will not forsake his people 1st Samuel chapter 12 verse 22
for the Lord and that that's Jehovah the self-existent one
the eternal one will not forsake his people 1st Samuel 12 22 for
the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake
because it had pleased the Lord to make you a My goodness. The believer looks at that and
says, to make you his people. It pleased God. Then turn back
to our text in Ephesians chapter 1. When did he choose us? When did
he do this? When did it please him to make
us his people, beloved? Oh my. Look at this. according as He
hath chosen us in Him, when? Before the foundation of the
world. That we should be holy and without blame before Him
in love. Now keep in mind what we read in 1 Samuel 12, 22. Because it hath pleased the Lord
to make you His people. And then it says, according as
He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
All according to the good pleasure of His will. My. What comfort we can draw from
this well. What comfort? We are rich in Christ. We're
united to Him by a living bond of faith. We're blessed in Christ
because the Father has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world. Why did God choose any unto eternal life? Was it
because of any holiness in them or them Exercising foreseen faith, as
some would say? No, not at all, because there's
none that seek it after God. There's none that understand
it. There's none righteous. No. We were chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. And we were chosen in
Christ. Not because we were holy. No. No, we're unholy. No. My goodness, beloved. Look what
the text says in Ephesians 1, 4. We were chosen in Christ,
not because we were holy, but chosen that we should be holy.
Now that leaves us in awe. According as He has chosen us
in Him before the foundational world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love. Sanctified by the Holy
Spirit of God. sanctified by our mighty Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, made holy in Christ. Sinners who could
never stand in the presence of God on their own are made holy. My goodness. And it's God who's
chose it to be so. It's God who chose it to be so.
That's what the scripture declares right there. My goodness. Salvation is in the hand of the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And grace comes only from him
who said, I will be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. And
I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. And mercy is only received from
him who said he will be merciful so that it please God. to choose
his people in Christ. What a precious truth to the
believer. Turn if you would to Isaiah chapter
53. The third point is it pleased God
to bruise his son. It pleased God to bruise his
son in the place of his people. This pleased God. Who hath believed our report?
And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow
up before him as a tender plant, and as a root of dry ground,
he hath no form nor calmness, and when we shall see him there
is no beauty that we should desire him." So in our natural state
we see no beauty in Christ. But oh, when the Lord saves us,
When we're regenerated, all we see is the beauty of Christ.
Oh my, what a Savior. He is despised and rejected of
men, and that's all men. We all despised Him and rejected
Him. If not in our words and our actions, before the Lord
even saved us. A man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him. He was
despised and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our
grace and carried our souls. Yet we did esteem Him, stricken,
smitten of God. and afflicted. Oh, but He was
wounded for our transgressions. The sinless One dying for sinners.
He was buried for our inequities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him. All our sins were laid upon the
sinless One. And He paid everything God demanded. He was the Spire. The chastisement
of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed.
forgiven by the precious blood of Christ. All we, like sheep,
have gone astray. We have turned every one to his
own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.
Why was he silent? Why was he the silent, suffering
Savior? Because he's our substitute, dying in the ruined place of
his people. My, this bod is a lamb to the
slaughter, and is a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he openeth
not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment and who shall declare his generation for he was cut
off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people,
God says. Remember, those he chose for the transgression of my people. Was he stricken and he made his
grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because
he had done no violence. Neither was any deceit in his
mouth. And then look at verse 10. Yet
it pleased the Lord. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. And the believer says,
for my sin. he shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hands. It pleased God to bruise the
Lord Jesus Christ. This was ordained by God that
the sinless one would die in the room in place of sinners.
The Lord is well pleased for his righteous He will magnify
the law and make it honorable. Isaiah 42, verse 21. And the
Lord did that, didn't He? The Lord Jesus Christ magnified
the law, didn't He? Made it honorable. If you want
to write that down, it's Isaiah 42, verse 21. The Lord is well
pleased for His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law
and make it honorable. He fulfilled it all. The sinless
one. So what great comfort these Ephesian
saints would glean knowing Knowing that it pleased God to
choose them, and then it pleased God to bruise Christ for them. Why? Does that not bring us comfort
too? We who are the redeemed of the
Lord? It brings us great comfort. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh, the law can never save
anyone. God sinned in his own son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in
the flesh. that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us. Who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit,
Romans chapter eight, verses three and four. So we see it. Please, God, the bruises, son.
Please, God, to do this. The substitutionary death of
Christ was thoroughly and completely satisfying to the justice of
God. For the sins of his people, Christ
must die. The death of Christ satisfied
the decree of the covenant of grace. The death of Christ satisfied
the designs of the Father. The death of Christ satisfied
the declarations of Scripture. The death of Christ satisfied
the dictates of the law of God. The death of Christ satisfied
the demands of divine justice. And the death of Christ satisfied
the debts of all the elect of all the ages. And the death of
Christ satisfies the distressed hearts of needy sinners. Oh,
does it not satisfy our hearts, beloved? Makes our heart burn
within us when we talk about the things of our wondrous Savior.
The next point I'd like us to look at, is it please God to
raise Christ so that the pleasure, or to please God to raise Christ
so that the pleasure of the Lord might continue to prosper in
his hands. Now let's go back to Isaiah chapter
53. I'm sorry I had us move from there, but let's go back there
and we'll look at the last three verses. Isaiah 53, verses 10
to 12. Yet it pleased the Lord to produce
him. He hath put him to grief, when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hands. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hands. It pleased God to raise Christ
up so that the pleasure of the Lord might continue to prosper
in his hands. He shall see the travail of his
soul and shall be satisfied. God is absolutely satisfied with
the sacrifice of Christ. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the small with the strong, because he hath poured out his
soul unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors,
and he bear the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his Salvation was put in the hands
of Christ. Salvation for His people was
put in the hands of Christ. And He undertook to accomplish
that. He came into this world on a mission to redeem His people
from their sins. And He never left until it was
finished. And He cried with a loud voice,
It is finished. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in His hands, beloved. And this may well be called the
pleasure of the Lord. It was the good pleasure of God's
will that Christ would come into this world to save His people. God had purposed it, and Christ
came and accomplished it. My, what a Savior. The next point
I'd like us to look at is, it pleased the Lord to use the preaching
of the gospel to save his people. Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians
chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Let's start in verse 21, For
after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew
not God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believed. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save his people. For the Jews require
a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ
crucified unto the Jews' stumbling block and unto the Greeks' foolishness. But unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God." It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe. Not by foolish preaching, but
by that which men call foolishness. God in his infinite wisdom has
raised up a number of philosophers at this time in of the writing
of the book of 1 Corinthians. And a little bit before Christ
came, he had rose up in his wisdom a number of philosophers, supposed
great minds of the earth. Yet these men with all their
schools of thought knew not God. Now God allowed them to be raised
up, didn't he? Because he's in control. But they did not know
God. And you only have to study the
history of the world at this time when Paul was writing to
see that the world by wisdom knew not God. There was idols
everywhere. Supposed man-based philosophy
everywhere. But what's left of the wisdom
of that period? Time itself has disproved it.
The world, with all its earthly wisdom, failed to recognize God
and to know God. But God, in His wisdom, was pleased
to reveal Himself and His salvation, which is purchased and provided
by Christ through the very means that the world calls foolishness." Preaching. Preaching. That a redeemed sinner would
stand and proclaim the wondrous works of the Lord Jesus Christ. And a man cannot proclaim the
things of Christ unless he knows the things of Christ, unless
he's experienced the things of Christ. Folks often ask me, well, why
aren't they preaching Christ over there? Because they don't
know Him. Because they don't know Him.
I can't tell you about a place I've never been. You can't tell
me about a place you've never been. We may see pictures of
it, we may see things, but if you've been somewhere, you can
tell me about it, can't you? Oh yeah. God's gospel preachers stand
up and proclaim what Christ has done for us, and the world calls
it foolishness. They call it absolute foolishness.
Let them call it foolishness. It's wondrous for us who are
redeemed. It's wondrous. The wise men of
this world, during the time of the writing of 1 Corinthians,
were left to perish in their sins. And the believers who were
reading this were in awe, were in awe at the wisdom of God,
at the wisdom of God. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 1, Romans chapter 1. The very thing that these worldly
philosophers despised, which was the preaching of the gospel
in which men still, which men still even today despise has
become the power of God and the salvation to all who believe.
That's the preaching of Christ and him crucified. Romans chapter
one. Verses 14 to 17. I am a debtor
both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise
and to the unwise. So as much as is in me, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. Why? Because Paul is not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ. Why? For it's the power of God
and the salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first
and to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed. Where is the righteousness of
God revealed? In Christ, in the preaching of the gospel. Oh my. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the
just shall live by faith. Oh, the believer is not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ. And it pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save his people. The next point I'd like us to
look at is it pleased God to hide the gospel from the wise
and the prudent. Turn, if you would, to Matthew chapter 11.
It pleased God to hide the gospel from the wise and the prudent
while revealing it unto babes. Matthew 11, verses 25 and 26. Matthew 11, verses 25 and 26. At that time Jesus answered and
said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent and
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight, it pleased God to reveal the gospel to his
people and to hide it from others." This is amazing. So the believer
who's had Christ revealed to them just stands in awe. Just
stands in awe. The things here he means are
the doctrines of the gospel. Those which pertain to himself,
his person, is God and the Son of God. His office is Messiah,
Redeemer, and Savior. The blessings of grace, righteousness,
and salvation, which only come through Him, they've been revealed
to His people. Oh, it's wonderful. And He reveals
these things. And this is God's distinguishing
grace, beloved. Remember, Paul penned to the
Corinthian believers, for whom make it thee to differ? For whom
make it thee to differ? I ask you, you who are redeemed,
who made you to differ? Who made you to differ from all
the people you've known in your life? Who made you to differ from another?
What is thou that thou didst not receive? The salvation that
we have, we've received it, haven't we? It was given to us. We couldn't earn it. We couldn't grab hold of it on
our own by anything we do. It was given to us. What is now
that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? Obviously,
with some who were glorying and maybe something that they were
doing for their own strength. Turn, if you would, to Galatians
chapter one, Galatians chapter one. It pleased God to reveal
himself to his people. Look at Galatians 1, look at
this wonderful proclamation by Paul. Galatians 1, verses 15
and 16. And may we who are redeemed stand
in awe of this. And if you're here without Christ,
I pray, I heartfelt pray that God would reveal Himself to you.
I hope He will. I pray He will. that He would reveal Himself
to you in a saving manner. Because that's what He's done
for us. That's what He's done for His people. That's what He's
done for Paul. Look what Paul says here, Galatians
1, verses 15 and 16. But when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal
His Son in me. It pleased God to reveal Christ
to Paul. And if you're a believer, let
this just sink right in, beloved. It pleased God to reveal Christ
to you. Oh my. If He had left us where we were,
we would have perished in our sins. But it pleased God to reveal
Christ to us, because we were His people, remember? Chosen
in Christ before the foundation of the world. To reveal His Son
to me, that I might preach Him among the heathen. Immediately
I conferred, not with flesh and blood. So every believer can
say, it pleased God to reveal Christ to me. To me. Please God to hide the gospel
from the wise and prudent while we're revealing it to babes.
Let's go back to our text in Ephesians chapter 1. It pleased
God to gather all his elect in Christ. We're chosen in Christ
and him alone. He's the head and we're the body.
We're the sheep and he's the shepherd. And all God's people
shall be gathered in. Hear not lose one, beloved. Hear
not lose one for whom he died. And that means we saw this morning,
he'll not lose one by them losing themselves. Hey, no, he keeps
his people, doesn't he? We're kept by the power of God,
beloved. Oh my, oh my. Look at Ephesians 1, verses 8
to 10. Wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence, 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.
He will not lose one of his sheep, beloved. Not one. There be one
flock and one shepherd. And it pleased God to gather
all His people in Christ. Pleases Him. Last point I'd like
us to look at is all God's elect shall know
the abounding wisdom and prudence of God towards us fully, because
it's God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Turn, if you
would, to Luke, chapter 12. Luke, chapter 12, verse 32. Luke,
chapter 12. Luke chapter 12, we're starting verse 31. But rather seek ye the kingdom
of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear
not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure,
this is something that pleases God, to give you the kingdom.
Remember that inheritance we looked at this morning? Pleased
God to give you that inheritance, didn't he? What says here? It's a father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. Luther once wrote, all the empires
of the earth are only so much meal for God's swine. But the
treasure is for his children. The treasure is for his children. They may have less meal, but
they shall have the eternal kingdom. They shall have the eternal kingdom.
How blessed we are if by faith we know that this is true. How
blessed we are. How blessed we are. And notice something in the words
here spoken of in Luke chapter 12 verse 32. Fear not little
flock. For it is your father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom. That means it's not by man's
purchase, it's not by man's merit, but salvation is a gift of God's
grace. It's not only a gift, it's a
free gift, but it's wholly the result of God's good pleasure. For it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom. This people have I formed for
myself, they shall show forth my praise, Isaiah 43, 21. Even
so, Father, for it seemed good in thy sight. Oh, my. It is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. Oh, the abounding wisdom and
prudence of God towards us. It is truly, truly beyond measure. beyond comprehension. The pleasure of the Lord has
and is and will continue to prosper in the Lord's hands as He draws
in His lost sheep. May God be glorified through
the preaching of His Word. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
thank Thee again for allowing us to gather together in Thy
name. Oh, the wondrous, precious truths of these scriptures And
we who are redeemed stand in awe that it pleased you to bruise
our Savior. It pleased you to save us. It pleased you to choose us in
Christ before the foundation of the world. May this never
become old for us, Lord. May we ever have it before us
and be in awe and wonder at thy magnificent grace, which has
been manifestly bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
It's right there before us. And oh, Lord, we pray you'd use
the preaching of your word to draw on your lost sheep, break
the hardened hearts, show them their desperate need for thee,
we pray. It's for your glory and honor
and praise in Jesus name. Amen.