The Mystery Of God (#1)

For a scripture reading, turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. I'll be preaching here in just a little bit from Colossians chapter 2, but I want to read you, this is one of my references, And I wanted to read more to you than a single verse. So let's begin reading here in 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world that come to naught, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world under our glory. which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it's written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him, even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth. comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things. That word means understandeth. A judge hears a case, he understands what's going on, and he makes a judgment. He that is spiritual understandeth all things, yet he himself is understood of no man. That's how that reads. For who had known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. That's how we understand. We have the mind of Christ.

I invite you this morning to turn with me to the book of Colossians. Paul's epistle to the Colossians, chapter 2. I'll be preaching from verse 2, but let me read you both verses. For I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, that is, God the Spirit, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now, the Apostle Paul was a most unusual man. He began his ministry sitting under the most renowned teachers that the Jews ever had, a man called Gamaliel. Gamaliel was a Pharisee and a doctor of the law. He had a doctorate in theology. He was a master theologian. And Paul was a man who was all or nothing. He was so zealous of his beliefs that he'd go to the high priest with a list of names and get his consent to arrest and imprison or put to death both women and men, whoever resisted Judaism. He didn't care who you were.

The scripture introduces Paul in Acts chapter 7, verse 58, As Stephen was being stoned to death, it said Saul of Tarsus was consenting unto his death, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man's feet. He was a witness to justify the stoning of Stephen. In Acts chapter 8, verse 2. It says, as devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.

That's what they were doing in the church. But as for Saul, verse 3, he made havoc of the church, entering into every home and hailing men and women, committed them to prison, took mothers and fathers of little babies Locked him up in prison. Took him right out of the house because of their faith in God.

And for sure, this man Saul of Tarsus, or as we so fondly call him, Paul the Apostle, was an enigma. He really was. God took this religious zealot and turned him around and gave him So much so that he gave all the rest of his days to the preaching of the gospel, to the ministry of Christ. He scraped the bottom of the barrel. Paul said, when he saved me, I'm the chief of sinners. And he did it to give you hope. If God will save the worst first, then salvation is possible for me. That's what he was telling those people.

Well, what happened to this man so rooted in Judaism and so dedicated to self-righteousness and so blinded by the God of this world to turn him to the true and living God? Well, it's the same thing that turns every chosen sinner to Christ. It is the revelation of God. How does God reveal himself to men in Christ?

You can read about it over in Galatians chapter 1. He said, he revealed his son in me that I might preach him among the heathen. Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth and said that he and his companions spoke the wisdom of God in a mystery. That's what I just read to you a few moments ago. Even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world under our glory. A mystery. Mystery. That's what these messages are going to be. This is the first of several. But I titled the message, The Mystery of God. And this is the first in the series of it.

When the Bible speaks of mysteries, it's not talking about puzzling things that somebody heard and then figured out. It's not talking about a clever thing that When you read it and read it slowly and over and over, you can catch it. The word interpreted mystery means this, outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension.

I used to watch Westerns all the time. And as they shoot him, he said, there's no sense. He's out of range. These things are out of our range. That's what a mystery is. When he talks about a mystery in the Bible, he's not talking about something you can figure it out.

I told you about that foreman one time. I was witnessing to him, and he said, well, now wait a minute. He said, you've been reading and studying this thing for a while. He said, I'm going to go home this weekend and read the Bible, and I'll talk to you Monday. Well, you're not going to read the Bible and figure it out, and you certainly ain't going to do it in two days. This is talking about out of our range, out of the range of natural apprehension. The Holy Ghost defines it this way. I read it to you a few minutes ago.

I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, that is mankind, the things that God has prepared for them that love him. Now let's read my text here in Colossians 2. In verse 2, he wants to come to these people. His purpose for coming is to preach, to teach. He's an apostle.

That the mystery of God might be revealed to them and that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding. Oh, what riches if a man can understand the mystery of God. What riches? What could you ask more than that?

And of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And so great, and so powerful, and so illuminating is the mystery of God, that to know it is called eternal life. This is eternal life, he said, that they might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom thou sent. That's eternal life. And that's my subject, the mystery of God.

And when Paul preached on Mars Hill to the Greek philosophers, his sermon was about the unknown God. Men don't know God. They'll tell you real quick that they do, but they don't. They don't know God. Is there a greater mystery anywhere at any time than the eternal, omnipotent, almighty, unchangeable God. What's more mysterious than that? You can't see him. You can't smell him. You can't touch him. You can't find him if you don't want to be found. And there's 12 references to this mystery in the New Testament. Now, I may have missed one. I don't know. I had 11 yesterday, and I found one more.

But it talks about the mystery of Christ, the mystery of iniquity, the mystery of the gospel. The gospel is a mystery. The mystery of the will of God. God can do anything, but what will he do? The mystery of godliness. Boy, there's a mystery for you. People call anything godliness, don't they?

And then he talks about the mystery of hope, Christ in you, the hope of hope, and the mystery of faith, the mystery of the kingdom. It's not given unto them to understand the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto you it's given. And the mystery of the Gentiles, the mystery of the glorification of the believer after death. He said, behold, I show you a mystery. The mystery of hope.

And then in Ephesians 5.32, he talks about the mystery of marriage. He said, this is a great mystery. But I speak unto you of Christ in the church. And what I propose to do is just take a few of these at a time and preach a series on these great mysteries.

Paul said he was a steward. of the mysteries of God. God revealed these things to him and made him a steward of them, a faithful steward, required him to be faithful. And if truly understood, divinely applied to the heart, and established in the faith of God's elect, these things will turn the hardest heart into mush. hearts of stone and turn them into mush. And the most ignorant men in this world into theologians.

May the Lord be pleased to use these words for his name's honor and glory, I ask it. Amen. So let's begin here in Ephesians chapter 3 with the mystery of Christ. Oh, Preacher Christ ain't a mystery. Everybody knows who Jesus Christ is. Do they? Ask him. Ask him to tell you who he is.

In Ephesians 3.3, he says, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery as he wrote afore in a few words, whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." The world don't know who Christ is. They don't know why he came. They don't know what he did. They don't know where he's at. They don't know what he's doing right now.

Jesus Christ is the eternal God. John's Gospel calls him the Word. And this is a name given to Christ alone, who is the embodiment of everything God has purposed to say to chosen sinners. God has nothing else to say to men other than Christ. If you believe not him, the wrath of God, you won't see life, the wrath of God abideth on you. Read it over in John chapter one, or three.

In Luke 20, in the parable of the vineyard, The men who wouldn't be responsible, they were unfaithful stewards of this vineyard. They wouldn't pay up. They wouldn't give to the master what the master demanded. And he sent servants over there and they slayed them. It's a picture of the Jews slaying the prophets. They killed the prophets. And he sent other servants and they slayed them.

And he said, I'm going to send my well-beloved son. I'm going to send my beloved son. They'll hear him and what they do. They said, this is the heir. We'll kill him and we'll get all the whole thing to be ours. We'll get rid of him. God doesn't have anything to say after that. He said all he's going to say in Christ. After that's the judgment. Isn't that what happened? What do you think the Lord of the Vineyard, Christ said, is going to do to those who murdered his son? What do you think he's going to do?

In John 1.1, it says, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the same was in the beginning with God. But God don't have a beginning. What this is talking about is the beginning of his purpose to save sinners. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word is his Son.

And Paul tells us in Colossians 1.17 that he's before all things, and by him all things consist. They have a continuance.

He's the image, he said, of the invisible God and the firstborn of every created thing. Everything in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. That's a mystery to this world. They don't understand who Christ is. He's God. And he's the steward of everything God is purposed to do and to whom God first trusted everything to accomplish. He'd given all things unto me. That's what the Lord told those Pharisees. He'd given it to me. All judgment, everything given to me.

In him, Paul said in Colossians 2.9, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. You don't know anything at all about the Spirit except as the Spirit's work is revealed in Christ. The fullness of the Godhead, all of them, the Father and the Spirit, the fullness of the Godhead abides in Him, dwells in Him.

No wonder John wanted to lay his head on His breast. Jesus Christ is the saving revelation of God. To know Him is to know God. You know, over in the book of 1 John, in chapter 5, I think it's verse 20, we know that Jesus Christ has come and given to us an understanding that we may know him that's true, that we're in him that's true, even in his son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. The mystery of Christ. It's a divine mystery. It has to be revealed. You know, I knew what this world declares about poor little Jesus boy. I heard that my whole life. Got no hands but your hands, no feet but your feet. God done all he can do and now it's all up to you.

The mystery of Christ. And then the second mystery I want us to see is the mystery of the will of God. Look with me over in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 7. He tells us that we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, verse 8, wherein That is, in all that he accomplished as our Savior and Redeemer, 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 purposed in himself. And if you will take a little time and turn with me to John chapter 6.

We're talking about the mystery of God's will. What is it that God's doing in our day? What's going on? What's this little assembly all about here? Talking about the mystery of God's will. And ignorant men and women talk about God wanting to do things. God never wanted to do anything. He does what he wills. They talk about a God needing our assistance. He's sovereign. He's almighty. He's omnipotent. He's irresistible. And his will is unquestionable.

Who art thou, old man, that replyest against God? None can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? But here's the mystery is discerning God's will. In John 6, 37, he said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Why did he say that? Because he just told those Jews that wouldn't come to him, he said, but I say unto you that you've seen me and believe not. He said, I'm the bread. I'm the bread that God sent down from heaven. And you've seen me and believe not. All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will no wise cast out. No extenuating circumstances, no ifs, ands, and buts. If he comes to me, I will not cast him out.

Now watch this, verse 38. For I came down from heaven. Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God Almighty, that He went with the Father from all eternity, that He is the second person of the Godhead. He said, I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which He has given me, I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last day. What did the Father give him?

He gave him his holy name, and men have torn that name apart. But Jesus Christ is going to manifest that name and raise it up where it belongs. He gave him his purpose to save sinners. He gave him the election of sinners. We're chosen in him. He gave him his holy law to honor and exalt it. He gave him the gospel of God. He said, he's ordained me to preach the gospel. And this day is this scripture fulfilled in me.

He gave him the inheritance of adopted sons. He's the heir. We're joint heirs with Him. All which the Father given me, I'll lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that he seeth the Son. How do you see the Son? You see Him as God has set Him forth in this mystery. He set Him forth in the Word of God. He set Him forth as a substitute. He set Him forth As a king, as a prophet, he set him forth as our representative. He's the one mediator between God and men.

If we see the Son as God has set him forth, and then if you reject that, you've made God a liar. That's what it says over 1 John 5. We wouldn't receive the testimony of God that he testified of his Son. But all these things, this one who sees the son and believes on him, he said, I raise him up at the last day because that's the will of God. Not one of God's elect to be left without a hearing ear or a willing preacher, not one. Our Lord said to the unbelieving Pharisees and scribes, you believe not because you're not of my sheep.

As I sit unto you, my sheep hear my voice. And I know them. I know who they are. I'm not guessing who they are. We guess. God don't guess who his children are. He knows who they are. He calls them by name. Read that parable in John chapter 10. He tells them he's the good shepherd. He tells them what the shepherd does. The porter knows him. He comes to the door. He don't sneak up over the wall. He don't come at night and try to hiss and get the sheep to come out to him. He comes to the door and the porter looks out and says, I know you. These are your sheep. And then he calls them by name and they come out. And I give unto them, he said, eternal life and they'll never perish.

The mystery of God's will. And then thirdly, To quote a Star Wars phrase, the dark side, the mystery of iniquity. Isn't sin a great mystery? Where does it come from? Why is it so irresistible? Why does it reign? Why can't we isolate ourselves from it? And so subtle is Satan that he causes sin to be mixed with religious deceit and causes us to justify our iniquity.

I thought I was worshipping God playing my guitar and I worshipped, I knew not what. That's just the truth of it. Second Thessalonians 2, the apostles dealing with a message about false prophets who were saying that the Lord's return was at hand and he said that day is not going to come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed.

That's that old man that I talked to you about just a little bit ago out of the Book of Judges. That's that old man, that man of sin. Well, what's he going to show us about this man of sin? Where's this grape falling away? It's in religion. Where do you feel safer than you do at church?

And it's not talking about a certain man, but men in general. and how sin is embodied in men. Antichrist, it can be said of the Pope that he's antichrist. It can be said of any false preacher that he's antichrist. But antichrist is nothing more than sin mixed with religion. It's a principle is what it is. And sin is so permeated man that he actually has become the manifestation of sin. That's why he calls him the man of sin. You want to know what sin is, just study man. He's sin. Oh, wretched man, Paul said, that I am.

Not that I used to be. That's what religion says. The whole time I went to church, I used to hear men and women. It was testimony night on Wednesday night. And they'd stand up and start. I know the day and the hour. And they'd start telling you what they used to be. You still are. Whatever it is you used to be, you still are. That which is flesh is flesh. It's the same. It hasn't changed any, not one iota. And you're not going to change. Conviction of sin is simply having sin revealed at its core in us. In us. Well, how do we see that sin? There's only one place to really see sin in a man, and that's on the cross.

You want to know how you appear to God? Here's your substitute. All you've got to see is what God does to him. You think you're going to be approved of all these things? All God's elect, every one of them, So you can't just point one out, well, my grandma. No. Your grandma was more than likely the chief of sinners. The more holy they appear, the worse they are. That's just so. That's just so. My dear old grandma, she'd do anything for us. And I used to say, right along with everybody else, if ever there was a godly woman, it was my grandma.

Huh? No. No. There's none righteous. No, not one. Not one. But this man, if you really want to know what sin is, it's camouflaged in us with religion. But it's not camouflaged on the cross. There's my substitute. I'm one with him. He'd been made sin. And I'm looking at that. You want to know what the sinner is? There he is. Right there. Condemned of God. He that spared not his own son.

And sin's not so much what we do as it is what we are. We're sinners. That's why we can't define anything godly, because we're sinners. All we can do is sin. We're haters of God. Oh, preacher, I don't hate God. Really? God said, your mind is enmity against him. Now, if you say otherwise, you're calling God a liar. He said, the carnal mind, the natural mind, is enmity against God.

And it's not subject to the law of God. And there, that word law was used in its widest sense. It's not subject to the authority of God. God tells him to do something, he don't do it. If God's word tells him to do it, he's going to do it. He's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. That sinful man is never going to be obedient to God.

In Romans 3, describing what it is to be under sin, Paul gives us four nuns. The Catholic religion has nuns. Here's your nuns. The only nuns in the Bible, right here. They're nun-righteous. None that understandeth, none that seeketh after God, and none good, no, not one. Destruction and misery are in their ways. There's no fear of God before their eyes. The fangs of the adders under their lips, and together they become unprofitable. The mystery of iniquity. When it's exposed, it's exposed on the cross, and it makes us to repent. We turn. We turn. Now, you're not going to turn until you see something better, and Christ is something better.

I've often told you about that. Brother Stoniker had a seafood restaurant down in Tioga, Louisiana years ago. When I first come here, His son still had the restaurant. We went down and ate. I hadn't eaten there in years and years. But we was in there, and it was all you could eat over the weekend for seven or eight boats. And we'd always go over there, and it was so good. And one of my favorite things, and everybody else's, was these little half ears of corn. And Marion put it in some kind of spicy butter. I'd love to know what you put in that butter.

But there was a little kid in there, and he was about three or four years old. He'd already eaten. He had this ear of corn. He done chewed all the stuff off of it, and he was just sucking on the cob. And he had it cold out, and his parents were ready to leave. And they were trying to get him to put that corn down so they could get his coat on. And boy, the minute they reached for that ear of corn, he went, ugh! He'd hold that ear of corn in, and they threatened him, whipped him.

I don't know what all. He wasn't going to give up that ear of corn from nobody. And finally, Mr. Stoniker came over and he said, ma'am, he said, if you wouldn't mind me saying something, he said, I think I can help you out. And she said, well, we've tried everything. He pulled out a Hershey bar. And when he did, that little kid just dropped that ear of corn. I'll tell you when you're going to repent when you see something better.

You're going to turn it loose. That's how he overcomes this mystery of iniquities in Christ. He shows us Christ. He's something better. I see something better. Scripture says he's all together lovely. He's better than the angels. He's better than the Word. He's better than anything. He is the exact image, the perfect image of God. by himself purged us of our sins. Think about that. He's altogether lovely when we see something better. May the Lord add his blessings to the word today.

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The Mystery Of God (#1)

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