The title of my message tonight
is The Great Gathering Together. Our text is Ephesians 1 verse
10. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 10. 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 on earth even in him. Now I cannot imagine a better
way to begin my message than by reading something to you.
These are Robert Hawker's comments on this tenth verse. I can't
read it all, but I want to read to you just what Hawker said.
It's just an outstanding observation. He says, there is not perhaps
the fellow to this verse in relation to the vast subject it treats
in all the Bible. It opens to us the very heart
of God as it respects his whole design of grace toward his church. It shows us how from all eternity
the mind of Jehovah has been occupied on this grand concern. It most plainly and decidedly
shows that the whole design of Jehovah is to glorify the Lord
Jesus. All is said to be decreed for
him. All things center in him. The dispensation of all events
and the fullness of times are all directing their several pursuits
to this one termination, the glory of Jesus Christ. That's what Ephesians 1.10 is
all about. I acknowledge at the outset I
have no hope of explaining this verse of scripture to you. I
have studied it with ever increasing reverence and awe for nearly
forty And I'm beginning to understand that I don't even have a glimpse
of what's included here. So I'm going to just give you
the things I see on the surface and pray that God will be pleased
to apply them to our hearts. Understand this. Everything God
Almighty has done, that includes everything that has been. If
it has been, God did it. We trace everything here to its
original source. That source is God. Everything
that God has done, is doing, or shall hereafter do, he has
done for the accomplishment of this one great end. That in the dispensation of the
fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in him. Now first let's look at that
word dispensation. Paul tells us here about a dispensation,
a period of time called the dispensation of the fullness of times. What
period of time is that talking about? What is meant by the dispensation
of the fullness of times? For the answer to those questions,
let us, as we ought to do with all things spiritual, look for
the answer in the Word of God alone. It'd help a whole lot
when you read this book if you could put out of your mind all
the nonsense that you hear in society, and most of what you
hear in churches, most of what you hear preached in the pulpit,
if you could just put it out of your mind and see what God
says in His Word. The word dispensation simply
means stewardship. Turn to chapter 3 of Ephesians,
I'll show you. It refers to the management of a household. To
the management or oversight and administration of another person's
property or business. Here in Ephesians chapter 3,
the Apostle Paul speaks of the ministry of the gospel that God
had given him and calls it the dispensation of the grace of
God. Look at verse 1. For this calls
I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye
have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
given me to you." Now that's what the call to the gospel ministry
is. It is God giving a man the dispensation
of the grace of God. It is God putting in the hands
of a man the responsible stewardship of his grace, giving a man responsibility
to administer and care for and minister to his house concerning
the things of God. The dispensation then speaks
of a stewardship. But here in Ephesians 1, look
back at it again. He's talking about a dispensation
that's in the hands of that one man who is imminently Jehovah's
servant, Jesus Christ, the God-man. In Ephesians 1.10, the word dispensation
refers to the universal dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
universal dominion of Christ by which he constantly executes
the will of God in time to accomplish his eternal purpose. Let me show
you two passages. John chapter 17. John chapter 17. And then we'll
look at Romans 14. In John 17, the Lord Jesus is
here declaring that which the Father promised to give him in
the covenant of grace as our surety, and that which the Father
has given him from eternity as the Lamb slain to the foundation
of the world being accepted as our surety, that which he now
possesses. This is the gift of the father
to the son, not as his son, but as our surety, our mediator,
the God-man. This is the reward of our Savior's
obedience. John 17, 2. As thou hast given
him power, the word means authority, might, dominion, rule. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, human and animal, all flesh. Now it's given him
power over everything in creation. Everything. Oh, I can't tell
you how grand that is to consider. He who died in our room instead
at Calvary is he to whom God Almighty has given the reigns
of universal monarchy to rule the universe absolutely all the
time for the saving of his people. Look what it says. You've given
him power over all flesh for this purpose, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Now listen
to this in Romans 14.9. You don't need to turn there.
For to this end, for this purpose, Christ both died and rose and
revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living. That means Jesus Christ, by virtue
of his obedience unto death, having put away our sin, having
accomplished redemption for us, having saved his people from
their sins, now has power over the living and the dead, believing
and unbelieving, and he rules the world absolutely, every thought
of every man's heart, all the time. every deed of every man's
hand, all the time, under the absolute rule of Jesus Christ,
to this end, that He should give eternal life to as many as the
Father has given Him. As Paul states it down here in
Ephesians 1, beginning at verse 20, the Lord God gave His Son,
our divine Mediator, the reigns of universal monarchy, when He
raised Him from the dead. and sent him at his own right
hand in heavenly places, far above all principality and power
and might and dominion." What all does that include? That takes
in everything that has any kind of power, might, or dominion.
Everything in heaven, earth, and hell. Angels, men, and devils,
yes, Satan himself, you and me included. And every name that
is named. that not anything named in God's
creation that he doesn't have dominion over, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come. He'll never take
this dominion from his son. And hath put all things under
his feet, made everything subject to him, and gave him to be the
head over all things to the church. Our Savior sends us forth to
preach the gospel with this word, all power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth. He whom we serve is king of the
universe. I don't mean king in name. I
don't just mean king because he has the right to be king.
I mean king in the most absolute sense the word king can ever
be imagined. He rules everywhere, by right,
all the time, absolutely. You mean Brother Doddness, nothing
out of his control? Never. Never. You mean nobody does anything
except that which he has purposed to be done for the good of his
people? That's what he says in his word,
isn't it? That's exactly right. Alright, what then is the fullness
of times? Paul speaks here of the dispensation
of the fullness of times. Again, let's look in the book,
Galatians chapter 4. Our text tells us that God has
an eternal purpose of grace. that is to be accomplished in
the fullness of times, in the gathering together of all things
in heaven and on earth in Christ. Now the only other place in the
Bible where this term is used is here in Galatians chapter
4, verse 4. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. Well, wait a minute. Did I read
that right? Is the Holy Spirit here declaring
that the fullness of time began back yonder when Christ came
more than 2,000 years ago? I thought this was prophetic.
No. No, no, no, no. It includes all
that is yet to be done. But the fullness of times began
back there when the Son of God came into this world in human
flesh, when he came the first time to redeem us, to suffer
and die in our womb instead, and it continues through all
this gospel age until that day when he comes again in his glory
to gather us unto himself. You remember how John spoke?
He said, little children, it is the last time. Now I realize
that We live in this age when folks are convinced they've got
a prophecy figured out, and they're convinced they know all about
God's timetable and all the nonsense you hear from prophecy-mania
preachers. I'm telling you, John tells you,
by the book of inspiration, it is the last time. The Lord God
dealt with men in days past, in the law He dealt with men
in days past, revealing to them, speaking to them by signs and
dreams and visions and so on. But He hath in these last days
spoken to us by His Son. John said this is the last tick
of the clock. We're living in the last days.
When these days are over, no more days shall be. We shall
enter into what's called eternity. We will enter into what's called
everlasting life. So this is the fullness of time.
It is this gospel age which began with the coming of Christ, his
incarnation. and continues through all the
ages of time until Christ shall come again in his glory, and
it culminates in the final gathering together of all things in Christ,
even in him. It culminates in that which the
Spirit speaks of as the redemption of the body. The resurrection
of God's saints. Christ making all things new.
This is what Paul spoke of in Romans chapter 11. Turn there
if you will. Romans chapter 11. Beginning at verse 25. Paul will
be talking now about God's sovereignty from the beginning of verse 28
in chapter 8. all the way down until he gets to the end of chapter
11. He'd been talking to us about God's sovereignty in Providence. And in chapter 11, in chapter
9, you'll remember he spoke of Jacob, have I loved? And he saw,
have I hated? And declared that God has vessels
of mercy in whom he will show forth the riches of his glory
by Christ Jesus. And he tells us in chapter 11
how that God has cast off the Jews, cast off the nation. That nation who for 2,000 years,
that nation alone had the revelation of God. He didn't send prophets
to anybody else. He didn't send visions to anybody
else. He didn't establish his worship
among any other people. He would not even allow any to
come into the place where he established his worship except
they become proselytes among the Jews. And God cast them off
because they hardened their hearts. God hardened their hearts and
blinded their eyes and put a veil over their eyes so that they
go to the synagogue Saturday after Saturday after Saturday
and read the law and can't understand the law. How come? Because God
put a, he dropped a black curtain over their eyes and they can't
see. Oh, what a terrible thing. Oh, what a good thing. Matter
of fact, Paul calls it just that. Behold, therefore, the goodness
and the severity of God. He cast off that nation, that
physical nation, so that he might send the gospel into all the
four corners of the earth, so that you and I might hear the
word of his grace, and so all the true Israel of God be saved. Look at verse 25. I would not,
brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest
you should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness is in
part happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles
be come in. What's he talking about? The
dispensation of the fullness of times. And so all Israel shall
be saved. Now that is not suggesting, that
is not implying that everybody who is born of the physical seed
of Abraham will be saved. No such thing. Judas Iscariot
went to hell. Ishmael was not the object of
God's mercy, but rather Isaac was. Well, if it doesn't mean
that, what does it mean? It means just what it looks like
it does. All who are Abraham's spiritual seed, the Israel of
God, all God's elect shall be saved. This is what Peter refers
to when he speaks of men talking about the Lord's not coming. He's not coming. We've had this
promise for years and years. Folks have been talking about
that. And Peter said, hang on. God is not slack concerning his
promise toward us, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to usward, not willing that any of his elect, not willing that
any of his chosen, not willing that any Israelite should perish,
but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. How do
you know that's what he's talking about? Because he says in verse
15 of 2 Peter 3, The long-suffering of our God is salvation. Why does God put up with this
mess? How often have you said that? Boy, if I was God, I'd
put an end to this. If I was God, I wouldn't tolerate
this. You hear preachers say, Lord, God comes soon. God comes
soon. He can't put up with this anymore.
Oh, he'd been putting up with this mess for better than 6,000
years. And he'll put up with this mess
right on. until all Israel is saved. And then cometh the end. Read on, back here in Romans
chapter 11. And so all Israel shall be saved. Verse 26. As it is written, there shall
come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto
them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the
gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching the
election, oh, thank God for that nation of Jews, so constantly
despised by the world, who were incubators to his kingdom for
2,000 years. Touching the election, they are
beloved for the Father's sakes. Now watch this. This has all
happened. Because the gifts and callings
of God are without repentance. God Almighty will never turn
and will never be turned from His purpose of grace toward His
own. Why on this earth didn't He let me perish? when
I lifted my fist in His face. Why has He kept you alive to
this day? Because having loved us with
everlasting love, He would not let us go. He would not let us
go. The contemplation of Christ's
dominion, the executing of all the will and prudence of God
in Providence, And the culmination of this complete salvation of
God's elect, our final gathering together of all things in Christ,
was absolutely overwhelmingly glorious in Paul's eyes. Look
how he describes it in verse 33. He gets done talking about
this. Jacob have I loved. He saw him,
I hate him. All things work together for
good to them that love God. Israel's cast off, the Gentiles
are gathered in. Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are
His judgments and His ways past finding out. Oh God, forgive my sin for ever
casting a question on what you do. For ever failing to trust
you confidently in the darkest of hours. Verse 34, For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto
him again? For of him and through him and
to him are all things. Did you see those words? Of him. That speaks of origin. Source. Where did everything come from?
Of him. Of him. And through him. That speaks of the means of accomplishment. How is this being done? Through
him. How is this coming to pass? Through
Him. How did those fellows get the
ingenuity to blow this up or to shoot that? Through Him. Through
Him. When did they find the strength?
How did this happen? Through Him. Quit looking to second causes. They'll cause you to pull your
hair out and look to the first cause of Him and through Him. But hang on, that's not all.
To Him. to his praise and his honor and
his glory everlasting are all things to whom be glory forever. Alright, back to Ephesians 1. The next word in our text speaks
of gathering together. He talks about that time when
he shall gather together in one all things." Now, we have words
in the English language that we use, and depending on how
you use them, they mean totally different things. Sometimes we
have words that have various shades of meanings. Sometimes
they mean totally different things. The word check. You get a check
at the end of the week or the end of the month, end of the
pay period. It is a bank draft. And when you talk about it, I
got my check. That is if you're a worker. You get a check for
working. Got my bank draft, is what you're
talking about. Or you write a check to pay for
something. You write out a bank draft. Or you might use the word
as a verb. You go to a place and you check
your coat. Totally different meaning. Spelled
exactly the same way, pronounced the same way. Or you might say
to the waitress at the restaurant, I'm ready for my check. And that's
talking about a bill. Now, I can't imagine one small,
one-syllable word having such a variation of meaning, and yet
that's the case. In the Scriptures, we often have
words that have such a wide variation of meaning, or such a wide spectrum
of meanings, if I could put it that way, that it's impossible
to give one meaning to the word. Let me show you what this is.
These words, gather together, actually are one word. And the
word in which these words are translated might better be translated,
gather together again, or reunite, or restore. Now this is the meaning. And I'm confident that every
meaning I'm giving you here, at least this much is included
in the statement given to us by the Spirit of God. There was
a time when all things were one. In the original creation, the
angels of God were one. But sin divided them. Adam was
one with the heavenly angels. But sin divided man from the
angels created to serve him. All God's creation was one with
Christ the Creator, and sin divided everything. How horrible and
sad. How far reaching the consequences
of sin are in God's creation. Sin separated man from God, and
sin separates men from men. We were all created as one. I sat today and I simply had
to weep when I thought about this. The whole of humanity was
created as one. Imagine that. Imagine that. Paul spoke to those on Myers
Hill, those brilliant Athenians and said, God made us all of
one blood. We were created as one. We were all created as one
man. You can't get much more one than
that. As one. And then something happened. Sin entered. And man's been divided
ever since. When Adam sinned against God,
because of his love for his wife Eve, He jumped into death. And the book says, darling, with
his eyes wide open, he knew just what he was doing. He was deceived,
not Adam. He knew exactly what he was doing.
He knew that he was plunging himself under the curse and wrath
of God Almighty. And he knew he was plunging you
there as well. Plunging the whole race there.
He knew himself to be a representative man. And you know what the next
word was we found the matter? With regard to that woman for
whom he was willing to die. She did it. His next word. It was the woman
you made for me. It's her fault. And we've been
divided and dividing ever since. Ever since sin entered the world,
man has been divided by race, by face, and by place. And the more we appear to try,
and I meant to say appear to try, because I'm convinced the
world around us only appears to try, the more we appear to
try to unite the human race, the more divided we become. Let
me show you. After the fall of Adam, Adam
and Eve, our parents, were expelled from the garden, and fallen man
was scattered as one race over the face of the earth. After
the flood, mankind was divided into three races and scattered
through all the earth. And then they all got together
in religion. And in Babel, again in judgment,
God scattered the nations and even broke up the tongues. And
since that day, The divisions and scatterings have been constantly
multiplied so that there is no culture, no society, no civilization
on record in history where there hasn't been division of men.
Not even a town. Not even a family. Do you know any family with no
divisions? Name it for me. any family, or an indictment against humanity.
I grew up in the deeply segregated South during those horrible,
tumultuous civil rights struggles of the 50s and 60s. In the last
50 years, we have been subject to legislation after legislation. You will all remember the Voting
Rights Act. LBJ's great society. What a great
society it turned out to be. Forced integration. School busing. Affirmative action. Literally
hundreds of laws. Hundreds of laws passed in every
state in the Union and at the federal level. Hundreds of laws
trying to make us all one. And unless I am terribly mistaken,
The division and the racism of our society is worse now than
it was when I was a boy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1950. It ain't
got any better. And it's not going to get any
better. I don't mean we shouldn't try. I mean it's not a possibility. It's not going to happen. But
our text speaks about and assures us of a reuniting of all things
in Christ. A reuniting of men and women,
of every race, and every face, and every place, perfectly. What an anticipation. This word, gather together, the
word translated gather together, also conveys the idea of recapitulation
or summarization. For example, sometimes when I
am preaching, either before I get started or when I have finished,
I will recapitulate or summarize my message, giving you the primary
points of the message. The word is really a mathematical
word. It speaks of a mathematical sum.
You take so many numbers and you add them up and this is the
sum. This is talking about there's a time appointed by God called
the dispensation of the fullness of times when everything, everything is going to be summarized
in one, even in Christ. Everything. What on earth is
that talking about? It refers to the final summing
up of all things in Christ. We talk about the blessings and
promises of God in the covenant. What are they? They're all in
Christ. All the types and shadows and
sacrifices of the law, all of them brought to one in Christ. All the prophecies and promises
of the Old Testament, All of them summarized, brought to one
head in Christ. All the revelation of Holy Scripture
brought together in one in Christ. All the host of God's elect brought
together in one in Christ. So that Christ is the sum total
of all. Now surely that's not what this
means. I beg to differ with you. Colossians chapter 3 verse 11.
Christ is all, do you know the next words? And in all. These things are just the shadow? These things are just the adjectives? These things are just moving
in the direction of this One who is everything. Again, the
words might be translated, reduced to one. In a word, when all is
said that must be said, and all is done that must be done, Christ
is all in all. Everything shall at last be reduced
to this, Christ, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren,
that in all things he might have forevermore the preeminence.
I ask you, what is grace but Christ? What is redemption but
Christ? What is life but Christ? What is salvation but Christ? What is heaven but Christ? What
is the church but Christ? Brother God, surely you didn't
mean to say that. I didn't, God did. We are His body and His
bride, His flesh and His bones, one with Him. What is the glory
of God but Christ? What is the will of God but Christ? What is God but Christ? Turn to Colossians chapter 2,
let me show you. Colossians 2 verse 9. In Him, in Christ, dwelleth all
of God. Is that alright? That's what
it says, isn't it? In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead. All that God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit is, resides in Him bodily. In His body. Read on. And you, you who believe, you
who are born of God, you who trust God's Son, You are complete
in him, which is the head of all principality and power. Now, let's go back to Ephesians
1.10. That in the fullness of times, 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. I have no question at all. Paul's
primary intention here is to declare the gathering together
of God's elect as one in Christ. The fact is, our God, according
to the abounding wisdom and prudence of His grace, has scattered His
elect across all the face of the earth, in every race, in
every nation, in every kindred, in every tribe, in every tongue,
scattered them in wrath and judgment. We were in our father Adam, and
God scattered us. We were in our dead heads, Shem,
Ham, and Japheth, and God scattered us. We were in our fathers, back
there amongst those Babel worshipers at Nimrod, and God scattered
us, all in His wrath, scattered us as He scattered all the nations
of the earth, scattered us in wrath and in judgment. that He
might gather us in mercy and in grace to the praise of the
glory of His grace. What is the history of war and
strife and division and heartache and misery in this world caused
by us? It is but God scattering and
gathering again His own. Let me show you. Turn to Deuteronomy
chapter 30. This is written throughout the
book of God. It's written so commonly, I've
limited myself, and I'm only going to read just one or two
of these, I've limited myself to just a few. It's written so commonly
in the scriptures that it's astounding folks don't see it. Deuteronomy
chapter 30, verse 3. That when the Lord thy God will
turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee, and will return and
gather thee from all the nations. Look at this. Whether the Lord
thy God hath scattered thee. Look at Jeremiah chapter 31.
It's part of God's covenant. It's part of God's covenant,
Jeremiah 31 to 10. Hear the word of the Lord, O
ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as
a shepherd doth his flock. Turn to Ezekiel 11. God commands his prophet, Therefore
say, Thus saith the Lord God, I will even gather you from the
people, and assemble you out of the countries where you have
been scattered. And I will give you the land
of Israel. Chapter 20 of Ezekiel, verse
34. God says, And I will bring you
out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries
wherein ye are scattered with a mighty hand, and with a stretched
out arm, and with fury poured out. You mean he's gathering
in mercy? Pouring out fury? Oh, got to
be. There's no other way you can
gather in mercy. Chapter 20, verse 41. God says, I will accept
you with your sweet savor. I'll accept you and your sacrifices
of praise and thanksgiving. 1 Peter 2, 5 has a sweet smelling
savor. I'll accept you with your sweet
savor when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out
of the countries wherein you have been scattered, and I will
be sanctified in you before the heathen." Now, turn to John chapter
11. John chapter 11. I want you to
see, all of these prophecies are moving in one direction,
and there is an ungodly, unbelieving, self-righteous, religious high
priest named Caiaphas who is forced by God the Holy Spirit
to prophesy of these things being accomplished in Christ by his
death, though he knew nothing about what he was saying. John
chapter 11, verse 49. And one of them, Nenkeaphos,
being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You know
nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient. It's beneficial. It's convenient, it's necessary,
it's expedient for us that one man should die for the people
and that the whole nation perish not. Now watch what God says
here. And this spake he not of himself, he didn't have a clue
what he was talking about. But being the high priest that year,
he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not
for that nation only, but that also he should gather together
in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Well,
how is this accomplished? In redemption? The Lord God that gathers all
His elect. At one time, in one man, Jesus
Christ, the God-man, our surety, and made Him sin for us, and
heaped upon Him all our iniquity. and punished him to the full
satisfaction of justice, putting away our sins by the
sacrifice of himself. And this is how Paul describes
it. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. He was gathering together his
elect, scattered through all the world, unto himself, not
imputing our trespasses to us, but gathering us to him in peace,
in the new birth, in regeneration, an effectual calling, by the
power of God the Holy Spirit, by his omnipotent grace. You
can read it in Matthew 13, Luke chapter 3, you can read it throughout
the gospel narratives. The Lord Jesus Christ sends out
gospel preachers, angels from heaven, proclaiming the good
news of his grace, and gathers the tares out of his field, binds
them up to burn them, and by the same message, gathers his
wheat into his barn, as a shepherd gathers his sheep. The gospel
we preach is the great widowing fan in the hand of Jesus Christ,
by which he thoroughly purges his floor, separating the chaff
from the wheat, and gathering his wheat into his garner, by
which he separates the precious from the vile. And then, being
gathered out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue, gathered
from all the divided peoples of the earth, In Christ, we are
made one. Turn to Colossians chapter 3.
Give me your attention for just a minute. I'll quit in just a
minute. I want you to see this. He won't mind me telling this,
I'm sure. My friend, Brother Aaron Dumas. Pastor of First
Baptist Church in Kingston, Jamaica. First time I was in his house.
I walked in, we chatted just a little bit, and he said, he
said, now Brother Donald, we don't see color here. I said,
do what? He said, we don't see color here. I said, Aaron, that's
just not so. We need to be honest with each
other. We all are bigoted, racist by nature. No exceptions. Not you and not me. The difference
between us and those folks outside the kingdom of God. is we see
the evil of it and deal with it. Look in Colossians chapter 3
verse 10. You who are born of God have
put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of Christ, after the image of him that created him. Where? That is in Christ. There is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,
bond nor free. Now let me sit up and put shoe
leather on that. Brother Lindsay might object
to me telling you that I can use the word Rex, we won't mistake
him. Brother Rex and his wife Debbie are born Yankees. They're born Yankees. Now they've
improved greatly in the time I've known them, but they're
born Yankees. That's what you call folks who were born in Michigan.
I was born and raised in the deep south. You know what? It don't matter. So that's trivial. I've got friends who are black,
friends who are Hispanic, friends who are Chinese, friends who
are Japanese. friends who are Arabic and friends
who are Vietnamese. And I just soon have them in
my house, have you in my house. And I just soon go to theirs
and go to yours. They're my brothers and sisters in Christ. I have
friends who are very highly educated and brilliant. I don't act like
it, but I know some folks who are really smart. I'm talking
about really smart. And I had some friends who don't
have any education at all. One of the dearest friends I
ever had in my life. As a matter of fact, I have two or three like
this. Dear, dear friends, now with the Lord. They'd be hard
pressed to spell their whole name. Oh, but in Christ. And you know, we'd get together
and discuss things, and I learned from them. Learned from them. It don't matter. That doesn't
mean that those things that are social dividing points cease
to exist when a person believes. That lady there is still a woman. You might not realize that. I'm
still a man. Well, there's neither male nor female. That's not what
it's talking about. Well, this fellow is black and
you're white. Not in Christ we're not. Yeah,
we're still black and white. He's still a white man, I'm still
a white man. What's he talking about then? It don't matter. It doesn't matter. The only place
where race and face and place don't matter is in Christ. Read on. Put on therefore. Paul says,
now this is the way it is, you act like it. As the elect of
God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And then, when
our blessed Savior comes in His glory, they're going to be sure
to have the gathering together of all things in Him. Paul describes
His coming like this, our gathering together unto Him. What a gathering that will be.
the assembly of the whole family of God as one everlasting monumental
miracle of grace repeated untold millions of times. Gathered unto
him, Abraham and Lot, Tamar and Mary. Rahab and Ruth. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother
of our Redeemer. David, man after God's own heart. A man not fit for anybody's heart.
All gathered together as one in Christ, by Christ, unto Christ,
and with Christ in the perfection of Christ himself forever. Amen.