First Corinthians chapter four. Verse one. Let a man so account of us. as of the ministers of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God. I've entitled this message,
Stewards of the Mysteries of God. And what is a steward? A steward is someone who manages
somebody else's property. It's not his own. He's a trustee. He's a manager of that which
belongs to somebody else. Now, our one purpose in this
life, this is me, this is you, this is the Apostle Paul, is
to be stewards. You know, what we have belongs
to him, doesn't it? We're called on to be stewards
of the mysteries of God. We're not to preach our opinions.
We're not to preach our interpretations. We're not to preach our denominational
distinctives. We've got this one purpose. We
are stewards of the mysteries of God. And what is a mystery? First, let me say what it's not,
and I think that's very important. A mystery doesn't have anything
to do with mysticism. Now, you've probably heard the
term mysticisms and mystics. The gospel is not a religion
of mysticism. Mysticism is a belief that you
have that is independent of the scriptures. You just believe
that way. You have it by intuition. You
have it by feeling. You have it by experience. You have it by some direct revelation,
perhaps, but it's independent of the scriptures. The Bible
is not mystical. Obviously, the Bible itself is
the revelation of the mystery of God, and the gospel is not
a religion of mysticism. There are no mystics. This is a religion of the Bible. This is a religion of the word
of God. Turn with me for a moment to
Isaiah chapter 8. Here's what the Bible has to say about mysticism. Isaiah chapter 8. Verse 19. And when they shall say unto
you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards
that peep and that mutter. Should not a people seek unto
their God for the living, to the dead, to the law, and to
the testimony? That's talking about the written
Word of God. To the law and to the testimony.
If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there
is no light in them. Now, I don't know how many different
ways there are to take that. If they speak not according to
the written word of God, it is because there is no light in
them. So when we speak of being stewards
of the mysteries of God, we're not speaking of mysticism. We're
talking about that which is clearly revealed in the scripture. A
mystery is that which could not have been known unless God was
pleased to reveal it. That's what the Bible means about
mystery. You know, this word is found 27 times in the New
Testament. The mysteries of God, it is not knowledge concealed.
It's truth revealed, revealed in the word of God. For instance. How could we know that God would
forgive sin? Unless he revealed it in his
word. We couldn't know he'd do that. How could we know? that God became
a man unless He revealed it in His Word. We couldn't know that,
could we? This is a mystery that He has
revealed. How could we know that God is
one God revealed in three distinct separate persons with three distinct
and separate personalities unless the Holy Scriptures revealed
this? This is not something we could No, unless he was pleased
to reveal it. Now, this entire book that we
call the Bible is the revelation of the mystery of God. Turn with
me to Romans 16, just a few pages back. Verse 25. Now to him that is
of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching
of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery,
which was kept secret since before the world began, but now is made
manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets. That's how it's
made manifest, this mystery that had been kept secret. It's manifest
by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience
of faith. Now, turn over to Ephesians chapter
three, I want us to see how Paul explains to us how he knew what
he knew. I mean, Paul knew glorious things. Look what he says in
Ephesians chapter three. Before we consider the mysteries of
God, I want us to understand what a mystery is. Verse one. For this cause, I, Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you've heard
of the dispensation or the stewardship is the word of the grace of God,
which is given me to you, how that by revelation, He made known
unto me the mystery. As I wrote forward a few words
whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ. Paul, how do you know by grace
you're saved? Well, it's a mystery that's been made known to me.
Verse five, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons
of men, as it's now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit. that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs and of the same body and partakers of him, his promise
in Christ by the gospel, where of I made a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual
working of his power unto me, who am less than the least of
all the saints, is this grace given that I should preach among
the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Now, that's
how Paul knew the mysteries that he declared. God made them known
to him. from the Old Testament Scriptures,
and he writes the New Testament for the revelation of these mysteries. And when the Lord makes himself
known to a man, he does so through making these mysteries known. We read in Matthew chapter 13,
verse 11, where he says to his disciples, it is given to you. It's given to you. It's not given
to everybody, but it's given to you to know the mysteries. the mysteries of the kingdom. And these mysteries that we're
called upon to preach, we're to preach them boldly. You're
there in Ephesians. Turn over to Ephesians chapter 6. Paul says in verse 18, praying
always with all prayer and supplication, the spirit and watching there
and two with all perseverance and supplication for all saints
and pray for me. That utterance may be given unto
me, and I hope you pray this for me. Pray for me that utterance
may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make
known the mystery of the gospel. Now, that's what our calling
in this generation is. It's to make known the mystery
of the gospel and to make it known in a bold, clear fashion. Now, what I want to do tonight
is look at what the Bible actually says is a mystery. Now, everything in this book
really is mystery. It is awesome. It's powerful. It's really beyond our comprehension
as far as an intellectual grasp of something. Can you understand
how God is one God and three persons? Can you grasp that?
I can't grasp that. It blows me away trying to think
about it. It hurts my head if I try to think about it too much.
I just believe it. I believe it. I believe these
mysteries. I can't intellectually grasp them so much. But I'll
tell you what, I believe them from the top of my head to the
bottom of my feet. I believe these mysteries that
God has made known in his word. Now, we've got nine of them.
We're going to look at them each briefly. Ephesians chapter one,
verse nine. It says, having made known unto
us the mystery of his will. Now, how is it that you and I
can know the will of God? There's only one way you and
I can know the will of God, and that's Him making it known to
us. He made known the mystery of
His will. Now, there is such a thing as
the will of God, and it most certainly will be carried out.
I love that scripture in Daniel 4, 34 and 35 where it says, He
doeth according to His will. In the armies of heaven, and
among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his
hand or say unto him, What doest thou? His will is going to be
done. Whatsoever the Lord please, that did he, in earth and sea,
in all deep places. Now, thank God He has made known
to us the mystery of His will. Steve was reading the Scriptures.
Was it in the study or here? I don't remember. Where were
you? Oh, okay. It was in the study. And he read this passage
of Scripture. At John chapter 6, verse 38,
where the Lord 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. You want to know what God's will
it is? Well, listen real carefully. He tells us this is the will
of Him that sent me. That of all which He had given
me, I should lose nothing. But raise it up again at the
last day. It's God's will for all the elect to be saved. That's
God's will. That's the revelation of the
mystery. And he goes on to say, and this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone that seeth the Son and believeth on him
should have everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at the
last day. It's God's will for everybody who believes on Christ,
who sees the Son. They see the Son as their all
in salvation. It's God's will for that person
to be raised up at the last day and made just like Jesus Christ.
That is the mystery of his will. And you know, his will state
that you do well to study Ephesians chapter one. His will is stated
that he's made known, and we don't have time to look at that,
but that would be profitable to look at in your own time.
Now, turn over to Ephesians chapter five. Verse 31. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother. and shall be joined unto his
wife, and they too shall be one flesh." Now, this is a great
mystery. But I speak concerning Christ and the church. Here he's
talking about the mystery of union with Christ, the two. Christ
and his church, that's me. I'm one of the folks talking
about it. It's all about every believer. Christ and the church,
the two become one. That's a great mystery. And you
think of how mysterious and awesome this is, that the two become
one. And I don't understand how this works, but I sure believe
it and I rejoice in it. Christ became one with me. He became what I am. Christ never sinned. Christ never committed sin. He's
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than
the heavens. He never committed sin. That being said, on the
cross, He said, I am a worm and not even fit to be called a man. Now, do I understand how that
took place? No, I don't. Do I believe it? Yes, I do. He
became one with me. You know, the Scripture says
there in Hebrews chapter 12, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, and for the joy that was set before
Him, endured the cross, despising the shame. Do you know all the
shame that's associated with my sin? And I've said this so
many times, you know it so. If you could see into my heart
right now, I'd be so ashamed. I couldn't look you in the eye.
And you're the same way. You'd be ashamed too. But do
you know all the shame that's associated with my sin became
His? So much so that he said, my iniquities
as a heavy burden are gone over my head. They're too heavy for
me. He became one with me. He became
what I am for this reason, for this purpose, that I might become
who He is. Just as truly as He was made
sin, whatever that means, but just as truly as He was made
sin, Every believer is made the very righteousness of God in
him. I can't tell you how much joy
I get from that, how much peace, how much comfort I get from that
union with the Lord Jesus Christ. He became what I am on the cross,
that I might become what he is. 1 John 4, 17 says, let's turn,
I want you to look at this. This is something I quote all
the time, but sometimes I think it's better to just look at it,
see the power of it. 1 John chapter 4, verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Now, that's
an interesting concept, isn't it? Boldness in the day of judgment
where I can stand before the great judge of the earth and
be bold and be confident. Well, where's that boldness come
from? Well, here it is, because as he is, so are we in this world. right now, present tense. Because I'm one with Him. He's
holy before the Father. He's accepted before the Father.
He's perfect before the Father. So am I. His righteousness really
is my righteousness. You know, it's not imputed righteousness. It's righteousness imputed. You
know, there's only one righteousness. That's His righteousness. Imputed
to me, and that's my hope, and that's a great mystery, the mystery
of union with Christ, one being one with Christ. OK, turn to
First Timothy, chapter three. Verse 16. And without controversy, 1 Timothy
3, 16, that controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, and received up into glory, the great mystery of godliness.
And I love the way Paul says without controversy. No controversy
about this. It's a true story. True story.
There were two preachers who were brothers, and one of them
denied the deity of Christ, and the other believed in the deity
of Christ. And the one who denied the deity of Christ went ahead
and invited his brother to preach for him. He said, now, I want
you to preach on this condition that you don't preach on anything
controversial. So he agreed. And he read this
as his text without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. And it's great. God was manifest
in the flesh. Justified in the Spirit, accomplished
justification which the Spirit bears witness to. Seen of angels. What do you reckon the angels
thought when they saw God become a man? What in the world is going
on? I love to think about how they
must have peered down from heaven and just looked at what was going
on. And they were ready to do His bidding and do His will when
they saw people mistreated. What is He doing? He was seen
of angels. They were amazed. As they watched him walk through
this earth, what do you reckon they thought when they saw him
hanging on a cross? I don't believe they understood what he was doing,
but they were so amazed. Scene of angels. Preach to the
Gentiles. Let me ask you a question. Preach
to the Gentiles. Are you amazed that you didn't
hear the gospel tonight? Is that amazing to you? You know,
we've reached a bad state when we're not amazed that we even
get to hear the gospel. preached to the Gentiles. That's
me and you. That's a great mystery of godliness.
Believed on in the world. Now there's a mystery. You know
what I'm preaching? I believe. I believe that Jesus
Christ is God. I believe He's the creator of
the universe. I believe that he put away my
sin on Calvary 3. I believe he died buried and
was raised from the dead. I believe that right now he's
seated at the right hand of the Father. I believe this great
mystery. And that's amazing, isn't it? You believe something
like that? You know I do? I really do. And
received up into glory. Colossians 1. Now, this is what
we're called upon to preach boldly, what I'm what I'm preaching right
now. The mysteries of the gospel. Colossians chapter one, let's
begin reading in verse twenty five. Where and to I made a minister,
according to the dispensation of God, which is given me for
you to fulfill the word of God, that word dispensation, once
again, stewardship. Even the mystery. which had been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints,
to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you. The hope of glory. Now, you want to talk about a
mystery. Mysterious and awesome and glorious, Christ in you. If you're a believer, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, dwells in your heart right now. He's taken up
residence inside of you. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Now, I myself believe the Gospel. Christ doesn't believe for me.
I believe. I repent. I'm in a continual
state of repentance. You know, the Lord doesn't have
anything to repent of, does He? I'm the one that doesn't repent.
He doesn't repent for me. I repent. I myself love the Lord Jesus
Christ. I love His heavenly Father. I
love God the Holy Spirit. I'm the one who loves. I do these
things. Not Him. I'm the one preaching
the gospel right now. This is my voice. I live. Yet not I. But Christ liveth in me. Now, it's true I believe, but
I know there's one reason why I believe. And I know it's not
because of my free will. It's because Christ liveth in
me. I repent. And there's one reason
I repent. I know why I repent. I don't
have any question about this. It's only because of Christ living
in me. I love the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's a reason
for it. It's because He lives in me. You see the new birth,
regeneration, is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is the
actual hope of glory. Christ's not in you. You know,
what's that scripture there in 2 Corinthians 13 where it says,
don't you know that Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?
If Christ isn't in you, you won't be saved. Christ in you, the
hope. Now, that's that's a powerful
statement about how important this is. It's the hope of glory. What a mystery that Christ would
dwell in me. First Timothy three. Here's another
one of these great mysteries. There's not. Holding holding on to. the mystery
of the faith in a pure conscience. Now, the only way I'm going to
have a pure conscience is faith in Christ. That's it. I mean,
if I'd say, well, I feel no guilt about this thing or that thing,
I'd be lying, really. Because anything I do, if I said
it, there's sin in it, I can't feel free of conscience in anything
I do. I never have a totally pure motive.
I've always got sin with me. And you do, too. You know that.
The only way my conscience is pure and clean is by faith in
Christ, really believing that His blood washes away my sin.
Now, he says we hold to the mystery, the mystery of the faith in a
pure conscience. And this is the thing I was thinking
about this passage of Scripture, faith. You know something that
is important for us to understand about faith? Faith is something
you can't see. It's believing what you cannot
see. I believe, faith that is seen, he says it's
not seen, it's something you can't see. Here's faith. I believe that right now while I'm talking
to you, when the God of glory looks at me, and I'm saying this
even conscious of my sins, I'll tell you what, I'll think of
today and I'll think of sins I've committed, sins in my heart,
in my mind, I'm aware of my sin when I say
this. Not even as aware as I should be, but I'm aware of my sin when
I say this. But I believe that when God looks
at me right now, He sees somebody without sin. I believe that. I can't see it. Because as far
as what I can see, I can see plenty of sin. I can see it in
me, I can see it in you. Yet I'm looking at some people
who, when God sees you, and I'm not talking about, you know,
He knows you're sinful underneath, but He's got this covering, so
He sees you through that covering, but still knows you're sinful
underneath. No, I'm not saying that at all. When God sees Todd Nybert,
He sees someone that is just like His Son. perfectly holy without sin. Not just covered up to where
you can't see it, but he knows it's still there. No, he sees
me as without sin. I'm fit for fellowship with God.
I'm fit for the embrace of God. He sees me as without sin. Now,
do I see that? No. Do I believe it? Absolutely. That's what faith
is. Faith is believing the Gospel.
Do you believe this? Do you believe that because of
Christ, You are without sin. Listen to this scripture. Romans
chapter 6 verse 11, Paul the apostle said, Reckon yourselves
to be dead indeed to sin. Now, would God tell you to reckon
yourselves to be something that you're not? Would he say, well,
you know you're not dead to sin, but go ahead and reckon yourself
to be dead to sin? No. Sin has no connection with
you. That's so wonderful. Now believe
it. Reckon yourselves to be. If God
said you're dead indeed to sin, that's because you are dead indeed
to sin. And it has no connection with
you. That's the power of our Gospel. That's the mystery of
faith. I believe something that I can't see. We walk by what? Faith. And not by site that just
shall live by faith. And we hold on to the mystery
of the faith. There's only two religions, the
mystery of faith and the salvation of works. Those are the only
two religions, faith, faith in Christ or salvation by works. And we're called upon to hold
to the mystery of the faith. Romans 11. Verse 25, "...for I would not, brethren, that ye
should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your
own conceit, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until
the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel
shall be saved, as it is written, there shall come out of Zion
the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness, from Jacob. Now, this is the mystery of blindness. Now, I don't know what all this
means, but here's what I do know. He says, right now the Jews are
rejecting the gospel. He's talking about the nation
of Israel, and they're still rejecting the gospel. And he
says, blindness in part has happened unto the Jews until the fullness
of the Gentiles be brought in. And when he says that, he's talking
about the last of the Gentiles. One of these days, the last Gentiles
are going to be saved. Might have already happened.
Might be getting ready to happen. I don't know. But all the elect
of the Gentiles are going to be saved. And at that time, it
seems to indicate that there's going to be a turning again to
the Jews. If that's what it does mean,
I think that's what it means. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Wouldn't you
love to see that? Would the Lord do a mighty work
of grace in the Jewish nation and people be brought to bow
the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ? And they see this one they had
rejected is the Messiah? God's promised it? That's a great
mystery. It's a great mystery. He said,
I don't want you to be ignorant of it either. Blindness in part
has happened to the Jews. They're going to stay blind until
the fullness of the Gentiles come in. And that's the last
of the salvation, the last of the Gentiles are going to be
saved. And then he's going to turn again. So all Israel, and
that's talking about spiritual Israel. It's not talking about
the nation of Israel. All Israel. Remember who the
true Jew is. He is a Jew or he is not a Jew,
the scripture says, which is one outwardly. He's not a Jew. Neither is that circumcision,
which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew, which is one
inwardly, whose circumcision is at the heart of the spirit,
not of the letter, whose praise is not of men of God. All Israel
shall be saved. Second Thessalonians, chapter
two. The mystery of iniquity. There are seven. For the mystery
of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth will
let, until he be taken out of the way, the mystery of the Antichrist. The mystery of iniquity, that
one who opposes himself above all that's God, all that's called
of God, he exalts himself, that mystery. I'm so thankful the
Lord has revealed to us this mystery. We'd never know about
it. And let's go on reading, verse 8. And then shall that
wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause, Because they received not the love of the truth that
they might be saved, God shall send them strong delusion that
they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who
believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Now, when I read that passage of scripture, I know what it
does to me. One, it scares me. I don't want to be deceived.
And whatever it is to receive the love of the truth, that's
what I want to do. Because he said these fellas
didn't receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.
So I want to receive, not simply facts, I want to receive the
love of the truth. Philippians chapter 4, this is
that passage of scripture I read. We've got two more. Philippians
chapter 4. Paul said in verse 10, but I
rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care
of me have flourished again. He was saying you were able to
support me again when you also were careful, but you lacked
opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of one, I'm not talking
about my needs. You know, if you ever hear a
preacher talking about what he needs, get away from him. You
ever hear a preacher begging for money? Get away from him.
He doesn't have a drop of faith. He doesn't even know what faith
is. Paul says, I'm not talking about my needs. Not that I speak
in respect of want. For I have learned in whatsoever
state I am therewith to be content. Contentment means satisfaction
with what one has. Understand. There's not a thing wrong with
wanting to. Better yourself in a worldly sense. There's not
a thing wrong with if you get a job making more money taking
it. It might be wrong, you seek the
Lord's direction on it, but it's not wrong in and of itself. There's
nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself and and it doesn't
mean you ought to be content with whatever circumstance you're
in. That's not really what that's
talking about, but what Paul is saying. is in whatever state I am, whatever
God brings my way, I am satisfied. And here's why I'm satisfied.
The writer of the Hebrews said, let your conversation, let your
conduct be without covetousness and be content with such things
as you have, for he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee. Now, the only time you start
coveting something, You covet what you don't have. What do
you have in Christ? Right now, while I'm talking
to you, what do you have in Jesus Christ? You have all, don't you? I mean, it can't get any better. There's nothing to covet. There's
nothing to reach for. You've already got it all. That's
why you can be satisfied. You're satisfied, aren't you?
You know, I'm satisfied now. Would I change myself if I could?
Think about myself? All kinds of things. All kinds
of things. I'd change you, too. There's
a lot of things I'd change about you. And you'd change me. That kills me. When I said that, people said,
I wouldn't change you. Well, if that's the case, you don't know me.
If you knew what Lynn knew, you'd change me. I guarantee you would.
You'd do all kinds of things. But with all that stuff being
said, I am satisfied to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm
not looking for anything else. I'm really not. I'm not. Let's
look what he said next in this passage. He says in verse 12,
I know both how to be abased. I know how to be brought to the
very bottom. Because you know, when I'm brought
to the bottom, you know what I appreciate? Christ is all.
It's easy to trust Christ when I don't have anything else. It's
simple, isn't it? I know how to be abased. And
I know how to abound. You know those times where there
are times where the Lord increases your faith and everything just
seems easy? And you're abounding. But I know how to abound. Even
when I'm abounding, Christ is all. And all I got to do is start
thinking that I'm the one doing the abounding. I lose it quick
enough. I realize that. I know how to abound. I know how to
be abased. And I know how to abound. He says, Everywhere and
in all things I am instructed. See that word instructed? That
word is literally initiated into the mystery. I am initiated into the mystery,
and here that mystery is, both to be full and to be hungry. I'm full. I don't need anything
else. I'm full in Christ. I'm complete
in Christ. And yet I hunger and thirst after
righteousness. And I hunger and thirst after
Him. I'm initiated into the mystery. I'm full and I'm hungry. I know
both, he said, both how to abound, abounding in Christ. You know,
isn't it wonderful when the Lord gives you grace to see everything's
just right? I love it. I love it when I think
everything's just perfect. Everything's just perfect. That's wonderful
when the Lord gives you grace to see that way and think that
way, and yet at the same time, at the precise same time, I'm
suffering need. I need Him. I need His mercy. I need His grace. I need Him
to do something for me. I need the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, this is a mystery. It's a mystery. But every believer
is initiated into this great mystery. How to be full and hungering
at the same time. How to be completely content
in Christ regardless of the circumstances. And I say to every believer,
you know what this means. John Newton said it this way,
content with beholding his face, my all to his pleasure resigned. No changes of season or place
would make any changes in my mind. When blessed with a sense
of his love, a palace, a toy would appear and prisons would
palaces prove. if Jesus would dwell with me
there, content with Christ. And you know, the only way you
can understand that is if you're content with Christ. I don't
know how many times I've heard people, they make this comment.
There's got to be something more. There's got to be something more. You've never seen it. You've
never seen. Because if you've ever seen You
know, Christ is all. And the last one is found in
first Corinthians 15. The mystery of the resurrection,
what's going to happen when I die? What's going to happen when I
die? Verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does
corruption inherit incorruption. That body that you have, it's
a sinful body, isn't it? It's a sinful body. It's not
fit to be in heaven. Behold, verse 51, I show you
a mystery. We shall not all sleep. You know,
death for a believer is called in the Scriptures asleep. It's
asleep. When a believer dies, he's sleeping
in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not a separation. It's asleep.
I said this recently, the best day of a believer's life is the
day they die. He says, Behold, I show you a
mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed. at corruptible flesh that you
have right now that's been used as an instrument of sin, it's
going to be changed into an image made just like the Lord Jesus
Christ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump,
for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible
and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. So when
this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal
shall put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that it's written, death is swallowed up in victory. Isn't that wonderful to think
of death as a victory? We don't think of it that way.
We think of it as the final defeat. No, no, no. It's victory. Verse 55, O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin. And the strength of sin is the
law. The holy law of God always shows our sin. But the sting's
been taken away because the sin's been taken away. That's why the
sting... That's how the sting's gone.
The sin's been taken away. There's nothing to sting. In
Him is no sin. Verse 57, But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord. The mystery of the
resurrection. When that trumpet sounds, Every
believer is going to be raised from the dead, perfectly conformed
to the image of Jesus Christ. What a glorious mystery. Now, what is our job in this
generation? It's to be stewards of the mysteries
of God, to preach the mysteries of the gospel. Everything in
this book is a mystery. And our job is to preach to this generation
the mysteries of God. May God give us grace to be faithful
in our calling. What we're going to consider
next Sunday night, Lord willing, is just this statement. It's
required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And I want
to consider what it is to be faithful. Let's pray together.