The Mysteries of Godliness
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14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Church Character
Church Character
First Paul calls on church character
or how the church should function
how one ought to behave in the household of God
This seems to be partly a summative verse to capture Paul’s teachings to this point in the letter
it also indicates part of Paul’s plans and reasons for this teaching
Paul’s instruction on how to behave in the church
started in ch 1
be knowledgeable of the word to guard against false teachers
be grounded in understanding
Christ came to save sinners
Ch 2
Pray for all people
those in authority
those of the church
Roles of men and women within the body
Ch. 3
Qualifications for overseers/elders
Qualifications for deacons
Paul is calling back these teachings to indicate the importance of this church structure
Church Duties
Church Duties
Next Paul focuses on Church duties
What is the duty of the local church
Paul does not list them as duties but gives them a title
The title is a pillar and buttress of truth
Pillar - column designed to support a building
buttress - support of bulwark
in some medieval churches the heavy weight of the roof was supported by flying buttresses
This is how the church should be with the truth
Paul builds up that the church is the structure
We are the tie that binds
We are the pillars and buttresses on the earth to declare and support the truth of the Gospel
Paul’s name implies a noble task
The church has the duty to make sure the world knows of Christ
The church has the duty to make sure it is founded on truth
founded on the Word of God
Is not manipulating the Word of God
is not conforming the word of God to contemporary means
Instead the church is to hold fast to the Faith
They are to stick to the truth of Scripture
They are to study and know the truth of the Living God
This way the world can know of the amazing Grace the Son of God has offered
This leads us to what was typically considered a common Faith understanding
These words were a type of credal statement for the early church
They focused on the mysteries come true of Godliness
Confessions of the Faith
Confessions of the Faith
Christ’s Person
God in the Flesh
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Vacant Tomb
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
Christ’s People
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
The angels in heaven looked in awe
angels announced Christ’s birth
they ministered to Him after temptation and during agony in Gethsemane
connected to the resurrection
His going home to Heaven
His return
Administration of judgement during the Tribulation
The angels have watched with interest what is happening
They payed extremely close attention to the Lord Jesus from His decent to earth to His rise back to Heaven
Angels have had an instrumental part in the witness of Jesus
Taken to the Nations
19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;
20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
Paul focused on delivering the Gospel to all nations
He wanted to reach those whom had not heard
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
redemptive grace proclaimed
Christ’s Power
Christ’s power is still evident today
while it may seem like the world is falling apart
Drifting from the Lord
People are still coming to know the Lord
Evangelistic results may look small to us
God is satisfied
He knows what He is doing
He knows the harvest
He knows the future
It is up to us to do what Paul stated in the previous verse
and take it to the masses
Paul himself voted for the death of many believers before conversion
one look on the face of Jesus turned his life around
Stephen being a martyr of the Faith was willing to die because he believed in the power of Jesus
Jesus power is still evident today
We just seem to downplay it
Or miss it
or maybe we aren’t devoted enough to see it
You see the church is supposed to be the pillar that holds all this together
Christ doesn’t need us but He chooses to use us
Christianity is not a works based religion
Many other religions are
they require pilgrimages to Holy Places to be redeemed
sometimes these trips become deadly
But the church of the living God has gotten relaxed
To the point many of them aren’t even willing to come to church at regular services
Aren’t willing to read the Bible
Aren’t willing to remain constant in prayer
Aren’t willing to dwell and bask in the presence of the Risen Savior
D. L. Moody
one of the greatest revivalists of all time
a shoe salesman converted
Heard someone say the world had yet to see what God could do through a man who was wholly yielded to Himself
His reply, “By the Grace of God, Ill be that man.”
He was sold out for the Lord
Many souls witnessed the Power of Jesus through His witness
That is our calling to uphold the truth of the Gospel
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
We are the pillar and buttress of truth
We bask in this truth and include
the fact that Jesus triumphs in Glory
Jesus was ascended unto heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father
His Triumph in Glory