Sunday 5th January 2025

Good to see you this morning and happy New Year. 2025 address is 112 page 1666. A also be referring to mess, you checked to see if you want to put a finger in there as well. That be helpful but I have to have a little bit of ride across the Barbados we looking at thing today and same as God's plan for the Gentiles.

I was wondering if I asked people to put hands up. How many were born here in Australia?

Ways you can say that's quite a number of people who come to Australia from another country and being an immigrant to a van. It can often be very difficult, I'm even hotter. If you were Refuge, But not, as you've come to a stride, are there differences in culture, the weather is very different from many places of people have lived in before and even have all though, you may have spoken English in your Homeland. Have the language issues can be very different and a time to feel very iPod a very separate from the people you live. Anyway. You don't feel quite as you belong. The many of you over the years, if you've lifted the strategy, you then work, your white was applying for Australian citizenship. And for those for whom it's been granted, that would be a, very special day in three weeks time. They'll be a lot of ceremony is often the way with paperwork, swear allegiance to Australia and you've been granted citizenship in, you feel us, are you have finally belong? Yes, I'll still be differences. Yes. Everything's you will find hard to come to grips with but at least now you can call yourself an Australian being a citizen of this country. Navigate with that. Illustration for. We're going to be thinking a little bit about citizenship today. Bull run to load about not being citizens of Australia or I'm a citizen of that. He was a Roman citizen, the guy who's right, but rather becoming a citizen of Heaven. It is a particular focus of his letter to the church at Ephesus. In Chapter 2 of Ephesus verses 11 and 12 reread the following that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and call the answer to which is done in the body by human hands. Remember that time you was separate from Christ excluded from citizenship in Israel and fairness of the covenants of the promise without hope and without God in the world.

Pool guy told me to write about Jesus, atoning sacrifice what Christ has done for us. And then if it's 19 of that chapter can write, consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household Citizenship was granted not by completing some sort of test or by having to work out certain character assessment. Prescribed it because of the grace of God. Is a gift. God Longs for us to take up citizenship in heaven. We going to come back to that message. Little bit lighter in the sermon. Tomorrow, you're familiar with the church calendar. It's what we call epiphany epiphany a revealing And it's usually on that day or the Sunday before and this is Sunday. Before we read the story of the man, God, we read Matthew Chapter 2 verses, 112 witch, and a red to us just a short while ago. And it speaks about these. We don't know how many traditional you talk about three weeks because we the three gifts later on by these men, come from the East. They come from what used to be Babylon but now at that site, Mesopotamia.

And they come because I see a sign in heaven. So I see a new stuff.

I know that's nice. I would have been able to be seen by all. It wasn't the Jewish leadership, or the rabbis or the Pharisees who got excited or even noticed. but rather than with these men from the East, You came seeking a newborn king? And these men having been brought up having been born in the East are in that mess up a time with my slot to helping Jen tops.

FaZe. Megga. I had grown up probably with the descendants of the exhaust, the exhaust were taken into Babylon at the end of two kings, full of it of Judah to Babylon. And they become aware of Jewish prophecy. Prophecy of birth of a king. Nowhere in particular, prophecies in numbers 24 verse 17 about the star.

Is it said that I buy a plane god-fearers but they certainly weren't Jewish. Is Sargento Cheese. And we can heat throughout the gospel song. Jesus comes to his son, that is to the Jewish Nation. that this plan that God has enacted is not just for the Jews, but for the whole world,

Is a fulfillment of a promise that goes right back to the early part of the scriptures. in verses 1 to 11 of Genesis, we read about the creation of the world and then the full 2 seen in Genesis chapter 3,

Sin of Adam and Eve.

And we see that since spread into a point wig, the world is trying to rebelled against God by building the town of 50 and then God's got us. Two, people gives him a whole lot. Number of languages.

I put him in charge because they are appealing against God. They tried to usurp his power and to take his place.

Genesis chapter 12 and 4. When we see God's plan, he's solution to that problem a worldwide problem, but he focuses his solution in 13 people and then he gives a promise to Abram. Abram, who was a guy in living in the east coast, this to him, I want you to come to the land of Canaan. I'm going to give it to you.

I need to give her a very great promise in versus 1 2. 3 of Genesis chapter 12,

And we made that promise.

And the Lord said to Abram go from your country, your people and your father's household to a land, I will show you at one level, you will be a fine. But he's going to kiss, you will leave and be a citizen of that you land. And he says, I will make you a great nation and I'll bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and Chris with Chris you I will. Cuz he was he was going to establish a new people and I gave him the promise finishes and all peoples on Earth will be blessed through you. This Plan of Salvation is focus and 1 people in the Jewish faith and through that, that people will come to save the world Jesus Christ. But the plan always had in mind that are beyond the Jewish Nation. It was solve, the problem is at the end of Genesis chapter 11 of the world and Rebellion against God. The word we translate as Nations. We also translate at times, it can toss out of the same wood. So Nations picks up all those who don't belong to any other than the Jewish Nation, a gentiles. God will make Abraham a great nation and through him all the papers would. But that is a plan for all the nations for the Gentiles, God's Plan of Salvation was not just for his special people. That was just solved. As already said, the problem of rebellion and Punishment written about in the first eleven chapters of Genesis Another, the focus of the Old Testament is very much upon God's people upon the people of Israel and then narrowing down to Jude after the fall of the northern kingdom, we get him some various times throughout the scriptures that God has not forgotten his promise to the world. If you have a reading that was right at the first service I saw, I check the 60. It says the nicest will come to the light, there is a place there for the Gentiles in that in that future. But I hope that is there in the lot that is in Christ, who is come into the world. I saw you coming back to to the gospels, being a conscious of those promises that they are in the Old Testament. Does it say read, Matthew 2:1 to 12, we get the hint of the film that promise in the coming of the Mad God. I didn't even get that. That story is recorded Frost. Onion Matthew's gospel. The Matthew in many ways it's the gospel. That is the most Jewish of all of them. It costly comes back in Christ scripture. It seems to been written to Jewish Christians, or to those, in the Jewish Nation. Here is God working out his plan and the Fulfillment is in Jesus. And yet in that go. So we get the hint about the mega that the Gentiles have a place and we get a few of a hints. And yes, Jesus is public Ministry. Makes it clear that he has people to the Jews. We see it at all times when the censuring comes, a ain't Jesus. Response is a sense in which now, this is what I am not here to right now, or with the Samaritan woman.

And I saw Jesus is very much for these hints. That is much more to God's plan and of course, in Matthew gospel has Messi gospel finish Who is the most Jewish of the gospel and yet in Matthew, right at the very end of Matthew's gospel. The Great Commission. Going to all the world making disciples. Here is one, yes, Jesus is focused on these people, but in the end, the plan is for the whole world. And so therefore go and make disciples of all nations of old genitals, baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you. I surely I Am With You Always to the very end of the age I say we get hints are in the gospel and then in the book of Acts Is Matt explicit here. We have a begins with the the day of Pentecost, the very soon. The gospel is going Beyond just the Jewish people. In the book of Acts, we see Peter going to see Cornelius and then realize that God does not show up at 5 or 2, some soul, Focus, Spa Soul. Who is the Pharisee, who wanted to destroy the church who became pole and Apostle to the Gentiles

But he a God is now bringing that message of Christ will be on these people. I need a pod. The irony is that many of these people still haven't seen that. The Messiah has come and pose. Pray, that they will have their eyes open or spawn to that to the massage Jesus. And it was two, nice trout in the Gentiles will be part of one flock again, hinted at in the gospel where Jesus talks about being the shepherd. And I have another flock, I need to draw in Historic. We now come to that passage in Ephesians chapter 3. There's a lot of background there but I think it's important for us to understand that background. Poland in Ephesians chapter 3 wants to write about that plan. For the Gentiles. 3:1 vagina, if you have a choice but to pay 1666. Call begins. But what appears to be trying to pry for this reason. I pour the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of a few gentiles.

In daylight, running 3:40. We had gained have for this reason, I kneel before the father, I said we can speculate that Paul was going to pray for the Ephesians. But have you mentioned about being a prisoner crises for the sake of you Gentiles? He felt he needed to write more about what has God done for the Jen tops?

The oil. I said he is a prisoner of Christ Jesus with the Gentiles. When you read that we often think about Paul being in jail. Many of his letters were written whilst in custody river by the Romans will by the Jewish authorities. Oh, by various local authorities price to see proclaim. The gospel is often linked led to conflict and and people are getting angry and wanting to just unload her wrists up here and say, yes, it could be that Plus, I could be talking about Paul's conversion. And when you look at this explanation and verse two, that probably seems quite likely they what he had in mind, wasn't that he was in prison and sense of being in a in a cell. But the Saints in week Christ, Jesus is taking him captive. Call Rox about this in a few other places about be my captive across. See another picture. He made a prisoner of Christ and other places to be the place is being part of the family, being a child of God, but it says it being brought here and he will, he was now my captive now in this relationship, Anything you want me to look at what happened on the rides. Damascus is a sense in which that is true. He was, was sold in Cumming. Pharmacy. He'd already, I've been starting a Stephen in in Acts chapter 8, and, and now, he's on his wife's Damascus in and Acts chapter 9. And he's got letters to to have authority to arrest anyone who followed in the way, anyone who claimed a relationship with Christ, he wanted to have them removed its place, I would Jewish, he saw them as being treated, as I saw, he was on the on the road to Damascus and then he was confronted by the Risen Christ. There he was, he was confronted by the one. He he had rejected.

Christ revealed himself, a nice pool realize that he was indeed the suffering Messiah. He was divided. He was drawn in is might a captive of Christ Jesus. Go ahead. One in some ways is is an erotic row before. He was the one who was the most Jewish of the disciples. He was a Pharisee. He was the one who stole the church is being a poor side. And yet he was safe or particular role that is to bring the gospel to the Gent. Also, a prisoner of Christ, is for the sake of a few Gentiles inverse to he, then explained to us a bit more fully. This, surely you heard of the administration of God's grace, it was given to me for you. Polaris referring about that administration of Christ. When God Coal Keeps the messages and when he went off to to Saudi Arabia for a couple of years, to Think Through the scriptures. He was God who showed him Grace and pull never forgot God's grace that he was. He who was so opposed to hold him. Brought him back in East. I could have smashed him on that road to Damascus. No he called him into a relationship.

And so he we see the administration of God's grace will give me for you. That is the mystery made known to me by revelation as I've already written, briefly, He was Jesus revealed, who he is to Soul who they became Pole. Who buy red Revelation, the gospel, the grace of God. Poll. Who's the most unlikely of Converse come and is taken captive for Christ. I saw a few years and

we're alone in the universe for inbreeding this. Then you will be able to understand more insight into the mystery of Christ. Which was not mine own two people. In other Generations, as it has been revealed by the spirit to God's Holy Apostles and Prophets see Paul his got this understanding because his mind to realize, to Jesus, he's back at the Old Testament scripture. It is a mystery that to reveal by the spirit to the apostles at stopping. That God has to open our eyes to Are they having understood poke? And then see the even in the prophets? Probably speaking about this mystery as he went back, too many of these prophecies. Now understanding who Christ is that he starts TV. Stand it against the importance of what was written about before he sees Jesus in Thief, the Fulfillment of these promises.

I saw this inside the mystery of Christ. And what is this mystery? That the gospel, this mystery is that through the gospel, not only will the Jews come to fight in Christ. But also the Gentiles I is together with Israel.

Nephi Sewell before he was converted. That would have been heresy. That would have been denying who use as a 5-foot you, but now having met Christ. He sees that she in the Old Testament, scripture that promise was there will be co-ed with the buffets around Memphis to get rid of one body and share it together in the promise of Christ. Jesus.

So I said pull now sees in Hinesville the significance of the prophecy and the promises of the Old Testament that scene in a different light, he sees the meaning of Genesis 12:3, the old people will be blessed if he comes clear. God is typing Styles away. I said having revealed this to him having revealed this mystery that, they see this Plan of Salvation is much bigger than just a Jewish people. Call Dan kolze into a real impressive. And I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace, given me through the word hummus pair. Pull his coat him into this relationship, but God is cold pull into this relationship into this role to be an apostle to the Gentiles already mentioned, this Paradox in the cooling of polter's raw one who's so far have been so focused on his jewishness a Pharisee trying to destroy the early church, but God has shown him Grace and cold him to preach the gospel to gentiles. I saw that is what he's about and that's what he does and he's legit and Journeys. And is he a big claims this message, which has been a mystery? Not because it's secret knowledge, but because God had kept it on clear until this time now it's available and is he preaches? The gospel to the Gentile. He preaches about the boundless Riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone. The ministration is mystery mystery, which for I just passed by God, in God, who created all things? Paul is bringing this message, the message of the boundless nature of God's grace, the rich. So that cries bring it back and seen the written about it earlier on in Chapter 2 and chapter 2 and verse 7 in order that the incomparable in the, in the coming of the incomparable Riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness, to us in Christ Jesus. This is a message that his liver I didn't change Pole. Is something he focused upon the grace of God, cuz he is saying that Grace so greatly in his own life.

And so, Paul says, I have this role to bring this message of God's grace Of The Riches of his Mercy. God. Is not any calling Pole to srabani coolest chick to extend. It beyond that, not what he writes invest in his intent, was that now through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities. In the Heavenly Realms is an ongoing role of spread of the ghosts. We say that certainly in the book of Acts cold to write through history, to bring that message, not just to that is around a bunch of the rulers and authorities will be called to bring them.

I saw her as you guys don't have a 7 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus, our lord is has been done by God and through God. And so invested in him and through faith. In him. We may approach god with freedom confident. As we accept that, message of Christ's accept what Christ has done for us. We can now come into the very presence of God, send me a game that would have been, so that's all. It's a Pharisee Bridge. You you never looked upon the face of God but now he knows through Christ week ending date. We freedom and confident approach. God to pull his magnificent explaining this, and for the Gentiles, his plan for us

I'm not aware of anybody who's from Jewish background.

My apologies Ojai have not recognized that. but for most of us, if not, all of us, we are gentiles is any because of the grace of God, we've been called into a relationship into being a is along with Israel.

And as we look at that, what we've looked at today, we see the extent of god-christ, calling Soul, who is Christ into that relationship. He, he was cold in surely, none of us is beyond price. We see the work of the church called to the way which God Has Changed people. I mean, give, thanks to God.

And if we become citizens in Christ through citizens of Heaven through Christ, then we can again give thanks and we recognize what God has given us and that we are now. So, is Citizens along with this route. So we should have a sense of thankfulness. Frozen essence of years of citizenship that we belong. And then also, one of responsibility for the rest of us. We need to hear this message. Need to respond and therefore, they said I'm going to the church to bring this message to others. That was my come and know what is a free gift from God. We don't have to pass the test. We don't have to do anything but accept what God has given us.

Try to reflect upon these readings on the Epiphany Sunday, let us give. Thanks to God. Let us refer I could have sold in the Rawls that God is cold as to that. We made it got a cold Pole today to bring that message to the Gentiles. A people might come to Christ another life in human. I mean.