Mystery Solved
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Somerton man Illustration
Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia
December 1948 6:30am - body of man leaned with head against wall
Witnesses said he seemed sleeping or drunk, but alive around 7pm the night before
Dressed immaculately, in very good shape (but soft, manicured hands), very healthy although spleen was enlarged
Suspected heart attack, then poisoning with no traces found in body
Unlit cigarette on lapel, unused second class train ticket to Henley beach, a bus ticket for Adelaide, American aluminum comb, half-empty pack of Juicy-Fruit gum, Army Club cigarette box filled with cheaper cigarettes, quarter full box of matches
No wallet, no ID, all name tags on clothes cut off
Fingerprints unidentifiable - no newspaper response
2 months later they found an unclaimed suitcase at the trainstation
Labels removed, pajamas, slippers, trousers and underwear, sharpened scissors, sharpened table knife, stenciling brush for merchant sailors
Found T. Keane on laundry bag and Kean (no “E”) on singlet - secondhand clothing was common in WWII
Coat was purchased in the US
Could not find missing T. Keane in English speaking countries
4 months later they find secret pocket in waistband
Inside, rolled up paper from page of rare book “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam”
Printed on paper was “Tamam Shud” - translated “it is ended”
Though suicide, but hidden note with no traceable poison?
Can’t find original book, they bury him, embalm him, cast him
8 months later man walks into police station with a Rubaiyat
He was at beach that day - parked car with windows down
Last page torn out, piece with “Tamam Shud” is torn out of it and it fits!
In the book is phone number with strange code
Phone number leads to Jessica Thompson who lives nearby
When shown the cast, almost fainted
Cried throughout interview, but claims to not know the man
She did give a copy of the Rubaiyat to Alfred Boxall in military
Maybe he’s the Somerton man? Nope, still alive...
And still has copy of Rubaiyat
Jessica also has a son with similar dental and ear patterns
The code in the book still hasn’t been cracked
5 lines, one crossed out, random letters
THEORIES:
Father of Jessica’s son
Some think he was a black market racketeer - hidden identity and merchant ship stenciling gear
American spy - American comb and jacket
Australian spy - Alfred Boxall worked in intelligence
Russian spy - Jessica Thompson was seen speaking fluent Russian to the surprise of her daughter
1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Roman imprisonment: Paul was under house arrest
Day: free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers
Night: chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar
Paul saw himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ
1. Always serve Jesus FIRST
1. Always serve Jesus FIRST
Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government
Illustration: Watched YouTube videos of famous pastors/Christian artists
All being asked hard questions about transgenderism, homosexuality, Jesus being the only way
Most of them had softball answers - afraid to speak the truth!
In truth, you can speak what God says and let Him face the music
God doesn’t need to to apologize for Him or explain His motives
He’s God! As His church we just march on in truth
That doesn’t mean we have to be jerks, we just have to remember our place
We are God’s servants, and so we serve...
For Paul, if he was a prisoner to anyone, it was Jesus
Under arrest and awaiting trial because of his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles
Didn’t want people to feel sorry, he wanted his readers to realize it was a benefit for them
2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
Illustration: Ever heard buy low and sell high?
How about the old bait and switch?
Don’t show them all your cards
These are all famous strategies!
2. SALVATION has always been God’s PLAN
2. SALVATION has always been God’s PLAN
Paul assumes that his audience has also heard about God’s strategy
Paul knew his calling to the Gentile world was well known among Gentile Christians.
The word stewardship speaks of the “implemented strategy” of God’s plan in the church
This whole picture was recognized and working
But Paul wanted them to know this was God’s plan, not his...
Why would he make it up?It cost Paul a lot to hold on to this mystery...
Illustration: Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard: "You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.”
He wasn’t in it for truth, he wanted gain
Sometimes I complain - I’m doing it right but they’re mad.
That’s not fair? I want to quit or wish I became a plumber...
But that’s the thing, truth is still truth no matter how much it hurts
If you face hardship because of your faith, don’t expect your reward to be an easy life...
You should expect trials and accept them because there’s a greater purpose
4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
3. God’s mystery is only KNOWN because God made it KNOWN
3. God’s mystery is only KNOWN because God made it KNOWN
Paul is saying the mystery would never be known if God did not make it known.
What mystery is he talking about?
6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Paul learned of the mystery by revelation, but others recieved it as well!
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Then he recaps the gospel… then finishes:
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
I should highlight this though: Paul had a very special ministry for the gentiles
God used Paul to declare specifically how Jews and Gentiles would be joined together in one body of Christ.
This was hinted at through others, but only specifically detailed through Paul’s revelation.
Salvation of Gentiles in the Messiah is prophesied specifically in Isaiah - but bonding Jew and Gentile in the Church is never spoken of
This could only happen through one powerful force - THE GOSPEL, AKA Good news!
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.
Minister is diakonos - same word for deacon!
Paul is saying he is a servant of the gospel, by God’s grace and power!
This is a humble statement - watch this:
8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,
This is the way a servant of the Lord should respond - in humility
4. Ministry is a HUMBLING experience
4. Ministry is a HUMBLING experience
Boy do I know it!
It’s not that the higher we rise, the better we are...
We rise higher the more we realize we are not worthy!
Charles Spurgeon: “But while Paul was thus thankful for his office, his success in it greatly humbled him. The fuller a vessel becomes the deeper it sinks in the water. A plenitude of grace is a cure for pride.”
Chucky Spurgeon sees the more Paul does well, the more he’s in awe of how much God continued to show unmerited favor!
You know what Paul thinks of himself?
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Paul was a persecutor of the church! There when Stephen (first martyr) was killed!
58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Saul is Paul!
1 And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
There was not a worse dude against the church!
And yet, even though he’s
The chief of sinners
A persecutor of the church
The very least of all the saints...
God has given him success in sharing the gospel with those who were not Jews
Paul cannot help but be humbled in that
If there’s any character in Scripture I relate to, it’s Paul
Sometimes I’m blown away to think about who I was, what I’ve done...
And then think that God would forgive me, not only that but bless me with health, money, a wonderful wife and awesome kids...
in v. 7 Paul Uses the word “preach: euangeliz - where we get evangelize
Literally means “to announce good news.”
What does he say about this news?
Illustration: Training the new guy at the mill
Started as a small order - grew to a crazy amount! 2 hours!
God’s riches are unsearchable; we will never know them completely.
I think it’s important for us to remember that
We want to wrap things up in a bow, but we cannot k now everything about God
We can only share what we do know
Any gaps in our understanding doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist
It’ means we’re not big enough to search out His riches
We’re like Scrooge McDuck swimming in his money
Except it fills up the entire ocean! We’ll never fully comprehend it
10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
This wisdom is manifold. As in many-fold - there’s a lot!
The ancient Greek word polupoikilos has the ideas of intricacy, complexity, and great beauty.
Think of the millions of fibers in a sheet of paper, or ripples on the sea, or leaves in a forest
These paint the picture of God’s wisdom - continuously flowing forever
This wisdom is “made known” but to whom and by whom?
5. The church reveals the WISDOM of God to the ANGELS!
5. The church reveals the WISDOM of God to the ANGELS!
We are called for something far greater than just our own individual salvation and sanctification
We are called to be the means by which God teaches the universe a lesson about Himself
John Stott: “It is as if a great drama is being enacted. History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and the church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play, and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene, the story continues to unfold. But who are the audience? They are the cosmic intelligences, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.”
13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Though under arrest for the sake of the gospel, Paul asked his readers to not lose heart
Paul didn’t want them to be discouraged for his sake, because Paul was still being used in the service of God’s eternal plan
I wish we all could carry that mindset
When Paul is suffering, he’s worried about it affecting others
His faith is strong, he’s prepared to face his trial...
But he’s worried about those who may not be so strong
6. Don’t let a HARDSHIP take your eyes off of CHRIST
6. Don’t let a HARDSHIP take your eyes off of CHRIST
There’s a lesson there - we can’t put our own hope in that of our leaders
Illustration: CrossWalk pastor affair
He stayed and the church lost everything
Money, building, most importantly, people...
Because the pastor never put them first like Paul did, he put himself first
Believe me, I am capable of letting you down
Mark, Tim, Doug, Cameron, your mom and dad, the President, Oprah, Tom Hanks, Buddha, Muhammad...
We will fail you because we are human
Your hope has to be in Jesus and in Him ALONE!
If you lean on Him and His revealed mystery, you will never be let down
Closing
Illustration: Donkey in a well
Throws more dirt until the donkey gets out
Don’t ever forget that your trials can be your salvation strategy
They could be the thing that saves your life
Like Paul says, don’t lose heart
Put your hope in what used to be a mystery:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
God is good, He’s still on the throne, He still loves you
That’s where you’ll find your hope
Prayer
Prayer