Sunday August 1, 2021

God, so loved the world.

Our call to worship this morning. It says this. It is a prayer for Mercy is song going up as you go up to worship, you would sing this song. Psalm 130.

Next slide.

Lord, I am in great trouble. So I called out to you. Is that ever been you? Lord, I I hear your voice. Listen to my prayer for help. Lord. If you punish people for all their sins, listen to this, no one would be left. Lord. Amen. But you'll forgive us. So you are respected.

I wait for the Lord to help me and I trust in his word. I wait for the Lord to help me more than the night Watchman, wait for the dawn more than the night Watchman, waits for the Don. People of Israel. Put your hope in the Lord people of America, put your hope in the Lord. He is loving and able to say He will save Israel. He will save America from all their sins, amen. We are continuing in our study in Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 3. And I've entitled this because it comes right out of the text Listen, do you want to know a secret?

Now, if you're old enough to remember some Beatles songs thing, I know they're brought is, listen, do you want to know this secret? Do you promise not to go? Ho, ho ho, I'm not a beautiful. I'm just a beautiful fan. Do you like to know Secrets? How many of you love secrets?

How many if you are good at keeping secrets?

A couple of a couple of Brave hands. Go up, we played when I was in Youth Group. We played a game of when we would get together and have socials and do things together. Sometimes we play spoons, that got pretty. Pretty difficult at times. She had to watch specially girls with sharp fingernails going after that spoon. But another game we played, I'm trying to remember the title of it. I'm thinking that it was called Telegraph somebody if the beginning of the circle would lean over cuz they they would have a secret and they put tell the person next to them and Whisper it in their ear. That's why I said that whisper it in your ear. And then they would tell the next person and the next person. And by the time they got to the last person, they said out loud what they heard, How many times did it not sound at all? Like what it started?

Secrets. Paul had a secret and he couldn't wait to tell the secret. And it was a secret worth telling and he talks about how it had not been shared with anyone ever. But God had whispered this secret or this mystery into his ears and he wanted to share it and he's sharing it with the church in Ephesus in Ephesians. We call them the letter to the Ephesians from Paul in prison in Rome writing to encourage the church in Ephesus efficient chapter 3, Paul. Wanting to share, tell some good news and he says, so I Paul and the Prisoner of Jesus Christ. He's a prisoner, in Rome, it's actually Caesar who has got him in prison because he is asked to make his case before. Caesar an only Caesar why he was falsely arrested falsely accused by the Jewish. Religious leaders. And they said I've been arrested and I am a Roman citizen and boy the Roman guard took note of that. The governor's took note of that. Well this should never have happened and so Paul was upset but he had a purpose and what he was doing. He felt azelis call To make his case in Rome before Caesar, which was his right as a Roman citizen. He was a Jew. And he made that case, I'm a Jew. About all Jews. I am I am one who kept the Sabbath. I am the one who's kept the law. I am one who has been zealous for God. In my being a Jew. But he was a Roman citizen. So he's picking his case to Rome, but he writes because he's concerned about the welfare of the church in Ephesus.

And I think if we read this with the eyes have seen that the Lord is concerned about where we are at where we're living, what we're going through. Maybe there's something for you and me here. I Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus he's identifying that, he has surrendered his life to Christ and he said I lived But I no longer live for myself, but the life. I now live, I live for price. I'm here. I miss servant a bondservant for him. I'm a prisoner for the Lord Jesus Christ.

For you who are not Jews. Wait, what? So he's writing to a largely Gentile group of people in this church. Who didn't? Find themselves, Born Into the Jewish Commonwealth. They didn't find themselves born into a Jewish Family. They didn't find themselves.

In the religion of the Jewish faith.

But now, they're coming to Faith in Jesus Christ. Next flight,

Surely you have heard that God? Dave be this work. Missed work to go and share the good news about his grace to tell of this good news about his grace to the Gentiles.

He's a good too and he cares about the Jewish faith. And he cares about the Jewish people that the people of Israel. Embed. They are the people of God. There are his chosen people.

But here's a work that Paul's been called to to go to the Gentiles and he writes a night underscored this. He left me, know his secret. Turkey neighbor and says, here's a secret.

Let Paul know the secret by showing it to me. I have already written a little bit about this. If you read what I've written in other letters, you'll get a picture of this so he's telling them to go back and read re-read his other letters. If you read, what I wrote then you can see that truly and understand the secret. About price. Now here's the secret, you're ready. People who lived in other times were not told that secret. Okay, I'm just kind of bathing your Wedding your appetite here. Am I going to get to the secret? Is Paul going to get to the secret?

Let's continue Paul.

rights people who lived in other times were not told this mystery this secret but now through the spirit God has shown that secret again with the secret God has shown that secret to His Holy Apostles and to the prophets. And this is a secret.

But through the good news, that's the gospel. What is the gospel? The good news, what is the good news?

The gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, revealed through the good news, those who are not Jews, will share with the Jews, in God's blessing. Those that are Gentiles will share with the Jewish faith. Those who believe in Christ Jesus, those who are called according to his will

Those who are not Jews, will share with the Jews. God's blessing.

They belong to the same body and here's the best tree. This is the secret that Paul is wanting us all to know. That one group is not better than another.

One group of people is not better than another. There was no critical race theory. That says the Jewish people were privileged and the Gentiles We're The Underdogs and that they would never achieve what the juice have. Are you with me in a modern context? No proof is better than another because Jesus dying on the cross, and we're going to have communion a little later in the service. Remembering that. Jesus died for all. For all men for all women. Red and yellow black and white, they're all precious in His sight.

Yes, black lives matter. And white lives matter, Brown lives matter, yellow lives matter, blue lives, speaking of police blue lives matter, all people matter to God, he died for all.

And it wasn't One race or another. It wasn't the Gentiles. It wasn't the Jews. Only that Christ died for God. Sent his son because he loved the human race. All people of all, nationalities Of All Times, Jesus died for them and you They belong to the same body and they share together in the promise that God made in Christ Jesus. Does this make sense to you? Play my preaching. Something that makes sense to you because I'm just preaching out of God's word. Paul the Apostle writes by God's special gift of Grace, his grace, his favor, his unmerited favor, giving to me. Through his power, I became a servant to tell this good news. I've come to tell you, good news and it's good news to you Gentiles because God loves you and Christ died on the cross and shed his blood for you that you might be bonded into the family. Broken. The barriers and grafted into this Living Vine.

We are all branches in Christ Jesus. We're all part of the same tree growing up and producing fruit together. Good fruit. I am baliste important of all God's people now,

The Bible speaks about not thinking any less of yourself and the flip side of that is the nuts. Think any more of yourself or don't take any more of yourself, then you should don't be puffed up. But don't think too little of yourself either I've said before, We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. And if we really loved our neighbors as ourselves, some of you would have Angry neighbors because you don't love yourself. So you can't love your neighbors. Are you

I am the least important among all of God's people, Paul, you're not, you're important. But God gave me this gift. To tell you, he gave me the gift of sharing. The good news. He's given me. The gift of sharing the good news. To tell all but not Jews. Only received the good news and the riches of Christ. Gentiles to have received the good news in The Riches of Christ, which are too great to understand fully.

And God gave me the worth of telling all people about this plant this mystery from the ages past from the foundation of the world. God had a plan to bring all people together in him in Christ Jesus. We're all one. Broil 1. It's going to Nashville no Nation or no nationality greater than another no people group greater than another. We're all one in Christ. Jesus, he died. He shed his blood on the cross for all, and that's what Paul is trying to get across to us. Telling all people about the plan about the secret, this mystery of the Ages which has been hidden in him since the beginning of time. From the beginning of time. This was the plan. He is the one who created everything. Now you're hearing it from Paul. The same thing you heard from John, In the beginning.

Was the word and the Word was with God. And the Word was God in the beginning. All things were created by Him Christ Jesus. Nothing was created. That was created. John says, but that it was created by him. He is the one who created and Paul is saying this to, he is the one who created Everything, Jesus Christ, created everything that

And here is his purpose. You heard his secret. Now, here's his purpose. God's purpose, Christ. Purpose was through the church. but all of the rulers of the powers in The Heavenly world,

Will now know God's wisdom, which has so many forms. This is God's purpose. But everyone would know that God had a plan to break all people together, but he would die for them all. And for all who accept him as Jesus, be the Lord and Savior that he actually died on that cross, he actually raised from the dead on the third day, and that he seated at the right hand of the father for all who believe that receive that he gave them what we saying about in the song for God. So loved the world that he gave us his one and only son to save us that whoever believes in him. Would live forever, isn't that? John 3:16 for God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten, son, that whoever believes in him, should not perish but have eternal life through him. That's his purpose, that all would know it.

Disagrees with the purpose, God had since the beginning of time and carried out, his plan through Christ Jesus, our lord, the plan.

I was told when I went into the business world, Have a plan. Work the plan.

HealthWorks today. Have a plan. And work the plan. It's stick to the plan.

And the bottom line is always the bottom line. OK, Google, press got had since the beginning of time and he carried out his plan through Christ Jesus, our lord. You priced, we could come before God with freedom. Turkey neighbor, it's a freedom.

Paul said he was a prisoner. But even though he was in a prison, he was free inside here. And here when the mind and the Heart agree. you know, there's a lot of

a lot of Christians who have a mental assent to God. Understand who God is Bentley but emotionally and relationally, they don't have it in their heart.

And that's worse than being really, that's worse than being an agnostic. It a person who doesn't even believe in God. But if you say, you believe in God intellectually, but you don't have Christ Living in your heart. You're worse off. Because it's not about a religion, it's about a relationship.

I love Jesus and he loves me. There's a relationship. I accept that he died for me on the cross, and now I'm going to live for him. I'm not going to live for my own, my own desires, my own my own cravings. I surrendered to him, told out to him. I hope you are. Because if he's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. I don't think there's a pastor that I know who doesn't feel uncomfortable at times about asking people to give sacrificially for the church. Give up your ties and your offerings to the church because we we feel like well we're getting personal. Do you know, baby? Somebody won't like me if I if I bug him about giving but the church needs your finances to keep going week support three missionary families flag up here from Sri Lanka. Represents Betty churches that have been planted and are being planted by the Church of God in Sri Lanka that little Island area, kind of the tip of India.

And most of the people there are not Christians, but there are missionaries there, Steve, and Peggy Beverly. We're working hard to train up pastors to go out and to reach the lost for Jesus Christ. Then we have a young pastro family missionaries. They started out and now they're pastoring a church. Outside of London. In England. And you say why aren't they the ones that sent missionaries to preachers here to America? Yes they did. But now they're falling away in churches are nothing more than museums those big Thief rolls. And we've sent a wonderful young couple.

And their children to plant a church and it is growing in London England. And then we've got doctor.

and misses, I got a in police. And that you're working miracles with people. Providing medical treatment. Teaching them about cleanliness. He's been working with the government to dig Wells for every Community to have fresh clean. Running water for every school that have proper. Bathroom and shower facilities for students. And we thank God for that. And we support 8 housing, eight children of Promise families and let Trumpeter Trumpeter bringing the gospel. Trumpeter, the good news to the Hispanic people all across South America and into Cuba. Now, they've been a lot to talk about Cupid recently. But the Cuban people have churches, Churches of God. There. Then our congregations that can't make themselves be known because the Pastor said, the people would be arrested and they would be denied food and medical treatment. Butler Trump. If it gets through And it's reaching people for Jesus Christ. You're a part of that, through your giving,

So I say there's some things that are hard and difficult to say and another thing is to ask people to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you think that would be an easy. Think, a lot of people don't want to hear that good news. But we can do this through faith in Christ. We continued. So I asked so I asked you not to become discouraged because of my suffering. Beat you or heard of it. So, Paul is saying, just because you hear that, I'm in prison than things aren't going well for me. Don't lose heart, don't get discouraged. For my sufferings Are For Your Glory and that's what Jesus Christ would say as he hung on that cross and he had taken the whip across his back and the crown of thorns dug into his brow. Those spikes put into his hands and feet as he hung there on the cross. Pray for me.

Unless they're tears of joy because I'm dying on the cross for you that through my death, you might have life life Everlasting and Paul saying my sufferings are not anything but to give God glory and so he turned to pay charity says the love of Christ. So I bow and prayer before the father The Lord's Prayer, isn't it? Our Father which art in Heaven? Holy or kind of It? Be Thy Name by kingdom. Come, thy will be done. In this earth. As it is in heaven, give us this day, our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins, even as we forgive others of their sins and lead us, not into temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil for thine. Is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen! The model prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples and we read it. I valve in prayer before the father Every family in Heaven and Earth gets it.

I asked the father in his great glory to give you the power, the power to be strong inwardly but through his holy spirit you can't live the Christian Life on your road. If you're watching beer you're listening to me this morning. You cannot accomplish what God is wanting to accomplish in his church in your old strength. It can happen. But Christ, Living in. You through his holy spirit, can accomplish it. I asked the father It has great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith. How big is your god? Big enough to accomplish anything that you ask her. Bleep for him to do. But he could still live within your heart. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by Faith by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built up in love. This is the same Paul who wrote.

Ephesians chapter 13, which we read. So often at weddings, Now, if I had these three faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love. He's talking about love here. God's love. We continue. And I pray he's continuing in his prayer. I pray that you and all of God's. Holy people will have the power of understanding The power of understanding understand what Paul do understand the greatness of God's love. And the greatness of God's love is to know how wide is God's love. How long is God's love? How high and how deep is God's love? Do you know,

Paul is wanted you to have the wisdom of the strength to comprehend in love. How great God's love is for you.

How much do you love me? She said.

I love you enough to go out and get you a

banana split or a Frosty Freeze. Even though I don't want to, I'll still get dressed and I'll go out and I'll do that for you. I'll drive the distance for you because I love you. I asked Jesus. How much do you love me? Lord, and He stretched out his arms and said this about

Eddie took nails for me. And by the way, he took those nails for you to how much do you love me? God how much But you would have the knowledge of Christ's love. How wide, how long, how high, how deep is God's love for you? For you, for me, we continue Price Club is greater than any one can ever know, and that's true. I can't, I can't fathom it. I can't understand it. And why he loves me? I don't know, but that he loves me. I praise His name and give thanks because he does love me with an everlasting love. But I pray Paul says that you will be able to know that kind of love, but you can be filled with the fullness of God. They were filled with a lot of other stuff that attacked you have to empty out your wife to get filled with all the fullness of God, right? Joe, you can't have a heart filled with stuff from this world of mine, filled with all the garbage in the filth of this world and be able to be filled with all of the knowledge of God and have all the love that he wants to give you, you have to have the capacity and so you have to empty out yourself. Empty out yourself, to be, filled to the fullness of God's love that you can be filled with the fullness of God.

With God's power working in us. What could we do if we had that What could this church do if we had that? Family friends with God's power working in this. God can do much much Double much God can do much, much more than anything we can ask, or imagine. Well, I can imagine a lot of things but it's beyond what I can believe in. What I can conceive that were abandoned

To him, be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time and forever and ever been can I hear a note men? Amen. Now you can take that with you when you could chew on that all week, long, grab your Bibles and go back to Ephesians chapter 3. Read this and re-read. This tell the mystery orthus Secret Do you want to know a secret? Will you promise to tell the secret? That's that's the key right there. Next life is a slide of. That's my son Andrew. On your right and a friend of his and they were running it watching a full Marathon. I'm not sure how many miles a full marathon is but This son had difficulty running when he was a kid. He could do it fine but it's, he got into junior. High it in. He was growing and he got all messed up and when he got to Elyria Christian School bless,

The gym teacher there. He had a wonderful gym, teacher, that was a woman at gym teacher. Can you remember her name offhand? Anybody she she actually took it upon herself to teach Peter how to run again. Because what?

No Andrew Butler. What was the teacher's name? Nevermind. Couldn't he couldn't run doing and all of his friends were playing soccer. He wanted to do suffer so badly, and she taught him how to Pace himself, and put his legs, and how to stretch out in, and he kept running and running. And it started with a few blocks. And then a mile and two miles and 5 miles. Dad, I ran 5 miles today, I couldn't, but he was training and so we entered a number of these races and IPad put on to Facebook earlier picture of him running that race at at another gal that was behind him struggling and it's raining. You may not be able to see it there, or it just has rained. But his, his clothing is all soaking wet, but he continued to run.

But I love that were into the Olympics and there are those who are running and those are were swimming and those who were competing. But I just came across the story, the next picture.

The story is about a Kenyan Runner named Abel mutai and Abel. Mutai was a fine Runner, one of the best runners in the world. Perhaps you remembering January, 24th 2013. This Kenyan Runner Abel mutai. Who was just a few feet from the Finish Line. He was winning the race, winning the race but became confused with the signs and he stopped trying to figure out if he had reached the finish line. Have you completed the race?

But he was confused in the Spanish Runner coming up behind them, Ivan Fernandez, and that's him, there came up behind him and right away, he realized that the race was over. And so, he pushed will first be called out to the Kenyan Runner. And he said continue running, keep running. Betsy the Kenyan Runner Abel mutai. He couldn't understand Spanish so he didn't know what the guy was saying. So when When Ivan Fernandez came up behind him, the Spanish Runner, he pushed him gently. Past him just pushed him gently. And then the Kenyan Runner knew that something was up and he needed to start running again. So we started running

A journalist asked. The Spanish Runner Ivan after the race was completed this question. Why did you do that? Why did you help this Kenyan Runner? Why did you do that? He says, by dream. I've been replied. Is that some day? We can have a kind of community life, where we push one another and help one another to win and succeed. The journalist wasn't satisfied till we insisted in the ask again. Why did you let the Kenyan Runner win? And I haven't replied, I didn't let him win. He was already with him the race but he had stopped because he thought he had crossed the Finish Line. I just pushed him next him along so he could finish his race. Then I could finish mine. The journalist insisted Again by asking but If you'd only just run around. The Kenyan Runner Abel the time, you could have one.

And I even looked straight at him and replied, I hope you might catch this on YouTube.

He replied again.

But what? Would I have one? What Merit would the victory have been? What would the honor be in the metal? If I had run around this Runner who was winning the race, but stopped because he thought the race was over even though it wasn't. He said, then what would my mother think of that. What would my mother have thought of me if I would have just run around this other Runner? It's not about black runner or a white Runner. It's about values in doing what is, right? It's not about what we heard the lesson about One race as opposed to another one culture. Opposed to another

But what are the values that we are passing on from generation to generation? What values are we teaching? Our children? Let us not teach our kids, the wrong ways and means to win. Instead, let us pass on the beauty of humanity. The helping hand honesty in winning That's what Jesus died on the cross for that. We are living for is to live genuine lives pure, holy lives. I'm compromised lives. That's what the story is about and we finished with this last. Slide. Listen, do you want to know a secret? Do you promise to tell? Tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ that he loves you enough to die for you and that he's made all banned kind one in him. Would you stand with me?

Ebony father. We ask your mercy, your grace, and your peace, upon Our Lives. Fill us with your love Phyllis with yourself to make this the kind of people. That you would be proud of. But my mother would be proud of that. My father could respect Let us be the people of God, one people. One Faith in one God. And one Jesus Christ, who died and shed his blood for us, that we might live forever in Jesus name, and everyone said, amen. Ra, we're leaving proclaimed and we're leaving our video at this time.