The Mystery Received

INTRODUCTION:

For the last several weeks we’ve been in a series on “The Mystery of God.” We’ve looked at a series of Paul’s letters to different local churches (Ephesus, Colossae, Thessalonica, etc)

In each week we’ve been expanding our understanding of this concept of God’s Mystery.

Biblically speaking, a mystery is something that was previously concealed but later revealed. In the past it was covered up and nobody could fully understand it. However, with later revelation the mystery becomes more fully known.

I joked in the first week about Blaise seeing a man and a girl kiss on the movie screen on a Marvels superhero movie. He was grossed out by it. It’s concealed now… but later.... I’ll be praying for the day that he thought girls had cooties!

Another example is that of a woman who mysterious wakes up one morning with an upset stomach. She was fine a few days ago but now every morning she wakes up nauseous. What’s happening? She’s pregnant!

But she don’t know it until she misses some important date and gets a pregnancy test and confirmation from the Dr.

But it’s more than that during the 9 months of pregnancy she’s only able to get hints and shadows of what the child might be like. Only through things like sonograms can she find out the gender or other features.

It’s not until the delivery day that she fully understands the features and unique physical appearance of the baby.

What I’m saying is the revelation is PROGRESSIVE.

With each passing day more and more of the mystery is revealed.

Every parent knows this. You really don’t fully understand your baby’s personality and traits until they get a little bit older.

With each passing year you understand them more and more and more. The mystery is revealed. That’s the concept of this important biblical word.

The Mystery Revealed

Except we’re not talking about the mystery of childbirth/raising children. We’re talking about the mystery of God. And the mystery of God is revealed through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The mystery of God revealed through Christ began as early as the book of Genesis.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God and became aware of their nakedness it was said to them “a man born from the seed of the woman will come and crush the head of the serpent who has deceived them and broken the communion between God and man.” (Gen 3:15)

After that the mystery of God began to show up in type and shadows. The Lord Jesus Christ was progressively revealed throughout the Old Testament.

Progressive Revelation

He is the animal sacrificed to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve after they sinned before the Lord.

He is the tabernacle in the OT, the brazen alter and the golden slabbed mercy seat.

He is the veil in the temple. The altar of incense.

He is the bread on the table and he is the passover lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

He’s the commander of the Lord’s armies in the book of Joshua & Judges

He’s the kinsman redeemer in the book of Ruth.

He’s the the lover of your soul in the song of Solomon.

He’s the suffering servant of Isaiah who was pieced for our transgressions.

He’s the weeping prophet in the book of Jeremiah.

He’s the fourth man in the fiery furnace.

He is the Greater prophet, the Greater Priest and Greater King to which every prophet and priest and king in the Old Testament pointed.

Layer by layer, year after year the mystery of God was progressively revealed.

Finally, the Messiah who was foretold was finally born in a manger to a virgin named Mary. As John said the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The fullness of God dwelled in the Lord Jesus Christ bodily!”

The word incarnation has as its root the word “carne.” It’s where we get the word carnal or carnivore. It means meat. God became flesh. He wore meat like we wore meat.

He was the dwell amongst us God. He didn’t say come up here and find a way to dwell with me. He said I’m going to come down there and dwell with YOU.

Year after year Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man - year after year the mystery of God was being revealed more and more.

As Jesus started his ministry he began preaching “The time is at hand. The Kingdom of God has arrived. Repent and believe the Gospel.”

He was proclaiming the mystery of God. That God was further fleshing out his plan from the very beginning.

But not everybody believed it. Some were blinded by the truth of the kingdom. The Spirit of God was needed to open people’s eyes to the truth of the mystery.

The Mystery Displayed & Resisted

Finally, after Jesus was crucified, buried and risen again, he commissioned his disciples to go and proclaim the mystery of God.

So the mystery of God was revealed in Christ so that it could later be displayed by the Church. This is what we looked at in week 2 of our series.

When Jesus ascended into heaven he sent his Holy Spirit to the earth to indwell each and every follower of Jesus. It was through the empowering of the Holy Spirit that the 1st Century church proclaimed the mystery of God and planted churches throughout Asia Minor.

Peter, James & John preached day after day in Jerusalem leading many people to put their faith in the Lord Jesus. But it wasn’t long until the mystery of God ran into some opposition.

The mystery was displayed by the Church but resisted by a counterfeit mystery: the mystery of lawlessness.

Satan used systems and people to persecute the early church (just as he does the Church today.) But even as they were spread out and persecuted for their proclamation of the kingdom, God used that pain and suffering to spread the good news of the Mystery EVEN FURTHER.

Churches weren’t just planted in Jerusalem. They were also planted in Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.

Then Jesus did the impossible. He took a chief opponent of the church with Saul of Tarsus and converted him. He went from church persecutor to church planter and Jesus commissioned him to go and proclaim the mystery of the Gentiles.

The apostle Paul single handedly planted more churches than all of the other apostles combined!

The Mystery & You

Which brings us to today’s text. This week concludes our study of the mystery of God and I want to close with a message entitled “God’s Mystery & You.”

It’s one thing to say that the mystery of God was revealed through Christ and displayed by the Church. It’s even pretty easy to see how the mystery is resisted by a counterfeit mystery as the evidence for that is all around us.

But how do you know if you’ve RECEIVED the mystery? How do you know if the mystery is IN YOU.

Today’s text is going to show us how the mystery of God get developed in our own life.

The Proof of Godliness

The passage is 1 Timothy 3:14-16.

Paul starts out this passage by explaining his whole reason for writing this letter to Timothy. Remember, he planted the church in Ephesus and Timothy is now the pastor.

Paul is in another city planting another church (more than likely) but he’s getting word that the church there in Ephesus is starting to mistreat each other.

Anytime sin starts to spread rampant in a local church family it’s not long before the people in the church start to mistreat one another. And this church had people who were mistreating each other and Paul instructs Timothy to get it under control.

Paul says “I plan on coming to see you soon but in the case that I’m delayed you have everything you need in this letter to get things back in order.” (proper church leadership and proper preaching of the Gospel.)

He had just finished talking about the lifestyle and behavior of elders in particular when he shifts into a discussion about the behavior and lifestyle of every church member in general.

1 Timothy 3:14–16 (CSB)

14 I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon. 15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated in the Spirit,

seen by angels,

preached among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

Godliness is a Proof

Our message today is honing in on that phrase “the mystery of godliness is great...” Paul’s linking the mystery of God with godliness in the lives of people who belong to the local church in Ephesus.

The reason the godless behavior of these Christians in Ephesus was such a problem is because God designated the LOCAL CHURCH to be the vehicle that displays to the world the mystery of God.

If they are displaying God’s mystery to the world then it’s necessary for them to be GODLY. Godliness in the church is a BIG DEAL to the apostle Paul.

God’s mystery is proven through the godliness of God’s people.

He actually mentioned this idea of godliness several times in the book of 1 Timothy.

In 1 Timothy 2:2 Paul links godliness with dignity and living a peaceful and quiet life. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

1 Timothy 2:1–2 (CSB)

1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

If you want peace in your life and in your home and in our church then it comes with godliness. They are a package deal!

He mentions this idea of godliness again later in his letter. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

1 Timothy 4:7–8 (CSB)

7 But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. 8 For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Pastors have a tendency to want to get caught up in intellectual debates (I known from experience!) But Paul tells Timothy, “That’s not really your job. Intellectual power in theology is great. Training your physical body and bringing it into submission is also great. But it’s not as great as godliness.

If you can bring your will into submission. If you can train your soul to be like Christ in every way - then you’ve really mastered the most important skill in life.

He closes his letter with this idea of godliness. 1 Tim 6:3-6.

1 Timothy 6:6 (CSB)

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

And later...

1 Timothy 6:11 (CSB)

11 But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

So the issue of godliness transcends many other issues in the household of God. Why?

Because local churches are the incarnation of the family of God in this world.

Just like Christ was the incarnation of God (God in the flesh,) the local church is the incarnation of God’s family, God’s household on this earth.

That’s what Paul is saying. Every Sunday is Christmas when you’re participating in a local church because we are the incarnation of the family of God. We’re not a perfect incarnation - God knows! - but we are a living breathing example of what the family of God looks like.

So since that’s true we ought to be godly!

Pillar of the Truth

Paul goes so far to say that the Church (and in particular the local church) was designed by God to serve as a pillar and foundation for the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)

In order to really picture what Paul has in mind here we need to picture the temple to Artemus there in Ephesus. We know this is what Paul has in mind because in verse 16 he says, “and most certainly ‘the mystery of godliness’ is great!”

This is an echo of what the worshippers of Artemis would say as they worshipped in the temple of Artemis there in Ephesus. It was was of the 7 wonders of world.

When Paul came preaching the Gospel in Ephesus he enraged the vendors making money off of the worship of Artemis and they shouted “Artemis is great indeed!” (Acts 19:28)

So Paul has in his mind a picture of the temple of Artemis but he’s saying Artemis isn’t ANYTHING. God is EVERYTHING. The mystery of God is EVERYTHING. And when the members of a local church embrace godliness then they act as pillars and foundations for that truth.

PICTURE 1

Pillars were what held up the capstone. The pillars as you see are largely unimpressive in terms of decor. The decor is all up top. It was the most artistically exquisite feature of any temple. Paul says in Ephesians 2 that Jesus Christ is the CAPSTONE of the church. He is the prime time the most important feature.

But WE through our lives of godliness - hold that picture up for the world to see. We display the beauty and truth of Christ through the mystery of Godliness.

PICTURE 2

But the church is also a foundation or other translations say a buttress of the truth. These were features applied to any masonic type of architecture that helped support the load bearing walls.

So Paul is saying your lifestyle and conduct in the church acts as a support system for the truth of God.

The way we live as followers of Jesus, commends and supports the truth of the Gospel.

COMMEND: Just as the pillars of the temple would draw your eyes up to the capstone, so also does godliness in the life of a Christian draw peoples attention to Christ.

SUPPORT: Just as a buttress support the load bearing walls of a building so also does the lifestyle of a Christian support the truth claims of the Gospel.

There is an assault on the truth of God in this culture. And it’s only going to get worse.

There are all sorts of people and movements and religions shouting out “we have the truth… we are the truth… this is the truth...” or even those who deny the existence of truth by making the truth claim “there is no truth...”

So in a world that has so much confusion around what is truth how are people supposed to know and follow the truth. How can anyone break through the noise and cacophony of voices to say - no JESUS is the way and the truth and the life?”

We do it through our godly lives. Godliness in the life of a Christian makes the Gospel attractive and the truth of the gospel persuasive.

Making Truth Attractive

Here some might accuse Paul of committing the genetic fallacy. (dismissing/affirming an idea because of the person who holds it.)

However, those are philosophical qualifications of a philosophical discussion about truth. I’m sure Paul would’ve loved to have a conversation about the truthfulness of Christianity on those grounds. But that’s not what he’s doing here.

He’s saying, “Practically, a person’s willingness to believe something as true is determined by whether or not they think that truth will WORK for them.”

We all seek after truth. But that truth quest is not just philosophical. It’s practical.

We were made for God - it’s part of our hardware even if we’re running the wrong software in our minds. People know that the truth will set them free. But how do they know it? What will persuade them?

A life positively transformed by Christ will persuade them.

A marriage/family positively transformed by Christ will persuade them.

A church that has been absolutely transformed by Christ will persuade them.

When we embrace godliness then we - through our lives - draw people to see the greatness of God’s mystery. They will know it’s not just words or ideals but a transformational power that changes everything when trust in Jesus as Lord.

Persuades in Either Direction

But that practical persuasion works in either direction. A transformed life will powerfully persuade people that the Gospel is true. A life unchanged by the Gospel will persuade people of the opposite.

Why would I want that when it doesn’t bring them peace?

Why would I follow Jesus when all he does for them is make them mean and judgmental and all sorts of broken?

Why would I become a Christian when they talk the same way and get divorced at the same rates and have less joy and less contentment?

Do you know why I don’t want anything to do with Islam? Because when I look at them and what that religion does to people I see oppression and terror. The ideals do not produce true godliness and peace.

When it comes to atheism or secular humanism I don’t see in them something worthy of possessing for myself. There’s a haughtiness of spirit and arrogance. They are defensive and belittling. That can be the truth.

Name me the worldview, name me the religion and then look at the lives of the people who profess to have transformed by that faith. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting!

Don’t you see why the church has been given a tremendous opportunity to persuade the world that Jesus Christ IS the truth by living lives of godliness? Peace and contentment and love and mercy - this is how we display the mystery of God.

Godliness is a Process

If that’s true it raises the question, “how do I am embrace godliness. How does my heart change from being an ungodly heart to a godly heart?” That’s what Paul addresses in verse 16.

He says it’s a mystery. It’s a mystery. Then he unpacks the mystery through a creed or hymn about Christ.

1 Timothy 3:16 (CSB)

16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated in the Spirit,

seen by angels,

preached among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

What’s that about? The mystery of Godliness is GREAT (play on the temple of Artemis). Then a song about the Jesus being born in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world and taken up in glory.

Jesus is Godliness Embodied

Why does Paul break into this Christmas carol about Jesus Christ when he talks about the mystery of godliness? Because Jesus Christ is the ONLY PERSON who ever perfectly displayed true godliness in human flesh.

He was manifested in the flesh...

That’s what we celebrate at Christmas, right. The fullness of God dwelling bodily in the Lord Jesus Christ. But it’s not just a reference to his birth… it’s a larger reference to his whole life lived in the flesh. He displayed the glory of God through his life in the flesh.

He was vindicated in the spirit...

This refers to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Romans 1:4 says that the Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit through his resurrection from the dead. (look at the cross references)

Through the Spirit, Christ was raised from the dead and the Spirit that raised CHRIST from the dead is the same spirit that lives in us and the same spirit that will one day replace our perishable bodies and an imperishable resurrection body like our Lord.

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is THE argument for the truthfulness of Christianity. It’s absence is THE defeater. If Christ hasn’t risen then we are most of all to be pitied. If the Spirit DID raise him from the dead then EVERYTHING Jesus said is of upmost importance. He was vindicated by the Spirit.

He was seen by angels....

We just read about this in Ephesians 3 two weeks ago. It is the Spirit of Christ at work in the Church - displaying the mystery - that shows the angels the wisdom of God and the power of God.

This might also be a reference to the angelic host that is surrounding the throne right now worshipping Jesus as the worthy lamb who was slain.

Perhaps it’s a reference to Christ going and preaching to the fallen spirits in prison that he had defeated Satan and demons through his death on the cross.

I’m not sure but the point is Jesus is the mystery of God displayed to the spiritual realm.

He was preached among the nations.... believed on in the world...

Nobody has been preached among the nations like Jesus Christ. He is uniquely global in his impact. Every tribe tongue and nation will worship him as Lord.

Taken up in glory...

Muhamed wasn’t taken up in glory. Buddha didn’t ascend to the right hand of God. There is nobody as glorious as the Lord Jesus Christ.

Only Christ perfectly embodied true godliness. Only through Christ can you see godliness manifested in true perfection.

The Church is Christ Continued

We could spend a whole sermon talking about this early Christmas carol about Christ, his incarnation, resurrection and glorification. But that’s not the main point of the text.

The main point of the text is that the mystery of God revealed through people like you and me. Through the church. Christ is in us.

Though none of us can ever be a perfect example of godliness, we are a LIVING example. The ministry of the church is the ministry of Christ continued through the power of the Spirit.

And I think the point of the hymn was to remind the church that the mystery of Christ was revealed in stages… it was a process of progressive revelation.

Likewise, the mystery of godliness in us will also come in stages - it’s a process of progressive transformation. It’s a mystery.

Remember the definition of mystery? Something that was previously hidden but later revealed. I don’t know any better definition of sanctification!

Progressive Sanctification

Theologians call this progressive sanctification. It doesn’t happen overnight but it will happen if we will participate in the process.

How many of you know that godliness is a mystery? How many of you can say AMEN that becoming holy doesn’t happen as fast as you want it to. It’s that already/not yet tension.

Already you are justified in Christ.

Already, you are “just as if you’d never sinned.”

Already, you are perfectly clothed in the righteous life of Jesus Christ.

But one day who you are in principle will come true in practice. One day the theoretical will become concrete.

Your desire for righteousness will be fully displayed. Your groans of starving and killing the flesh will one day be the fullness of the glory of God.

Transformation in the Christian life is a process.

Karate Kid

I don’t know how to describe it. I just know it’s true. If you will repent of your sin and trust in Christ as Lord and begin to follow him and REALLY practice the Christian life then you will be changed.

It’s not something that happens instantaneously. It’s not something that happens automagically. You’ve got to put in the work! You’ve got to participate. But if you will then you will become godly. You will become a godly man or a godly woman.

One of my pastor friends likened the mystery of godliness with that of Mr. Miago and the Karate Kid. Yall remember that movie?

Daniel is a new high schooler in a new school. He runs into a pack of bullies who are highly trained in Karate. He has no defenses, his life was turmoil. That is until he runs into Mr. Miyagi, the apartment complex maintenance man. He promises Daniel that he can transform him so he can defeat his bullies and regain his peace in life.

But his methods were unusual. Remember? Menial chores that made Daniel feel like a slave were done over and over and over. It was like muscle memory developed (paint the fence… wax the cars...wax on… wax off…) Eventually, Daniel starts to get really frustrated because he can’t see the connection between Miyagi’s odd requests and his present challenges.

The requests got weirder and weirder… catching flies with chop sticks, standing in the middle of the ocean… And Daniel couldn’t understand the connection between how following Mr. Miyagi was going to transform his life. That is… until the end.

It was a mystery. It was previously hidden but later revealed. The waxing was creating muscle memory for karate blocks. The chop sticks catching flies was to develop the mental concentration necessary to win a fight. He didn’t understand it at first but he followed Mr. Miyagi anyway. And he was transformed in the process.

Gradually then suddenly Daniel was transformed into a fighter who would defend himself against his enemies and regain his peace.

Slowly But Surely

That is a perfect description of the Christian life and mystery of godliness. If you will trust Jesus and follow him - even when it doesn’t make sense - he will transform you.

Faithful obedience will slowly but surely transform you into a godly person.

Follow Jesus even when you don’t understand with the conviction that if I follow him long enough eventually he IS going to make sense. Because godliness is a mystery.

If you’ll follow him until He DOES make sense then through your life he will powerfully display the truth of God. Through your conduct - and through our church - we will powerfully persuade people of the truth of God - the mystery of Godliness.

I can’t promise you it will always make sense. I can’t promise you it’ll always be easy or not cause you pain. Because God’s ways are mysterious. But he will change your life. Because he’s changed me. And I’ve watched him change so many other people as well.

Conclusion

So what about you? Will you be someone who accepts the responsibility of training yourself for godliness? It’s a proof and a process. Both are important.

Maybe this morning you’re in the middle of the process and today you need to be reminded that God’s not done with you… you’re just catching flies with a chopstick.

Maybe you’re in the pit of despair because you’ve tried to find truth in every other thing except the Lord Jesus Christ. And it hasn’t worked. And you’ve never trusted Christ because in your experience you never saw transformation in the lives of his followers.

Well I can’t speak for your past experience but I can tell you he’s changed me. And I can tell you that we want to be a church that displays the mystery to everybody else. An imperfect example but a living example nonetheless.

If you’re desperate for that transformation then you need to do two things: repent and believe. Godliness is developed in you through repentance and faith.

If you’re a Christian and you’re stuck in the process, the response is the same. Repent and believe… .trust and obey.... agree with God that his way is best (even when you don’t fully understand it) and walk in obedience to what he’s calling you to do. (evangelism, giving, forgiveness, etc…)

Imagine the power of a church that displays the mystery of godliness. Imagine if the people who came into this congregation were compelled to say “the mystery of Godliness is great indeed....”

A pillar and a foundation of the truth … God grant that we become that church.