Let's open with a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for, I always thank you for your word. Being at the anchor that can be so solid where everything else is turmoil and currents and movement, and we have this solid rock. We thank you for it, and just pray that you would open it clearly to us. We thank you, in Jesus' name, amen. I'm kind of emotional today, I don't know why. Well, I have a couple thoughts why, but bear with me. So we're in Ephesians, slowly working our way through. Now we start at verse four to ground us, but we will be reading through to verse 10. Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him, in love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself according to the kind intention of His will. to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight, he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his kind intention, which he purposed in him. with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. And we'll stop there. We move on slightly from this thing that's so hard for me to move on from, which is the riches of his grace. We spent quite a bit of time on the riches of his grace, probably three weeks, which he lavished on us. You could spend a lifetime on the riches of his grace for those who are in Christ. But we've moved on to, in all wisdom and insight, he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his kind intention which he purposed in him, capital H, in Christ, with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times. That is the summing up of all things in Christ, things on earth. There's a translation that was highlighted in one of the commentaries I was reading. I don't know much about this, but I liked it, so I'm gonna recite it to you. It's from the Phillips Bible. I think it's early turn of the century. Just a different way to understand that. For God has allowed us to know the secret of his plan. And it is this, he purposed in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ. That everything that exists in heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfillment in him. This wasn't a random, comma, haphazard, comma, or accidental plan. It was purposed according to his kind intention, which he purposed in Christ. He's saying that we can know things that were formerly hidden or formerly secret things. which are all fulfilled in Christ. What a comfort this should be to us. We have this device in our pockets that brings every crisis front and center to us instantly. All around the world, right? We can know about terrible things happening anywhere in moments, okay? And that can weigh on our hearts and weigh on our minds. We think of all the crises that we've been told to panic about. I think of the, quote, existential crisis, these are their words, of climate change. That word existential, if you hadn't thought much about it, it's threatening the existence of humanity. Well, that's not a biblical thought. There's nothing threatening the existence of humanity, okay? We know the end from the beginning through God's word, and we're gonna be there to the end. I think of the Y2K crisis back in 2000. Huge panic. Oh, the world's gonna stop turning, and power's going off, and right? Another crisis, okay, that we could panic about. I was thinking about this series of words, or a sentence, or a verse, verses, and when we read it, Certainly the celebration is in Christ. We celebrate that all these things are fulfilled in Christ. But I got to thinking about another aspect of it. I didn't run into it through the commentaries, so of course when you come up with something that's kind of yours, you get excited about it. So here it is. What does that mean for us? As followers of Christ, we will be winners in all things. You are on the ultimate winning side of history and eternity in Christ, right? I don't want to make it too much about us, but what an exciting thing to go through your life. I got excited about Ephesians, doing Ephesians with the Sunday school kids. And as I read through it, I just couldn't believe what a message of hope it is for the believer. I said several times to the Sunday school kids, if you're ever down and have the blues or depressed or thinking you're missing out, just read the first three chapters of Ephesians as a believer. If you're an unbeliever and you read the first three chapters, yearn for Christ and turn to Him, because that's the only way those things, promises are yours. We are shielded, you are shielded by the kind intention of the King of Kings who provided the riches of his grace to us. If the divine event which the whole creation moves is to unite all things in Christ, you want to be on that team. We can marvel and celebrate and worship and be always giving thanks when we have the promise that our Savior, Mediator, and King will be victorious in all things. We can become depressed and beaten down by the burdens of life, but to have this promise that Christ, the one we have put our faith in, has not and will not fail, should cause us to have complete peace and comfort. We wonder where that peace that surpasses understanding would come from. Just a contemplation that all things are gonna be fulfilled and summed up in Christ. You might see someone in a good mood whistling and humming his way along through life or a day and you say, Hey, why are you, what's exciting? You seem different today. And he says, oh, it's a wonderful day. Things are just going my way today. And then you see him the next day when things aren't going his way. And he has lost that excitement. He's lost that comfort, let's say, that he had because only his comfort was things were going his way. What kind of permanent mood should we be in when we know that our Lord is the ultimate winner and victor in all things for all eternity and will have us with Him sharing in His victory? You know, people talk about middle school early high school maybe, being traumatic event in their lives, you know, he's got puberty going on and you got a lot of care about social interaction, right? And every once in a while there's very uncomfortable situations that come about that put you in. And one of them that I can think of is when the Bunch of kids are around, and all of a sudden, two of the better, maybe, athletes say, yeah, let's do a game of soccer. We're picking teams. All you other people, go over there. And you're like, oh man, I wanna be on the winning team. But I'm not good enough to be on the winning team. I don't contribute. I'm probably gonna be on the losing team. So in a trite way, I thought of that as a metaphor for this. If we factor in election, which we're taught right here in the verse that I read, him choosing, we have been chosen for the most winning team forever, even though we were the worst players. These chapters of Ephesians, should be a wonderful antidote to depression and despair. I think in all of God's word. All right, that's the 30,000 foot view of these verses. What does he mean when he says the mystery? So let's look at it. Made known to us the mystery of his will. Okay, the mystery of his will. What is a mystery? Is it something that's really hard to understand? Is it something that is unaccessible to a child? It's not. That's not what the Bible means when it says mystery. It means just something that you have the privilege of having revealed to you, because you're reading it. It's something that was hidden in times past, or at least clouded in times past, that we now have access to through God's word. Where might we see this beginning of this mystery being hinted at? Let's go to Genesis 3. When we find in this world-changing event, the fall, And then God's dealing with the fall directly with man in verse 13. And the Lord said to the woman, what is this you have done? And the woman said, the serpent deceived me and I ate. And the Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life. And I will put enmity, or conflict, between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. So, my goodness, what is this? What is this proclamation, right? Well, you know, we have it past the mystery, meaning we know, but think of receiving this at the time. It's confusing. What's being said here, right? Well, certainly we can see that the serpent getting his head crushed. Snakes don't do very well to have their head crushed. So that seems pretty pretty decisive. What is this bruising of the heel? What is this bruising of the heel? And it goes on, but not a lot of clarity that comes from what's happening. What's going to happen? It's not clear. Just a hint. But then I want to jump all the way to Ephesians 3. There are several parts to the mystery, things that are revealed in the New Testament that weren't in the Old. I'm not gonna deal with all of them, just a couple, just two of them, and very briefly. But Ephesians 3, verse one, for this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for the sake of you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace, which was given to me for you, that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I spoke before in brief. By referring to this, when you read, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the spirit. So it hasn't been revealed like it is now, is what he's saying. Thankfully, we have verse six. To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace which is given me according to the working of His power, to me, the very least of all saints, His grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to bring to light that what is the administration of the mystery, which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through him in faith. To be specific in verse six, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow partakers of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Oh, what a wonderful verse that is for us. Is that easily known? Were there hints about it in the Old Testament? When you read, most of it's to Israel. To get any of that, you're to do what? You were to leave your country and you had to go to Israel where God was, okay? So people had to come to Israel to get information about the one true God. They didn't send out missionaries. It was not in that time period or dispensation. God didn't call Israel to go out. He said, welcome anyone who wants to come in. As Rahab the harlot who says, I know of the Red Sea. I know that the Egyptian army was destroyed. Well, guess what? At least 40 years had transpired since that, and she's talking about it, okay? This was like history in school. What happened to the Egyptians? Well, funny you should ask, right? This God did a miraculous thing and destroyed the army of Egypt in the Red Sea, drowned them all. They went in there on dry ground and it collapsed. We know of this miracle. And Rahab the harlot is saying, this is common knowledge in our town. We know this. But Israel, you had to come to them for this information about who God was. But I'm asking the question, Is there a hint of this, or is it just purely Pauline, meaning only revealed through Paul? Well, some of the details of it, the mystery, fully revealed is through the apostles, but let's get some hints at it. Genesis 12.3. For those of you who are steeped in the current discussions on social media. This was the one, the verse that was brought up between Tucker Carlson and, was it Ted Cruz? And here it is, 12.3. Go back to 12.1. Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father's house to the land which I will show you and I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. Now the thing that's kind of interesting is there's some debate on whether this is still in force. I believe it is in force still. And one of the reasons why I believe it's in force is the last part of the verse is certainly still in force. Is it not? How are we blessed through Abraham? Now. Through Christ, okay? In you, in Abram, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Is this a true statement? Absolutely, that's why we're here in this building, in this rural place called Blaine, at this time. Why are we here? Because we've been blessed through Abram, which eventually comes through Christ. Certainly that's in force, okay. Now you can make some debate about what it means to bless and to curse and I'm not gonna go there today. Go to Genesis 22, 18. and another promise, and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice." Well, how are all the nations blessed if salvation isn't opened to the Gentiles, right? It's a clear hint that all the nations, well, wow, something different's gonna have to happen, right? If we're shut out of God's promise and it only came through Israel, then this would be kind of meaningless, right? All the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Then Isaiah 42, six. This is a bit more obscure, but I wanted to bring it anyway. I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, and I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. A light to the nations. Well, if the light isn't going to be available to the nations, how could he say that, right? So here's another hint that this salvation in Christ will be opened to all the nations. Isaiah 53, that wonderful passage about prophecy of Christ that is so clear In retrospect, hindsight being 20-20, if you know anything of the story of Christ, and it's a wonderful prophecy, we're not gonna read it all, but we'll start in verse 11. As a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied. By his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot him a portion with the great, and he will divide the booty with the strong. Because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors. And what I'd like to bring out of this is that as I read it, it doesn't seem to be focused only on one nation and one place. It's many and it's transgressors and it's sinners of which we all are. So I think this is another hint that it's going to be opened to the Gentiles in a very different way than it was in the Old Testament. Then 55, a lot of this is in Isaiah, so 55.5, turn a page or two. Behold, I will call a nation you do not know. Oh, here we go. Something outside of the nation of Israel. I will call a nation that you do not know. and a nation which knows you not will run to you. Well, that's interesting. Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you. Well, what is this saying? It's saying that it's gonna be open to the nations, they don't quite, they're not quite, they don't know who this is. It's a mystery, really, right? And yet, what does it mean? they're gonna come to you, okay? And it's gonna be available to them through Christ. Isaiah 60, so a few more pages later. Verse 10, foreigners will build up your walls and their kings will minister to you. I don't recall that happening. For in my wrath I struck you, and in my favor I have had compassion on you. Your gates will be opened continually, they will not be closed day or night, so that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations with their kings led in procession. For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, and the nations will be utterly ruined. So the idea that this access of the nations into Israel for this blessing is another hint at this fulfillment. Well, let's do this last one, Zechariah 2.8. For thus says the Lord of hosts after glory, he sent me against the nations which plunder you. For he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. That's a pretty stern warning. I think of how sensitive the eye is to have someone touch your eyeball. You're kind of possessive of that. You're probably gonna react, right? It's not a small thing to touch your, anyone else but your own eye, right? And even touching your own eye is not comfortable. It's not like being poked in the shoulder, let's say. Get your attention. For behold, I will wave my hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I am coming and will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become my people. Then I will dwell in your midst and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will possess Judah as his portion and in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he is aroused from his holy habitation. So here again, clearly an opening to the world to come in to the God of Israel. So that's one aspect of the mystery, is that the salvation to the world will be open to the Gentiles. Another aspect of the mystery is Romans 11, which is that, it's one of my favorite passages for clarification about the relationship of Israel and the church and Gentiles and the church. And there's this wonderful passage that says here's something else that's a mystery that's revealed, and that is verse 25. I've done this whole chapter with you before, and probably will do it again someday, but we'll start in just verse 25. For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery. Oh, something hidden we didn't know about in the Old Testament, but is now revealed in the New Testament. so that you will not be wise in your own estimation. There's a warning. You might think that it's possible, without this mystery being revealed, that you might think that you're all there is now. It's just the Gentiles now, because obviously the Jews aren't accepting Christ. And so you might be tempted to think that it's just you and you have some, Let's say, in the illustration of being picked for the soccer game, that you're really good at soccer. But guess what? You're not. And he goes to tell why. I hope I didn't make that unclear. In the illustration of the soccer was that we're chosen even though we don't have the skills to be on the winning team. We don't deserve the winning team. Christ, in his own mercy, reached out and chose us. In that same way, collectively as Gentiles, we could say, that we might think that we're doing better than Israel did, okay, at accepting Jesus, as we observe them mostly reject Jesus. But here's what Paul says. So that you will not be wise in your own estimation, I'm here to correct your thoughts on this subject, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentile has come in. partial hardness, I know those words, a hardening of a heart, right? All the way back in Pharaoh's day, and sometimes he says God hardened Pharaoh's heart, and sometimes he said, God says Pharaoh hardened his heart, okay? So you wonder, is that Israel hardening their heart? It kind of sounds like God's doing a work here in his sovereignty. Well, let's keep reading. And so, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentile has come in, meaning that there's a time where it's not gonna be that. This is only for a moment of time, until this fullness comes in. And so, all Israel will be saved, just as it is written. So then he goes in and quotes the Old Testament here, but what he's saying is, is that he's not done. It's not over with Israel. Don't be wise in your own estimation. And here it is, verse 28, from the standpoint of the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. This right here should bring tears to our eyes. Why? Because someone is hardened so that you have been given access to Christ. I think sometimes we say, well, you know, it's anti-Christ. The Jews are so anti-Christ. It's like, well, how about having some compassion? Why? Because God says he hardened their hearts for your sake. For your sake, just to clarify, but from the standpoint of God's choice, they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. I'm not done. I made promises to their fathers. It's not over. Do not be wise in your own estimation and think you deserve to be on the team. Does that make sense? For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. And this is the part that just is the leveler for all of mankind, Jew and Gentile. Here it is. For just as you were once disobedient to God. What? We were? When was that? Well, how about Babel? How about before Abraham? How about after Abraham? How about until Christ started doing a work in the New Testament in the hearts of Gentiles. How about that? How about all those 2,000 years before when we were the pagans worshiping other gods? Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience. Now I don't understand why God does this working over here and then pausing and working over here. I don't understand it. But that's what he says he does. I'm hardening this group so that I can do some great thing over with the Gentiles so that they might become jealous. It says that back previously in Hebrews 11. Because of their disobedience. So these also now have been disobedient. He's fully admitting that. that they because of the mercy shown to you, they also may now be shown mercy. So a new renewed mercy to them. And then this is where we should all rest. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that he may show all mercy. The end result is you have all been disobedient and I'm still showing mercy. You weren't any value to be picked on the winning team. And yet, through his mercy, you've been chosen to be on his winning. I remember as a kid, as well as traumatic things from a father, I'm sure all children have them. If my dad was here, he probably wouldn't even remember it. But I was a little wrestler up at a Tillamook, a little Tillamook wrestling meet. And I wasn't very good, so I was getting beaten pretty handily. And the coach said to the whole team at one point, hey guys, winning isn't everything. Oh, what a comfort that was to my heart. He's right, winning isn't everything. And I would say that to my kids and they'll think it's a true statement given the fact that All sports are difficult, and you've got to work your way through, and you've got to keep pursuing, and you are getting some value even when you're losing. Actually, probably more value than when you're winning. But I had my little heart like, OK, it's OK. You're losing, but it's got to be for some good. My dad overheard it. And as I came traipsing off, and I don't know if it was right away. It wasn't right away, because it was like an hour or two later. He said, I've thought about that statement, and winning is everything. What? Because if Christ doesn't win, we're all lost. Winning is everything. Now, is he right? In Christ, he's right, dead on right. Winning is everything, okay? The great comfort that we can have that we will be in that summing up of all things in Christ should get us up every morning, okay? I'm in Christ, okay? Now, next service, we're gonna deal with those who struggle with believing that they're in Christ, even though they greatly desire to be comforted in Christ, because that happens too sometimes, meaning no assurance of salvation. But, For those that we are assured of their salvation, we're past that and we should be reveling in that we are on the, maybe it's trite to say on the team, maybe you're bristling at that a little bit, it's a little different way of saying it, but that being in Christ is the only place where the ultimate victory will be had in time and in eternity. We'll close there. Our Father, we just thank You for these mysteries revealed that open our eyes to that all things are summed up in Christ and that Your promises will all be fulfilled even as I marvel at that even as all rebellious creatures are desperately trying to keep your plan from being fulfilled, and yet, even without effort, your plan is just rolling forward over the tops of will, the will of Satan and the will of rebellious man, and you will ultimately be the summation of all things. We thank you for that. We ask that we'd go with confidence in these things, in Jesus' name, amen.