Life is mysterious isn’t it? For the most part we have a pretty good idea of what is going on, but then life sends us a curve ball and there is this automatic tendency to pull insight from other sources apart from what God reveals to us. When I follow up with people, I’m always surprised by those very sources and the stock that is placed there.
I’m even surprised by Christians who turn to horoscopes to reveal some of the mystery of their destiny or talk about their ‘sign’ as if carries absolute relevance. Throughout human history, we have come up with so many different ways to try to end the mysteries of our destiny and the divination industry is a multi-billion dollar one.
When it concerns our very own or our loved ones futures we want to know the answer now. However, for all believers, we cannot look to any other source to discover our destiny other than the Bible. Indeed, the Bible prohibits believers from looking anywhere else.
Leviticus 19:31; 20:6
I have had many conversations with people in and out of Southside about all the different denominations? They ask questions like, ‘why one church will absolutely refuse to participate in any activities with another church?’ This raises a good point about the mystery of the Church and that being the fact that if we are Christians, why can’t we all just get along? In all of this there are some very clear truths that we must commit for absolute unity on and where we can’t compromise the richness of the mystery of grace, our union with Christ and the eternal purpose and wisdom of the Church. When we get this right, the Church is at its best. May Southside be an ever increasing representation of all these things in the county of Halton whose visible minorities have grown 781% in 8 years!!
As you know, last year I was able to go the Israel and there I took a picture of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I have since discovered a story that so clearly illustrates the sad fallout of division within the community that follows Jesus.
Now, the church is the traditional site of the hill of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. It was built during the time of Constantine, roughly 326AD. This church has gonethrough many different owners in its life and now there are at least six faith groups that stake claim to it. The three main ones are the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox and the (Latin) Roman Catholic. Three other communities - the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox,the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syrian Orthodox - also possess certain rights and small properties in or about the building, and – get this – with the key to the church is owned by a Muslim family.
While there, I saw a ladder resting on the church’s ledge. The story goes that in 1860, one of the faction noticed a broken window pane. They put a ladder up but before they can fix the window, another faction pointed out that the window belonged to them. So since the broken window pane belonged to one faction and the ladder belonged to another, the end result was that the ladder was left leaning against the wall under the window pane, from 1860 it remains there today.
Why can’t we all just get along?
We may laugh at this but isn’t there some truths applicable for us? How many of us refuse to be on the same team with another member from the same church? Howmany of us here are harboring resentment and deep hurts for one another?
If history is any indication, there are more than we want to admit!
THE MYSTERY OF GRACE v1-3
The unveiling of unmerited favour
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles v1
He knows that being called as an apostle to the Gentiles has landed him in this very prison. He is living his life with no regrets over the understanding of why he is facing the very persecution and marginalization at the hands of those in authority.
It is also interesting to note that he sees himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, not of the state, not to the religious leaders. He is a prisoner of Christ and wears it as a badge of honor.
Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, v2
The word administration here can be better understood as ‘stewardship’. He hears the clink of his own chains and it is a constant reminder of the stewardship of his life.
Peter M. shared a great definition of stewardship this week with me. He was on my sermon research team this week and didn’t even know it!!
Stewardship is simply an attitude. It is acknowledgement and recognition of God's sovereignty and one's response to that - surrender. Stewardship is a subset of discipleship and includes the management of one's life, talents, time, money, relationships and resources.
The opportunity to be a good steward is only because of the unmerited favour of God toward me that I am even able to stand...by grace we stand.
For Paul, this is a stewardship of his life that God has entrusted him with.
The stewardship of grace
Without grace we are subject to the demands of justice. Holy justice demands that the retribution of sin is paid for.
Grace is showing favour and goodness instead of punishment when disobedience has taken place. It is forgiving someone in our lives when they don’t deserve it. It is God’s favour towards us when we have done nothing to deserve it.
Romans 5: 6-8
In post Apartheid South Africa, at one [of the Truth and Reconciliation] hearing, a policeman named van de Broek recounted an incident when he and other officersshot an eighteen-year-old boy and burned the body, turning it on the fire like a piece of barbecue meat in order to destroy the evidence. Eight years later vande Broek returned to the same house and seized the boy’s father. The wife was forced to watch as policemen bound her husband on a woodpile, poured gasolineover his body, and ignited it.
The courtroom grew hushed as the elderly woman who had lost first her son andthen her husband was given a chance to respond. "What do you want from Mr.van de Broek?" the judge asked. She said she wanted van de Broek to go to theplace where they burned her husband’s body and gather up the dust so shecould give him a decent burial. His head down, the policeman noddedin agreement.
Then she added a further request, "Mr. van de Broek took all my family away from me, and I still have a lot of love to give. Twice a month, I would like for himto come to the ghetto and spend a day with me so I can be a mother to him. And I would like Mr. van de Broek to know that he is forgiven by God, and that Iforgive him too. I would like to embrace him so he can know my forgiveness is real."
When justice demands ultimate retribution, grace comes in and covers the offense in love like a blanket given to someone in shock who has been pulled out of icy waters. It covers the cold act of their sin in forgiveness, love, acceptance and relationship.
that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. v3
The term ‘mystery’ that Paul used would have grabbed the attention of his audience of that day. Mystery for the Greeks was all about a secret passage into a chosen belief that was now open to those initiated into it.
When Paul speaks of the mystery, he reflects on many characteristics of its revelation from the mystery of Christ in you the hope of glory in Colossians as well as the mystery of the gospel in Romans 16:25.
It all flows into the mystery of our union together in Christ...
THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTv4-9
The unveiling of the promised union in Christ
One word used for the body here is synsoma in the Greek and it is the fusion of two becoming one to create and form an undeniable synergy. It was radical because it flew in the face of the common religion of the day which was all about exclusion and purity of race and pride in nationality and all those barriers are crashing down. The picture that readily comes to mind for those of us who remember is 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down and signalled the end of the communist bloc. There was a celebratory atmosphere then but Paul’s news as we know did not receive that kind of welcoming.
Literally we are now all members of one new body and as Pastor Mike shared last week, ‘the ground is level at the foot of the cross’.
The mystery is that we become connected to people we have nothing in common with. We become friends with people we would never have imagined could be our friends. We walk arm in arm and side by side people that we probably would have snubbed before we knew Jesus. In Christ all that separates us is put aside for one very strong and compelling reason. We are now brothers and sisters in Christ.
No matter how diverse our racial, cultural and political backgrounds maybe, it is the one thing that we can go with to any part of the world and the fellowship of believers is sweet. You don’t have to go on a missions trip to know and experience this....just stay for the second service here at 2pm! The connection and friendship that I have experienced with Pastor Jung has been really encouraging.
The truth of this really goes deeper because today I also realize that that person who is sitting on the opposite side of the church that I really don’t get along with....Jesus died for him too...and that person who cut me off in traffic today, Jesus died for him as he died for my neighbour who has all those loud parties or that friend who I know cheated on their taxes. It goes on, the prostitute, the homeless, the atheist teacher,...Jesus died for all of them. He died for everyone of them and is calling them to Himself. Am I getting in the way or praying them into the WAY? The mystery of the gospel is that Jews and non-Jews, name their background. They all deserve to belong, they all deserve a place at the table, they all deserve the riches of God’s goodness. Why? Ultimately because we are all undeserving but it is our mission to pursue Jesus passionately and connect people to their God given family!
The 1st half of v7,8
And the quicker we can get rick of our sense of entitlement, the better. Paul got it when he said.. I became a servant v7a
Although I am less than the least of all God's people v8a
I think Lehman Strauss said it best when for those of us in ministry get to the place where we speak of ‘having earned it’ through our decrees, experience, diplomas which qualify us for the ministry.
I have never taken for granted the ministry that God has entrusted to me here at Southside and for that matter since the first day I began serving in full time ministry.
The 2nd half of v7,8
by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. V7b
Again Paul is emphatic about who is doing the work, it is being done by a twofold gift:
God grace and the working of his power – it is that same energy that Paul speaks of in Colossians 1:29 that is operative by the Spirit’s indwelling.
this grace was given me: to preach to the of this gospel Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, v8b
The unsearchable riches for Paul were not the gospel, not the doctrine, it was Christ Himself
THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH v10-13
The unveiling of the wisdom and eternal purpose of God
When Paul speaks about the heavenly realms, he is attacking a prominent kind of thinking that was prevalent in his day. It was the teaching of Gnosticism which was being developed and spiritual beings were being given a prominent place in their teaching. It was so much so that they sought this type of intermediary gods instead of Christ.
As it relates to unity in the church...
This was not intellectual belief but a real faith and belief that really changed the things that we care about.
Why can’t we get along?
It is for this reason...we haven’t fully submitted our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
We make excuses like when I get my act together God, then I will give it over to you.
When we make our own demands for justice
When we don’t submit our desire for control, for direction, for purpose, for fulfillment to God, that is when we the ugliness all too easily can spill out in our conversations with others whether that is gossip, envy, greed....you name it.
We can’t get along when...
we fail to see God’s grace
we fail to embrace our unity and oneness in Christ
we fail to undertake God’s purposes and justify our own...
However, when we do get along; we are witnessing to the world the power of God... v10
it is witnessed by the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
“When the church is united, it slaps Satan in the face and confirms that God’s eternal plan is in motion.”
It is we, the blood bought servants of Jesus Christ together who become Christ with flesh on.
Our unity also leads us in him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence v12 Hebrews 4:16.... ACCESS! Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.
Questions For Discussion
What had they heard concerning Paul and the administration of God’s grace, mystery, and revelation given to him? vv. 2-3. See Galatians 1:11-17.
What is God’s purpose in forming the church? v. 10.
Although the mystery of the gospel in Christ has been fully revealed for nearly 2000 years, why do so many still misunderstand and obscure the gospel? What about Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and Seventh-Day groups?
What is the essence of the mystery of Christ that we need to keep at all costs?
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