O Lord, we do desire to praise Thy
name, because Thy name is wonderful.
Thy name is above every name, and to
Thy name every knee shall bow, and every
tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
O, how we praise and thank Thee for
this precious name.
O, how we praise and thank Thee we
can gather together tonight in this precious name.
And as Thou hast promised us that two
or three are gathered together unto my name,
there am I in the midst of them.
We praise and we thank Thee because we
know Thou art here.
We only pray that Thou will open our
eyes that we may see Thee, open our
ears that we may hear Thee, open our
hearts that we may receive Thee.
O Lord, manifest Thyself to us.
We do commit this time into Thy hands
and ours be to bless it.
We pray that Thou will open Thy word
to us, that Thou mayst be able to
perfect Thy work in us.
And we do together give Thee all the
praise and the glory and the honor.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
I would like to read just one verse
to start with, and it is found in
1 Corinthians 4.
1 Corinthians 4, verse 1.
Let a man so account of us as
servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries
of God.
When Paul wrote this letter to the believers
in Corinth, he told them that they should
consider him and his brother Ptolemy, who wrote
this letter together with Paul, as servants of
Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Stewards of the mysteries of God.
I think we can broaden it a little
bit.
Not only Paul and Sophonis, they are stewards
of the mysteries of God, but in a
broad sense every one of us, every child
of God, every believer is a steward.
We all have been entrusted by God with
something very precious.
We are stewards of the mysteries of God.
When you think of stewardship, probably immediately you
remember that parable that our Lord Jesus just
said.
A man, he was going away to a
far country, so he gave his customs to
his three servants.
One five-talent, one two-talent, and one
one-talent.
And he commanded them to trade with these
talents until he came.
Here you find these servants, they were given
their master's customs.
They were not proprietors, owners of these customs.
They were just stewards, managers.
They were to manage the substance that their
master had entrusted to them.
And they were supposed to manage that substance
faithfully and wisely.
And if they could do so, when their
master should return, they would be rewarded.
Otherwise, they would suffer loss.
So brothers and sisters, in a very real
sense, we are all stewards.
We are not owners.
We are not proprietors.
We are stewards.
We are managers.
God has entrusted us with something of his
own, very precious.
And we are commanded not only to keep
them, but to use them, multiply them, very
wisely and very faithfully.
Our stewardship lasts only for our life on
this earth.
Because you remember our Lord Jesus said, If
you are not faithful in that which is
another's, how will you be given that which
is yours?
If you are not faithful with what little
has been given to you, how can you
be given more, much more?
At a return of the Lord.
We are stewards.
Sometimes you'll find the Bible, when it refers
to stewardship, it speaks of gifts.
God's gifts that have been given to each
at his own.
We are to trade with it.
We are to use these gifts faithfully and
wisely.
Like these three servants.
And sometimes you'll find this stewardship is referred
to grace.
Because in Luke chapter 19 you'll find, instead
of giving five talents, two talents and one
talent to the three born servants, the master
called ten servants to him and to give
to each one of them one minas.
And a mina is sixtieth part of a
talent.
They were given equally one mina.
And that refers to life, to grace.
God's grace to every one of us is
the same.
Although his gift to us varies.
And how we need to be very faithful
to the grace that we have received.
One multiply it ten times.
Some multiply it five times.
But some have not been faithful.
And you'll find sometimes the Bible refers to
us as going to the field, to work
in the field.
The man will come out in early morning
and he engage some people to go into
his field and work.
And promise to give them their daily wage.
And then at twelve o'clock he went
out and he saw some people there and
he engaged them again.
And even by three o'clock he went
out and still some were idling there and
he engaged them.
And even when five o'clock came, he
said still, come, there.
So he asked them to go into his
field.
And sometimes you'll find the parable refers to
a servant who is working in the house.
Taking care of the food in the house.
A housekeeper.
So you'll find in the Bible there are
many different ways of telling us that we
are servants of Christ.
We are stewards of God's substance.
Brothers and sisters, what is in my heart
tonight is this.
We are stewards.
But what is it that God has entrusted
to us?
Paul says he is a steward of the
mysteries of God.
Over and above the thought of gifts, the
thought of grace.
There is this mystery of God.
Or to put it in another way, underneath
all the gifts and the grace of God,
there is the mystery of God.
We are stewards of God's mysteries.
And you know, if you understand that, you'll
find it is a tremendous thing.
God has not put into our hands, God
has not entrusted us with something that is
small.
Little.
Well, nothing can be small and little if
it comes from God.
But in the other sense, you'll find what
God has really entrusted us with is something
beyond our understanding.
It is something so tremendous, so precious.
We are stewards.
Of what?
Of the mysteries of God.
Sometimes we think we are stewards of His
gifts.
That is correct.
Other times we think we are stewards of
His grace.
That is correct.
Sometimes we think that our life on earth
is a stewardship.
How we need to live for God and
not for ourselves.
Other times we think that our work, our
labor on earth is a stewardship.
How we need to work faithfully and wisely,
serving God.
Now all these are true and correct.
But have we ever thought that we are
stewards of something tremendously great.
Most basic.
Most basic to everything.
And that is the mysteries of God.
One day, God said, Can I hide from
Abraham what I'm doing?
God said, I cannot.
Because Abraham is God's friend.
God could not and God would not hide
anything from Abraham.
He would tell Abraham what was upon his
heart.
He would share his secrets with Abraham.
He couldn't do that with other people.
He wouldn't do that with others.
But with Abraham, his friend.
He shared his secrets.
What a privilege.
But what a responsibility too.
In John chapter 15, you remember our Lord
Jesus said, I do not call you bondservants.
Because the bondservants do not know what is
in the mind of the master.
The master will say, go.
And he goes.
The master says, do it.
And he does it.
But the master never explains.
The Lord said, I do not treat you
as servants.
I treat you as my friend.
Whatever I have learned from my father, I
tell you.
I share it with you.
And when Paul realized what grace had been
given to him, that God shall reveal to
him the mystery of God.
How thankful he was.
He said, I'm unworthy.
But God has revealed his mystery to me.
Brothers and sisters, we are stewards of the
mysteries of God.
Now what is a mystery?
A mystery is not something mysterious.
Hidden.
Secretive, I mean.
It is not something mysterious or secretive.
It is a secret, yes.
It is something that is hidden in God's
mind or God's heart.
Waiting to be revealed.
No one knows the secret of God.
No one knows the depths of God.
But the Spirit of God.
In other words, God has a secret in
him.
It has been hidden for ages and centuries.
And nobody knows the secret.
Until God reveals that secret to us by
his Holy Spirit.
And when God reveals by his Holy Spirit,
God shares his secret with his own.
To those who are open to him.
To those who love him.
He will open his mystery, his secret to
them.
So that with them it is an open
secret.
Even though with the world it is still
a mystery.
Something hidden.
Now that is a mystery.
But here you'll find Paul said, We are
stewards of the mysteries of God.
In full number.
As if God has many mysteries.
As a matter of fact, God has only
one mystery.
But it has so many aspects, facets of
that mystery.
So when you enter into the various aspects
or facets of the mystery of God, you'll
find the mysteries of God.
Probably this time we will like to share
together on this one matter.
We are stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now you cannot be a steward if you
have not been given God's sustenance.
Paul will put it in another way.
You have to first receive and know what
you are given before you can keep it
and use it wisely and faithfully.
We must know what is the mystery of
God.
What is it that God has given that
has entrusted to us?
We must know that first.
And knowing that, then we should manage it
faithfully and wisely.
Has God given?
He has.
Do we know what He has entrusted to
us?
We ought to know.
I think this is the first thing that
we should know.
Because if we don't, then we are not
able to be faithful stewards.
Because we do not know what we have.
We do not know what we should work
with.
So we do need to look to the
Lord that He will give us the spirit
of wisdom and revelation.
That we may know the mysteries of God.
And also, after knowing it, that by the
strengthening of the Holy Spirit to our inward
man, we may manage that which has given
to us faithfully and wisely.
As you read the New Testament, probably you
will come to a few aspects or facts
of this mystery.
Now, we are not able to go into
every one of them, but God willing, probably
we will try.
As we go on, we do not know
how far we can go, but we'll try
and see the main points in the mysteries
of God.
You'll find such terms as the mystery of
God.
The mystery of Christ.
Great is the mystery of Christ and His
Church.
And contrastedly, great is the mystery of godliness.
Now, you'll find all these terms are interrelated.
They are showing us the various facets of
the mystery of God.
We will start with the first one.
The mystery of God.
Now, let us read a portion of the
Word of God first.
Colossians.
Colossians chapter 2.
We'll read the first nine verses.
Colossians chapter 2, from verse 1 through verse
9.
For I would have you know what combat
I have for you, and those in Laodicea,
and as many as have not seen my
face in flesh, to the end where their
hearts may be encouraged, being united together in
love, and unto all riches of the full
assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of
the mystery of God.
Here you'll find this term.
The mystery of God.
In which are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and of knowledge.
And I say this to the end, that
no one may delude you by persuasive speech.
For if indeed in the flesh I am
absent, yet I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness
of your faith in Christ.
As therefore you have received the Christ Jesus
the Lord, walking in Him, rooted and built
up in Him, and assured in the faith,
even as you have been taught abounding in
it with thanksgiving.
See that there be no one who shall
lead you astray, away as a prey, through
philosophy and vain deceit.
According to the teaching of man, according to
the element of the Lord, and not according
to Christ.
Verse 9.
Verses 9 and 10.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of
the dark head bodily, and ye are complete
in Him.
What is the mystery of God?
What is God's secret?
Why is God a mystery?
And how is God's mystery to be revealed?
In Isaiah.
Chapter 45 verse 15.
The prophet Isaiah says, God is the God
who hides Himself.
In Psalm 18 you will find, God makes
darkness His dwelling place.
Even in the tabernacle, or in the temple,
you will find that God dwells in the
holiest of all.
And so far as this world is concerned,
it is total darkness.
In other words, the sunlight cannot penetrate into
the holiest of all.
Nor the light of the golden candlestick in
the holy place can enter into the holiest
of all.
So far as other lights were concerned, it
was total darkness in the holiest of all.
But of course we know, it is not
total darkness.
Why?
The glory of the Lord filled that place.
And yet that glory was such, that even
the apostle says, in 1 Timothy, the apostle
said, God dwells in unapproachable light.
No one can ever see Him, or able
to see Him.
Nobody has seen God.
Although He is light, He lives in unapproachable
light, but so far as the world is
concerned, He hides Himself in darkness.
In other words, no one knows Him.
No one knows Him.
He is the great unknown.
No matter how you try, you do not
know Him.
And that probably is the reason why the
Greeks in the old days, they had an
author.
And there is a mark to that author
said, to the unknown God.
God is unknown.
He is a mystery.
No one can penetrate into that mystery.
You may believe there is a God.
God is somewhere, but you don't know Him.
He is a mystery.
He is unknown.
But thank God, He is not altogether unknown.
On the very contrary, you will find, God
has revealed Himself to us.
He can be known.
He can be known as He is.
Why?
Because the Bible says, no one has ever
seen God, but the Son, who is in
the bosom of the Father, has declared Him.
The law says, if you see me, you
see my Father.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in
Him.
What is the mystery of God?
The mystery of God is His Son, is
Christ.
God will remain a mystery to you, if
you do not know Christ.
God can never be known otherwise.
His secret is revealed through His Son.
Because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells
in His Son.
And you know, this is in Colossians 1,
verse 19.
All in Him, all the fullness of the
Godhead was pleased to dwell.
And you know, this verse actually refers to
eternity past.
Even in eternity past, before there was time,
before everything was created, in the eternity past,
all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased
to dwell in the Son.
Who can fathom the fullness of the Godhead?
How full?
If the fullness is beyond us.
But you find all the fullness of the
Godhead dwells in the Son.
Everything that is of God.
Everything that speaks of God.
All that God is.
All that God has.
Everything.
Fullness.
Dwells in the Son.
Why?
Because the Son is the mystery of God.
God's mystery is in the Son.
Everything is in the Son.
But thank God.
This is not only true in eternity past.
But you find, one day, it becomes true
in time and on earth.
And that is Colossians chapter 2, verse 9.
For in Him dwells all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily.
In eternity past, all the fullness of the
Godhead dwells in Him.
But in time, you find all the fullness
of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily.
What?
Because He took upon Himself a body.
The Son came to this world.
The Word became flesh.
And dwelt among us.
Full of grace and truth.
In Jesus.
In Christ Jesus.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells.
Therefore, when you see Christ, you see God.
Everything that speaks of God is in Christ.
God is a mystery.
Nobody has ever seen Him.
Nobody knows Him.
And yet, when Christ passes by, when you
see Christ, immediately, you begin to know God.
The secret is out.
Brothers and sisters, this is a tremendous thing.
As you read the full gospel, you find
when Christ walks by.
Brothers and sisters, all that He does, all
that He says, He reveals.
He declares God.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in
Him bodily.
He can be touched.
He can be healed.
As Apostle John said, that which we have
seen, which we have heard, which we have
contemplated, and which we have handled.
Why?
Because He has come.
Body of Him.
You can hear Him.
You can see Him.
You can touch Him.
Brothers and sisters, that God who has been
unknown in centuries past is now become known
in Christ and in focus.
If you know you want to know what
God is looking for, you look at Christ
and you know.
If you want to know the love of
God, what is it?
In the love of Christ, you see the
love of God.
If you want to know the righteousness of
God, look at Christ and you see it.
He is full of truth and grace.
But this fullness of the Godhead that dwells
in Christ's body is for us.
The Lord Jesus did not come to this
earth just to demonstrate to us how full
God was.
It's more than a demonstration.
It is a dealing to us that we
may receive.
Therefore you'll find in the Gospel of John
the Word became flesh and dwelt on a
man full of grace and truth.
And out of His fullness we receive grace
upon grace.
That fullness of God is for us.
The fullness of God in the past was
unreachable.
But now the fullness of God is for
us.
Out of His fullness we receive grace.
Why is it grace upon grace?
Because it is so full.
You are not able to have it all
at once.
You have to experience it again and again,
day by day, moment by moment, and from
time to eternity.
There is no ending to that fullness.
God who was unknown is now known in
the Son.
God who cannot be reached can now be
received in the Son.
As we read in the beginning, He that
hath the Son hath life.
God is the eternal God.
He is the God of the living.
For how can we receive that life?
He that hath the Son hath life.
Now you'll find this grace has come to
us.
And in Colossians it says, All the fullness
of the God hath dwelt in him bodily,
and ye are complete.
There is nothing that is not in God
which is not of you.
When God shares His Son with you, He
shares everything with you.
Because everything is in His Son.
There is nothing left.
And there is no place where you can
find anything.
Because it's all in the Son.
Protestant history, think of that.
Here you'll find this world, people try to
reach God.
People try to know God.
But they try in other places.
They think that they may find God somewhere.
They think they may receive something from God
somehow.
But you can't.
You can't.
The Lord Jesus said, I'm the way, the
truth and the life.
He that comes to the Father must come
by me.
If we do not go by the Lord
Jesus, by the Son, there is no way
to go to the Father.
The Father has nothing to give.
It's all in the Son.
God's secret is His Son.
And this Son is ours.
Ye are complete in Him.
Everything that is in God is in His
Son.
And His Son is yours.
Oh, brothers and sisters, this is the mystery
of God.
How we should thank God for that.
You know, there is a story I always
like to tell.
Some of you may have known that already.
But I illustrate a little bit of this
that we are trying to say.
A very rich man, he had lots of
property.
He couldn't remember how rich he was.
How much property he had.
He owned so much land.
So much cattle.
So much things.
He had only one son.
And his son was a boy of thirty.
But one day this old man was dying.
So he recalled his son.
But he knew his son couldn't arrive on
time, before his death.
So he made a will.
And he consulted a very wise lawyer as
to how he should make that will.
He had so much property, he could not
put down everything on the will.
And he was afraid he might miss something.
So he talked to his lawyer, and his
lawyer helped him to make up that will.
So when the son arrived, the father died
already.
And after he was buried, then the lawyer
gathered the whole family together, you know.
This man had many slaves.
Because he was in the old days.
He owned so many slaves.
And much property.
So the lawyer gathered them all together to
read the will.
And the will said, I will bequeath all
that I have to my chief steward.
But I will allow my son to choose
among my properties one thing.
And that will be my son.
That was the will.
So when the will was read, the son
was so done-hearted.
He said, my father did everything to the
chief steward.
And left with me with only one thing
that I would choose.
Now what could I choose?
If I choose the house, I will lose
the field.
If I choose the cattle, I will lose
all the property.
And my father gave everything to the chief
steward.
Something must be wrong.
So he talked to that lawyer.
And the lawyer whispered something into his ear.
And immediately his face brightened up.
So he said, now I'm ready to choose.
I choose the chief steward.
You know, the father knew that if he
should die before his son arrives, he has
so much apathy, his chief steward may hide
something.
May take away something.
So he made it known everything will be
given to the chief steward.
So the chief steward took very good care
of everything.
To see that everything was there.
And you know, being a slave, he was
one of the property.
Now brothers and sisters, this is only a
story.
But in a sense, it illustrates something, you
know.
All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in
the son.
Oh, what love.
God wants us to have everything.
It is as if he is afraid that
we may miss something.
So he put everything in his son.
And then he said, you just choose and
you have me.
Even with our little experience.
Before we choose God's son, we have nothing.
We may have heard about God.
We may know a lot about Him.
But we don't have Him.
Notice this.
That when we believe in the Lord Jesus,
isn't it true that God becomes real to
us?
He is our Father.
We begin to experience love, joy, peace.
This is only a little beginning.
There is much more to come.
Because all the fullness and
you're complete.
Therefore you'll find Paul said, with all the
saints, we may be filled with the fullness
of God.
Not just a little bit of God, but
the fullness of God.
Of course, no individual can be filled with
the fullness of God.
This vessel is too small.
We need God to enlarge us.
But however large and large we may be,
it is still too small.
He takes all the saints.
With all the saints.
We may know the breadth, the length, the
depth and the height.
The fullness of God.
So in the first place you'll find the
mystery of God is Christ.
He is the Son.
If you do not know the Son, you
will never be able to know Him.
He is a mystery.
But when you know the Son, the mystery
is out.
Secondly, the mystery of God is Christ.
Why?
Because according to Ephesians chapter 1, verse 9,
Ephesians chapter 1, verse 9, having made known
to us the mystery of His will, according
to His good pleasure which He purposed in
Himself for the administration of the fullness of
time to head up all things in the
Christ, the things in heaven and the things
upon the earth.
To know the mystery of God is to
know the mystery of His will.
Isn't that true?
If anyone is to know your mystery, your
secret, he is to know the secret of
your will.
That is to say, what do you intend
to do?
If you know what He intends to do,
that you know His secret.
God has a secret.
He has a will.
He has a purpose.
He intends to do something.
And nothing that God does is not according
to that will.
You know, we may do things sometimes by
chance.
Accidental.
Or we are being channeled by environment.
Just like little children.
A child may go in one direction and
suddenly something attacks that child and you'll find
he would turn around and go off tangent.
Now, we are like that, you know.
But God is never like that.
God has a will.
He has a purpose.
He purposed in eternity past.
And it is with that purpose that He
lays down His plan.
And He works very steadfastly to complete that
purpose.
Brothers and sisters, often we do not know
what God is doing.
Often in our own life, we do not
understand why.
Why God does this?
Or why God does that?
Why God allows this?
Or why God allows that?
Why God doesn't do it in this way
or that way?
You'll find that even in our own life,
sometimes we, we think God is a mystery.
We don't understand Him.
Why should He do things in that way?
And when you look even more wisely, you'll
find things happening in this world.
And you often ask, now why?
Why?
People say, now if there is a God,
and God is Lord, why He should allow
all these killings?
Why?
God is a puzzle.
God's ways are higher than our ways.
His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
We do not know.
For brothers and sisters, that does not mean
because you do not know, God does not
know too.
God does not know what He is doing.
He is being influenced by environment.
Not at all.
Whatever God does, it is according to His
purpose.
And His purpose, His will, is a mystery.
It's a mystery.
Now, if only we can know what His
will is, what is the mystery of His
will, then you'll know God.
Then you will not misunderstand Him.
Then you will not doubt Him.
Then you will begin to appreciate what He
is doing.
So what is important is to know the
mystery of His will.
What is behind everything that God does?
What is He really after?
In you and in the whole world, what
is He doing?
And you'll find the mystery of God's will
is to head up all things.
That's the mystery.
It is God's will that everything should be
gathered up together in Christ.
Things in the heavens and things upon the
earth.
If you turn to Colossians chapter 1, we'll
read from verse 15.
That is Christ, the Son of God, who
is image of the invisible God, firstborn of
all creation, because by Him we created all
things.
The things in the heavens and the things
upon the earth, the visible and the invisible,
who are the thrones of worships, of principalities,
authorities.
All things have been created by Him and
for Him.
Now, brothers and sisters, in the translation you'll
find we need to be a little more
exact.
Verse 16.
Because by Him we created all things.
Now, the word by here, in Greek, is
en.
E-N.
Literally means in Him.
Because, you know, to our common understanding, when
you say in Him we created all things,
we don't understand what that means.
All things were created in Him, therefore the
translator put by Him.
That we can understand.
But literally the word here, the preposition here
is en, which means in Him.
All things were created in Him.
And not only in Him, but it continues
to say have been created by Him.
Now that is by Him.
Through Him.
And for Him.
Yes.
For Him.
So you'll find all things, all things in
the heavens, all things upon the earth, all
things were created in Him, by Him, and
for Him.
What do you mean by in Him?
Now, in this new translation, there is a
footnote here.
It says, in Him, in the power of
whose person, He was the one whose intrinsic
power characterized the creation.
It exists as His creature.
For instance, a carpenter.
He is to make a chair.
When the carpenter makes the chair, in a
sense, the chair is created in Him.
In what sense?
Well, in His mind, He has a kind
of design.
And this design that is in His mind
is according to His character.
You see, everything you make, in a sense,
has the imprint of your character upon it.
So when a carpenter is going to make
a chair, he has his own idea.
And his idea invariably bears his own character.
If he is a very careless person, then
probably the chair he makes will be a
very rough chair.
And if you sit on it, you may
fall.
It may have only three legs instead of
four legs.
It reveals his character, in a sense.
But if the carpenter is a very wise
and very careful person, then you'll find the
product of his work is a very refined
work.
In a sense, it has in it his
character.
When God created all things, He created all
things in Christ.
That is to say, everything takes its character
from Christ.
The sun takes its character from Christ.
His glory, His brightness.
The moon may take its character from Christ.
Its purity.
You know, everything in the universe was created
in Him.
It represents Him.
It was His creator.
It was His creation.
Just like an artist.
When an artist draws a picture, it is
his creation.
It represents Him.
So whatever is in Him is being expressed
in a painting.
So that's why the heavens declare the glory
of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.
That's why you'll find the whole creation reveals
His wisdom.
His power.
His character, in a sense.
And whose character it is.
Everything was created in Him.
And then by Him.
He was the instrument.
And God created everything.
The law said He was the engineer there.
He was the engineer.
He was the master builder.
He built it.
He created everything.
And all things were created for Him.
The end of all creation is Christ.
It's for Him.
Now, brothers and sisters, think of that.
Everything was created in Him, by Him, and
for Him.
That He might be the firstborn of all
creation.
Now, you know, some people have difficulty with
this verse.
Firstborn of all creation.
Remember.
Christ, the Son, being the firstborn of all
creation, doesn't mean that He was created for
the first to be created.
No.
It doesn't mean that.
Because He created all things.
So He cannot be created.
Or the first to be created.
Now, what do you mean by the firstborn
here?
The firstborn of all creation.
The firstborn here has a specific meaning.
It is just like in the book of
Psalms.
You'll find God said, David is my firstborn.
He shall be king over the nation.
Just like God said, Israel is my firstborn.
It doesn't mean that He was the first
created.
No.
He created everything.
But the firstborn here simply means He has
the priority and the sovereignty over all things.
So the firstborn here in Greek has a
specific meaning.
It means He has the priority over all
things.
And He has the sovereignty over all things.
Now, who is He?
This is the Son.
This is Christ.
And the same thing is true when you
come to new creation.
He was the firstborn from among the dead.
Firstborn from among the dead.
Why?
Because all the new creation takes its character
from Him.
It is in Him, by Him, and for
Him.
That's the meaning of the firstborn.
Brothers and sisters, everything was created in Him,
by Him, and for Him.
He had the priority and sovereignty over all
things.
But something happened.
Sin has come into this world and disrupted
everything.
The whole creation has gone into chaos.
Everything was smashed into pieces.
This was not only true with human beings,
but this becomes true with the whole creation.
Everything disintegrates.
But does it mean that God is defeated?
Does it mean that God's will is finished?
Not at all.
Because the mystery of God's will is He
will gather, that is, regather, unite all things
in Christ.
That is the mystery of God's will.
In the beginning, everything was created in Him,
by Him, and for Him.
But now, sin has disrupted everything.
Everything has gone into pieces.
Just like a potter.
When the clay was working in his hand,
it broke.
It broke into pieces.
But in Jeremiah he says, the potter took
up the broken pieces, remolded, refashioned it, and
made a new vessel out of it.
Oh, brothers and sisters, you cannot explain God's
work.
You will never know what God is doing
unless you see the mystery of His will
is to have all things in Christ.
Why are you saved?
Just that you may be saved and go
to heaven?
No, more than that.
You are just, by the grace of God,
become an active element in the mystery of
God's will.
He is taking everything from pieces and remake
them into a new vessel.
But remember, when He gathered all things in
Himself, it is no longer the old creation.
It is a new creation.
On the one hand, He does gather up
the pieces.
We are the pieces.
But on the other hand, when He gather
these pieces and remake them into a vessel,
it's a new vessel.
As Paul says, no longer I, but Christ
who lives in.
That is the wonder of it.
One thing we should know.
There are things in the old creation that
are never being renewed.
Some will be cast away because you find
even in the book of Revelation, some will
be out, outside of, will be in the
second death.
So this is not universalism.
Not that everybody will be saved.
The whole universe will be restituted.
No.
Some will be cast away.
You go to a potter's field and you
find in the potter's field there are pieces
scattered all around.
No use.
Why?
Because they refuse to be remade.
But brothers and sisters, how we need to
be thankful to the Lord that He should
take us up.
We are no better than anybody else.
That He has taken us up.
He has recreated us in Christ.
If anyone is in Christ Jesus, he is
a new creation.
All things have passed away.
Behold, God said, I have made all things
new and all things are of God.
This is the way that He will unite
all things in Himself.
So that all things will once again declare
His glory.
Manifest.
And this is the mystery of His will.
So, brothers and sisters, the mystery of God's
will is Christ.
Is Christ.
Is again Christ.
Unless we see Christ.
Unless we know Him.
Unless we receive Him.
Brothers and sisters, again I'll say, God will
remain a mystery to you.
You'll never know God.
You'll never be able to have God.
God's secret is His Son.
And it is in His Son that this
secret is fully revealed.
And thank God.
God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son.
He gave that Son to us that we
may be complete in Him.
So first of all, we will just stress
this one point.
And that is the mystery of God is
Christ.
Oh, brothers and sisters, how easily we are
occupied, attracted, or distracted by many, many things
instead of seeing Christ.
I think it is time that we should
see Christ.
Because this is the mystery.
And we are stewards of this mystery.
We have to be faithful.
We have to be wise.
In other words, we have to see Him.
And we have to be occupied with Him.
And He is the one whom we will
share with other people.
This is our center, shall we pray.
Our Heavenly Father, how we do praise and
thank Thee that Thou hast made us stewards
of Thy mystery.
What a great mystery this is.
Even Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, our Heavenly Father, we do pray that
more and more our hearts may be occupied
with Him.
More and more we may see Him.
And more and more we may be faithful
to Him.
And we may share Him with others wisely.
Oh Lord, deliver us from things isolated, scattered,
small, good, that we pray that we may
see.
Thou hast given Thy Son to us.
And it is in Him that we are
made complete.
Lord, we do praise and thank Thee for
Thy mercy and grace.
We ask in the name of our Lord
Jesus.