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You can turn in your Bibles to 
Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3. We're going to read 
from verse 1 to verse 13, but perhaps just a brief introduction 
to what's going on in the book thus far. You'll recall Ephesians 
1, Paul opens up with that glorious doxology, praising the triune 
God for salvation. Paul, by those words of praise, 
by one long run-on sentence, not really a run-on sentence, 
but one long sentence from verse 3 to 14, he highlights Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost and the salvation of sinners. He then transitions 
to the facts. that the gospel of Jesus Christ 
has now come to Gentiles. Not just that, but that Jew and 
Gentile have been made one new man in Christ Jesus in chapter 
two. He starts by highlighting the 
grace of God that we've been saved by grace through faith, 
not that of ourselves, but by the gift of God. And then he 
again goes on to that opening up of the Gentile reality, that 
Gentiles are included in the covenant promises of God in chapter 
three. He gets to his apostleship, his 
participation in opening up that gospel reality that Paul was 
the by grace apostle to the Gentiles, who was God's servant to open 
up this mystery of Gentile inclusion in the covenant of grace. The section we're going to focus 
on is in verses eight to 13, but I'll read from verse one 
to verse 13. Now, also after this, when Paul 
finishes chapter three, he then moves on to the application of 
everything that he's written in the first three chapters. 
He goes on where he goes in verse one of chapter four to say, I, 
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy 
of the calling with which you were called. So the stuff that 
we're going to read tonight is included in the theological content 
that Paul uses to then write that. Therefore, you are to conduct 
yourselves in such a manner based upon all of these glorious truths 
I have previously written to you. So Ephesians chapter three, 
beginning at verse one. For this reason, I, Paul, the 
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if indeed you have 
heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which was given 
to me for you, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery, 
as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you 
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which 
in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has 
now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. that the Gentiles should be fellow 
heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through 
the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift 
of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of 
his power. To me, who am less than the least 
of all the saints, his grace was given that I should preach 
among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. and to make 
all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the 
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all 
things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that now the manifold 
wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities 
and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose 
which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have 
boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. Therefore, 
I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which 
is your glory. Amen. Let us pray again. God, 
we thank you again for this time of worship, the preaching of 
your word. We do pray again that you would help the preacher, 
that you would be with those congregated here. Lord God, that 
all that is spoken, All that is thought and all that is engaged 
in would be unto the praise of your grace, seen in the salvation 
of sinners. And we do pray, Lord God, that 
you would now act for your glory's sake. And it's in Christ's name 
that we pray. Amen. So Paul is touching upon here 
his apostleship, his involvement in disclosing the revelation 
of God as it concerns the gospel, specifically to the Gentiles. 
One of the things that Jewish believers marveled in at the 
outset of the apostolic endeavor after Christ's crucifixion and 
resurrection was that Gentiles are now included in covenant 
promises and blessings. They marveled on a number of 
occasions after Peter's vision in Acts chapter 10 and his ministry 
with Cornelius, we see the Jews rejoicing that the Gentiles had 
received the gift of the Holy Spirit just as they have. And 
later on and throughout the book of Acts, we see that as a repeated 
theme. The Jews rejoicing in the fact 
that gospel blessings, God's covenant blessings, have now 
been extended to the Gentiles as well. Paul touches on a lot 
of things here, the theology, the glorious Christology, and 
so much doctrine flows out of these passages. We'll certainly 
not be able to, or we'll only be able to scan the surface, 
but we're going to look at five things as we quickly move through 
this passage of Scripture. First, the apostleship of Paul, 
that is the character of the apostleship of Paul. Secondly, 
the focus of Paul's apostleship, Thirdly, the divine objective 
of the apostolic enterprise. Fourthly, the eternal nature 
of God's plan. And then lastly, the application 
of Paul's theology. Hopefully this will become clear 
and simple as we move through all of these things. First off, 
the character of the apostleship of Paul. Notice first, it was 
in humility. Verse eight, to me who am less 
than the least of all the saints, this grace was given. You see, 
it is always to be the character of the gospel minister, in this 
case, the character of the ordained and called apostle. It is always 
to be his disposition that he is a humble man before his God 
and for his Christ. Because as we see in Paul and 
as we read in Paul's conversion narrative last week, His call 
not only to being a Christian, but also to his apostleship was 
solely and alone by the condescending grace of God. How do we know 
this? We know this simply by doing 
a character study of Paul, just like we did with Peter this morning. 
If you turn with me to the book of Galatians, I'm sure in your 
minds you're all saying we know where he's going with this. Paul 
is humble because he knows his former state. He knows that rock 
whence he was hewn and the hole of the pit from which he was 
digged. And he marvels that he can now 
be a proclaimer of Jesus Christ. You would be right. Galatians. 
We go to Galatians chapter one. Notice that verse 13 Galatians 
1 verse 13. For you have heard of my former 
conduct in Judaism. how I persecuted the Church of 
God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced 
in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, 
being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers." 
You see, Paul's former state was a horrific one. If it was bad for us or if it 
was bad for Peter to be characterized as that as that non-courageous, 
fearful, wretch of an individual before watching servant Jews 
and before a watching Israel to deny his Savior three times. How bad is it for one who is 
described as a man who persecuted the Church of God beyond measure 
and tried to destroy it? That's why the Apostle Paul can 
use this language that he uses in Ephesians 3 or in Ephesians 
3, with regards to himself, that he is the least of all the saints. He says in 1 Timothy 1.15, this 
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ 
Jesus came into this world, sinners to save, of whom I am chief. You see, some enemies of Christianity 
have said, well, that can't be Paul writing. Because, you see, 
we're so used to religious figures you know, not engaging in self-deprecation. You only have to glance half 
an eye at Roman Catholicism. When the pontiff, when the cardinals, 
when the bishops receive almost veneration and worship, when 
it is right for the Pope to set forth his ring that congregants 
might kiss it, when it is right for people in big red hats to 
receive religious homage and veneration, But in the world 
of biblical Christianity, there is the acknowledgement of our 
former selves, the acknowledgement that it is only the grace of 
God that makes us our current selves. So Paul can write, to 
me who am less than the least of all the apostles. There is 
respect to be paid to those who have been ordained for their 
ministry of the word. But there is to be, of course, 
no exaltation. In other words, yeah, we certainly 
we need to have a balance. We don't come to Paul and just 
toss insults and disparaging words at him because he engaged 
in self-deprecation, saying that he is less than the least of 
all the saints. But nevertheless, we are not 
to exalt the men. We are to exalt the God of the 
men, that one who is the victor, that one who sent the grace, 
that one who conquered their hearts. for Christ's sake. Paul's character of apostleship, 
first off, it was in humility. And he repeats that reality elsewhere. He says that he is the least 
of all the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15, 9. And he adds, and am not 
worthy to be called an apostle. Paul realized the reality of 
his former self and the glorious truth of God making him who he 
was. One of the one of the I think 
one of my favorite quotes concerning the Apostle Paul comes in Matthew 
Henry's exposition of a section of Acts 7. Remember what's going 
on in Acts 7, specifically with regards to Stephen. Specifically, 
with regards to Stephen, Stephen is being martyred for his proclamation 
of Jesus Christ, for his solid defense that Jesus Christ is 
the promised Messiah of the Old Covenant. And as we get to the 
end of the discourse, we read this in verse 58. And they cast 
him, Stephen, out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses 
laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. and they stoned Stephen as he 
was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 
Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, 
do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, 
he fell asleep." Verse 1 of chapter 8. Now Saul was consenting to 
his death. You've heard this before. Matthew 
Henry commenting on, and Saul was consenting to his death, 
says about Paul that Paul feasted his eyes on the bloody spectacle 
of Stephen's martyrdom in the hopes that it would put an end 
to Christianity. Think of this right now. The 
Apostle Paul that wrote over half of the New Testament. The 
Apostle Paul who wrote so many glorious texts of Holy Scripture 
that hopefully we as Christians have imprinted upon our minds. was one who feasted his eyes 
on the bloody murder of Stephen when these unbelieving Jews keep 
large rocks to crush his skull. He gave it the thumbs up and 
he thought to himself, I hope this brings an end to this Christianity 
and to the proclamation of this Christ. Well, Matthew Henry goes 
on to write that we have reason to suspect that Paul ordered 
Luke to include that for shame to himself and glory to free 
grace. So when we come to this section 
in Ephesians, to me, who am less than the least of all the apostles, 
this grace was given. We find the second point under 
the character of the apostleship of Paul. It was by grace. Calvin says this, he labors to 
exhibit himself and everything that belongs to him in as humiliating 
a light as possible in order that the grace of God may be 
highly exalted. Paul rightly states here, rightly 
first acknowledges his humility and then rightly sets forth this. This grace was given. The character 
of his apostleship was that it was by amazing and victorious 
grace. Secondly, the focus of Paul's 
apostleship. Notice what the text says. The 
focus of Paul's apostleship. This grace was given that I should 
preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, 
and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which 
from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created 
all things through Jesus Christ. There's a lot. that is read in 
one breath there. First off, there was an ethnic 
or demographic focus. There was an ethnic or demographic 
focus. Notice Paul writes that I should 
preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Paul was tasked with this glorious 
task of being the prime message sender of God concerning the 
reality. that Gentiles are now fellow 
heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through 
the gospel. A wonderful calling, a wonderful 
calling that Paul was dispatched with by Christ. He was engaged 
in the disclosure of gospel grace to the Gentiles. Secondly, there 
was, of course, the Christological and evangelical focus. You see, kids, You're going to 
hear this in adults. You're going to hear a lot. And 
you have heard a lot from this pulpit saying, to paraphrase, 
it's all about Christ. And I hope you never tire of 
that. In our Christian walk, it's all about Christ. I know 
sometimes we like it maybe in our carnal hearts to be about 
other things, to be about me once in a while. to be about 
something, to be about the trumpets, to be about the disclosure of 
what all the scrolls and judgments mean, who's the beast, who's 
the Antichrist, is he Henry Kissinger? To be about many other things, 
but it is really all about Jesus Christ. And I hope you never 
roll your eyes. I hope you never tire of that. I see it this way. You know how 
when you have a new baby and the baby learns to giggle? And 
the baby laughs and you find the buttons that you can push 
to make the baby laugh. Maybe it's a funny face. Maybe 
it's a weird, you know, unrecognizable word that you make up or whatever 
it might be. But you'll repeat that and you'll 
repeat that and you'll repeat that. And the baby always responds 
with that joyful giggle. You see, that's how it should 
always be for the Christian. When we hear Christ repeated, 
when Christ flows from the mouth of a fallible preacher, When 
the words of the gospel come forth from an ordained minister 
or from anyone, whenever we hear of Christ and whenever we hear 
wholesome words concerning his gospel, we should be like the 
giggling baby, full of joy, always ready to hear a wholesome repetition 
of that thing that tickles our fancy. And Jesus Christ, the 
Bible really is and solely and exclusively is about the glory 
of God through Jesus Christ, the precious redeeming king. 
So again, and secondly, there was the Christological and evangelical 
focus. Notice. This grace was given 
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches 
of Christ. One person has translated it 
this way, the good news of Christ's unfathomable wealth. Isn't that 
a wonderful reality? Christ, the reality concerning 
Christ is one that it is marked by unsearchable riches or unfathomable 
wealth. When we read unsearchable riches, 
I'm sure you know what that doesn't mean. That doesn't mean that 
we can never find anything of Christ anywhere, that his riches 
are unfindable. probably not a word, but we cannot 
find his riches because we cannot search them out. That's not what 
Paul is getting at here. When we read unsearchable or 
when we contemplate unfathomable, it simply means it means gloriously 
that we cannot exhaust the riches and the wealth, the excellencies 
and the glories of Jesus Christ, because they are infinite and 
they are eternal and unending. There will never be enough time 
in this lower world. There will never be enough time 
in eternity to exhaust the wealth and the riches of Jesus Christ. 
Isn't that wonderful? We're not going to be 10,000 
years into the bliss of paradise and then all of a sudden, oh, 
got nothing else to sing the praises about. No, because Christ 
is marked by unsearchable riches. He is marked by unfathomable 
gold and silver, not even gold and silver, but rather unspeakable 
heavenly treasures that we will praise him in eternity for. And kids, if you're here this 
morning, this morning, if you're here this evening, it's been 
a long day. I think it's morning still. If 
you're here this evening and you're outside of Christ, you 
don't believe. Perhaps he gives some lip service for the sake 
of mommy and daddy giving you cookies and treating you right, 
whatever it might be. If you're outside of Christ, 
you need to listen to the Apostle Peter in first Peter, chapter 
one, because you see, whether you're young or whether you are 
an adult, we will in our lives seek after earthly treasure. 
We'll keep up to ourselves any manner of silver and gold, and 
I'm using that both literally and figuratively, whether it's 
treasure or whether it's items, material items that bring joy 
to us. What Paul calls the passing pleasures 
of sin, earthly riches, that Egyptian bounty of gold and silver, 
whatever it might be, those will perish. We will perish with them. We need an abiding treasure. 
1 Peter 1, beginning at verse 17. And if you call on the Father, 
who without partiality judges according to each one's work, 
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in 
fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things 
like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition 
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of 
a lamb without blemish and without spot. You see, Jesus Christ is 
the greatest treasure in our treasury. We have things that 
we can enjoy by God's grace in this lower world, but none of 
them are in that treasury of eternal merit. Solely and alone, 
the treasures of that eternal treasury are the person and the 
work of our perfect Christ. And so, kids, when you seek after 
all manner of earthly pleasures, well, first off, don't. Seek after the Lord Jesus Christ, 
his blood and his righteousness, and things will be added to you 
by the grace of God as he gives you providential blessings to 
enjoy that are lawful to enjoy. But seek after Christ and him 
alone. All of your gadgetry and all of your music and all of 
your idolization of whoever will not come with you into the eternal 
state. We do not live in a pagan universe 
where people can throw coins on our eyes and we can bring 
them to pay the ferryman to cross the River Styx. We live in God's 
Christian universe where those outside of Christ will pass in 
to a godless and joyless eternity. You need to listen to me. Hell 
can never be communicated, and the judgment and condemnation 
of God can never be communicated enough to where it adequately 
communicates the grave and severe situation that it really is. 
Just imagine, no more smiles. No more friendly faces of your 
family. No more passing pleasures of 
sin. It's been hot lately. There's no more quenching of 
the thirst with water. No more suppressing the pains 
of hunger and all of these things. The horrors of hell, we've just 
scratched the surface. So why in this lower world would 
you latch on to the madness of earthly pleasures and just set 
Christ aside as if He's just someone that's there that can 
be considered later down the road? Don't tarry. Don't dangle. Don't wait for a day. You could 
walk out of here today. A tree could fall on you. A bus 
could hit you. You could be stricken with an 
aneurysm. Today is the day of salvation. Believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Earthly treasures pass 
away and are cast off just as you will be if you are not safe 
in Christ. Own the treasure. Be those who 
are described in 1 Peter 2, 7. Therefore, to you who believe 
He is precious, but to those who are disobedient, He is a 
stumbling block. Don't be those who are characterized as disobedient, 
as those who reject the only precious treasure in our world 
and universe. Be those who see Christ as precious, 
as he is the only treasure in our treasury. Paul's focus of 
his apostleship is seen and there is an ethnic and demographic 
focus. There is the Christological and 
evangelical focus. And thirdly, there was an acknowledgment 
of the importance of the times that he and they, the Ephesians, 
were in. I'll say that again. There was 
an acknowledgment of the importance of the times that he and they 
were in. Notice what Paul writes again 
back at Ephesians 3. and verse 9, to make all see 
what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning 
of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through 
Jesus Christ, to the intent that now. So, you see, Paul acknowledged 
the reality that they were at the outset, at the inauguration, 
if you will, that time of the new creation where the promised 
Messiah had come And where he is now, where he has now set 
up this glorious community of Jew and Gentile as one new man 
in him and is growing his church, that church which Hades cannot 
destroy and cannot prevail against. He realized that they were now 
at that fulfillment in those last days of that era where all 
that was wrapped up in the mystery of Old Covenant religion has 
now been revealed by the holy apostles and prophets. There was an acknowledgment of 
the fact that they were in that time when the fullness of the 
times had come and where the full disclosure of Jesus Christ 
in gospel realities were being made. And they were, notice the 
language here, fellowshiping in the mystery. Verse 9, and 
to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery. Perhaps in your 
reading you thought what that means. That simply means what 
Paul had written at verse 6, that the Gentiles should be fellow 
heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ through 
the Gospel. So that is the fellowship of 
the mystery that Jew and Gentile are now one new man in Christ 
Jesus. both the blessed beneficiaries 
of God's condescending covenantal blessings and promises. So the 
focus of Paul's apostleship, again, ethnic, Christological 
and acknowledging the times. Thirdly, the divine objective 
of the apostolic enterprise. The divine objective of the apostolic 
enterprise. Notice at verse 10, to the intent 
that now The manifold wisdom of God might be made known by 
the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. That is the divine objective 
of the apostolic enterprise. First of note in this, God wants 
to have a church that testifies to his grace and brings him praise. We see the church here as central 
as that testifying body. that testifies to the grace, 
the wisdom and the power of God, to the intent that now the manifold 
wisdom of God might be made known by the church. You know, it's 
popular and it's hip these days to to denigrate the church and 
to to sort of reduce the role of the church and the prominence 
of the church in Christianity. It's all about D groups and small 
groups and, you know, all being really edified, not in the church, 
but away from the church in our own little fellowshipping gatherings. Not to say that those things 
are bad, because it is good to fellowship. But I hope this would 
indict those of us who see either the family as exalted above the 
church, small groups exalted above the church, anything else 
exalted above the church. It is in the church. It is by 
the church that God makes known to elect angels and all intelligent 
creatures his manifold wisdom, his glorious grace, which is 
to the end of his praise. The importance of the church 
is set forth here with great clarity. It is in the church 
and it is by the church that God shines forth his multifaceted 
wisdom and glory. You know, when we consider the 
mindset of some, Where where it's, you know, the 
church is OK. Yeah, you know, the church is 
great. I kind of feel like I'm more edified away from, you know, 
the church. And, you know, I don't really 
have to go to the church as an individual Christian. I, you 
know, I don't really need the church. I can worship in my home 
and I don't really need to come a whole lot. Well, you see that. Well, hopefully it's not the 
church's fault. Hopefully the church, though fallible, is contributing 
to an environment where God can be praised and Christ can be 
honored. But you see, there is a mindset today where I can be 
an individual, an isolationist. I don't need the church. Well, 
that is an affront to Christ's finished sacrifice upon Calvary's 
tree. To say I don't need the church 
is to cast the blood of Jesus Christ under the mud of confusion 
and madness. In Hebrews chapter 10, Paul After 
opening up with the author of Hebrews, Paul opens up there 
the glorious, finished, once for all atoning work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and then says, therefore, do not forsake the 
assembling of yourselves together, which is the manner of some. 
To hold church in this negative, maybe not negative, but a lesser 
light than the Bible sets it forth is to do violence to the 
particular redemption of the perfect Savior. We are to hold 
in high esteem the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, because 
it is God's intention that the manifold wisdom that he has and 
shows in perfection may be made known by the church. So love 
the church. Glory in the reality that God 
has blessed you as a participant in his church. Secondly, God, 
God's divine objective in the apostolic enterprise is that 
elect angels in heaven may behold the wisdom of God in a new way. That the language is somewhat 
difficult and it has been interpreted differently to the intent that 
now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church 
to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Surely 
God's wisdom is and will be seen by all intelligent creatures, 
the elect angels, as well as the fallen angels, the believers 
in Christ Jesus, as well as those who are not believers in Christ 
Jesus. Every knee will bow and every 
tongue will confess that Jesus is the Christ. to the glory of 
God the Father, some forced by the immensity and the majesty 
of Christ as King, some in glorious salvific submission, they being 
already in Christ Jesus on that great day. But suffice it to 
say, I side with Calvin, who says here that the elect angels 
in heaven are in view. He says, and this is an indictment 
upon us, but related, if the calling of the Gentiles draws 
the attention and excites the reverence of angels, how shameful 
that it should be slighted or disdained by men upon earth. You see, the angels, remember, 
who are not the redemptive recipients of God's grace. Rejoice in the 
manifold, the multifaceted, the multicolored wisdom of God. Isn't 
that amazing? And it should indict us for those 
who can so often be marked by languor and coldness. We'll remember 
everything else save for our bloodied and resurrected Savior. 
You see, the angels, who are not even the recipients of Christ's 
atoning work and of God's special, particular, redemptive graces, 
nevertheless, they rejoice. and they glory in the manifold 
wisdom disclosed by God through the church. So the church serves 
as a testifying agent to make known to the elect angels in 
heaven of new things in the wisdom and in the plan of God. We need 
to understand here that angels are not omniscient. We ought 
not to impute too much to angels as far as intelligence and knowledge. 
I'm not saying that we don't appreciate their service, their 
being and their reality. They are ministering spirits 
sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Hebrews 
114. But they are not omniscient. It was not made known to them 
in its full disclosure and to its full intention, the gospel 
of Jesus Christ, prior to Christ's coming and performing that work 
of redemption. It was wrapped up in this mystery 
of Christ. It was hidden in previous ages, 
but now with the coming of Christ, it has been made, it has been 
disclosed. Not only now to Gentiles, but 
by virtue of the church, it's been made known. God's wisdom 
has been made known in a new way to elect angels. So the divine objective of the 
apostolic enterprise is seen again in the church testifying 
to his grace, unto his praise, and that the elect angels in 
heaven may behold the wisdom of God in a new way. And I think 
we see evidence of that before we move on. And before we move 
on, we see evidence of that in the book of Revelation. Revelation 
seven. In Revelation seven, we see the 
reality that God is praised by angels. For the saving purposes 
seen in Christ and his gospel in verse eleven of Revelation 
seven, all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and 
the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the 
throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessing and honor and 
wisdom. Thanksgiving and honor and power 
and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Prior to that, 
the angels singing here, the angels along with every creature 
singing in Revelation 5.13. Blessing and honor and glory 
and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb 
forever and ever. The angels' song, one of the 
things that if you ever want to read I mean, there's lots 
of good sermons out there to read. But one of Spurgeon's best, 
in my mind, second best, actually, is his sermon on Luke 2, 14, 
where he's preaching of that, the infancy narrative of Jesus. He's preaching on the angel's 
song, glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, goodwill toward 
men. And he acknowledges in his introduction to the sermon that 
the angels, heavenly singing built note upon note and stanza 
upon stanza as creation and providence moved towards the redemption 
by Christ. But you see, prior to Christ's 
coming, they did not have or their song did not contain the 
fullness of glorious lyrics that it did when his announced coming 
was given by them. They were made known the wisdom 
of God as he dispatched them to announce to the shepherds, 
there is a Savior born this day in the city of David, Christ 
the Lord. And so the angels glory in the 
reality that Gentiles now have been added in God's plan to covenant 
blessings and promises. They glory in their God in a 
new way by his disclosure through Christ and his church. Fourthly, 
The eternal nature of God's plan. The eternal nature of God's plan 
is seen here in verse 11. Just picking up before that, 
though, might be made known by the church to the principalities 
and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose 
which he accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord. This, I would 
submit, is one of the most important verses in the Bible. I said one 
of the most important verses in the Bible. For our interpretation 
of the Bible's presentation, all that it presents, God has 
an eternal purpose in Christ Jesus before the world was. Remember, we noted that this 
morning, that before the foundation of the world, God decreed that 
Jesus Christ would come in the fullness of the times to perfectly 
secure the salvation of a multitude that no man can number unto the 
praise of God. So God enters into creation, 
that is, he creates everything, and he enters into providential 
history in order to bring about that predetermined end. He had 
an eternal purpose in Christ Jesus before the world was everything, 
all of time and history, and everything else serves that redemptive 
purpose in Christ Jesus. So why would we want to be His 
enemy? We have a purposive God. We have a purposive God. What does that mean? All these 
fancy words that we spit out from the pulpit. Purposive. That 
means we have a God of a perfect planning mind. You know, we are, 
by God's grace, by his creative power, bearers of his image. You know that we have derivative 
planning that comes from God. When we wake up in the morning, 
we don't do this. We don't get up out of our bed, 
step off and then walk until we hit a wall, react and then 
start walking until we hit another wall. What I'm getting at is 
that when we wake up, we have a plan, don't we? We are stupid 
creatures, but we're not so stupid that we don't have a plan and 
then work everything so that that plan can come to fulfillment. We get up, we know there's a 
wall, we know we need to get to our toothbrush, so we avoid 
the wall and we go through the door. We brush our teeth. We 
know that we have to get to work, so we make sure that there's 
fuel in the car. We have our keys. We plan, unto a desired 
end, to arrive at our desk so that we can answer phone calls 
or do whatever we do. We have a purposive mind. Well, we extend that microcosmic 
reality to God's macrocosmic glory, and we find a God that 
works by a purposive mind. Before the foundation of the 
world, he had an eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. He creates and 
he governs providence unto that glorious end. He had, or according 
to, the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus 
our Lord. It is a glorious thing that we 
have a purposive God. He's not reacting. He's not caught 
unawares or off guard. Our God plans and He executes 
to the praise of His glorious grace. And His purposes, again, 
are in Christ Jesus. There's that repeated Christocentrism. Kids, it's all about Jesus. It 
really is all about Jesus. That's what we're going to keep 
telling you. We pray that at a young age you will own our 
God and bless the name of our Redeemer. It's all about Jesus 
Christ. The eternal nature of God's plan 
is seen in his purposes being in Christ Jesus according to 
the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus 
our Lord. And notice what he adds here. 
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through 
faith in him. As Christians, we have boldness. Now, this isn't some sort of 
untamed courage. This isn't that bravado that 
Peter had. This isn't some sort of boldness 
that is seen in our own stature and in our own nature. But rather, 
because of Christ's saving work, we can have that boldness in 
reverential awe and humility to approach God, to come to Him, 
to boldly approach that throne of grace and bear out our petitions 
and sing our joys. We can with boldness approach 
our glorious God. We have boldness. We have access 
and confidence through faith in him. You see, in the old covenant, 
there was a divinely designed non-access to God in that covenant 
reality. Remember, they had that whole 
priestly system and the various divisions of the tabernacle first 
and then the temple. Access to God was laborious in 
the old covenant in that old covenant reality. But now by 
Jesus Christ, all of those articles of old covenant religion have 
been fulfilled. And now we have this boldness 
and we have this access through Christ, the mediator to our glorious 
God, the father, boldness and access with confidence through 
faith in him. And now, lastly, the application 
of this theology. Fifthly, and lastly, the application 
of this theology. Notice verse 13. Therefore, I 
ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which 
is your glory. In this in this section, Paul 
is writing all of this and he's bringing it to bear in this. 
Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations 
for you, which is your glory. It's not wonderful that the mind 
of the apostle Paul, he's writing all this in prison. He it's not 
he doesn't have like our prisons today where the prisoners make 
more money than we do and they get TVs and, you know, people 
feeding them grapes. He was in a he was in a prison 
where the only way you could get the necessities was to have 
people who loved you and knew you who could be dispatched to 
bring you those things. It was a horrible place to be 
in, humanly speaking. And yet Paul is concerned about 
their not losing heart. Isn't that the heart and the 
mind of a pastor called by Christ? I ask that you do not lose heart 
at my tribulations. No, which is your glory, that 
his very being in prison, yes, was unto the end that he might 
inscripturate by the Holy Spirit over half of the New Testament 
for that glorious deposit of gospel truth. But it is also 
for the end of the salvation and the encouragement of the 
people to whom he writes. If Paul was not in prison, if 
Paul was not the recipient of the bruising hands of wicked 
men, we wouldn't be standing here today if we can trace our 
Christian lineage back to this glorious proclaimer of Christian 
truths. We are not to, they were not 
to lose heart at tribulation, persecution, trial, whatever 
came upon the early apostles, whatever came upon them. Don't 
lose heart. Why? Because what Stephen said, 
behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of God standing at 
the right hand of God. Christ is standing to intercede 
for his people. He is subduing those who oppose 
him, crushing them under his feet, and he will conquer for 
his people. Do not lose heart at my tribulations 
for you, which is your glory. Brethren, one of the things that 
will close with before we pray by means of application, it always 
ought to be or it very often should be an applicatory point 
for the preacher. What Paul closes with here, we 
are to have great comfort in theology. I fear I fear that 
very often, you know, theology can kind of cause us to do this, 
especially on a hot day when, you know, we're in Chilliwack 
and it hasn't been the coolest temperature and we've got chairs 
that aren't the most comfortable, that should probably keep us 
away. But sometimes the environment can't be conducive to worship. 
Nevertheless, it's not an excuse. Theology ought to serve as a 
joy, joyful encouragement and as a glorious comfort when we 
have a purpose of God. who has planned perfectly to 
save a multitude by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the 
world, when we know that Christ is that center of everything 
that happens, He is the beginning, the end, the amen, the everything, 
we can have comfort when ungodly rulers rise up, we can have comfort 
when family members die, we can have comfort when maladies come 
upon us, we can have comfort whenever the trial, travail, 
and persecution that comes upon us comes. Whenever these things 
happen, we can have comfort because we have a purpose of God. That 
our triune God sits in the heavens and He does whatever He pleases. 
That everything that happens, God works for the good of those 
who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Have great comfort. Don't lose 
heart in this lower world because we have a God who works according 
to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus. Well, let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank You again for Your Scriptures. We thank You for what You reveal 
in Your Holy Word concerning our Savior. We thank You for 
this event so many years ago The gospel was opened up in its 
full disclosure, proclaimed to include Gentiles in your redemptive 
plan. We thank you that we as Gentiles, 
once in the flesh, are now your covenant people by virtue of 
the saving work of Jesus Christ and your grace. We thank you 
again that we are the beneficiaries of men like Paul, empowered by 
you in the early church to spread the message of Jesus Christ. 
We just pray that you would help us in whatever sphere and at 
whatever level to be those who are about the unsearchable and 
unfathomable riches and wealth of Jesus, that we might have 
occasion to tell others of Him. You would help us not to be marked 
by a languor and a coldness in remembering our precious Redeemer 
and remembering everything else, but that He would be that sole 
and only treasure in our eternal treasury. We might march forward 
proclaiming those riches, and Lord God, that we might live 
unto Your glory. We just pray that You would go 
with us now, and might all that we do be done unto the praise 
of Your grace. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.