1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:21,700 Well, good morning everyone. 2 00:00:21,700 –> 00:00:26,959 If you would open your Bible in these verses that have just been read for us in 1 Timothy 3 00:00:27,040 –> 00:00:35,799 In the weeks that lead up to Christmas each year, we try to focus our attention particularly 4 00:00:35,799 –> 00:00:41,279 on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is he? 5 00:00:41,279 –> 00:00:42,919 What has he done? 6 00:00:42,919 –> 00:00:44,939 And why does it matter? 7 00:00:44,939 –> 00:00:51,840 The whole Bible, of course, is about him, and he is always at the center of any true 8 00:00:51,840 –> 00:00:54,119 Christian preaching 9 00:00:54,360 –> 00:00:59,880 This year, I want us to focus on or camp out on just one verse 10 00:00:59,880 –> 00:01:03,259 and that is 1 Timothy Chapter 3 and Verse 16 11 00:01:03,259 –> 00:01:05,860 Let me read it again for you 12 00:01:05,860 –> 00:01:11,459 Great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness 13 00:01:11,459 –> 00:01:20,000 He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed 14 00:01:20,000 –> 00:01:27,540 among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory 15 00:01:27,540 –> 00:01:34,180 Here we have the 6 marvelous statements about our Lord Jesus Christ 16 00:01:34,180 –> 00:01:37,800 And you may notice that they come in 3 pairs 17 00:01:37,800 –> 00:01:46,919 First we know Jesus because he was manifested in the flesh and vindicated by the Spirit 18 00:01:47,900 –> 00:01:55,419 That is we know God through Jesus because he was manifested in the flesh 19 00:01:55,419 –> 00:02:02,019 And we know that Jesus is God because he was vindicated by the Spirit 20 00:02:02,019 –> 00:02:07,360 Here we have the great truth of the deity and the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ 21 00:02:07,360 –> 00:02:13,500 He was manifest in the flesh, he was vindicated by the Spirit 22 00:02:13,500 –> 00:02:19,300 And then we have two phrases that speak about how Jesus was made known 23 00:02:19,300 –> 00:02:24,020 He was seen by angels and he was proclaimed among the nations 24 00:02:24,020 –> 00:02:27,699 The contrast here is- angels are as near to God as you can get 25 00:02:27,699 –> 00:02:35,820 The nations, otherwise translated, the Gentiles, were as far from God as you can get 26 00:02:35,820 –> 00:02:43,059 And Jesus Christ brings those who are furthest away into proximity with God himself 27 00:02:43,139 –> 00:02:46,940 This great act of reconciliation for which he came 28 00:02:46,940 –> 00:02:51,580 And then the third pair of statements speak about how Christ is received 29 00:02:51,580 –> 00:02:55,979 he is believed on in the world and taken up into glory 30 00:02:55,979 –> 00:02:59,899 Notice that the way in which we know Jesus here on earth is by faith 31 00:02:59,899 –> 00:03:02,460 by believing in him in heaven 32 00:03:02,460 –> 00:03:05,220 His immediate glory is seen and known 33 00:03:05,699 –> 00:03:09,539 And for those who do believe, one day our faith will be turned to sight 34 00:03:09,539 –> 00:03:13,820 and we will see the King in his beauty 35 00:03:13,820 –> 00:03:19,380 Here then, are 6 marvelous statements about our Lord Jesus Christ 36 00:03:31,380 –> 00:03:34,820 Scholars have suggested that these 6 statements 37 00:03:34,940 –> 00:03:36,139 Which you may notice 38 00:03:36,139 –> 00:03:41,539 when you have the church bible printed in a poetic form 39 00:03:41,539 –> 00:03:45,580 They may actually be part of a very early Christian creed 40 00:03:45,580 –> 00:03:50,380 Or they may have been part of a very early Christian hymn 41 00:03:50,380 –> 00:03:52,940 that was sung by congregations 42 00:03:52,940 –> 00:03:59,619 And since the first line of what may be a very early Christian hymn 43 00:03:59,619 –> 00:04:03,100 is about the incarnation, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ 44 00:04:03,580 –> 00:04:05,100 He was manifest in the flesh 45 00:04:05,100 –> 00:04:08,179 I think that what we might have here is actually 46 00:04:08,179 –> 00:04:13,339 one of the very earliest, the very first Christmas carols 47 00:04:13,339 –> 00:04:16,820 I think that’s what we have here in this verse 48 00:04:16,820 –> 00:04:19,459 So the plan for these next three weeks, God willing 49 00:04:19,459 –> 00:04:22,420 Is that we will look together at Jesus 50 00:04:22,500 –> 00:04:25,299 Born and raised 51 00:04:25,299 –> 00:04:28,380 Seen and proclaimed 52 00:04:28,380 –> 00:04:32,500 Believed on and glorified 53 00:04:32,540 –> 00:04:36,459 So today, what I want us to do is to focus in on the introduction 54 00:04:36,459 –> 00:04:40,019 To these six great statements 55 00:04:40,019 –> 00:04:42,899 For this reason, I want us to see right from the beginning 56 00:04:42,899 –> 00:04:47,059 Why what we’re going to learn about Jesus matters 57 00:04:47,059 –> 00:04:50,420 And how it is of immediate relevance 58 00:04:50,420 –> 00:04:53,899 To every one of us here today 59 00:04:54,660 –> 00:04:56,380 So I want to focus on these words 60 00:04:56,380 –> 00:04:58,739 Great indeed, we confess 61 00:04:58,920 –> 00:05:02,500 Is the mystery of godliness 62 00:05:02,500 –> 00:05:04,459 And we’ll look at just three words today 63 00:05:04,459 –> 00:05:08,540 The word godliness, the word mystery 64 00:05:08,540 –> 00:05:10,500 And then, of course, Jesus 65 00:05:10,500 –> 00:05:11,980 First of all, then, godliness 66 00:05:11,980 –> 00:05:19,019 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness 67 00:05:19,019 –> 00:05:21,619 Now what is godliness? 68 00:05:21,619 –> 00:05:25,859 How is it different, for example, from holiness? 69 00:05:26,859 –> 00:05:30,940 Well the place to begin is in Psalm 4, verse 3 70 00:05:30,940 –> 00:05:32,579 Where we read this 71 00:05:32,579 –> 00:05:39,980 That the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself 72 00:05:39,980 –> 00:05:41,660 That’s the key 73 00:05:41,660 –> 00:05:48,500 To be godly means that you are God’s man, or God’s woman 74 00:05:48,500 –> 00:05:54,179 To be godly is to love God more than any other love in your life 75 00:05:54,179 –> 00:05:58,940 It is to live for God more than any other thing or person you live for 76 00:05:58,940 –> 00:06:04,500 It is therefore to become more and more like God Himself 77 00:06:04,500 –> 00:06:08,940 Godliness in other words is what you were made for 78 00:06:08,940 –> 00:06:11,579 God made you for Himself 79 00:06:11,579 –> 00:06:14,540 You are not your own 80 00:06:14,540 –> 00:06:17,459 And if you are godly you know that you are not your own 81 00:06:17,459 –> 00:06:22,700 You know that you belong first of all to him 82 00:06:22,700 –> 00:06:25,500 Not only did God make you for Himself 83 00:06:25,500 –> 00:06:28,779 He also made you like himself 84 00:06:28,779 –> 00:06:34,339 Adam and Eve were made in God’s image and in His likeness 85 00:06:34,339 –> 00:06:39,980 What that means very simply is that Adam was made to be God’s man 86 00:06:39,980 –> 00:06:43,739 Eve was made to be God’s woman 87 00:06:43,739 –> 00:06:47,059 But they chose not to be godly 88 00:06:47,059 –> 00:06:50,700 Adam said in effect that he wants to be his own man 89 00:06:50,700 –> 00:06:54,380 Eve said in effect, I want to be my own woman 90 00:06:54,380 –> 00:06:56,980 And so the image and the likeness of God 91 00:06:56,980 –> 00:06:59,260 Was marred and it was defaced 92 00:06:59,260 –> 00:07:01,940 And instead of being godly 93 00:07:01,940 –> 00:07:07,179 The man and the woman lived under the tyranny of self 94 00:07:07,179 –> 00:07:09,579 Instead of loving God 95 00:07:09,579 –> 00:07:13,660 We find that they were very quickly hiding from God 96 00:07:13,660 –> 00:07:16,100 Instead of knowing God walking with them 97 00:07:16,100 –> 00:07:18,140 As they had once experienced 98 00:07:18,140 –> 00:07:19,980 Now they were far from the God 99 00:07:19,980 –> 00:07:21,660 Who had once been near to them 100 00:07:21,660 –> 00:07:23,459 And there was a great chasm 101 00:07:23,459 –> 00:07:26,540 A chasm that was filled with guilt 102 00:07:26,540 –> 00:07:29,100 And filled with shame 103 00:07:29,100 –> 00:07:32,820 Now from that opening of the Bible story 104 00:07:32,820 –> 00:07:34,420 The rest of the Bible story 105 00:07:34,420 –> 00:07:36,540 Is really framed around this question 106 00:07:36,540 –> 00:07:39,739 How then can we again become godly? 107 00:07:39,739 –> 00:07:43,100 How can godliness be restored? 108 00:07:43,100 –> 00:07:45,859 How can we have a genuine love for God 109 00:07:45,859 –> 00:07:48,220 A genuine heart’s desire for God 110 00:07:48,339 –> 00:07:49,700 How can we escape 111 00:07:49,700 –> 00:07:54,140 Living under the tyranny of self 112 00:07:54,140 –> 00:07:55,019 And let’s face it 113 00:07:55,019 –> 00:07:58,220 Even for us who believe 114 00:07:58,220 –> 00:08:00,059 It is so often the case, is it not 115 00:08:00,059 –> 00:08:03,339 That we come even to a place of worship like this 116 00:08:03,339 –> 00:08:05,019 And our minds are distracted 117 00:08:05,019 –> 00:08:08,700 Somehow spiritual things can seem far from us 118 00:08:08,700 –> 00:08:11,700 And we feel far from being God’s man 119 00:08:11,700 –> 00:08:16,500 Far from being God’s woman 120 00:08:16,500 –> 00:08:19,779 God made you to reflect His glory 121 00:08:19,779 –> 00:08:24,339 His purpose is that you should share His joy 122 00:08:24,339 –> 00:08:26,859 But how can you become the person 123 00:08:26,859 –> 00:08:29,459 Of which it would truly be said 124 00:08:29,459 –> 00:08:31,779 She is God’s woman 125 00:08:31,779 –> 00:08:35,299 He is God’s man 126 00:08:35,299 –> 00:08:38,419 Now that’s really is the question 127 00:08:38,419 –> 00:08:41,460 That is at the very heart of this chapter 128 00:08:41,460 –> 00:08:44,979 First Timothy and chapter three 129 00:08:45,380 –> 00:08:48,059 And just so you get the context here 130 00:08:48,059 –> 00:08:49,820 Some of you will be well aware 131 00:08:49,820 –> 00:08:52,340 That this very important chapter of the Bible 132 00:08:52,340 –> 00:08:55,140 Is one of the places where God lays 133 00:08:55,140 –> 00:09:01,619 Out the qualifications for Christian leaders 134 00:09:01,619 –> 00:09:04,940 And the reason that there are these qualifications 135 00:09:04,940 –> 00:09:08,820 Which could be summarised as a godly life 136 00:09:08,820 –> 00:09:10,900 The reason that there are these qualifications 137 00:09:10,900 –> 00:09:13,859 For Christian leaders is that 138 00:09:14,260 –> 00:09:16,700 are called to lead in the life 139 00:09:16,700 –> 00:09:20,340 in which all Christians are called to follow 140 00:09:20,340 –> 00:09:22,340 and therefore these things must be sought 141 00:09:22,340 –> 00:09:25,900 and must be identifiable in those who lead 142 00:09:25,900 –> 00:09:27,140 Look at them with me 143 00:09:27,140 –> 00:09:28,859 Just to get the sense of the chapter 144 00:09:28,859 –> 00:09:30,419 From the beginning 145 00:09:30,419 –> 00:09:34,140 Therefore an overseer 146 00:09:34,140 –> 00:09:36,140 Someone who’s trusted with responsibility 147 00:09:36,140 –> 00:09:37,299 of leadership in the church 148 00:09:37,299 –> 00:09:38,940 must be 149 00:09:40,940 –> 00:09:43,020 above reproach 150 00:09:43,179 –> 00:09:44,539 The husband of one wife 151 00:09:44,539 –> 00:09:45,419 Sober minded 152 00:09:45,419 –> 00:09:47,539 Self-controlled 153 00:09:47,539 –> 00:09:48,500 Respectable 154 00:09:48,500 –> 00:09:50,179 Hospitable 155 00:09:50,179 –> 00:09:52,059 Able to teach 156 00:09:52,059 –> 00:09:53,140 Not a drunkard 157 00:09:53,140 –> 00:09:55,020 Not violent 158 00:09:55,020 –> 00:09:56,900 But gentle 159 00:09:56,900 –> 00:09:59,340 Not quarrelsome 160 00:09:59,340 –> 00:10:01,820 Not a lover of money 161 00:10:01,820 –> 00:10:06,260 He must manage his own household well 162 00:10:06,260 –> 00:10:06,739 Next verse 163 00:10:06,739 –> 00:10:08,619 He must not be a recent convert 164 00:10:08,619 –> 00:10:11,219 or he’ll be filled with conceit 165 00:10:11,219 –> 00:10:12,059 Moreover, he must be 166 00:10:12,059 –> 00:10:15,380 well thought of by outsiders 167 00:10:15,380 –> 00:10:18,340 so that he won’t fall into disgrace 168 00:10:18,340 –> 00:10:19,780 Deacons likewise must be 169 00:10:19,780 –> 00:10:21,700 Dignified 170 00:10:21,700 –> 00:10:24,260 Not double tongued 171 00:10:24,260 –> 00:10:26,700 Not addicted to much wine 172 00:10:26,700 –> 00:10:29,179 Not greedy for dishonest gain 173 00:10:29,179 –> 00:10:31,539 Well, you get the picture don’t you? 174 00:10:31,539 –> 00:10:34,859 This is a list that is laying out 175 00:10:34,859 –> 00:10:38,979 what a godly life looks like 176 00:10:38,979 –> 00:10:43,140 And the question, when you’ve read through this long list 177 00:10:43,140 –> 00:10:47,820 is OK, how is that possible? 178 00:10:47,820 –> 00:10:49,659 Is what is being laid out here 179 00:10:49,659 –> 00:10:52,780 a truly godly life, simply a dream? 180 00:10:52,780 –> 00:10:55,820 Or is the apostle actually describing something 181 00:10:55,820 –> 00:10:58,380 that we today can pursue? 182 00:10:58,380 –> 00:11:01,219 And if it’s something that we today really can pursue 183 00:11:01,219 –> 00:11:05,020 then how do we go about doing that? 184 00:11:05,020 –> 00:11:07,659 Well, our verse right at the end of the chapter 185 00:11:07,700 –> 00:11:12,419 1 Timothy 3 in verse 16, gives us the answer. 186 00:11:12,419 –> 00:11:17,419 Having laid out this spectrum of what is involved 187 00:11:17,539 –> 00:11:19,979 in the dimensions of a godly life, 188 00:11:19,979 –> 00:11:23,099 to be God’s man, to be God’s woman, 189 00:11:23,099 –> 00:11:25,619 Paul ends the chapter by saying, 190 00:11:25,619 –> 00:11:28,520 here is how the godly life 191 00:11:28,520 –> 00:11:31,500 I have just been describing 192 00:11:31,500 –> 00:11:34,940 is possible for 193 00:11:34,940 –> 00:11:35,799 you. 194 00:11:37,840 –> 00:11:41,239 And that takes us to the second word. 195 00:11:41,239 –> 00:11:42,320 Mystery, 196 00:11:42,320 –> 00:11:44,280 great indeed 197 00:11:44,280 –> 00:11:45,679 we confess 198 00:11:46,640 –> 00:11:48,640 is the mystery 199 00:11:49,679 –> 00:11:51,380 of godliness. 200 00:11:52,559 –> 00:11:54,679 Now here’s the good news. 201 00:11:54,679 –> 00:11:57,599 The word mystery here 202 00:11:57,599 –> 00:12:00,559 doesn’t mean mystery in the sense 203 00:12:00,559 –> 00:12:03,179 that that word is used with Agatha Christie 204 00:12:03,179 –> 00:12:06,059 or other similar stories 205 00:12:06,059 –> 00:12:08,599 in that genre. 206 00:12:08,599 –> 00:12:11,320 A mystery in other words is not 207 00:12:11,320 –> 00:12:13,640 an unsolved puzzle 208 00:12:13,640 –> 00:12:16,559 that leaves you scratching your head, 209 00:12:16,559 –> 00:12:18,479 if that was the meaning by the way 210 00:12:18,479 –> 00:12:20,000 we would all be in frustration 211 00:12:20,000 –> 00:12:21,520 and we might as well go home. 212 00:12:22,460 –> 00:12:25,640 Here is the godly life to which we’re called 213 00:12:25,640 –> 00:12:27,559 how are we to pursue it? 214 00:12:27,559 –> 00:12:30,200 Huh that’s a mystery. 215 00:12:30,200 –> 00:12:31,799 That’s not good news 216 00:12:31,799 –> 00:12:34,020 and so you will be very glad to know 217 00:12:34,020 –> 00:12:37,539 that the word mystery in the New Testament 218 00:12:37,539 –> 00:12:41,020 does not mean a puzzle that you cannot solve 219 00:12:41,020 –> 00:12:43,080 and it leaves you scratching your head. 220 00:12:43,080 –> 00:12:44,039 What does it mean? 221 00:12:44,940 –> 00:12:47,200 The word mystery is used 222 00:12:47,200 –> 00:12:50,960 more than 20 times in the New Testament. 223 00:12:50,960 –> 00:12:53,559 We read about the mystery of Christ, 224 00:12:53,559 –> 00:12:55,979 the mystery of God’s will, 225 00:12:55,979 –> 00:12:58,059 the mystery of the Jews, 226 00:12:58,059 –> 00:13:00,380 the mystery of the Gentiles, 227 00:13:00,380 –> 00:13:02,659 the mystery of the church, 228 00:13:02,659 –> 00:13:05,059 the mystery of the resurrection, 229 00:13:05,059 –> 00:13:07,659 the mystery of the Gospel. 230 00:13:07,659 –> 00:13:09,359 Right here in this one chapter, 231 00:13:09,359 –> 00:13:11,219 there are two occurrences of the word. 232 00:13:11,219 –> 00:13:13,400 You may notice in verse 9, 233 00:13:13,400 –> 00:13:15,500 the apostle speaks about the mystery 234 00:13:15,500 –> 00:13:18,059 of the faith 235 00:13:18,059 –> 00:13:20,219 and then in our verse 16, 236 00:13:20,219 –> 00:13:23,719 the mystery of godliness. 237 00:13:23,719 –> 00:13:26,460 Now, in each of these cases, 238 00:13:26,460 –> 00:13:29,859 the word mystery has a very distinct meaning. 239 00:13:29,859 –> 00:13:32,500 Let me give it to you like this. 240 00:13:32,539 –> 00:13:34,359 A mystery in the New Testament 241 00:13:34,359 –> 00:13:36,840 is a secret 242 00:13:36,840 –> 00:13:39,460 that God has revealed 243 00:13:39,460 –> 00:13:41,940 though it’s full wonder 244 00:13:41,940 –> 00:13:44,059 is still to be made known. 245 00:13:44,059 –> 00:13:45,960 In the New Testament, 246 00:13:45,960 –> 00:13:47,700 a mystery is not a riddle 247 00:13:47,700 –> 00:13:49,159 that leaves you scratching your head, 248 00:13:49,159 –> 00:13:50,859 it is a secret 249 00:13:50,859 –> 00:13:53,039 that God has revealed 250 00:13:53,039 –> 00:13:55,760 though it’s full wonder 251 00:13:55,760 –> 00:13:59,099 is still to be made known. 252 00:13:59,099 –> 00:14:01,500 Now, this is repeated many times. 253 00:14:01,500 –> 00:14:04,559 For example, in Romans chapter 16, 254 00:14:04,559 –> 00:14:08,400 Paul speaks about the revelation of the mystery 255 00:14:08,400 –> 00:14:12,159 that was kept secret for long ages 256 00:14:12,159 –> 00:14:15,559 but now has been disclosed. 257 00:14:15,559 –> 00:14:17,700 You see, it’s a secret 258 00:14:17,700 –> 00:14:19,559 that God has revealed. 259 00:14:19,559 –> 00:14:21,260 We wouldn’t have known 260 00:14:21,260 –> 00:14:22,900 what this mystery is 261 00:14:22,900 –> 00:14:24,460 unless God had revealed it 262 00:14:24,460 –> 00:14:25,700 but he has revealed it, 263 00:14:25,700 –> 00:14:28,400 it is a secret that God has revealed. 264 00:14:28,400 –> 00:14:29,640 Colossians in chapter 1 265 00:14:29,640 –> 00:14:30,859 you have the same thing. 266 00:14:30,919 –> 00:14:35,260 The mystery hidden for ages and generations 267 00:14:35,260 –> 00:14:40,200 but now revealed to the saints. 268 00:14:40,200 –> 00:14:42,619 So it is a secret that was hidden 269 00:14:42,619 –> 00:14:44,200 for ages and for generations 270 00:14:44,200 –> 00:14:46,599 but now, mystery, what does it mean? 271 00:14:46,599 –> 00:14:50,960 It is a secret that God has revealed. 272 00:14:50,960 –> 00:14:52,559 Let’s apply that, for example, 273 00:14:52,559 –> 00:14:56,700 to the mystery of the resurrection. 274 00:14:56,700 –> 00:14:58,659 Many of you know this verse well. 275 00:14:58,700 –> 00:15:02,159 First Corinthians in chapter 15 in verse 51. 276 00:15:02,159 –> 00:15:05,979 Behold, I tell you a mystery, 277 00:15:05,979 –> 00:15:09,640 in other words, a secret that God has revealed 278 00:15:09,640 –> 00:15:12,940 though it’s full wonder is still to be made known. 279 00:15:12,940 –> 00:15:17,520 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 280 00:15:17,520 –> 00:15:20,460 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye 281 00:15:20,460 –> 00:15:22,359 at the last trumpet. 282 00:15:22,359 –> 00:15:24,820 For the trumpet will sound 283 00:15:24,820 –> 00:15:27,539 and the dead will be raised imperishable 284 00:15:27,539 –> 00:15:31,840 and we shall be changed. 285 00:15:33,419 –> 00:15:37,679 Now you stand by the graveside of a loved one 286 00:15:39,260 –> 00:15:42,099 and it all seems so bleak 287 00:15:43,320 –> 00:15:45,059 and so final. 288 00:15:46,780 –> 00:15:51,780 No one would guess from standing at a graveside 289 00:15:52,119 –> 00:15:54,239 as the casket is lowered 290 00:15:55,239 –> 00:15:57,140 that a bright morning is coming 291 00:15:57,140 –> 00:15:59,359 when your believing loved one 292 00:15:59,359 –> 00:16:02,320 will rise to a new and an everlasting life, 293 00:16:02,320 –> 00:16:05,219 but God has revealed it. 294 00:16:06,559 –> 00:16:09,280 And you know, God could have kept it secret. 295 00:16:10,400 –> 00:16:12,119 He could have kept it to himself 296 00:16:12,119 –> 00:16:13,780 so that on the last day, 297 00:16:13,780 –> 00:16:15,960 we who believed in him discovered 298 00:16:15,960 –> 00:16:18,359 that the greatest part is yet to be, 299 00:16:18,359 –> 00:16:20,280 but he has not kept it secret. 300 00:16:20,320 –> 00:16:21,559 Why? 301 00:16:21,559 –> 00:16:24,599 Because he wants you now to have the comfort 302 00:16:24,599 –> 00:16:27,440 of this hope in your sorrow. 303 00:16:27,440 –> 00:16:29,359 God reveals the secret and he says, 304 00:16:29,359 –> 00:16:34,359 now comfort one another with these words. 305 00:16:35,400 –> 00:16:36,760 So a mystery is something 306 00:16:36,760 –> 00:16:38,679 we could never have worked out ourselves. 307 00:16:38,679 –> 00:16:39,919 We would never have guessed it 308 00:16:39,919 –> 00:16:41,840 if we were left to our own intuition. 309 00:16:43,200 –> 00:16:45,559 It’s a secret that God has revealed, 310 00:16:45,559 –> 00:16:48,679 but remember there’s a second part to the definition. 311 00:16:48,679 –> 00:16:51,640 Its full wonder is still to be made known. 312 00:16:51,640 –> 00:16:55,059 Now think about that in relation to the resurrection. 313 00:16:55,059 –> 00:16:57,520 God has revealed this secret, 314 00:16:58,359 –> 00:17:00,679 oh, but it’s full wonder is still to be made known. 315 00:17:00,679 –> 00:17:03,979 What will your resurrection body be like? 316 00:17:05,400 –> 00:17:10,400 What joy will be yours when your whole soul is at peace 317 00:17:10,479 –> 00:17:15,479 and your whole body is made whole and you are at one. 318 00:17:16,479 –> 00:17:19,099 And the likeness of Jesus Christ 319 00:17:19,099 –> 00:17:23,420 is fully reflected in you, what wonder will that be? 320 00:17:24,439 –> 00:17:26,859 The full wonder of it is yet to be made known, 321 00:17:26,859 –> 00:17:29,920 but for our comfort, God has revealed to us 322 00:17:29,920 –> 00:17:33,579 the secret that the resurrection day is coming. 323 00:17:33,579 –> 00:17:35,420 So that’s a mystery. 324 00:17:35,420 –> 00:17:37,520 That’s what it means in the New Testament. 325 00:17:37,520 –> 00:17:40,719 It is a secret that God has revealed, 326 00:17:40,719 –> 00:17:45,719 though its full wonder is still to be made known. 327 00:17:47,439 –> 00:17:50,680 Now, let’s come back to our verse, 328 00:17:50,680 –> 00:17:55,680 great indeed we confess is the mystery of godliness! 329 00:17:59,619 –> 00:18:03,699 So what then is this secret of godliness, 330 00:18:03,699 –> 00:18:06,260 the secret of you living the life 331 00:18:06,260 –> 00:18:08,780 that God has called you to and made you for? 332 00:18:08,780 –> 00:18:11,579 What is the secret that God has revealed 333 00:18:11,579 –> 00:18:14,699 the full wonder of which is still to be made known? 334 00:18:14,699 –> 00:18:19,699 And the answer to that is Jesus, Jesus. 335 00:18:20,900 –> 00:18:25,900 Notice the verse, great indeed we confess 336 00:18:26,239 –> 00:18:28,599 is the mystery of godliness. 337 00:18:28,599 –> 00:18:30,619 What’s the next word? 338 00:18:30,619 –> 00:18:35,619 He, He, and then follow six marvelous statements 339 00:18:35,920 –> 00:18:40,660 about the Lord Jesus Christ. 340 00:18:42,359 –> 00:18:47,359 God has revealed this secret that a godly life 341 00:18:48,699 –> 00:18:53,119 is possible for you through Jesus Christ. 342 00:18:53,119 –> 00:18:56,540 In other words the secret of a godly life 343 00:18:56,540 –> 00:18:59,660 of you pursuing the life to which God has called you 344 00:18:59,660 –> 00:19:00,619 the life for which He has made you 345 00:19:00,619 –> 00:19:03,359 it doesn’t lie in some technique, 346 00:19:03,359 –> 00:19:04,760 doesn’t lie in some programme 347 00:19:04,760 –> 00:19:07,640 or even in some set of disciplines. 348 00:19:07,640 –> 00:19:09,640 The open secret that God has revealed 349 00:19:09,640 –> 00:19:11,859 though it’s full wonder is still to be made known 350 00:19:11,859 –> 00:19:16,000 is that through Jesus Christ 351 00:19:16,000 –> 00:19:18,839 you can become the person God called you to be. 352 00:19:18,839 –> 00:19:21,319 The person God created you to be. 353 00:19:21,319 –> 00:19:25,920 Through Jesus Christ you can become God’s man. 354 00:19:25,920 –> 00:19:28,599 You can become God’s woman. 355 00:19:28,599 –> 00:19:33,280 Through Jesus Christ you can pursue a godly life. 356 00:19:34,260 –> 00:19:37,000 And here’s how. 357 00:19:37,000 –> 00:19:42,540 First, we must receive Jesus. 358 00:19:42,540 –> 00:19:44,439 This is the real question. 359 00:19:44,439 –> 00:19:47,920 Jesus is the godly one. 360 00:19:47,920 –> 00:19:52,260 God in the flesh, Supremely God’s man. 361 00:19:52,260 –> 00:19:58,939 How can the godliness that is self-evidently in Jesus 362 00:19:58,939 –> 00:20:02,400 actually be in you? 363 00:20:02,760 –> 00:20:06,199 And the answer to that question throughout the Bible is that 364 00:20:06,199 –> 00:20:10,800 we must receive Jesus. 365 00:20:10,800 –> 00:20:13,880 The answer, by the way, is not simply we must follow the 366 00:20:13,880 –> 00:20:15,699 example of Jesus. 367 00:20:15,699 –> 00:20:22,420 See, if the path to a genuinely godly life was simply 368 00:20:22,420 –> 00:20:26,579 Jesus is the example and you’ve got to follow the example, 369 00:20:26,579 –> 00:20:29,180 there would be no mystery in that, would there? 370 00:20:29,180 –> 00:20:30,500 There’s no mystery there. 371 00:20:30,500 –> 00:20:32,079 Here’s the example. 372 00:20:32,079 –> 00:20:35,520 He did it, you do it, where’s the mystery in that? 373 00:20:37,520 –> 00:20:40,839 Now, what Paul is saying here is, no, God has something 374 00:20:40,839 –> 00:20:45,199 better than simply you making your best effort to copy the 375 00:20:45,199 –> 00:20:46,520 perfect life of Jesus. 376 00:20:46,520 –> 00:20:49,520 They’re not going to get you very far. 377 00:20:49,520 –> 00:20:50,800 God has something better. 378 00:20:50,800 –> 00:20:55,640 And this is the heart of the mystery of the 379 00:20:55,640 –> 00:20:57,819 gospel of Jesus Christ. 380 00:20:57,819 –> 00:21:01,099 Let me put it to you in the words the Paul uses in 381 00:21:01,119 –> 00:21:05,180 Colosseans in chapter 1, where he spells it out. 382 00:21:05,180 –> 00:21:08,640 The mystery he says there, hidden for ages and 383 00:21:08,640 –> 00:21:15,459 generations, but now revealed to his saints is what? 384 00:21:15,459 –> 00:21:20,660 Christ in you. 385 00:21:20,660 –> 00:21:22,020 The hope of glory. 386 00:21:22,020 –> 00:21:23,579 Is that what he’s saying? 387 00:21:23,579 –> 00:21:25,420 This great mystery, and it is a mystery. 388 00:21:25,420 –> 00:21:28,739 The full wonder of it is yet to be revealed, that Jesus 389 00:21:29,239 –> 00:21:32,939 the godly one, would actually be in you. 390 00:21:32,939 –> 00:21:40,619 And his life, the godly life being in you, is the 391 00:21:40,619 –> 00:21:45,040 secret that God has revealed by which you may grow in 392 00:21:45,040 –> 00:21:49,819 the path of godliness, as his life is in you. 393 00:21:49,819 –> 00:21:52,920 Or to put it another way, in Galatians in chapter 2 and 394 00:21:52,920 –> 00:21:57,140 verse 20 where Paul says, basically the same thing. 395 00:21:57,280 –> 00:22:00,859 I have been crucified with Christ, he says. 396 00:22:00,859 –> 00:22:03,260 And it is no longer I who live, but 397 00:22:03,260 –> 00:22:08,579 Christ who lives in me. 398 00:22:08,579 –> 00:22:12,439 Do you that this is way more than I’m doing my best to 399 00:22:12,439 –> 00:22:13,900 follow the example of Jesus? 400 00:22:13,900 –> 00:22:16,199 No, the life of Jesus is in me. 401 00:22:16,199 –> 00:22:20,160 I’ve received Jesus Christ. 402 00:22:20,160 –> 00:22:23,760 Or to put it in the wonderful analogy that our Lord 403 00:22:24,719 –> 00:22:32,780 uses, he says, I am the vine, and you are the branches. 404 00:22:32,780 –> 00:22:36,479 You see what that’s conveying? 405 00:22:36,479 –> 00:22:40,400 This is a different world from, you try and copy my example. 406 00:22:40,400 –> 00:22:41,839 Here’s what I’ve done, you do the same. 407 00:22:41,839 –> 00:22:45,099 No, he is saying, look the life is in me, I am the vine. 408 00:22:45,099 –> 00:22:48,199 And when you are in me and I am in you, 409 00:22:48,199 –> 00:22:53,180 my life permeates your life so that which is in me 410 00:22:53,239 –> 00:22:54,839 will come to be in you. 411 00:22:54,839 –> 00:22:59,680 That’s the very heart of how the Christian life is lived. 412 00:23:01,280 –> 00:23:03,920 In other words, there is no hope of godliness 413 00:23:03,920 –> 00:23:08,260 without Jesus Christ, but when the life of Jesus Christ 414 00:23:08,260 –> 00:23:12,520 is in you, a godly life will 415 00:23:12,520 –> 00:23:15,439 be possible for you. 416 00:23:16,500 –> 00:23:21,099 Therefore, we must receive Jesus Christ. 417 00:23:21,099 –> 00:23:22,219 And how do we do that? 418 00:23:22,500 –> 00:23:25,520 We do that by believing in his name. 419 00:23:25,520 –> 00:23:28,439 This is the point that the Apostle John makes very clear 420 00:23:28,439 –> 00:23:30,300 right at the beginning of his gospel 421 00:23:30,300 –> 00:23:33,199 where he introduces the Lord Jesus Christ to us. 422 00:23:33,199 –> 00:23:36,400 He says this, he came to his own, 423 00:23:37,359 –> 00:23:39,880 and his own did not receive him. 424 00:23:40,939 –> 00:23:44,699 But to as many as did receive him, 425 00:23:44,699 –> 00:23:46,540 and then he explains what he means by that, 426 00:23:46,540 –> 00:23:48,300 what does it mean to receive Jesus? 427 00:23:48,300 –> 00:23:52,219 He says this, to those who believed in his name. 428 00:23:53,439 –> 00:23:58,400 So by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ you receive him, 429 00:23:58,400 –> 00:24:01,000 that is his life comes to be in you, 430 00:24:01,000 –> 00:24:04,260 the life of the Godly one comes to you 431 00:24:04,260 –> 00:24:06,979 so that thereby through him, 432 00:24:06,979 –> 00:24:09,439 this is what God has revealed though its full wonder 433 00:24:09,439 –> 00:24:11,859 is still to be made known, 434 00:24:11,859 –> 00:24:16,859 you will be able to pursue a new and a Godly life. 435 00:24:18,439 –> 00:24:21,099 So we must receive Jesus, 436 00:24:21,099 –> 00:24:24,640 second we must hope in Jesus. 437 00:24:24,640 –> 00:24:26,280 Now this is the point maybe where someone 438 00:24:26,280 –> 00:24:27,660 will be saying, well, Wait a minute Colin. 439 00:24:27,660 –> 00:24:29,640 I am a believer, 440 00:24:30,680 –> 00:24:33,479 I have received the Lord Jesus Christ 441 00:24:33,479 –> 00:24:35,400 but I don’t feel very Godly, 442 00:24:35,400 –> 00:24:38,640 I feel I’ve got such a long way to go. 443 00:24:39,819 –> 00:24:41,920 And I want to say to you very simply 444 00:24:43,060 –> 00:24:46,880 that there is way more in Jesus Christ 445 00:24:46,880 –> 00:24:50,900 than you or any of the rest of us here have yet discovered. 446 00:24:51,859 –> 00:24:55,699 Way more in Jesus Christ than you have yet discovered. 447 00:24:55,699 –> 00:24:58,540 Remember the definition of a mystery. 448 00:24:58,540 –> 00:25:01,680 A secret God has revealed 449 00:25:01,680 –> 00:25:06,680 though its full wonder is still to be made known. 450 00:25:09,359 –> 00:25:14,359 Receiving Jesus is a little bit like opening a gift 451 00:25:14,819 –> 00:25:19,819 but only knowing a small part of what it can do. 452 00:25:22,239 –> 00:25:27,239 My mother will reach the age of 90 next month. 453 00:25:27,920 –> 00:25:30,020 She has not been particularly drawn 454 00:25:30,020 –> 00:25:31,939 over the last 20 or 30 years 455 00:25:31,939 –> 00:25:34,599 to the developing world of technology 456 00:25:34,599 –> 00:25:39,400 but last year, she said to me, 457 00:25:40,280 –> 00:25:43,599 I think I’d like to have an iPad. 458 00:25:43,599 –> 00:25:47,040 And I said mom, that’s great, 459 00:25:47,040 –> 00:25:49,000 why do you want to have an iPad 460 00:25:49,000 –> 00:25:52,560 and she said I’d like to be able to do email. 461 00:25:54,319 –> 00:25:57,439 And so when the iPad was bought, 462 00:25:57,439 –> 00:26:00,180 she did a marvellous job of adapting to it 463 00:26:00,180 –> 00:26:03,520 and getting used to it and doing email. 464 00:26:03,520 –> 00:26:05,339 Took a little bit of a while to get used to it. 465 00:26:05,339 –> 00:26:07,560 It was very good typist doing it 466 00:26:07,760 –> 00:26:10,280 with the two-inch to press on the old keyboard 467 00:26:10,280 –> 00:26:14,040 and to get used to the glass was a little bit different. 468 00:26:14,040 –> 00:26:16,640 But she adapted to it wonderfully well. 469 00:26:16,640 –> 00:26:19,560 Once she got the hang of that, I said to her, 470 00:26:19,560 –> 00:26:23,739 you know mom, that iPad can do a lot more 471 00:26:24,780 –> 00:26:26,579 than send and receive email. 472 00:26:28,099 –> 00:26:32,380 For example, you could see pictures 473 00:26:32,380 –> 00:26:36,680 of your great-grandchildren as their mums and dad 474 00:26:36,680 –> 00:26:41,040 put them up, and she discovered the whole world 475 00:26:41,040 –> 00:26:44,660 of pictures instantly being available 476 00:26:44,660 –> 00:26:47,859 in our little family circle that we have going online 477 00:26:47,859 –> 00:26:51,560 and was absolutely thrilled. 478 00:26:51,560 –> 00:26:55,439 Well, what’s happened since is that each time I go, 479 00:26:55,439 –> 00:26:59,560 we find out something else on the iPad. 480 00:26:59,560 –> 00:27:00,900 Mom, do you know that you can actually 481 00:27:00,900 –> 00:27:04,359 hear Moody radio on the iPad? 482 00:27:04,420 –> 00:27:07,959 It’d be six hours different, but you can actually 483 00:27:07,959 –> 00:27:11,500 hear it right here, exactly what is held in Chicago. 484 00:27:11,500 –> 00:27:12,339 Really? 485 00:27:13,300 –> 00:27:14,699 But the best one was last time, 486 00:27:14,699 –> 00:27:17,380 and what a blessing this is proving to be. 487 00:27:17,380 –> 00:27:22,380 Mom, did you know that you can order your groceries 488 00:27:22,479 –> 00:27:24,520 on the iPad and have them delivered 489 00:27:24,520 –> 00:27:27,500 to your front door every week? 490 00:27:27,500 –> 00:27:29,260 Aw, boy, she got the hang of that. 491 00:27:29,260 –> 00:27:31,979 That has been a life-changer! 492 00:27:32,959 –> 00:27:37,560 Now, I hesitate to use any kind of illustration 493 00:27:37,560 –> 00:27:39,319 to speak of the glories of Jesus, 494 00:27:39,319 –> 00:27:41,479 but I want you to see this and feel it, 495 00:27:43,359 –> 00:27:46,520 that there’s more in Jesus Christ 496 00:27:46,520 –> 00:27:48,880 than any one of us has yet discovered. 497 00:27:51,599 –> 00:27:55,160 The full wonder of Jesus Christ is still to be made known. 498 00:27:57,020 –> 00:27:59,839 There’s more peace for you to enjoy in him 499 00:27:59,839 –> 00:28:01,040 than you have yet enjoyed, 500 00:28:01,040 –> 00:28:02,660 more hope for you to discover, 501 00:28:02,660 –> 00:28:04,900 more love for you to experience, 502 00:28:04,900 –> 00:28:08,380 more comfort for you to savor, more joy. 503 00:28:10,239 –> 00:28:11,479 John speaks about this. 504 00:28:11,479 –> 00:28:12,660 He says to believers, 505 00:28:12,660 –> 00:28:16,180 “‘We are now God’s children, 506 00:28:16,180 –> 00:28:20,520 “‘but what we will be has not yet been made known. 507 00:28:22,359 –> 00:28:23,459 “‘But we do know this, 508 00:28:23,459 –> 00:28:26,520 “‘that when he appears, we will be like him, 509 00:28:26,520 –> 00:28:29,540 “‘for we shall see him as he is.” 510 00:28:30,319 –> 00:28:32,739 God has begun a good work in you. 511 00:28:32,739 –> 00:28:36,040 You may feel a long way from godliness, 512 00:28:36,040 –> 00:28:39,660 but the work that he has begun he will bring to completion 513 00:28:39,660 –> 00:28:41,939 and there will forever and forever be 514 00:28:41,939 –> 00:28:46,180 a perfect reflection of the beauty and the godliness 515 00:28:46,180 –> 00:28:51,180 of Jesus Christ in you by his grace. 516 00:28:51,359 –> 00:28:53,380 And how great will be your joy 517 00:28:53,380 –> 00:28:55,420 when that work that he has already begun 518 00:28:55,420 –> 00:28:58,439 in you is brought to completion. 519 00:28:58,439 –> 00:29:01,119 And so we are not only to receive Jesus 520 00:29:01,119 –> 00:29:03,619 but receiving Jesus by believing in his name, 521 00:29:03,619 –> 00:29:05,939 we are to hope in him, we are to know 522 00:29:05,939 –> 00:29:08,359 that there is more of him, more grace in him 523 00:29:08,359 –> 00:29:11,599 that we are yet to discover and that there is more 524 00:29:11,599 –> 00:29:15,760 that he will accomplish than we have yet dared to dream. 525 00:29:17,199 –> 00:29:19,380 And then lastly, we are to confess Christ. 526 00:29:19,380 –> 00:29:24,380 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. 527 00:29:24,959 –> 00:29:27,280 The great task given to the church. 528 00:29:27,319 –> 00:29:29,599 The great privilege that we have together 529 00:29:29,599 –> 00:29:34,599 and individually is that we confess Jesus Christ. 530 00:29:35,219 –> 00:29:37,839 We confess him manifested in the flesh, 531 00:29:37,839 –> 00:29:40,819 vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels 532 00:29:40,819 –> 00:29:44,079 proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world 533 00:29:44,079 –> 00:29:46,079 and taken up into glory. 534 00:29:46,079 –> 00:29:50,959 And great is this mystery of all that is in Jesus Christ. 535 00:29:50,959 –> 00:29:54,479 Jesus Christ and all that is in him 536 00:29:54,479 –> 00:29:56,680 is the greatest good news that this world 537 00:29:56,760 –> 00:29:59,760 has ever heard and it is trusted to us 538 00:29:59,760 –> 00:30:03,479 who confess his name. 539 00:30:03,479 –> 00:30:05,079 We are to receive him. 540 00:30:06,319 –> 00:30:08,060 We are to hope in him. 541 00:30:09,239 –> 00:30:11,300 We are to confess him. 542 00:30:12,339 –> 00:30:15,719 And we do so with joy for the glory of God. 543 00:30:15,719 –> 00:30:17,439 Let’s pray together. 544 00:30:17,439 –> 00:30:21,560 Father, we pray that this Christmas season 545 00:30:21,560 –> 00:30:24,819 may not pass with simple busyness, 546 00:30:25,739 –> 00:30:29,260 but that it may be a season in which in a fresh way 547 00:30:29,260 –> 00:30:34,180 we catch a glimpse of the greatness and glory 548 00:30:34,180 –> 00:30:36,060 of the Lord Jesus Christ 549 00:30:37,540 –> 00:30:40,500 and seeing his greatness and glory 550 00:30:40,500 –> 00:30:45,500 come to be changed increasingly into his likeness. 551 00:30:47,160 –> 00:30:49,939 Bring us to a plce where we love you more. 552 00:30:50,880 –> 00:30:52,520 That we may serve you better 553 00:30:53,420 –> 00:30:57,479 in anticipation of the day when the full wonder 554 00:30:57,479 –> 00:31:01,699 of all that is ours in Jesus Christ is disclosed 555 00:31:01,699 –> 00:31:06,599 and we shall rejoice in you and with you forever 556 00:31:06,599 –> 00:31:08,119 and forever. 557 00:31:08,119 –> 00:31:10,680 And we pray these things in Jesus’s name. 558 00:31:10,680 –> 00:31:11,520 Amen. 559 00:31:16,380 –> 00:31:17,640 You’ve been listening to a sermon 560 00:31:17,640 –> 00:31:20,020 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 561 00:31:20,020 –> 00:31:25,020 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 562 00:31:25,300 –> 00:31:28,819 or visit our website, openthebible.org.