The Manifold Wisdom of God
Introduction:
It is with sadness that a world
filled with religious groups called churches seems to know
little of the church we read about in the Bible. Even many
members of the Lord’s church know little about the
importance of the New Testament church or about its
distinctive nature. A partial cause may be due to a failure
to understand and appreciate God’s purpose in the church and
how He planned for it from the very beginning. As one writer
so ably put it,
“It is
as though the apostle takes us into the throne room of the
Godhead and allows us to witness the Sacred Three in Divine
council concerning the spiritual welfare of mankind.” Elkins
Text:
Ephesians 3:8-13
Body:
I.
The Church Hidden in God
(Verses
8-9)
Verse 8 Paul’s heart was a humble one. He didn’t
believe he deserved to be an apostle. It was by God’s mercy.
(I
Corinthians 15:9-10) Paul felt
privileged to preach the “unsearchable riches of Christ,”
the entire gospel system. He valued the grace that he was
given. (Romans
11:33)
No one can, in this life, fully appreciate how valuable it
really is. When we enter heaven and see the marvelous
glories of that place, then we will comprehend those
riches. Verse 9 Paul’s purpose as an apostle was to
make known the mystery to all people. The mystery was that
God’s plan was to unite all God’s children, both from the
Jewish and Gentile background, in the body of Christ, the
CHURCH! (Colossians
1:24-27)
This mystery [which was no longer a mystery] had been
“hidden in God.” Great men in the Old Testament such as
Noah, Abraham, and David did not have an understanding of
salvation in the church. (I
Peter 1:10-12) But now God’s plan for man‘s
redemption in the church has been fully revealed.
II.
The Church Reveals God’s Wisdom (Verse
10)
Verse 10
What a truly incredible verse! “Intent” is a definite
purpose, not an accident. “Manifold wisdom” means
many-sided, multi-faceted. “One can see part of God’s wisdom
by viewing the world He created, but God’s eternal plan was
intended to give now, in the Christian age, a view of His
wisdom that is to be seen in no other way.” It is made known
by or through the church of Christ. What Paul is saying is
this: If you really want to see God’s wisdom, look at the
church as shown in the Scripture. The existence of
the Lord’s church displays God’s infinite wisdom for all to
see. (Matthew
16:18)
A. Its Founder and Head is Christ, the only sinless
human being. B. Its organization is simple, yet
wisely devised. (Philippians
1:1)
Local congregations are overseen by a plurality of qualified
elders; served by deacons; taught by gospel preachers and
teachers; comprised of devoted saints. See the wisdom of not
having a larger organization than a local one, each church
being completely autonomous. C. Its worship is simple
and dignified, designed to bring honor and glory to God.
D. Its plan of salvation is simple and straight forward,
available to any and all who are willing to come to Christ
with an obedient faith. It doesn’t make any difference where
you were born, who your parents were, or how much money you
have. All of these things [worship, etc.] show God’s
manifold wisdom, the divine side of the church of Christ is
truly perfect. As Paul put it in
Ephesians 1:23,
the church is the fullness of Christ.
III.
The Church in God’s Eternal Purpose (Verses
11-13)
Verse 11 God’s plan for man‘s redemption was
accomplished in Christ Jesus. It was His eternal purpose.
This was not done on a whim. This plan was fully organized
and very wisely designed. But note the immediate context.
The church of Christ was an integral part of that plan! It
was not an afterthought or some sort of substitution
that God put into place because the Jews rejected Christ.
The beginning of the Lord’s church was prophesied by Isaiah
in
Isaiah 2:2-3.
“Now
it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain
of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the
mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all
nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say,
Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the
house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we
shall walk in His paths.
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the
Lord from Jerusalem.”
NKJV
Note what was predicted. 1. The mountain of the Lord’s house
would be established. 2. It would be established in the
“latter days.” 3. All nations would flow into it. 4. The
Word of the Lord would go forth from Jerusalem.
All of these began to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost
when the church was established. 1. The Lord’s house
is the Lord’s church. (I
Timothy 3:15) 2. Peter said that these were
the latter days. 3. The Great Commission, which included all
nations, began to be preached that day. 4. The Word
of the Lord went forth from Jerusalem that day. Verse 12
This is such an important verse. It is in Christ, [His body,
the church] that we have boldness and access with
confidence. This is a great blessing. It reminds us of
Hebrews 4:14-16.
This is another one of those spiritual blessings available
only “in Christ,” in His church! Verse 13 Paul ends
this section as he began it, showing his wonderful attitude.
He didn’t want them to become discouraged or lose heart
because of his sufferings for preaching the unsearchable
riches of Christ. They would receive eternal glory one day.
Invitation:
This glory awaits all who are
in the body of Christ, the church, and who remain faithful
to the end. The Lord’s church, the church of Christ, is the
only religious body on earth that exists with God’s
approval. Please do not accept any substitutes. The church
is essential to God’s plan for man’s salvation. That means
it’s essential to yours. That was God’s plan from the
beginning. Won’t you accept his invitation to become part of
His family, the House of God?
Bobby Stafford
May 18, 2014