The Wisdom of Christ in Granting the Means to Achieve God's Great Purpose... ,p.1

First Timothy chapter 3 return there with me modified my title a little bit. I will talk about the wisdom of God in granting the means to achieve God's great purpose is all glory course that is centered in his church is bigger than that, but it's pinnacle and center is the local church and about the wound say something about my sweet wife Pam.

Every year we hear a little rumor or something in the conference something like, who's the lady on the piano. She's always by herself if she divorced has her husband died. No, I'm her husband. She belongs to me. So take that Fort Worth see she does do a lot modified 34 years ago. Her family came to this church by the time I came on staff and the music got that Tom hired her to be an instrumentalist, so I think she's bill stuff is longer longer than I have and then we got to get a little while after that. So I'm in first Timothy chapter 3 verses 15 and 16 will start here and then I'm going to go a lot of places and then will come back here, Lord willing and the second session tomorrow morning. First Timothy chapter 3 verse 15 and verse 16 writing to Timothy of the apostle Paul says, but in case I am delayed I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the support of the truth by common confession great is the mystery of godliness. He was revealed in the flesh was vindicated in the spirit seen by angels, reclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world taken the in glory now I'm presently preaching through first Timothy and I know some of my brothers and very close to Inis that task and reading ahead and studying. I came to verses 15 and 16, chapter 3, and primarily verse 16 and thought what's the flow of this if you read the commentary riders. They lean pretty heavily toward this is talking about the universal church. When you get to 15, and 16 other, not dogmatic like that's the only possible interpretation, but that's where they lean but I struggle because in first. I 15 he talks about the household of God and how to conduct oneself and everything he's basically said in first Timothy to this point is about how to structure and function in a local church and so it may include the universal church and I think this hope happens very often in Scripture. It may include the universal church.

It's an admonition for a local church there's a truth, therefore the local church. So again, I'm not going on package. This completely will try to do that to the it at the next session. In this context, he makes this statement in verse 16 by common confession are know the word you could say this is something all of us who know the Lord all agree on, which is no little controversy here will agree on this. That is great is the mystery of godliness that you know the idea of mystery is something that was hidden but is now unveiled that we need the regenerate ones have a capacity to see this great mystery now unveiled the loss can't quite grasp it. They don't understand how it all centers in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But he said all of us who are saying we all agree that this is a marvelous thing God's unfolded in these day that Christ has come that the second person of the Godhead put on incarnate clothing if you will live among us died for our sins, was buried and was raised for justification and furthermore now ever intercedes for us at the right hand of the father so we all agree this is just and that's his point. We just agree this is just incredible. This is marvelous. This is a great beyond all other things that he has little word in here godliness by common confession great is the mystery of godliness. The Greek scholars tell us that godliness that the new American Standard uses in. I guess most translations may not be the best term because it is a completely different term that's often translated godliness.

And that's not the term here. The term here should be piety are devout, great is the mystery of the one who is true of true piety, who is genuinely about. That is a lot of false piety out there course in the context of the Judaizers of the day. There are those who believe by keeping law, ceremonial and moral they could achieve a standing before God.

That's false piety. That's not true piety greatest the mystery of snappy it unveiled how one can be truly pious.

Actually that word. There is a word that comes from true root words and what means good and one means worshiper greatest the mystery of how become one becomes a good worshiper. You think you're not a good worshiper if you tried to obtain a right standing for the tri-you know to God by works, you're not a good worshiper if you tried to obtain a right standing before the tribunal to God by cleaning up your life morally and ethically. That's not good worship, but they got bad worship you. Not a good worshiper.

If you think you will obtain a right standing before the tribunal.

Holy God, putting on some religion. That's not being the greatest. The mystery is now unveiled for us, but to the person and work of Jesus Christ and our faith in him we now become a good worshiper, a true devout person of God. So that's where he's going here, but I want to know something.

Also in verse 16 he centers everything in Jesus Christ. He, Jesus, it was revealed in the flesh vindicated in the spirit seen by angels, reclaimed among the nations and believed on in the world.

That's an unveiling is not. He was not here. He came with before us died for us.

Seeing and has has completed his work of securing the children and this is one of two great unveiling's that are that that's going to happen concerning Christ. But here's my will to get the great unveiling of Christ.

This time, and the great future unveiling of Christ at the end of the age. Both of them. How shall I say it. I'll decide this way involve the church when Christ is unveiled. The church is revealed when Christ is unveiled in glory the church will be unveiled in her glory. You see, our glorification does not happen when we die nights glorious beyond all compare to be absent from the body and be present with the Lord. But glorification is at the end time when he resurrects the body of the elect.

He purifies that nobody in every spec and every molecule that was once the son of Adam's will to be reunited together, get informed back and nobody purified and glorified with the glory of Jesus Christ start future date glorification when he comes to be glorified. His charts will be glorified. That's all being unveiled. It's starting now became already. We didn't see the full thing yet and here's why.

Don't you think about it all includes the church through Jesus Christ through his person and his his work we become positionally good worshiper's true devout worshipers and through Jesus Christ, power and wisdom. We learn how to live out being a good worshiper in the local church.

Don't forget that thought by his person and work he key he enables us to be justified and have a standing as a good worshiper.

I true devout worshiper, and through the wisdom he's given us in, and Timothy is one of the chief tools is use the book of Timothy perspective. The course the pastoral epistle taught us and the rest of the New Testament, for that matter, is the wisdom of God to enable us as pastors and church men and women to function as true good worshipers and God's glory. Are you listed at God's glory depends on it. I wouldn't suggest that we can somehow rob God of his glory. But it is a humbling and even a trembling fault that he's called me to shepherd a part of the body that he will one day glorify with himself and that's what I want to get across, but now before we going to that any further there's more to say there. I want to back up and get the big picture cannot challenge you guys with the thought. There's a balance to everything you let me give you this thought there as far as I know there be no expositional preaching in heaven. I don't know but there will be a church in heaven.

Expositional preaching is not the end. Expositional preaching is the primary means for building the church that will last forever, so sometimes brothers and sisters, not in my 38th year here in the mainstay.

This pulpit is verse by verse chapter by chapter exposition and always will be, but I do not hesitate to stop and address something if there's an issue anyway bedtimes in our church when and if you popped up. There's dissensions their strikers ugliness and I had to go to the Scriptures and find where the Scripture spoke to that and exegete those various text to get a systematic understanding of what we as a church ought to do about this, and now that can't be your mainstay you want to stay off your hobby horses.

But you got to be willing to do that from time to time, and I found that for my people and even for my own heart I need to step back and see the big picture of what God's about, and I want to do a little of that now. So CI talk about the preliminaries.

God's great glory. Israel and her foes. That is, that God's purpose in the old age, or use the word dispensation the old dispensation was that he would bring himself glory for Israel and even for Israel's foes that there many other ways God brings himself glory from the Old Testament. I cease to be a repeating the theme. I chose you Israel for our own namesake for my own glory and even I'm glorified in the way I deal with the pagan nations who oppose you and are your enemies now. I use the word glory, my goodness, you do etymological study. The word glory. There's a lot of faith in facets to this, Jim. It's a multifaceted gym. The idea of glory of the glory of God. But it helps me to think of it this way to glorify God means that I deem him worthy of honor and praise and I think that in view of in comparison to any and all everything else compared to eating everything else. He alone do I in my heart treasure and to hold as wordy of honor and praise. And God has through the ages been about the business and his providence. His perfections doing things in the old dispensation with Israel in her foes so that he might that he is the one worthy of honor and he's the one worthy of praise. He is worthy of all glory. You see, there is one fully logical, fully appropriate, fully perfect, fully righteous desire in the universe for all time and eternity and that is God's desire to glorify himself. That's the big picture. That's the one true righteous desire is God's desire to glorify himself. I mean it's axiomatic it's it's self-evident.

He is the one true God thrice holy creator of everything, immutable, invisible, invincible. He is the only one, and the want of inestimable wisdom, beauty and power, he must be glorified. He is being glorified and he will be glorified. And that's going to last for time and all eternity. What we need to find that is not how are you wanting to do this God because God is planning on getting an audit with you.

That's our task now the reason why he must be glorified, and he has been glorified and he will be glorified is because he's decreed it so he's chosen for that to happen.

Eight blessed six. It's we the Bible has anthropomorphic expressions that help us understand God, but they all fall short and come but I think about but is too soon them will say that but God. God is the only being that could look in the mirror and say absolute perfection. Anything less then God feeling that way about God would be seen by God to get that you know when when when when Brother Conrad preach to us about the excellency of Christ in his person is the God man that you stir in you that piece like no other. That's why I love him backslide treasure him.

That's why door him back. Swallowing advances calls because he's so excellent when brother Justin preached to us sharing those the great wisdom of Christ. You did such a wonderful job Justin and showing us God's wisdom to guard us from false doctrine and false teachers that the glorious thing that are our Christ is given. Brother John also powerfully helped us see the great wisdom of God and giving us the roles of men and women in the church. These are gifts from an all-powerful, all wise God, we marvel over the wisdom of these are dreadful things to be tightened up and preach about the roles be tied up recent tight usage is not about to be set free will need the new progressives in the Southern Baptist convention telling us how to empower our women. Jesus has already done it through his person's work. The wisdom of using our budget immediacy what you thought I had total wisdom of God. That's better for people than what God's already given us what's it's good to be free of denominational shackles. I'm not ever invited to anything I don't want to be just good matter. Some of you right now you list what I'm saying. Your good brother your good sister you love God. Your blessing to me. But the monsters got your left leg and you can't be free for God because that denominational moccasins hang on you to jerk looks and say I'm not as the denomination lines up with Jesus wisdom. So do if he does not are. It does not. I'm out.

My loyalty is to the all wise God. He he has decreed to be glorified. Listen to John 1227 and 28 Jesus is approaching his cross. This is such an interesting statement. Now my soul has become troubled, and what shall I say father, save me from this hour decision should I say father. This is this is a difficult thing should I say father said he should not for this purpose I came to this hour. God's got a glorious smile, all wise father has a glorious purpose for everything that's happening all the way up until this point is on placing the cross. So Jesus says I'm here to glorify him. Verse 28 father, glorify thy name and there came therefore voice out of heaven.

I have both glorified it, and I will glorified again again anthropomorphic plea. I find how to see the father saying wealth. Father, let's get on with with what you want what you're about bringing glory to get a visa so you have to remind me of that, you understand. I'm about glorify my name. That's what I've been doing and about to do some more. It's all about. I don't know what you guys who were pastoring.

I don't know why you get up in the morning, but I get up in the morning for the glory of God.

I couldn't made it this long. If the glory of.God had not apprehended me because to me that's worth it. That's worth the hard knocks us work long years. That's worth a long, difficult seasons, because God's glory through his church is marked nothing else… Nothing else is. But you know what I found. Are you listening to me when you get to where your ship wrecked on God's glory that well if it glorifies God I'll do it. It looks like it's hurting my family my children about my finances. Everything else is like it's going to ruin the book. This glorifies God.

This is why little bit you know what I found. Over time he gives you all of those things in abundance when he knew that was not what you were making idols out of your ministry, only his glory was your motive for your your ministry. When he finds out those idols are not in your way. He blesses those things to become bigger and more a blessing in your life that's been my experience while talk about Pharaoh for just a moment.

Pam and I are listening through the Bible chronologically this year.

Admit.

I would recommend that if you're like me, it's hard for me to read to the bow without stopping and studying something but when when I'm listening I can get the got stop so he discover how to improve and so it's kind been kind of a blessing because I take my my workboots often have my slippers only just, listen going through Exodus.

I was amazed to get it what God did in Exodus and what God did through Pharaoh and you know the number of times God says I will harden Pharaoh's heart. Exodus 14 for thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will chase after them and I will be all nerd that's glorified through payroll and all of his army and the Egyptians will know that I'm the Lord and they did so. The five so God is very clearly I'm going to harden Pharaoh's heart and up was Justin. He did need some word of life.

Gotta tell him he could harden Pharaoh's heart.

He just would it did he just went ahead and did it is on the harden Pharaoh's heart is not only chuckle because the process of me sending these plagues and improving myself I'm going to show that I am the one true God worthy of honor and praise jungle to be glorified among the Egyptians so you don't have an plague would come. Pharaoh would promise to let them go. They need say no you're not going get to go at it over and over to the text says God would harden Pharaoh's heart to be honest and imbalanced about us.

I Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

Which one was both Exodus 11 nine then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh would not listen to you, so that my wonders will be multiplied in the land of each of you say I'm going to show that my wisdom and power is superior to all the so-called false gods of Egypt. I'm going to show forth that I'm the one God worthy of honor and praise. You know you're really in reality God played Pharaoh in Egypt like a master conductor Legion orchestra just played them to his own glory and then Israel captive in Egypt they got to now want you to glorify me but your my people. I've got a different way you can glorify me.

I want you to go three days journey outside of Egypt, and I want you to take the media and the little ones and all the livestock and sacrifice to be there.

The same concept and sacrifice are certainly there is the concept of worship. By the way we we worship God by obeying him. There's a lot of ways you worship God, but one of the ways you worship God is obeying him. So he tells his people. You're going to go outside three days journey take the men little ones and all the livestock now someplace and came in first. Pharaoh said okay you can go with just the men can go, not the little ones are not. The livestock and I'm given the deaf knob it quick. Amplified translation, Moses said you donors and Pharaoh God said there's a particular way. He's to be worshiped three days journey take them in the little ones at all the livestock within, you're not going God sent some more plagues and then Pharaoh says okay okay okay tell your God to stop the plagues and I'll let the men go and I'll let the little ones go, but the livestock can't go. Pharaoh's inner faxes again though you don't understand God's given us a specific way were to serve him and worship it three days journey.

Men little ones in the livestock must all go so God brings the final plague, the death of the firstborn.

All the Jews took the blood of the spotless Lamb smeared on the doorpost of the lintel and that not the death Angel visited Egypt all the firstborn of the Egyptians God, but the death Angel passed over the households of the Israelis and then God says okay now you can go.

The man, the little ones and all the livestock so they go out there and they serve the Lord in the Lord's is not got some perpetual ordinances. I want you guys to remember so that you will continually glorify me because you seen my wisdom and my strength in ways no other men have seen, so I want you to regularly consecrate your firstborn to me. I want you to have a feast of unleavened bread to remind you how you left in haste without living in the bread and I want you to have a Passover celebration so that you can remember regularly and glorify me. So whether it was each or Israel. God was glorifying himself and we see this played out with with other countries and with other enemies and all throughout Israel's history.

We know that as the children of Israel miraculously pass through the Red Sea on dry ground and they get to the other side and you know, by this time Pharaoh has relented again and thought men. I'm letting a lot of free labor and a lot of wealth and livestock get away so he sends his army after them.

God closes up the Red Sea over them. So Moses led the people and a song to praise God and give glory to God.

Exodus 1511 as part of that song who is like the among the gods of the Lord who is like the majestic in holiness.

Also, men praises, working wonders bear song is saying to you, the one true God have shown us you're worthy of all honor and all's you're worthy to be glorified. That's was God's name. Point is, it was all about the glory of God. Now I think one of the things I want to pull out just as a side note here is a real lesson for the church here that brothers and sisters, we don't get our we don't have the right to glorify God the way we think is best in his church. He said Moses three days journey. The men little ones and all the livestock I think is a real listener when Pharaoh kept coming back is I you do this, but not that no gods told us how to do it like there's a real lesson for the local church here. And of course the law that he gave Israel after they journeyed to Mount Sinai and the wall is an expression of God's holiness in God's character, the laws of paid expression of God's ethical and upper upright nature superior to the people of the nations that surrounded each or so it would show forth as they honor God's law, it would show forth that there God is worthy of honor and praise.

One quick contrast was in this day it was common among these nations to take their children and sacrifice their children to mow electric Leviticus 22 through five.

God condemns such he says you're not barbaric you're not of ethical corruption that's the way their gods are. That's why they do those things that doesn't fit my people so by not participating in that kind of wickedness, you show forth that I'm wise I'm worthy of honor and I am worthy of praise. So that's the great glory God throughout the Old Testament keeps giving himself great glory in and through Israel and even through Israel's photo's like he did with Pharaoh and the Egyptians II the great glory pointed to the greater glory of Christ and his church. It always has. It always does everything is about him. It all leads to him.

It all points to him and all foreshadowed him but don't forget, and I think we do this, sometimes far, far too often the Bible, how shall I say this makes us tries to make us remember the church is always connected to Jesus. It's his body. It's his broad it's his building and best I checked, you can't deal with the head without a body being on it that there's a reason why we're giving these metaphors, so don't leave the church out of God's great purpose to glorify his son. The church is not the son. The son is not the church but the church has been given the son's righteousness, listen and the church will be given the sons glory and he's not splitting himself up so all that had happened was the preliminaries.

All that happened for Israel and the old dispensation was the warm-up band for the main event the church in the work of Christ in saving and building his church Mark 9527. The Mount of Transfiguration is an interesting commentary on this and Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it's good for us to be here. Peter reminds me of me and let us make three tabernacles just just cannot speak up and fix this thing Peter saying like three tabernacles one for you, one for Moses and one for allotted only by the be offended would just what does honor Moses in honor of Elijah and honor you. Jesus really did not know what the answer for they became terrified.

I would to the cloud formed, overshadowing them and a voice came out of the cloud. This is my beloved son, listen to him you don't understand the great and godly leaders of the Old Testament are one thing, I got great glory through them. There's a greater glory. I'm accomplishing through my beloved son, you need listen to him. He's different. He's unique. He's the one their ministries pointed to John 145 Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. We found the one that the entire New Testament points to and leads up to Jesus of Nazareth, the soldiers, John 546 if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. It was all about me.

Everything was a time a foreshadowing of me. Hebrews 33 for he, Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. But just so much as the builder of the house has more honor. That's the word we get glorification from or tied to the builder that says more honor than the house. God has ordained that his purposes and his glory for time and eternity would be centered in his son Jesus Christ and in his church, his Atlas. Sia is called out once, not emanation that was the preliminary that was Israel that was the warm-up but now I people called out for God, made up of individuals from all nations, tongues, tribes and peoples. Now he's he's doing a different thing. He's collecting for himself and for his own glory. People from all kinds of places, not a nation of people like an assembly, I local church.

The church you see is the centerpiece of God's purposes and God's glory for time and for eternity. Ephesians 321 notice think the quality here that the linear plane. This is on to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus interest to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. The church is God's theater for the manifestation of God's glory. This was ordained from eternity past.

Ephesians 310, 11, in order that the manifold wisdom of God the variegated. The multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church and I would submit to you that God's glory through the church.

The guys don't make this some mystical universal invisible idea. Your local church. Your local church local church is to show the multifaceted glorious wisdom of God greater than anything he did with Moses and the children of Israel delivering them from Egyptian bondage strap that all last night to your heart never get over it. Your local church here at the Placentia called out once that your part of nor that the manifold was God not been a note through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places that I don't know all that that means other than this, even the angelic beings the holy angels, not the following to even the holy angels did not understand much about the incarnation and the work of Christ, becoming vicarious atonement for the children work of redemption to the cross very first-hand race for justification ascended to heaven for intercession.

The Angels were learning as it went on and then as Jesus went to the cross and purchase the children and I saw the gospel starts being preached. This one is regenerate that one is regenerate. Mrs. regenerate the supergiant they come together to form local act Placentia's local groups of called out ones and the angels in heaven sent by my by my this is greater than he thinks God's done before you know why God wanted the Angels to see it marble over it. He loves getting glory. God desires, getting glory to you listen to me when this whole things over Barack Obama will down his knees and he will give glory to Jesus Christ because God ordained it to be so. Aren't you glad we get to get on it on the church way to bring him glory. It's all about his glory.

Verse 11 Ephesians 310, 11.

This was in accordance with the eternal purpose. You see, the cross wasn't an ambulance sent to the scene of an accident from eternity past this was the pinnacle. This was the event Christ going to the cross, purchasing and securing the called out ones that in time and space history through his means of gospel preaching he would regenerate them, they would come to repentance and faith and join together and local policy is called out groups. Why so the manifold wisdom of God could be shown in this pinnacle work of God, you know, when we stand are rather when we have a wedding it it it's been a common practice. I've learned that in a wedding rehearsal deprived the bride herself will often sit out in the queue and let someone else about bridesmaids stand-in for her is just the rehearsal and she'll sit back there and watch and make sure it looks the way she wanted to look but she don't embarrass it out there when the real thing happens. Wilbert brothers sisters everything up into Jesus was the preliminary it was the rehearsal.

Now the big real true thing is happening. Jesus is building his church and I get to get in on it is worth giving your life for Hebrews 12, 18 to 24 contrasting the old with the new member. The song that they song by Moses praising God giving God great glory for delivering the from Egypt and then the Bibles will get there in a moment. Hebrews 12, 18 to 24th, for you have not come to a mountain that may be touched into a blazing fire to darkness and gloom, and whirlwind S Mount Sinai with the laws given and the blast of the trumpet and sound of words which sound was such that those who heard back that no further word should be spoken of them, for they could not bear the command even if a beast touches the mountain it will be just stoned and so terrible was a sign that Moses said I'm full of fear and trembling.

He said that's that's the old order and got got great glory to that order. But here's the new one you've come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, I think, speaks of the church about how she make anything else and to myriad of angels to the general assembly and church of the firstborn.

Jesus is the firstborn where his assembly who are enrolled in heaven and in other words, our citizenship, our our our birthing is anchored in heaven were of the spiritual rebirth. That's what made us a part of this assembly who are enrolled in heaven, and the God and to God, the judge of all into the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to sprinkle blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Now again as we think about these things.

Sometimes it's a universal church but it never leaves out the fact that you and I can't serve in a universal church. We can't love the people and a universal church because were not yet glorified in an eternal state. Yet we only can do this in local churches and local necklace is, you know, today we are confined to time and space. We can only function in time and space. We can only serve and glorify Christ in a local church, not if your idea of the word necklace CL which the overwhelming majority tied to Jews in the New Testament obviously accused of a local assembly of believers. But, if your view of Equus Seo is only that it's the universal invisible church. If this is the only horse you ride you ride a mythical horse because it did it. It is a reality but is not tangible physically in a physical realm, you're here, you're trying to serve him in a vapor as far as any real worship and service and bring glory to God through it were something great and new and better and glorious, far more glorious than anything God's done before. That's why Revelation 5 not intend says and they saying I knew so old and was good that so you know we just gotta be honest what God did through Israel and to Pharaoh and all the other of insulted. It was great and it got brought God true glory for what he's done through his son and how he built his church and how of all that the father gave him he lost not one, so this if you know what we got revenue so it's it's clear just got is to glorious to use the old so wrapped around new song worthy art thou to take the book and to break it seals for that was slain, and his purchase for God with thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and allies and made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God and they were rain upon the earth.

The new song is different than the old song because the greatness of God is more manifest in the new, than in the old if I could sit this way, God is of such holiness. He's a such a wonder that it mandated something greater than what he did in the old dispensation to be performed by him some more of who he is, could be seen more of who he is in love more of who he is and mercy more of who he is and this justice more of who he is and grace all of that's more fully.

Should we say is fully seen in Jesus Christ and in his work of securing the children you see the old song was the warm up band the new song is the guys you came to hear in the old song Moses song they sing about a temporal deliverance in the new song we sing about an eternal deliver any SONG they were singing about freedom from Egypt and the new song we sing about freedom from sin and they all song they praise the Lord because he was forming is really physical body and the new song we praise him because he's forming a spiritual family and the old song they praise to performing a nation in the new song we praise him because he's fashioning a broad in the old song.

My thought about a temporal priest of the temporal prophet Moses in the new song we sing about the one true eternal priest and prophet Jesus Christ and the old song they saw. They sing about how Egypt was humbled to honor the Lord but in the song we sing about how every single individual spiritual ram in the physical realm where one day worship God because every knee will bow and every tone in the old song they praise God, because God dwelt among them in the new song we praise God because God dwells in us in the old song they thought about the blood of lambs in the new song we sing about the blood of the Lamb of God in the old song they feasted on unleavened bread and a new song we feast on the bread of heaven, we could go on and on.

The great glory of the old ram was pointing us to the greater glory that will be manifested in the church age. The price this work of the church. No wonder when it all unfolds in Revelation God to bring it all to an end. Was the Bible say he created a new heaven and a new earth in a new Jerusalem.

He didn't just spruce up the old one. He did something now something worthy of greater glory and honor and praise know her Revelation 21 five says, and he who sits on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. So today brothers and sisters we experience.

We are involved in this pinnacle work of God. The forming of his necklace. He is is called out once his church is both fascinating and it is so humbling that God would desire to use us in the building of this pinnacle work God's work through his son of saving sanctifying and one day glorifying his church is the apex is the pinnacle of both God's work and God's glory.

One final text.

John 17 verses one through five. As Jesus gives this high priestly prayer. As such, I don't you notice how everything and here's about the glory of God. These things Jesus spoke of lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son think that has the idea father honor the work I'm about to do because that your will that I do this I'm going to the cross to pay for the children seems Lord, would you father would you honor that work when you receive that work that he says that the son may glorify the it's forth. It's a prosthetic voice he said father. If you receive what I'm about to do. I'm going to get something done.

That's going to bring us unbelievable glory when it all is said and done that's what motivated the sign was that he might go to the cross and glorify his father and that should motivate us in the local church. We can leave the church fashion. The church structure function in the church according to his wisdom recorded in Scripture that we might be instruments to help deliver up in the liver over church. Christ gets all the credit glory were instruments under him were under shepherds, so that he might get all the glory he deserves not only just in the final days when all the glorification happens. But even now Christ should be getting the score to his church is your church a testimony of your cleverness of your creativity, or of God's wisdom and power your get for God on your face and say God burned it to the ground before this place is a testimony to abandon any way may it be a testimony of you bring your glory. Brother Stevie says this often.

He was talking about how 30+ years ago we put prayed, and pleaded with God that he would bless us here at muscle Shoals, Alabama, that the ends of the earth might fear him, we might be sound enough, never perfect, but sound enough that we could be a mentor and encouragement to others to follow the Scriptures and the stasis God answered that prayer. Here's my statement. Do you know what it's taken to get Jeff Napoli and us usable is taken a lot but I'm telling you the rewards on the backside are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to Jesus as your father honor what I'm about to do in your will that I might glorify you. Verse two even as thou hast given him authority over all mankind that all to whom thou hast given him.

He may give eternal life was that not sovereign grace. Verse three and this is eternal life, that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, and thou has sent I glorified the only earth, having accomplished the work which you've given me to do that he views his homework as in the past tense. A completed sentence father.

I've known of cross I have completed securing the children time finished source result of that glory. Verse five and now, glorify thou me together with thyself father with the glory which I had with the before the world was. I think that includes father. I look forward to after I finish this work of my condescension of my incarnation by going to the cross and dying. When I ascend back up in heaven. Father can we enjoy the glory we used to know together in the Godhead before I came down here. The Godhead just loves Lori Gunderson got God and have an image issue.

He's not on the ego trip. He's got that's what he ought to think in us. When Jesus saw thank I want just a thought of hopefully fairly sound speculation.

Don't do this in your church went when he says I'm going to do this work on the cross when I get it finished.

Can we just bask in the glory that we knew in the Godhead before I left. I believe that that is an image RRR thought that will one day in the final glorification we unveiled. I believe in Jesus returns in all of his glory and the new Jerusalem and the bride are unveiled in all of their glory because they have the glory, Jesus then the great glory of God through Christ and the church will be manifest unveiled and shown forth before all the universe in the finally finally finally everyone will see the glory. Only the Godhead knew before and all through the work of Jesus securing the church. Here's the thing guys he's called you to oversee it until glorification under him. Yes, by his power.

Yes, according this wisdom, yes, but it's our job to oversee this awesome pinnacle work of God church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's worth our everything the Lord will and tomorrow morning we go to get in some real practical stuff that Howard take care.

This brought his church for his glory spray together. Father, I submit to you, who is able to such a thing and lorded it in one sense it leaves us so radically bankrupt and deficient that we can have confidence that you got to do it or were sunk so that's what we say. Help us men. Help us church leaders to be radically yielded to you to be thoroughly committed to your wisdom to function in your work your way by your power that your church might manifest your glory both now and time and then eventually an eternity in full glorification. We pray these things in Jesus name, amen