02. The Mystery Produces - Akeem James

[Music] so all right friends welcome back as we continue in our series the two mysteries collide today we're going to be continuing after we touched on for sure the mystery of god incarnate we saw that the mystery of god incarnate was none other than jesus christ the son of god and as we continue today we're going to be covering the topic the mystery produces and so as we continue i want to ask you to buy your heads with me as we go into prayer and then we will launch into our message for today the mystery produces father in heaven i pray that you would continue to illuminate our minds as we study your word concerning these two mysteries the mystery of godliness and the mystery of iniquity i pray that your holy spirit will strengthen our hearts through these messages that we might indeed stand for you in the times that we are living and that we will proclaim the truths for these last days which you have given to us we thank you for my hope today father is that we will understand more of the part that you have called us to play in this work from now onward as we compare our lives to jesus hide me father may my sins not be seen o lord forgive me of my transgressions and use me as a vehicle in order to communicate your truth this is what i pray and i ask in jesus christ's name amen once again welcome to each and every one of you who are looking and as we start off this message today we're going to see that while the mystery incarnate was manifest in jesus christ that this mystery continues in that it produces something first timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 as we read last time states concerning the son of god and his ministry and the continuation of that ministry it says without controversy great is the mystery of godliness god was manifest in the flesh justified or vindicated in the spirit scene of angels preached unto the gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory and this is a powerful verse indeed we see in this verse that the first mystery was personified in the son of god we see that divinity and humanity were united not to cause the father to love us rather this mysterious blend took place to reveal that the father has always loved us upon further study i came to realize that while certain aspects of the incarnation are a mystery the very process of accomplishing that mystery the mystery of the incarnation was also painful listen to this statement from manuscript 29 1899 it states in quote the work of redemption is called a mystery and it is indeed the mystery by which everlasting righteousness is brought to all who believe the race and consequence of sin was at enmity with god and then look at this statement look at this next statement christ therefore at an infinite cost to himself right christ at an infinite cost by a painful process mysterious to angels as well as to men assumed humanity speaking of the incarnation hiding his divinity laying aside his glory he was born a babe in bethlehem friends powerful christ at an infinite cost by a painful process this was accomplished the incarnation for god in his fullness to now be manifest in the limitations of human flesh friends it was a painful process but jesus was willing to go through this so that everlasting righteousness might be brought to all who believe powerful statement indeed however as i have been looking throughout the old and new testament i have been seeing something that is both amazing and startling to me christ came in the flesh and personified the mystery of godliness in a physical body this truth was prophesied in the old testament and interpreted by paul in the new testament paul quoting psalm 40 division 40 verses 6 through 8 states in hebrews chapter 10 verses 5 through 7 speaking of the incarnation of jesus christ therefore when he christ came into the world he said sacrifice and offering you in context speaking of the father did not desire but a body you have prepared for me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure then i said behold i have come this is jesus speaking behold i have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will o god now friends in light of this topic as we cover this subject one of the things that we're going to see here is that this is so powerful when it is broken down and we understand it for the truth that it really is god wants us to see what is truly involved in bringing everlasting righteousness to men as you have your bibles with you i invite you to go in your bibles to the text that paul was quoting in psalm chapter 40 and we're going to go from psalms chapter 40 verse 6 all the way to verse 10 and we're going to understand and unpack what this really means because jesus says i have delighted to do your will oh god now we're going to see what that will is the will of god we're going to see is actually laid out so psalm division 40 and we're going to go from verse 6 all the way to verse 10. it states there sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened burned offering and sin offering you have not desired or acquired it says then said i lo i come in the volume of the book it is written of me this is christ now speaking i delight to do thy will o my god yea here it is why does jesus delight to do god's will because there's something within his heart the evidence of the will of god is manifested in christ's life was because here's what was in his heart the verse continues by saying i delight to do thy will o my god yea thy law is within my heart so the reason that jesus desire to do god's will outwardly is why because he had the law of god on the inside written and etched in his very mind and hence because it was part of his very person because it was part of who he was meaning that law was written upon his heart he desired to do god's will therefore in his life now look at what the result was what was the result therefore of having the law of god in christ's heart what resulted in his life the will of god but it says in verse 9 i have preached therefore because the law is in his heart it says i have preached righteousness in the great congregation lo i have not refrained my lips o lord thou knowest i have not hid thy righteousness within my heart i have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation i have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation notice here righteousness words like righteousness and loving kindness faithfulness are all used together the reason being because they are connected this is what we're going to see here as it concerns the unfolding of this mystery of godliness which must continue to be revealed all the way until every person makes their decision all the way up until the end of time but i want us to go back here verse 9 says as a result of christ having the law in his heart it says verse 9 the result was the proclamation of righteousness i have preached and friends it wasn't only a preaching of words but a demonstration in the life i have preached righteousness in the great congregation so there there seems to be a connection between the law in the heart and righteousness manifested in the life what is the connection what we're going to see here friends is that the connection is that the law results the law in the heart results in the proclamation of righteousness in the life because the law itself is righteousness if you have your bibles go with me in your bibles to the book of psalm division 119 and we're going to look at this here psalm division 119 and we're going to go to verse 171 and 172. psalm division 119 verse 171 and 172 look at what it states there it says my lips shall utter praise when thou has taught me thy statutes but then notice verse 172 my tongue shall speak of thy word why for all thy commandments that's in reference to the law of god all thy commandments are what are righteousness so what are we seeing here we're seeing that it is not just that there is a relationship between the law and righteousness but rather what we are seeing here is that the law is righteousness manifested so now we are realizing this powerful reality that the law and righteousness are synonymous but here's the thing as it concerns the plan of redemption of the plan of saving man what the law is righteousness it cannot give so the law while it is the standard and revelation of god's righteousness even of god's character of love it cannot transmit that righteousness from itself to someone else and here in lies where we need jesus christ the reason as to why we need jesus christ friends the bible tells us paul speaking he says that by the law is the knowledge of sin so the law was meant to bring us to a realization that we are sinners in need of a savior that by our choice we have fallen by the decisions that we have made into sin and now god says i want to change you but the law while it reveals what we must be friends it cannot give us that power to be what we must become so how is god going to solve this problem how is god going to solve this friends it is not a problem in god's mind because he set out the plan of redemption in a step-by-step process by which we can come to salvation hence god took his law which is righteousness and he personified it in his own son the law that paul says is a part or the righteousness i would say this way that is apart from the law so in your bibles now we're going to show this go with me in your bibles to the book of jeremiah jeremiah jeremiah is our next text jeremiah chapter 23 jeremiah chapter 23 and we're going to look at verses 5 and 6. so we found out that by the law is the knowledge of sin because the law is the ultimate standard of righteousness but the problem from a human standpoint is what the law is it cannot give therefore what does god do he sets up a righteousness apart from the law and look at what this looks like jeremiah chapter 23 verse 5 and 6 states behold the days come saith the lord that i will raise unto david a righteous branch and a king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth verse 6 in his days that's speaking of this righteous branch the descendant of david in his days judah shall be saved and israel shall dwell safely and this is his name this righteous branch whereby he shall be called the lord our righteousness so what are we noticing here that word lord there is is actually the the tetragrammaton the four-letter word from which we may we form the word jehovah the yhwh yahweh yahweh will be our righteousness yahweh is our righteousness but this is a messianic promise in other words what it's showing here is that jesus christ is not only jehovah but jesus christ is our righteousness he is the righteousness of israel now why is that important friends the reason that this is important is because what we are realizing is righteousness therefore is not just a thing the law righteousness is a person jesus christ therefore we can have a relationship with righteousness then because jesus is our righteousness righteousness is a living being friends the law of god is righteousness but friends the righteousness of the law the righteousness in the law comes from the one who made it and christ is the creator of all things therefore the creator of the righteous commandments he himself is righteousness friends the reason that this is so important to us is that we are realizing that we can have a relationship with the very thing that the law requires and that is righteousness itself or should i say righteousness himself jesus we can enter into into communion with him and friends i promise you the more and more we enter into communion with him who is the righteousness of god personified the more we will become righteous our lives in beholding the lamb of god the personification of the law the law with hands and feet we then begin to live out the very principles of the law in our lives this is why we are told to spend a thoughtful hour each day contemplating the life of christ especially the closing scenes why because as we contemplate that life the residue of the character within that life will then rest upon us and we will become like the very life that we are beholding for by beholding we become changed god's law is righteousness jesus delighted to do that righteousness he is righteousness and friends that righteousness demonstrated in the law is the very same thing as the love of god for the law itself is a revelation of god's character so what we are seeing here is that the foundation of god's government is his law that means the foundation of god's government is righteousness but you remember god in his very nature is love therefore love and righteousness you can almost say they are synonyms righteousness and love this is what jesus came to reveal the righteous life and character of his father the exemplification of the law now that exemplification that was done in jesus's life what we're gonna see as we continue that revelation continues in those who behold the son of man you see in that first body the physical body that christ had and that god prepared for him in that body that was prepared for christ jesus himself revealed god's love his righteousness to the human race however those out of the human race who receive that revelation of god's love or the revelation of his righteousness which by the way you and i receive in the process of being justified and sanctified or made holy that revelation of love those who receive it in the human race are then called out of the world to continue reflecting that very love which changed them that very love which they saw in the life of christ this means the love revealed in the humiliation of the son of god from the manger to the grave results in the drawing of others to that humiliation of love to continue manifesting that love which was seen in christ's life death and resurrection in other words friends the church those called out ones are called to perpetuate not only in proclamation but in demonstration the very mysterious self-sacrificing love that was personified in jesus the same righteous life he manifested now as they behold him that same loving life that they saw in his life they now begin to reveal as they behold him in the word that love which reached its climactic point at the cross hence i told you all of this to then say this major point hence christ has two bodies not just one christ has two bodies if you haven't under if you're not understanding what i'm saying i pray that as we continue you'll understand i'm sure many of you do already hence christ has two bodies one in which he physically demonstrated the mystery that's the one we read of in psalm 40 a physical body was prepared for jesus and he came and in that body he revealed the character of god and then one in which he spiritually continues to reveal the same mystery he came in a physical body and manifested the mystery himself then he raised up a church the called out ones his spiritual body to continue that manifestation by the power of the holy spirit therefore paul says of the church in first corinthians chapter 12 and verse 27 now you the church are the body of christ and members in particular then in colossians 1 18 paul delineates even further he christ is the head of the body the church this is a church born through the blood born to declare the power of the blood brought into existence to make known the love revealed at calvary i love the poetic way in which charles spurgeon puts it as he reflects on the shedding of christ's blood and what it produces listen to what he says my friends listen to what charles spurgeon says he says in one of his published works was finally published on thursday july 18 1912. metropolitan tabernacle newington it states in quote jesus christ was typified by our father adam as adam fell asleep and out of his side eve was taken so jesus slept on the cross the sleep of death and from his side where the spear was thrust his church was taken he who redeemed us unto god by his blood formed us as a peculiar people for himself the church is one with him she came out of his side meaning as a result of his sacrifice and as he looks upon her he can say just like adam you are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh with my blood i have redeemed you close close quote friends this is powerful we are seeing that christ here has a second body it is none other than the church his people the ones who have been called out of the world as a result of accepting the revelation of his character two bodies with the same purpose even to make clear to the world and the onlooking universe what the mystery of god looks like when it works in fallen flesh and this all this that the self-sacrificing principle of love that exists in heaven can still be seen in fallen human beings who receive jesus as their lord and savior this is why the very first statement of the book acts of the apostles brings this point out strongly by stating the church is god's appointed agency for the salvation of men it was organized for service and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world from the beginning it has been god's plan that through his church shall be reflected to the world his fullness and his sufficiency did you get that that means friends that when it comes to the church through the prism of the church god is desiring to make known to fallen angels to fallen human beings to unfallen angels to unfallen words his fullness meaning the fullness of his power and his ability to supply every need through you the church god is desiring to make this known friends what an awesome privilege is ours to reveal the profundity of that truth now as we continue the statement goes on by saying this it says the members of the church those whom he has called out of darkness into his marvelous light are to show forth his glory the church is the repository of the riches of the grace of christ and through the church will eventually here it is be made manifest even to principalities and powers in heavenly places are you ready for this through the church something is going to be made manifest through us what is it through the church will eventually be made manifest even to principalities and powers in heavenly places the final and full display of the love of god ephesians chapter 3 and verse 10 is then quoted this now is taken from acts of the apostles page 9 paragraph 1. friends this is amazing what a thought it is very interesting to note that ephesians chapter 3 and verse 10 is referenced we see in ephesians 3 and verse 10 what will be unfurled at the end of time even the full and final display of the love of god but for the sake of context let us read verses 8 and 9 as well paul says there unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given that i should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of christ and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world have been hid in god who created all things how by jesus christ verse 10 to the intent or for the purpose that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known how by the church the manifold wisdom of god so do you now see more of what this mystery is it is the unfolding of the wisdom that is hidden within god's love in other words the love of god is not just a feeling friends but it is principled orchestrated wisdom wisdom so deep that it is unsearchable according to verse 8 meaning that it is untraceable the depths of it can never be reached wisdom so mysterious that paul dedicated his entire life to revealing the fellowship of it or what it means to commune with it wisdom so loving that it orchestrated a divine plan to save humanity eternal ages prior to man's fall paul saw that this mystery was revealed in jesus but he also understood something else and this is where we're going to bring in the aspect of the second body because paul understood that while this powerful mystery deep and infinite in its depth is amazing and it was revealed in christ it has to be continually revealed all the way until its final and full display right so that means the question that we must now ask is how is this going to continue how is this going to happen so paul saw that this mystery was revealed in jesus but he also understood something else and that is that this mystery was now to be unfolded to the world by jesus still but now through the instrumentality of jesus's spiritual body namely the church and this is exactly what began to transpire in the new testament that mystery which the old testament church tried to do by works the new testament actually began to do by a faith that works by love and purifies the soul and this is what god always wanted so far reaching was the revelation of the mystery of god's loving wisdom through the salvation prophet through christ that by the time paul wrote the epistle of colossians he could say with boldness that if you continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven whereof i paul and made a ministry that's colossians 1 23. it is amazing to see that the gospel spread that fast to the then known world it is estimated that the epistle was written just two to three decades after the death of christ the apostles along with the churches they raised up were so serious about the dissemination of the gospel that within a generation or less after the resurrection the glad tidings of the gospel had been given to every creature under heaven meaning the entire then known world yet notice that paul points out just a few verses later that this very gospel which is the good news of salvation through christ crucified and the part that his sacrifice plays in the larger work of the plan of redemption which is now to be unveiled to the gentiles paul says concerning this in verse 24 onward that this gospel is the mystery of god verses 24 to 27 states i now rejoice in my sufferings for you paul says and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of christ for the sake of his body which is his church verse 25 of which i became a minister according to the stewardship from god which was given to me for you to fulfill the word of god but the question is in light of those verses what aspect of the word of god must now be fulfilled according to this great stewardship given to paul none other than verse 26 which states the mystery which has been hidden from aegis and from generations but now has been revealed to his saints friends look at this next statement in connection with verse 26 it is not only that this mystery has been revealed to the saints but paul goes on a step further by saying that this mystery of the gospel must ultimately be revealed in the saints i want to read that to you again i want to state that to you again it is not only that this mystery has been revealed to the saints for the purpose of that mystery now being given to the gentiles but friends paul goes a step further by saying that this mystery of the gospel must ultimately be revealed not only to but in the saints and we're going to find out the reason is because that's the only way that it's going to get to the gentiles i'm going to state something about that after we read this verse because paul states in verse 27 to them the saints god will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles which is christ in you what the hope of glory so it is through the instrumentality of the saints that this mystery is then made known to the gentiles god makes it known to his people and then through his people he makes it known to the gentiles amazing at first the mystery was made incarnate in jesus christ and now the mystery is still christ in his church divinity once again in humanity the church is to make known the wisdom of god even the wisdom of the mystery of the gospel that is in the word of god now while this may definitely include the teaching of the plan of redemption as it is revealed in scripture it is more than that it is not just a proclamation of the gospel that we're looking at it's more than that my friends colossians 1 verse 27 reveals that the plan is not only to be exposed from the scriptures but also the very ones doing the expositing must themselves be a living exposition of the mystery of the power of the gospel itself we must not only proclaim the mystery that paul unfolds in his epistles but more than this paul wants us to realize that clearly second corinthians chapter three and verse three that clearly you are an epistle of christ ministered by us written not with ink but by the spirit of the living god not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh that is of the heart do we now see how christ dwells in us do we see how he comes close to our hearts even our minds it is by the third person of the godhead even the holy spirit and friends i don't i want us to to not miss something crucial here as we cover this aspect of how god reveals this mystery it is important i hear many saying many of the times even among god's own people that there must be an understanding that we must proclaim this gospel and woe that the gospel is going out to different parts of the world people are hearing the message and friends that is powerful but friends it is not only a hearing of the gospel that will end the world it is a demonstration of it and you guys know the scriptures very well matthew chapter 24 and verse 14 tells us and when this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached as a witness friends that means it is not enough just to proclaim the message there must be a demonstration of that message in our lives that people will not only hear the gospel that but that they will see the gospel not only that they will hear about the mystery but that your life will become a mystery and my life will become a mystery to the people of planet earth friends this is what god wants to do and when that mystery is revealed i tell you it will attract it will attract so many for christ is attractive his life woos men and women that will not resist so friends may that be our prayer as we continue this can only be accomplished however by the holy spirit dwelling in us the representative of jesus christ as the representative of christ the holy spirit dwells in us christ dwells in us notice the allusion to the ten commandments as we just read in second corinthians chapter three and verse three in that the spirit writes but this time not on tables of stone instead the decalogue is now written on the heart the law of god is the very foundation of his government friends this is what we must ever remember and this is what we were covering before this aspect of the foundation of god's government being his law therefore the foundation of his government is love and righteousness because the law is a manifestation of his very character friends we know that god is love and in light of being loved god is righteous and so now the foundation of the law the foundation of god's government the very law of love and righteousness is written on our very hearts and as a result of it being written there what do you think the result will be the living out of it in the life then in that law as we come to our conclusion the mysterious character of jehovah is revealed it is a law that while basic at face value is actually broad and deep in the span that it covers as you can remember when jesus speaks about adultery he says it's not only if uh if a man looks at a woman to lust after her but jesus then shows uh he magnifies the law by by revealing that hey it's not just about the look but friends it's about the heart it's not just about the act of actually committing adultery with someone but it's about looking for the purpose of lustful intent with the purpose of lustful intent going now from the action showing that the law of god covers not only the action but it goes all the way to covering the thoughts within one's heart and so he magnified the law another one that we can remember is not only in murdering someone but in being angry without cause is also deemed by the law of god it's the very same thing as murder murdering someone within the heart before it's actually carried out in actions and so the law of god is broad in its scope covering every aspect of the life it is a law that while basic at face value is actually broad and deep in the span that it covers why because it is the revelation of the character of one whose love can never reach that we can never reach the depths of it friends this is why this is so powerful because if god is infinite in his nature then the very principles that are laid out with the law cannot be exhausted it covers every aspect of what constitutes righteousness therefore the mystery of god as we have seen produces a church in which that mystery continues to manifest itself to the world so before we pray what i want us to see is that as jesus came in human flesh and revealed the principles of the law reveal the principles of righteousness being righteousness himself friends now as he did that in a physical body he is desiring to continue that very work in his spiritual body the church from the time that the new testament church arose christ has been desiring to do this and he has been unfolding this great mystery of course he did it with people in the old testament but friends it is finally when a church finally embraced a reality that salvation comes by grace through faith and god is offering this to each and every one on planet earth as they walked about believing this truth god was then able to use them as the continuation of the mystery and from the new testament what we are going to see as we continue in this series is that from the new testament church all the way down to the end of time god is going to work through the instrumentality of his church to reveal that mystery but in opposition to this mystery friends of godliness another mystery is going to show up another mystery which has been at work for a long time but will proliferate in its efforts as we come closer and closer to the end of time and so i ask you to stay tuned as we continue to move forward in our series the mysteries the two mysteries collide so i pray friends that this made sense to each and every one of you and i pray that you will go back in your bibles be bereans go back in your bibles and see if these things are so and that if they are so to know that if you desire to follow jesus god desires to continue revealing his mystery through you and i with that let's have a word of prayer as we close father in heaven we have covered much and i pray that these things made sense that jesus did this great work of revealing the mystery of the gospel of redeeming love in his own life in a physical body that was prepared for him and in the same way lord our lord and savior desires to continue the revelation of that mystery in those who come out of the world to follow him as he calls them lord we desire to be revelations of this mystery pour out your spirit within us that the law may be etched in our hearts in our very minds that as a result of it becoming a part of us being written in our the very core of our being in our minds that it then might be revealed in our lives for as a man think it in his heart so is he do this work in us we pray and may we stand for you as long as we live and even if you should so choose until jesus comes we pray and we ask these things in jesus christ's name amen [Music] you

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Length: 44min 30sec (2670 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 28 2021