WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.300 It's wonderful to be with you guys this morning. 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:07.379 My wife informs me that the last time I was here was two years ago, which is hard to believe. 00:00:08.099 --> 00:00:13.780 ! Though I meet regularly with Sean and Ed, and I help out with your pastoral team. 00:00:14.500 --> 00:00:22.039 And it's just been wonderful to visit, of course, but also to hear about all the things that the Lord's doing in and through Trinity Cambridge. 00:00:22.740 --> 00:00:28.440 And it's a privilege to come to you this morning with greetings from our church in Haverhill Mass. 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:31.400 And we are grateful for you guys. 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:38.140 We're coming up on 10 years ago this September that we sent you guys out, a small crew, to start Trinity Cambridge. 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:45.980 And here we are. You've grown and you're prospering and serving the life and mission of God here in East Cambridge. 00:00:46.859 --> 00:00:49.840 Well, we're going to look at 1 Timothy this morning, chapter 3. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.680 So I hope you have your Bibles with you, either on your phone or a paper Bible, to open up to 1 Timothy 3. 00:00:56.679 --> 00:01:02.439 I think we'll have the words to watch on the screen, but it's better to have your own Bible right in front of you. 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:08.900 As you turn there, let me ask, anyone here ever been on a tour of the White House? 00:01:09.780 --> 00:01:10.939 Some of you guys? Great. 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:14.359 I've actually never been there, though we lived in that area for seven years. 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:15.980 I never got a chance to go there. 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:20.640 The White House is an amazing building with a profound history. 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:25.140 There's the central executive residence, then there's the east wing and the west wing. 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:43.500 There's a chief usher who runs everything, 55,000 square feet, 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, 3 elevators, 5 full-time chefs, 00:01:43.500 --> 00:01:49.840 a tennis court, bowling alley, a movie theater, a jogging track, a swimming pool, and a putting green. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:54.200 And it receives 30,000 visitors every week. 00:01:54.780 --> 00:01:58.719 It's been home to the president since 1800 with only two breaks. 00:01:59.180 --> 00:02:06.700 One time when the British burned it in 1812, and then under President Truman when it underwent reconstruction. 00:02:06.700 --> 00:02:17.920 It's run by a chief usher who has a staff of 90 in a budget of $10 million, perhaps the most important house in the whole world, 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:25.039 mostly, though, because of who it houses, perhaps one of the most powerful political figures in the whole world, 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.000 the president of the United States. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:30.879 It's an amazing house and maybe the most important house in the world, 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:39.579 but there's a more important house than the White House that houses somebody way more important than the president of the United States. 00:02:40.439 --> 00:02:42.460 Any guesses on that house? 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:45.659 It's called the local church. 00:02:46.299 --> 00:02:56.379 It's called Trinity Cambridge Church, among all the different churches throughout the world that house the people of God and God himself as he dwells with his people. 00:02:56.379 --> 00:03:04.319 This house, your house, is more important, more prestigious, more profound than the White House. 00:03:04.979 --> 00:03:06.939 And that's what we're going to learn today as we look at God's word. 00:03:07.019 --> 00:03:15.159 We're going to look at 1 Timothy chapter 3, 14 through 16 and learn about the important role of the household of God, your local church. 00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:17.400 So let's pray, and then we'll read God's word. 00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:23.859 Lord, we thank you for your word, and I thank you for this church, this house that you dwell in. 00:03:23.860 --> 00:03:27.740 And I thank you for what you're doing in and through this church. 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:36.260 And I pray today, Lord, that you would speak to your people and encourage and refresh and call them anew to the things that you consider most important. 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:40.360 Help me, Lord, to explain your truth clearly and well. 00:03:40.480 --> 00:03:48.220 And I pray, Spirit of God, would you move in power and speak to your people and glorify your name, we pray in Christ's name. 00:03:48.460 --> 00:03:48.740 Amen. 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:53.620 1 Timothy chapter 3, starting in verse 14, says, 00:03:53.860 --> 00:04:23.860 00:04:23.860 --> 00:04:28.879 God's word from 1 Timothy chapter 3. 00:04:29.900 --> 00:04:36.819 These three verses contain some of the most important material in this whole letter. 00:04:37.139 --> 00:04:45.400 This section that we just read is a pivot point where Paul brings into sharp focus really what the whole letter is about. 00:04:46.080 --> 00:04:53.100 1 Timothy is a letter to Timothy from Paul as Timothy is being sent to the church in Ephesus. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:59.040 And Paul wants Timothy to understand the most important things for the church in Ephesus. 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:08.080 And via Paul, being inspired to write God's word here, we come to understand the most important things about any church. 00:05:08.760 --> 00:05:10.840 This church in Ephesus is struggling. 00:05:11.060 --> 00:05:12.220 It has issues. 00:05:12.460 --> 00:05:17.200 It is apparently straying from the gospel and straying from its purpose. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:24.240 And so Paul has sent Timothy to reestablish this church in the gospel and reestablish its priorities. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:33.579 He grounds all that he is saying on the reality that the church is the household of God. 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:37.079 And the great gospel of God shapes and drives everything. 00:05:37.620 --> 00:05:41.819 And the church itself is called to be a steward of the gospel. 00:05:41.819 --> 00:05:47.620 The church is the household of God and the steward of the gospel. 00:05:48.420 --> 00:05:50.399 And we need to understand this important truth. 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:53.800 Trinity Cambridge Church needs to understand this important truth. 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:58.240 That the church is the very household of God and the steward of the gospel. 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:00.019 And that's really what I want to talk about. 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:05.480 I just want to go through this section of scripture and talk first about the idea of it being the household of God. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.180 And then secondly, the idea of it being the steward of the gospel. 00:06:09.180 --> 00:06:14.019 So first, the household of God, verses 14 and 15. 00:06:14.139 --> 00:06:16.680 Paul has sent Timothy to Ephesus. 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.780 This is likely after the church has grown quite a bit. 00:06:20.840 --> 00:06:28.519 If you back up in the story of the church in Ephesus in Acts chapter 19 and 20, we learn about this church. 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:37.060 It's a church that has grown very fast and is very large, likely in the thousands from what we can tell. 00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:40.040 And reading the different data, that's in Acts 19 and 20. 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:45.939 And Paul actually in Acts 20 says goodbye, farewell to the Ephesian elders. 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:52.060 And he warns them about fierce wolves that would come in, even from among their own elders. 00:06:52.699 --> 00:06:58.579 And to creep in from the flock and cause devastation, drawing disciples away from the Lord. 00:06:58.579 --> 00:07:01.839 And from what we can tell, that's already happened. 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:09.379 Paul, at this point, has been through his first imprisonment, likely has traveled to Spain and been on another mission, 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:14.159 and then sent Timothy back to the church in Ephesus because it's in trouble. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:23.220 The reality is that wolves have crept in and have affected the sheep and even some of the shepherds themselves. 00:07:23.380 --> 00:07:27.940 And so this letter actually is very helpful in discerning what does a wolf look like? 00:07:28.280 --> 00:07:29.580 What does a shepherd look like? 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:31.660 What are sheep called to do? 00:07:31.660 --> 00:07:40.140 In this chapter that we're in, in chapter 3, Paul takes a good bit of time to talk about what a shepherd looks like, 00:07:40.200 --> 00:07:41.340 what an elder looks like. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:45.260 And he lays out the qualifications and qualities of an elder. 00:07:45.880 --> 00:07:52.240 And then he spends time, right after that, laying out the qualities and qualifications of a deacon. 00:07:52.660 --> 00:07:57.840 These two important church offices that are to be occupied by qualified men. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:02.060 And for deacons, we would understand women as well to serve in that role. 00:08:03.119 --> 00:08:04.839 So he's addressing the church. 00:08:04.939 --> 00:08:06.079 He wants the church to be healthy. 00:08:06.219 --> 00:08:08.279 And he recognizes the church needs good leaders. 00:08:08.819 --> 00:08:10.739 It needs qualified elders. 00:08:10.899 --> 00:08:12.539 It needs qualified deacons. 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:16.839 But what he's saying here isn't just for elders and deacons. 00:08:17.019 --> 00:08:23.639 He actually wants everybody to understand how to behave in the church of God, in the household of God. 00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:33.059 So verse 15, he says he is teaching so that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God. 00:08:33.199 --> 00:08:34.399 Really, this means everybody. 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:42.699 It's important for all of us to understand how to behave, how to live, what priorities and choices to make, 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.139 what behavior to pursue as part of the household of God. 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:50.980 And so in this letter, he's going to talk about not just elders and deacons, but he's going to talk about men and women, 00:08:51.399 --> 00:08:54.679 husbands and wives, the brethren in general, believers. 00:08:55.259 --> 00:09:02.340 He's going to address women, older women, older men, younger women and men, widows, slaves, masters, and the rich. 00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:03.240 Really everybody. 00:09:04.419 --> 00:09:10.039 And he's going to instruct Timothy how they are to live in light of being part of the household of God, 00:09:10.179 --> 00:09:12.039 in light of the gospel. 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:17.240 He is going to give motivations for right behavior. 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:21.339 He's going to lay out truth, and he does that in the passage we looked at. 00:09:21.539 --> 00:09:25.459 We have motivations in this passage for right behavior. 00:09:25.719 --> 00:09:28.120 And that's so important to understand as well. 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:34.240 It's one thing to know kind of what we ought to be doing, what we ought to believe and do as part of the church, 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:41.720 but having right motivations, allowing the deep truths of God in the hands of the Holy Spirit 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:49.919 to work in our minds and hearts motivation to pursue the right behavior in the church and the right priorities. 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:53.159 It's not enough to merely mimic behavior. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:59.539 We are to be motivated by God himself and his truth and what we read in this text. 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:04.439 And so I want to take time to look at what we see in this text that motivates us. 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:10.059 So first, the Ephesian church is described as the household of God. 00:10:11.199 --> 00:10:12.599 It's the household of God. 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:13.500 It's a family. 00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:14.240 It's a household. 00:10:14.459 --> 00:10:19.500 It's like a regular household that we all have been a part of. 00:10:19.860 --> 00:10:21.599 We understand how households work. 00:10:21.699 --> 00:10:26.000 It's a group of people who are together, who are related, who are called to live life together. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.840 But the emphasis here is not that it's just a household. 00:10:30.059 --> 00:10:30.879 Certainly that's true. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:34.480 And there's a lot of truth in that to understand that we are brothers and sisters, 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:37.379 that we are to relate to one another as a family. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.740 But it is the household of God. 00:10:41.980 --> 00:10:44.519 It's not just a household of Christians. 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:49.659 It's not just a household of people that are particularly religious and devoted to some truth. 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:53.000 It is not a household of people that have similar interests. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:56.320 It's not a household of people pursuing business together. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:59.980 It's not just another institution in society. 00:10:59.980 --> 00:11:07.159 It is a unique household because it is the household of God himself. 00:11:08.220 --> 00:11:11.580 Way more important than any of those other things. 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:14.440 All those other things, of course, have their place. 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:19.700 And we can search scripture and understand where they fit under God's plan for humanity. 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:25.040 But the household of God has a priority that exceeds all these other institutions. 00:11:26.540 --> 00:11:36.640 It is a household of none other than the infinite, almighty, holy, good, and glorious creator and sustainer of the whole universe. 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:44.620 Your church, among all the churches, is the household of God. 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:54.500 And to be the household of God should carry with it a sense of reverence and a sense of, wow, this is amazing. 00:11:54.940 --> 00:11:56.500 This is the household of God. 00:11:56.539 --> 00:11:58.519 And I get to be part of this household. 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:04.419 We need to be careful that we just don't move past that term, household of God, and not grasp what's going on. 00:12:04.419 --> 00:12:10.500 Because if we look elsewhere in scripture, when people live in the presence of God, when we are in the presence of God, 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:15.519 there is something about that that is awe-inspiring and awesome. 00:12:16.719 --> 00:12:20.339 Isaiah chapter 6, we read about what goes on in the presence of God. 00:12:20.459 --> 00:12:20.759 It says, 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:50.759 00:12:50.759 --> 00:13:08.059 Isaiah is seeing what it looks like, what it feels like, what it is like to be in the presence of God. 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:11.379 In the very throne room of God. 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.720 And yet, your church is the household of God. 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.820 The same God dwells here in your midst. 00:13:19.540 --> 00:13:20.340 Here on Sundays. 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:22.740 Here during the week as you gather in his name. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:24.379 He dwells with you. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:29.139 The Holy One, whom the Seraphim worship day and night, saying, 00:13:29.560 --> 00:13:31.820 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:35.759 This God, the Glorious One, dwells with you. 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:38.620 The one who dwells in unapproachable light. 00:13:38.740 --> 00:13:41.759 The one who is constantly worshipped day and night. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:49.480 Those angels worship the Lord, not because it's just their job, like they get hired to be worshippers there as Seraphim angels. 00:13:49.620 --> 00:13:51.379 No, they behold God. 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:52.240 They see him. 00:13:52.600 --> 00:14:02.519 And they can't help but say day and night, because they see God in all of his glory, in all of his goodness, all of his wisdom, all of his beauty and splendor. 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:07.480 They can't help but say day and night, holy, holy, holy is the Lord. 00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:12.300 And this is your God who dwells with you, Trinity Cambridge. 00:14:12.800 --> 00:14:15.899 You are the household of God. 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:28.700 Now, it's important that we not diminish the impact of that truth by saying, well, Paul's talking about the church, capital C, the whole church. 00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:33.460 Now, certainly, there are implications and truths about the whole church here. 00:14:34.220 --> 00:14:36.680 But he's not addressing the whole church. 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:39.540 He's addressing the church in Ephesus. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:43.360 He's addressing a church full of people like you and me. 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:47.600 He's addressing a church that's called to have officers, elders and deacons. 00:14:47.700 --> 00:14:50.660 It's called to walk according to the gospel. 00:14:51.020 --> 00:14:55.140 That's called to be light and salt where they are, just like you guys. 00:14:55.139 --> 00:14:55.220 Yes. 00:14:56.779 --> 00:14:59.620 He's speaking to a church, a local church. 00:15:00.139 --> 00:15:06.740 Now, the whole church is made up of local churches, but every local church is the household of God. 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:17.480 Paul goes on to describe the church in Ephesus in a slightly different way that they might understand and be motivated in how they think about church. 00:15:18.019 --> 00:15:22.080 He says that one may ought to know how to behave in the household of God. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:29.460 And then it says this, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:15:30.060 --> 00:15:32.480 That word church, we use that a lot. 00:15:33.040 --> 00:15:41.139 The English word church comes from the combination of Lord, a Greek word for Lord, Kyrios and Oikos, Lord's house. 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:42.460 That's really where it comes from. 00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:51.040 But in scripture, the word is ecclesia, which is close to the Spanish iglesia, which means a gathering. 00:15:52.540 --> 00:15:58.700 And so the gathering, the church is the gathering of the living God, the gathering of God's people. 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:00.879 It's the gathering of the living God. 00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:04.660 It's interesting to see how Paul is using language here to emphasize things. 00:16:04.659 --> 00:16:10.719 And so he says first, the household of God, that ought to be motivation enough for us to value our local church. 00:16:10.719 --> 00:16:15.919 But then he says it is the gathering, the assembly, the church of the living God. 00:16:15.980 --> 00:16:17.079 He adds the word living there. 00:16:17.139 --> 00:16:17.719 Do you see that? 00:16:18.199 --> 00:16:20.360 Do you catch that extra word there? 00:16:20.439 --> 00:16:22.299 Why would he add that? 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:27.559 Well, in scripture, we can look elsewhere in scripture to see where this word living is used and attached to God. 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:39.599 And I'll just go quickly through some verses, but I want you to see that it's used to emphasize the fact that he's real, he's active, he's present, and he demands our faith and obedience. 00:16:39.859 --> 00:16:41.119 He's the living God. 00:16:41.199 --> 00:16:43.039 He's not just the distant God. 00:16:43.119 --> 00:16:44.939 He's not just the idea of God. 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:47.679 He's the living and present and glorious God. 00:16:47.979 --> 00:16:50.619 And so the church is the assembly of the living God. 00:16:50.620 --> 00:16:58.820 So these different verses, David says, for who is this circumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:01.519 So that adds emphasis, the living God. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:03.560 How can he defy the armies of the living God? 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:12.339 Daniel, it says, I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever. 00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:16.339 Psalm 42, my soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 00:17:17.420 --> 00:17:19.200 When shall I come and appear before God? 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:23.960 Peter says of Jesus, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. 00:17:25.539 --> 00:17:29.519 Matthew 26, the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living God. 00:17:29.840 --> 00:17:31.180 Tell us if you are the Christ. 00:17:32.360 --> 00:17:42.660 First Thessalonians, for they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:48.600 And Hebrews 12, you have come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:56.839 So all these scriptures use this word living God to give us this sense of the fact that he's real, he's alive, he's present, he's holy, he's glorious. 00:17:58.039 --> 00:17:59.219 So this is the assembly. 00:17:59.859 --> 00:18:02.879 Trinity Cambridge Church is the assembly of the living God. 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:03.939 He is alive. 00:18:04.059 --> 00:18:04.919 He's here with you. 00:18:05.159 --> 00:18:05.859 He's holy. 00:18:06.059 --> 00:18:06.779 He's glorious. 00:18:06.899 --> 00:18:07.480 He's active. 00:18:07.679 --> 00:18:08.519 He's real. 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:12.279 This is the church of the living God. 00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:19.339 And so we ought to understand that as we are called to be part of our local church. 00:18:20.139 --> 00:18:23.559 There should be a sense of all sorts of things, right? 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:34.799 When we get that reverence and respect and gratitude and eagerness and zeal, the desire to participate, the wonder of the privilege of being counted among God's people. 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:41.619 If you were to visit Buckingham Palace, I think you'd have a sense like this, right? 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:45.519 You'd understand a little bit of the sense of reverence and regard there. 00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:56.960 Now, when you went on a tour there, you know, if you were with your group and you just started to scoff and said, you know, after looking at the 775 different rooms, like, I don't know. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:58.119 It's kind of a dumpy. 00:18:58.279 --> 00:18:59.259 I think I've seen better. 00:18:59.259 --> 00:19:01.559 And like, whose house is this, by the way? 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:03.759 Everyone in your tour group would be like looking at you. 00:19:03.859 --> 00:19:04.220 What? 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:05.859 What are you thinking? 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:12.200 It's because you understand this is the house of the royal family of the king of England. 00:19:12.539 --> 00:19:16.759 And as it was said, the sun never set on the British Empire. 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:18.740 There's a prestige there with the royal family. 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:20.059 And so you would be reverent. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:24.039 How much more your local church? 00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:28.140 Because it is the household of God. 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:32.020 It is the gathering of the living God. 00:19:32.019 --> 00:19:45.319 And so we ought to have a regard and a respect and a love and a sense of just fresh gratitude for our local church when we get these things. 00:19:45.500 --> 00:19:51.299 Paul is teaching these things to Timothy that he might teach the church that they might understand what they're doing. 00:19:51.299 --> 00:20:02.559 They might understand the importance, the priority, that they might be motivated to participate and behave appropriately as members of the church in Ephesus. 00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:07.319 And, of course, by implication for us as members of our local church. 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:09.680 He goes on to describe the church more, though. 00:20:09.740 --> 00:20:12.819 He then says it's the pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:20:12.819 --> 00:20:20.299 That may seem a little bit odd, mainly because we don't use those terms in architecture. 00:20:21.179 --> 00:20:24.859 Paul is living in a world where they would have understood these terms. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:27.599 But buttress is just a word for foundation. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:33.980 In ancient buildings, particularly in that part of the world, if they were going to be large, had to have a good foundation. 00:20:34.399 --> 00:20:36.740 It's an earthquake-ridden part of the world. 00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:44.519 And if you're going to have a secure building and if it's going to be a big and glorious building, you need to have a good foundation, a solid foundation. 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:48.720 And so he's describing the church as the buttress of the truth. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:49.980 It's a foundation. 00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:52.140 But it isn't just the buttress of the truth. 00:20:52.220 --> 00:20:54.319 It is the pillar of the truth as well. 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:56.079 And so pillars, we don't use pillars. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:58.700 But right there in Ephesus was a glorious building. 00:20:58.779 --> 00:21:00.099 I think we showed a picture. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:05.539 There is a picture of the temple of Artemis, a recreation of the temple. 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:08.519 As best as we can understand what it looked like. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:10.379 It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:12.500 An amazing building. 00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:14.700 It had a great foundation. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:21.339 Then had these 127 60-foot pillars, six foot across. 00:21:21.779 --> 00:21:22.559 Gigantic pillars. 00:21:22.899 --> 00:21:24.079 What were the pillars there for? 00:21:24.159 --> 00:21:25.279 Well, they held up the roof. 00:21:26.299 --> 00:21:31.099 But more than that, if you were to be in Ephesus, you could not miss this temple. 00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:34.299 And the most prominent aspect of the temple would be the pillars. 00:21:34.299 --> 00:21:38.720 The pillars were how the temple was represented to the city of Ephesus. 00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:43.240 And yet the temple was founded on this foundation as well. 00:21:43.819 --> 00:21:51.079 And it housed, at least as the Ephesians formerly thought, the deity Artemis. 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:58.259 And the people were known to say, great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:21:59.059 --> 00:22:09.679 And Paul is tying all these things together from what we can tell as he's teaching Timothy about a building that is far greater and more glorious than that temple that everyone knows about. 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:14.080 And so he says the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:16.940 He's connecting it to the temple in a way that they would have understood. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:18.980 And there are two aspects to that. 00:22:20.140 --> 00:22:22.740 He's saying that the church is the buttress of the truth. 00:22:22.840 --> 00:22:23.580 It is the foundation. 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:25.840 It's the thing that supports the truth. 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:26.799 Isn't that interesting? 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:33.279 It's a different way because elsewhere in Scripture we know again and again that it works the other way around. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:38.740 The church is supported and given life and created by the gospel, by the truth, right? 00:22:38.980 --> 00:22:40.680 The truth is what creates the church. 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:43.500 The truth is the ultimate foundation of the church. 00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:47.319 And Paul isn't meaning to say, no, no, no, I've changed my mind on that. 00:22:47.399 --> 00:22:48.559 No, that's not what he's saying. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:53.139 He's bringing a different angle to this truth that the church in Ephesus would understand. 00:22:53.259 --> 00:22:57.299 That not only were you created by this truth, but you actually are stewards of the truth. 00:22:57.460 --> 00:23:03.480 You as a building are ones that preserve and steward the gospel for the sake of God's purposes, 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:06.879 for his glory in and around and beyond Ephesus. 00:23:08.339 --> 00:23:16.379 But not only are you that foundation that provides a secure place to keep the truth and be faithful to the truth and guard the truth, 00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:19.200 but you also display the truth, pillars. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:24.280 You are the display of the glory of God, of the truth of God, 00:23:24.380 --> 00:23:27.360 the deep and glorious and eternal truths of God, 00:23:27.860 --> 00:23:29.680 culminating in the revelation of the gospel. 00:23:30.280 --> 00:23:33.260 You are the display to the world that when they look at the church, 00:23:33.360 --> 00:23:37.100 they would say, that's the place that houses God. 00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:39.640 That's what God looks like. 00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:41.280 I see those pillars. 00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:42.920 They are visible for all of us. 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:48.200 The church is to be the pillar and buttress of the truth, both. 00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:56.000 It is the visible and active manifestation of the reality of God's kingdom via the gospel. 00:23:56.620 --> 00:23:59.259 It is the stable and enduring place for the truth to dwell 00:23:59.259 --> 00:24:03.340 and for the church to put that truth on display to the world. 00:24:05.360 --> 00:24:07.400 This is really important to understand. 00:24:08.580 --> 00:24:12.120 The church is not like a side point here. 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:19.680 The local church is central to keeping and guarding the gospel 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:22.980 and displaying the fruit of the gospel to the world. 00:24:25.320 --> 00:24:27.420 It has both those activities. 00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:34.660 I imagine you guys, as living in and around Boston, have been to the MFA. 00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:37.539 Anyone here been to the Museum of Fine Arts? 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:39.340 Yesterday, great. 00:24:40.580 --> 00:24:41.700 We love the MFA. 00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:43.800 I grew up going there. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:48.460 And one of the things, I have like these old childhood memories of going there 00:24:48.460 --> 00:24:51.180 and looking at the Egyptian display that's been there. 00:24:51.180 --> 00:24:56.860 They've had that display actually since almost the very founding of the MFA back in the 1800s. 00:24:57.299 --> 00:24:58.279 An amazing display. 00:24:58.660 --> 00:25:01.779 60,000 different pieces in the Egyptian collection. 00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:05.799 There are tiles from the time of Ramses III. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:06.820 There's an old kingdom. 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:10.259 Pharaoh and his wife's statue that's perfectly preserved. 00:25:10.460 --> 00:25:11.820 There's ancient artwork. 00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:13.939 And then lots of scary mummies and stuff. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:15.779 I always got scared as a kid in that room. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:21.179 The MFA is the steward of lots of priceless history and art. 00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:24.399 And they do a wonderful job stewarding that. 00:25:25.639 --> 00:25:29.659 But we're not called to be a museum that merely stewards things. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:35.059 The church is not a place merely to house some quaint artifact. 00:25:36.059 --> 00:25:37.879 Some interesting artifact. 00:25:38.540 --> 00:25:40.520 Yes, indeed, we're called to steward these things. 00:25:40.800 --> 00:25:47.540 But we're to put those things on full display in an active way to the whole world. 00:25:48.540 --> 00:25:51.480 And in such an active way, in such a compelling way by God's grace, 00:25:51.560 --> 00:25:53.800 that the world would behold and come. 00:25:53.860 --> 00:25:55.260 They would come as tourists. 00:25:55.260 --> 00:25:58.280 But then as a result of coming and beholding and seeing, 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:01.280 whether that's on a Sunday or as you're out in the community, 00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:02.600 as the church is the church, 00:26:02.860 --> 00:26:06.060 they would come and join in with the household of God. 00:26:06.059 --> 00:26:11.279 The church is not a museum in that sense of a steward that is idle, 00:26:11.379 --> 00:26:12.919 just sitting on top of these truths. 00:26:13.220 --> 00:26:17.720 But the church is a place of the living God's activity through the gospel, 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:19.019 in and through the church, 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:22.440 putting it on display that the world might see and be drawn in. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:27.139 And that means we both go out and we draw people in as the church. 00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:31.720 The church is the household of God. 00:26:32.560 --> 00:26:36.520 The assembly of the living God, the pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:26:36.620 --> 00:26:40.680 So just a few ideas for application to think about. 00:26:41.820 --> 00:26:47.200 First, I think that this truth tells us that we should never, 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:53.660 we should never tire of pursuing the good of our local church. 00:26:53.660 --> 00:26:59.240 We should never tire of pursuing the good of this local church, Trinity, Cambridge. 00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:00.340 We should not tire. 00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:00.660 Why? 00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:04.360 Because this is the household of God, the living God, 00:27:04.600 --> 00:27:06.059 the pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:11.480 There's no greater purpose ultimately than his purpose in and through local churches. 00:27:12.259 --> 00:27:13.400 So we should not tire. 00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:18.220 And if we get tired, let's draw near the Lord and get help from one another 00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:21.920 that we might renew our zeal for God's purposes in and through the church 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:24.900 because this is God's priority, clearly, from Scripture. 00:27:25.800 --> 00:27:29.100 So let us all find ways to serve in the local church as well. 00:27:29.180 --> 00:27:32.540 Now, I wasn't brought in as an advertisement for the ministry fair, just so you know. 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:35.480 It just happened to work out well. 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:38.460 But yes, serve. 00:27:38.980 --> 00:27:42.820 We should all be participating in serving what God's doing in and through here. 00:27:42.819 --> 00:27:45.659 And we should understand the priority of the local church. 00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:50.679 This is not just a parallel institution along with all the others, 00:27:50.939 --> 00:27:52.359 as important as they might be. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:58.299 Things like work and family and social groups and so forth have their place, 00:27:58.379 --> 00:28:01.480 but they are to ultimately orbit around the priority of the local church. 00:28:01.639 --> 00:28:04.539 In its proper place, yes, that can be misunderstood. 00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:06.599 But the Bible sorts that out 00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:10.879 and never diminishes the priority of the local church. 00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:14.740 So just some things to think about and to look at your own life. 00:28:15.300 --> 00:28:17.920 Are you aligned with these truths yourself? 00:28:18.500 --> 00:28:21.120 Because these are God's truths and this is God's priority. 00:28:21.780 --> 00:28:27.060 Second, this passage teaches us about the mystery of godliness. 00:28:27.180 --> 00:28:28.440 And of course, this all connects in. 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:31.980 Great indeed, we confess, Paul says, is the mystery of godliness. 00:28:32.460 --> 00:28:35.240 He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, 00:28:35.420 --> 00:28:37.300 seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:39.760 believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:44.519 If you read in Acts chapter 19, you'll see a similar phrase. 00:28:45.299 --> 00:28:48.220 When there was a great riot, it says in Acts 19, 28, 00:28:48.279 --> 00:28:50.700 when they heard this, they were enraged and were crying out, 00:28:51.059 --> 00:28:53.099 great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:55.599 And later on, verse 34, 00:28:56.319 --> 00:28:58.539 when they recognized that he was a Jew, speaking of Paul, 00:28:58.779 --> 00:28:59.980 actually it was someone else, not Paul, 00:29:00.200 --> 00:29:02.240 for about two hours, they all cried out with one voice, 00:29:02.579 --> 00:29:04.339 great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:07.900 So they're shouting, great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:08.960 They're all chanting this. 00:29:09.160 --> 00:29:12.420 It's very likely that was part of their regular worship in the temple, 00:29:12.660 --> 00:29:14.440 to say great is Artemis of the Ephesians. 00:29:14.660 --> 00:29:17.280 So when Paul says, great indeed is the mystery of godliness, 00:29:17.640 --> 00:29:19.620 he is tapping into that same thing. 00:29:19.660 --> 00:29:21.300 But he's not saying great is Artemis. 00:29:21.820 --> 00:29:23.900 He's saying great is the mystery of godliness. 00:29:24.080 --> 00:29:25.880 Ultimately, he's going to talk about Jesus. 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:31.540 So this household of God, this pillar and buttress of the truth, 00:29:31.640 --> 00:29:37.260 is to be a place that shows how they live and how they love each other 00:29:37.260 --> 00:29:38.380 and how they relate to the community, 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:40.740 that great is the mystery of godliness. 00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:42.020 Great is Jesus. 00:29:43.700 --> 00:29:44.380 Excuse me. 00:29:45.900 --> 00:29:51.120 So Paul's saying that, and then he has this phrasing that says, 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:53.559 he was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, 00:29:54.699 --> 00:29:56.439 seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, 00:29:56.599 --> 00:29:58.679 believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:00.759 He never mentions the name of the person, 00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:03.539 but we all know the name of this person is Jesus. 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:07.019 And so this is probably a hymn that they would have known. 00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:12.219 And it's a hymn that has three pairs of statements. 00:30:12.220 --> 00:30:20.360 And these statements all talk about Christ both being shown in basically the heavens 00:30:20.360 --> 00:30:23.759 or the spiritual world and in the earth or the physical world. 00:30:24.299 --> 00:30:26.880 And so he is manifested in the flesh. 00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:28.160 He took on flesh. 00:30:28.620 --> 00:30:29.480 He became a human. 00:30:29.660 --> 00:30:34.400 God himself took on flesh, became a real human and lived among us, 00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:37.920 lived a perfectly righteous life, fulfilled the law, 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:44.539 and then offered up that righteous life as a human and as God himself in the flesh on the cross. 00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:49.320 Dying for our sins, dying in our place to pay for our sins. 00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:53.560 He was manifest in the flesh in all these real ways. 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:58.380 To the point of going to the cross, being buried, and then rising from the dead. 00:30:59.340 --> 00:31:00.240 In the flesh. 00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:01.460 New creation. 00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:03.860 Ascending in the flesh as well. 00:31:04.080 --> 00:31:05.240 He was manifested in the flesh. 00:31:05.300 --> 00:31:06.259 He was shown in the flesh. 00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:07.920 He is God in the flesh. 00:31:08.059 --> 00:31:10.420 But he's also vindicated by the Spirit. 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:13.460 From the beginning of his life. 00:31:13.619 --> 00:31:14.519 At his baptism. 00:31:14.980 --> 00:31:15.680 Through his miracles. 00:31:17.079 --> 00:31:18.440 And of course through his resurrection. 00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:19.500 Vindicated. 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:20.839 The Holy Spirit vindicated. 00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:23.119 Said this is more than just a man. 00:31:23.379 --> 00:31:24.460 This is the God man. 00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:27.500 This is the Son of God in the flesh. 00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:28.539 Who died for sin. 00:31:28.879 --> 00:31:31.019 And the Spirit raised him in power. 00:31:31.420 --> 00:31:32.240 To life eternal. 00:31:32.379 --> 00:31:33.400 He's vindicated by the Spirit. 00:31:33.480 --> 00:31:34.379 This is who Jesus is. 00:31:34.380 --> 00:31:36.480 In the flesh vindicated by the Spirit. 00:31:36.860 --> 00:31:37.880 Seen by angels. 00:31:38.580 --> 00:31:39.400 His whole life. 00:31:39.820 --> 00:31:42.920 His birth was announced by the angels. 00:31:43.660 --> 00:31:46.020 The angels ministered to him throughout his life. 00:31:46.740 --> 00:31:48.040 In the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:31:48.300 --> 00:31:49.140 There are angels. 00:31:49.540 --> 00:31:50.720 On the resurrection morning. 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:51.620 There are angels. 00:31:51.860 --> 00:31:52.920 He was seen by the angels. 00:31:53.040 --> 00:31:54.360 The angels saw him throughout. 00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:56.420 But not just the angels. 00:31:56.520 --> 00:31:57.600 He's not just seen by the angels. 00:31:57.720 --> 00:32:00.400 He's proclaimed among the nations. 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:02.900 This truth of who God is. 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:03.960 This mystery of godliness. 00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:05.900 This mystery of true worship. 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:07.700 And really that's what the word godliness means. 00:32:07.800 --> 00:32:08.500 It's devotion. 00:32:08.700 --> 00:32:09.259 It's worship. 00:32:09.740 --> 00:32:11.780 It was a word that was common actually in that culture. 00:32:11.960 --> 00:32:13.940 For your devotion to somebody like Artemis. 00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:17.080 But Paul's saying there's true godliness here. 00:32:17.240 --> 00:32:18.840 The mystery of godliness is about Jesus. 00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:21.560 And he is seen by the angels. 00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:23.380 But he's also proclaimed among the nations. 00:32:23.380 --> 00:32:27.520 The secret and the truth and this mystery. 00:32:27.600 --> 00:32:31.420 And the mystery is not in the sense of we think of a mystery murder. 00:32:31.560 --> 00:32:34.340 It just means a truth that is so deep it's beyond comprehension. 00:32:34.840 --> 00:32:35.640 Previously hidden. 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:37.320 Now known but not fully known. 00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:40.840 This mystery of who God in the flesh Jesus is. 00:32:41.320 --> 00:32:42.880 Is seen by the angels. 00:32:43.020 --> 00:32:45.180 It's proclaimed among the nations as well though. 00:32:45.760 --> 00:32:47.480 This truth of who God is. 00:32:47.540 --> 00:32:49.440 This reality of God visiting us. 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:52.160 And providing salvation through his death and resurrection. 00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:53.580 Is proclaimed. 00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:54.540 Is to be proclaimed. 00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:56.759 And will be proclaimed among all peoples. 00:32:57.320 --> 00:32:58.340 Not just the angels. 00:32:58.840 --> 00:32:59.700 Not just heaven. 00:33:00.060 --> 00:33:01.180 Heaven knows all about him. 00:33:01.220 --> 00:33:02.340 But all of the earth will know. 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:03.800 Every knee will bow. 00:33:04.120 --> 00:33:06.259 Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. 00:33:07.320 --> 00:33:08.860 He's believed on in the world. 00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:11.420 The world is believing in him. 00:33:11.840 --> 00:33:12.840 More and more. 00:33:14.140 --> 00:33:16.680 I spent a month in South Asia recently. 00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:18.960 And there's amazing things going on there. 00:33:19.180 --> 00:33:20.779 People believing on Jesus. 00:33:20.779 --> 00:33:20.980 Jesus. 00:33:24.759 --> 00:33:26.180 And he's taken up in glory. 00:33:27.539 --> 00:33:29.039 He's in the heavens right now. 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:30.039 Reigning and ruling. 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:33.259 Paul wants all this truth. 00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:34.480 These are all gospel truths. 00:33:34.579 --> 00:33:36.379 They are all truths about the good news of Jesus. 00:33:36.619 --> 00:33:37.319 Who he is. 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:39.319 And what that means for us. 00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:42.359 And this is a great thing Paul says. 00:33:42.519 --> 00:33:44.359 Great is this mystery of godliness. 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:45.899 Great is this truth. 00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:47.940 Great is this thing that you steward. 00:33:47.940 --> 00:33:52.220 Great is this thing that is working among you to put on display the glory of God. 00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:54.220 It is truly great. 00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:55.860 And this is a hymn in Greek. 00:33:55.960 --> 00:33:57.559 It would rhyme and make sense. 00:33:57.779 --> 00:33:58.680 Even more so. 00:33:58.980 --> 00:34:00.600 But we can understand its meaning here. 00:34:01.259 --> 00:34:03.299 And understand what's going on. 00:34:03.360 --> 00:34:04.320 This reality. 00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:07.120 He is great. 00:34:08.300 --> 00:34:08.980 The gospel. 00:34:09.260 --> 00:34:10.099 The good news. 00:34:10.099 --> 00:34:15.259 The truth of God is the greatest thing we can understand and experience and proclaim. 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:20.079 And again this is set alongside the false worship that's going on in Ephesus. 00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:23.039 Calling the church in Ephesus to understand who they are. 00:34:23.219 --> 00:34:25.699 And the true worship that God has for them. 00:34:25.860 --> 00:34:28.679 To be motivated and propelled in their lives. 00:34:29.079 --> 00:34:32.679 To prioritize their lives in light of these truths. 00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:38.819 To gladly serve and to know how to behave in the household of God because of these truths. 00:34:41.319 --> 00:34:50.639 Your ability to behave appropriately in this church and with this church comes from getting these truths. 00:34:51.460 --> 00:34:53.519 Comes from getting the gospel. 00:34:54.219 --> 00:34:57.079 And it's goodness and glory and greatness. 00:34:57.379 --> 00:35:00.619 And God wants you to be motivated by him. 00:35:00.619 --> 00:35:00.719 And God wants you to be motivated by him. 00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:06.039 Don't settle for tired duty. 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:10.940 These truths should empower you and motivate you. 00:35:11.460 --> 00:35:15.039 And cause you to do things that are wise and good and true. 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:21.480 Can you imagine if you were alive in 1984? 00:35:21.799 --> 00:35:25.279 And that might be true for some of us who were alive in 1984. 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:27.179 Most of you guys are probably not alive in 1984. 00:35:27.179 --> 00:35:31.059 And you were watching the Super Bowl back in 1984. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:34.259 Sean's looking at me like, where are you going right now, Paul? 00:35:34.960 --> 00:35:38.319 You're watching the Super Bowl and there's this really weird commercial that comes on. 00:35:39.500 --> 00:35:40.879 Around the book 1984. 00:35:41.940 --> 00:35:46.460 And it's, somebody runs up an aisle and throws a big hammer at a screen. 00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:50.000 It's an advertisement for a new computer called a Macintosh. 00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:52.780 And it's 1984. 00:35:53.059 --> 00:35:57.519 And let's just say for some reason you knew, you just got a sense, something's going to, this is going to be pretty big. 00:35:58.719 --> 00:35:59.500 And you knew. 00:35:59.619 --> 00:36:02.800 And I don't know, maybe, maybe, maybe I, you time traveled or whatever. 00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:05.639 You just understood this was the beginning of Apple Computer. 00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:12.119 And that this was going to go on to become probably the most successful company, one of the most successful companies ever. 00:36:12.799 --> 00:36:15.059 And you knew, watching that commercial, what was ahead. 00:36:15.339 --> 00:36:19.699 You knew the implications of this weird commercial during the Super Bowl back then in 1984. 00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:26.920 And you decided to, as a result, take your $1,000 that you had put away in savings and invested in this Apple Computer. 00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:28.519 Because that was the initial public offering. 00:36:30.260 --> 00:36:37.400 And you, if you know the reality, right, that that $1,000 invested in 1984 would be worth $1.6 million today. 00:36:38.639 --> 00:36:43.420 You would be motivated, if you knew all that, wouldn't you, to take whatever money you have and invest in them. 00:36:44.059 --> 00:36:53.200 Well, I'm giving you an inside scoop on God's priorities and what God is doing and the most glorious thing you can invest in possibly. 00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:59.379 And it's meant to carry that same sense, as if you were in 1984 knowing what was going to happen. 00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:02.480 You would prioritize your life in light with that. 00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:04.719 You would find $1,000 somehow to invest. 00:37:05.619 --> 00:37:10.899 How much more would we understand that this is the household of God? 00:37:11.659 --> 00:37:13.079 The assembly of the living God. 00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:14.399 The pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:37:14.699 --> 00:37:17.799 And that great is this mystery of godliness. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:19.639 Great is this gospel. 00:37:19.639 --> 00:37:23.960 We would be motivated, and I believe that's what the Lord wants for us. 00:37:24.059 --> 00:37:30.559 And so, my brothers and sisters, everyone here, I want you to hear what God's saying. 00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:37.779 And I want you to be freshly motivated, not because I'm telling you this, but because God tells you this through his word. 00:37:37.780 --> 00:37:47.760 I want you to not settle for anything less than consistent zeal for God's purposes in and through this local church. 00:37:49.240 --> 00:37:53.620 It's interesting that Paul uses a hymn to bring them to the gospel. 00:37:54.580 --> 00:37:59.580 And that just points to a key way that we stay freshly motivated, freshly aware of the gospel. 00:37:59.820 --> 00:38:04.280 It's through things like hymns and creeds and confessions and good books. 00:38:04.280 --> 00:38:10.740 And if you are waning in your zeal, let me encourage you to take advantage of the means of grace God has for you. 00:38:11.060 --> 00:38:19.640 And don't stop until you feel yourself refreshed and renewed in the greatness of the mystery of godliness of the gospel. 00:38:19.940 --> 00:38:25.519 Until you feel yourself with fresh faith for God's purpose in and through this local church. 00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:30.519 If you are lacking in zeal, I just encourage you to pursue these things. 00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:31.539 And one more thing. 00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:36.079 Philemon chapter 6, Paul says something very insightful to Philemon, his friend. 00:38:37.420 --> 00:38:44.820 He's talking to Philemon on behalf of his other friend, Onesimus, who's Philemon's slave, actually. 00:38:45.239 --> 00:38:47.139 He's trying to motivate Philemon to do the right thing. 00:38:47.179 --> 00:38:49.559 And he says this in chapter, in verse 6 of Philemon. 00:38:49.559 --> 00:38:57.960 And I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 00:38:59.079 --> 00:38:59.980 Interesting, isn't it? 00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:06.039 He wants him to be active in sharing what he has so that he would understand how much he has. 00:39:08.279 --> 00:39:14.639 And an important way that we are freshly aware of how much we have and how good it is is by giving it away. 00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:21.639 And there are thousands of people around you who don't have what you have. 00:39:22.859 --> 00:39:28.259 And you are probably only going to understand how great it is if you are regularly giving it away to them. 00:39:28.980 --> 00:39:30.599 And it starts just with prayer. 00:39:31.099 --> 00:39:33.460 It starts just with being a genuine friend to them. 00:39:33.739 --> 00:39:34.839 Genuinely loving them. 00:39:35.059 --> 00:39:39.739 But then looking for opportunities to tell them about God's love and about his truth. 00:39:40.039 --> 00:39:42.679 And finding ways to serve them and not giving up. 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:48.119 Your zeal is connected to how regular you are in giving away what you have. 00:39:49.179 --> 00:39:52.779 So that might be your cure for greater zeal. 00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:54.639 Pray and look for. 00:39:54.859 --> 00:39:56.119 And then take bold steps. 00:39:56.299 --> 00:39:57.119 Ask for boldness. 00:39:57.219 --> 00:40:00.559 Get people to pray for you so you can give away what you have. 00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:07.519 Well, I hope that this has helped you understand these truths. 00:40:07.879 --> 00:40:10.339 I hope that this has stirred you. 00:40:10.899 --> 00:40:12.319 And I trust that God is working. 00:40:12.320 --> 00:40:13.080 Let me pray for you. 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:15.360 And then I'll let the team come up. 00:40:15.460 --> 00:40:16.760 So, Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:20.700 We thank you for the amazing truths that are here. 00:40:21.559 --> 00:40:23.000 And I thank you for this church. 00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:26.440 That is the household of God. 00:40:26.539 --> 00:40:27.160 The living God. 00:40:27.559 --> 00:40:28.780 Pillar and buttress of the truth. 00:40:29.640 --> 00:40:32.660 That the good news is stewarded here and put on display. 00:40:32.760 --> 00:40:36.320 And I pray you would do so more and more and more. 00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:38.500 Because great is our God. 00:40:39.100 --> 00:40:40.660 We ask these things in Christ's name. 00:40:40.660 --> 00:40:41.100 Amen. 00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:43.260 Amen. 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 00:40:43.260 --> 00:40:43.260 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