We can turn back now to our reading in Ephesians chapter 3.
We can read again at verse 8. Ephesians chapter 3, reading at verse 8.
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, and so on.
Two things that we have in these verses that we're going to be focusing on this evening.
We have the unsearchable riches of Christ mentioned there in verse 8,
and also we see how Paul here is speaking about a mystery,
and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.
What do you think of when you think of that word mystery?
What comes to mind?
It might have something, bring something to mind that's hard to understand.
Perhaps if you're in school, you're thinking about things that you find difficult as you're studying.
They seem like a mystery, algebra, physics, a foreign language.
It just seems like a mystery when you first start looking at them.
How do you understand these things?
It might be something you've misplaced.
It's a mystery where it's gone.
You leave your keys, you leave glasses, leave all kinds of things lying around and just say,
well, it's a mystery.
I don't know where they've gone to.
It might be something like a book or a TV show that you enjoy.
Maybe you're into mystery novels or mystery shows.
You're wondering about, as it starts, there's an unsolved mystery and who it's going to be that's done it as it were.
And it takes you in different directions before you see the answer coming that was staring you in the face all along.
There's so many things that we can relate to when we think of the word mystery.
As Paul is writing to the people here in Ephesus, he uses the word mystery often.
And he uses this phrase in verse 8 as well as he is a preacher, seeking to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
And they sound like things that cannot be known.
They sound like things that are maybe so far off that we just cannot reach them.
But as you make your way through this letter, you find that the people of Ephesus, as he is preaching to them,
are hearing the things that they need to hear.
And this point in his letters, we're about the halfway point.
And he's been teaching them many different things.
And he's been teaching them because there are people who have had their concerns, who have had their struggles.
They've been discouraged.
They've been discouraged by what has happened to Paul himself.
They have seen him writing to them from prison.
They've heard what's happened to him.
They're concerned.
They're discouraged.
They've got their own things going on in Ephesus as well.
There's persecution all around them.
There's threats all around them.
There's fears all around them.
And it's in light of that, then, that Paul is writing to them.
And he's writing to encourage them.
And so it maybe seems a little strange that you write to encourage them,
talking about things that are a mystery or things like the unsearchable riches of Christ.
But that is what he is revealing to them as he writes to them.
And he has already told them so much up to this point that we're going to think about.
Because what you find as you're going through this letter, the people are encouraged.
They're encouraged through what they hear.
And it's like their darkness is turning into light.
As Paul is teaching, as he is proclaiming the gospel to them,
their confusion that has seemed like darkness is becoming light.
The light of God's word is coming in.
Confusion is turning to understanding.
The things that they have been confused about,
they are beginning to understand more in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And especially that phrase, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Because the more they get to know that,
the more they are strengthened and encouraged.
So their understanding is growing, their light is coming.
And that is what God's word does for ourselves as well.
That's what the preaching of God's word is meant to do,
to build us up in the faith,
to help us understand the things that are the mysteries of the gospel
and the unsearchable riches of Christ.
But how do we understand?
How do we get to that point?
Well, you could say that it's through much prayer.
We have to get there by much prayer.
And that's where this chapter is leading,
to that wonderful prayer that you have in verse 14 to verse 21,
where Paul says,
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father.
And he prays that they might have a grasp,
that they might grasp the height and length and breadth and depth
of the love of Christ.
It's a wonderful prayer.
And be filled with all the fullness of God.
But before he comes to that prayer,
before he comes to pray that prayer for them,
he wants them to be assured and to be strengthened,
not just by prayer,
but by understanding the word of God,
by understanding the truths of what God has been teaching.
And it's a great reminder to ourselves tonight
when it comes to our own prayers.
As we come to pray to God,
we can pray that great prayer of these verses 14 to 21,
that we might grasp with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
Again, it seems like something that is far away,
surpasses knowledge.
Can it be known?
It can.
But in order to know it through our prayers,
we really have to come first and foremost
to see it in his word,
to see it in all the truths that he has revealed to us,
to grasp the depths of what God's word is telling us.
Even as we were thinking of this morning,
as we were looking at Paul's letter to the Galatians,
just the previous pages to this,
we were thinking of how often we are caught up
in that way of sin,
how we are repeat offenders,
that sin that just keeps coming back to us again and again.
And yet, as we see here,
we are reminded that we have grace,
we have mercy, we have forgiveness,
we have all of these things.
And that's what God has revealed through his word.
And the more we understand these things,
the more we are then able to pray to him
with a greater knowledge,
with a greater understanding.
Things that seem beyond our understanding.
Do you this evening come here believing God can be known?
Do you come here this evening thinking,
I've got a great knowledge of God?
Or have you come here this evening thinking,
there are so many things I don't understand?
There are so many things that seem beyond my understanding.
Well, probably all of us should be in that latter category.
We don't come here knowing everything
because we cannot possibly know it all.
But we should come here seeking to understand more,
seeking to have our knowledge increased,
seeking to understand the ways of salvation.
When you go back to the Old Testament,
to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 29, verse 29,
there it reminds us of what we have before us this evening as well.
It says there,
the secret things belong to the Lord our God.
So there are things that we don't understand.
There are secret things that belong to God.
But it says then,
but the things that are revealed belong to us
and to our children forever,
that we may do all the words of this law.
So there are things that are revealed to us.
There are things that are given to us
that we can seek to understand.
So many things that seem a mystery to us.
The more we study, the more we learn,
the more they begin to be revealed to us.
You think of algebra, you think of physics and maths and foreign languages.
All of these things, they can seem like a mystery to begin with.
But the more we're taught, the more we come to understand.
And that's the way it is with God's Word.
And that's what Paul is doing in this letter,
seeking to teach them the mysteries of the gospel
and the unsearchable riches that there are in Christ.
And so we want to just look at two things together this evening
based on these words.
The first is the mystery of these things.
And then secondly, the marvel of these things.
The mystery and the marvel of these things.
Well, the first thing we have is the mystery.
Have you ever been left with a kind of sense of being dumbstruck before God?
Left with no words to utter.
There's just nothing you can offer up to God.
Maybe it's something that's happened in your life.
It may be a good thing.
It may be a bad thing.
There can be so many things that happen in life
and we're just silenced before God.
We don't know what to say.
We don't know how to express ourselves.
Well, as you look through God's Word,
you find that that is a common occurrence.
Especially when you look in the book of Psalms,
many Psalms,
you find the Psalm is questioning,
asking questions of God.
And there's one Psalm, Psalm 77.
I'm going to quote some of the verses from that Psalm.
And you find the Psalm is there with a sense of being dumbstruck,
as it were,
before God.
He has many questions.
But listen to how the Psalm works out.
Verse 4, it says,
Mine eyes debarred from rest and sleep,
thou makest still to wake.
My trouble is so great that I unable am to speak.
And so you see there the Psalmist,
it's almost like he just cannot sleep,
he cannot rest.
His trouble is so great,
but he says,
I am unable to speak.
It's almost like there's nothing he can bring to God.
But then you see in verse 7,
he has his questions.
Forever will the Lord cast off,
and gracious be no more.
Forever has his mercy gone.
Fails his word evermore.
So he's got questions.
And it's questions that are concerning him.
Has God's mercy gone?
Has his word failed forevermore?
Is there nowhere I can turn?
He's in the midst of a difficult providence.
It's a mystery what is going on in his life.
Then in verse 10 it says,
Then did I say that surely this is mine infirmity?
I'll mind the years of the right hand of him
that is most high.
Yea, I remember will the works performed by the Lord,
the wonders done of old by thee,
I surely will record.
How does the transformation come about?
From being unable to speak in verse 4
until in verse 10 and 11,
he's able to see the works of his right hand most high,
his works performed, the wonders done.
How?
By looking to God.
By looking to him.
What is the psalmist saying?
He's saying,
I have many worries,
I have many questions,
but God is over all.
God is in control.
And that's the very thing that we're seeing here
with Paul in Ephesians.
As he is writing to the church in Ephesus,
as he's writing to the people there,
they have their concerns,
they have their worries about Paul in prison,
about themselves and their own situation.
But what Paul is saying is,
God is in control.
Even in the mystery of the things that take place.
Two kinds of mystery we see here
with Paul in chapter 3.
In verse 1,
we see the mystery of providence.
A great mystery to us all at times,
the mystery of God's providence.
Verse 1,
it says this,
For this reason I,
Paul,
a prisoner for Christ Jesus
on behalf of you Gentiles.
What is he saying there?
Well, the people are concerned
that he's in prison.
But what is Paul saying to them?
Well,
who
put Paul in prison?
The people then,
and we ourselves reading through this,
would say,
well,
it's those in authority.
It's those in power.
Nero was the emperor at this time.
He was an evil man.
He had no time for Christians.
He treated them wickedly.
And so was it him
that put Paul in prison?
Well,
Paul is saying to the people here,
in providence,
it's not.
Because he's reminding them
that he is a prisoner
for Christ Jesus.
This
is where he wants him.
Because he wouldn't be in prison
if that's where Christ didn't want him.
And so he's reminding them
that there is this mystery of providence.
That there are things
that are happening
here for Paul
beyond understanding
for him or for the people.
But that there are assurance
that their comfort is found
in the knowledge
that it is all of Christ.
He is a prisoner
for Christ Jesus
on behalf
of you Gentiles.
He is there
for them.
He is reminding them
that the powers of this world
have no control
over these things.
They are all
in God's hand.
That not one hair
from his head
can be taken
without God knowing
and giving permission
for it.
So you have this mystery
of providence.
And providence
is one of those things
that is so often
a mystery to us.
It can leave us
to that sense of
we have no words
before God.
And it can be
in the providence
that we see
as wonderful providence
and the providence
that we see
as hard providence.
that we see
God is in control.
There's a story told
a story that actually
happened of
two sides
of the same
situation
and both
looking at it
as the providence
of God.
It goes back
to the year
1980
and someone
wrote about
a Christian
wrote into
an article
in a magazine
about a Christian
who providentially
escaped death.
And this was
because an unexpected
delay in New York
kept this man
from catching
a flight
flight 191
in Chicago
in 1980.
That flight
crashed
and 254
people
lost their lives.
And the article
was written
by the person
saying
this is a
wonderful providence.
How this man
was delayed
in one place
that he ended up
missing his flight.
And you could say
it's a great providence.
But someone
replied
to the article
and said this
I just had to
let you know
about a Christian
who ran
to make flight
191
and made it.
He got on
the plane
and he perished.
And this man
was a minister
in a church
in California
and his plane
had been late
when he arrived
in Chicago
and he had to run
to catch the flight
but he made it.
He got on board.
And the last thing
his friend saw
was running
towards that gate
to catch that flight.
And this made
the man who wrote
the original article
just ponder
just pause
for a few moments
and think
well where was
God's providence
there?
Was God's providence
operating only
in New York
where one man
was kept
from catching
that flight?
Or was God's providence
at work
where that man
made the flight?
He was a man
who was a
Christian minister
who had a
fruitful ministry.
And the question
could be
well why
has God
allowed that?
It's a mystery
of providence.
But one comment
that was made
was from
the friend
who had seen
the minister
who caught the plane.
And he put it
like this.
At the time
the minister
didn't know
that he was indeed
running to heaven.
That although
it was his providence
that he would pass
away that day
he had a greater
hope
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
that he was safe
for eternity.
And providence
should be seen
in light
of eternity.
And Paul
often speaks
of it in that way
the mystery
of providence.
The mystery
of his providence
here in that
he's in prison
but it's for Christ.
The mystery
of the afflictions
that we have
in this world
but they are
light
momentary
afflictions
he describes
them as
and so we have
this mystery
of providence
and in the midst
of that
we are to have
an eternal
perspective
to look at it
from eternity.
And what helps
with that then
is the second
mystery that we
have here
and that is
the mystery
of the gospel.
Paul uses
the word
mystery here
in verse 3
and verse 4
and verse 6
and verse 9.
and they are
all associated
with the gospel.
When you see it
in verse 3
how the mystery
was made known
to me
by revelation
as I have
written briefly.
So this mystery
was made known.
There's been
a revelation
of this mystery.
And the word
made known
revelation
here is
an uncovering.
An uncovering
uncovering
of things.
So this is
what Paul
has been doing
for the church
at Ephesus
for the church
in Galatia
for the gospel
spreading.
It's a revelation
and it's a revelation
of a mystery.
Just go back
to Deuteronomy
29
verse 29
the things
that are revealed
belong to us.
There's this sense
of revelation.
So you have
this revealing
but you also
have this mystery.
The mystery
refers to
something that's
been hidden
and especially
here it
implies
hidden by
God
because they're
beyond our
natural
understanding
until he
reveals them.
Until he
reveals them.
There are
various things
that you see
being launched
in our world.
Things that are
kept secret
until there's
a big reveal
as it were.
If you're into
Formula One
racing
every new season
they reveal
the new car.
All these secrets
that are being
kept behind the
scenes.
The preparations
that's going on
and then the
launch day
comes and the
car is taken
off under
a cover.
It's revealed
and people are
looking to see
what has been
done.
How they've done
certain things.
there's this
big revelation.
It can also
be done
with phones.
Many of the
big companies
launch a new
phone every
year.
There are secrets
that are kept
and then you
have this big
launch day when
things are
revealed.
The same as
through another
big ceremonies
whether it's
launching boats
or opening
buildings.
They're often
done to a
great fanfare
and people
come curious
to see what
it's like,
what's inside,
how it's been
built,
how it's been
designed.
People want
to look.
That's the
same with the
gospel.
It's a mystery
that is revealed
and we should
be longing to
see what is
in this
mystery.
What is the
mystery that is
being uncovered,
being revealed
here by Paul?
It is the
word of God,
the gospel,
the good news
of Jesus
Christ.
He's saying
God has
lifted a
veil away
from the
truths that
were hidden
by God.
A divine
secret is
revealed and
it's something
that has been
hidden.
It's been
hidden.
In verse
5 it says
this was not
made known
to the sons
of men and
other generations
as it has
now been
revealed to
his holy
apostles and
prophets by
the Spirit.
So there
were things
that were
hidden.
Even to
people like
Moses and
Abraham,
David,
Isaiah,
they couldn't
see the
whole mystery.
They couldn't
see the full
revelation of
it.
But here
this revelation
is for us.
And it's in
verse 6 it
goes on to
say,
this mystery
is that the
Gentiles are
fellow heirs,
members of the
same body,
partakers of
the promise
in Christ
Jesus through
the gospel.
And this
would be a
moment for
these people
to think,
we thought
that God
was only
for the
Jews.
But here
we are being
told this
mystery,
the Gentiles,
that all
people everywhere
can be
fellow heirs,
members of
the same
body,
partakers of
the same
promise in
Christ Jesus
through the
gospel.
This is
a revelation
that is being
made.
The mystery
that is revealed
to you and
to me tonight
is that we
can be
partakers of
this gospel.
Something that
seems a
mystery to us
at times,
so difficult
to understand,
and yet here
we are told
that God
through Christ
and his
spirit works
in us so
we might
understand
these things
that have
been hidden
for generations.
The revelation
of God
to us
through his
son,
Jesus Christ.
What a
wonderful mystery
has been
made known
to us.
Do you
long to
see it
more?
We can
show interest
in F1
cars,
we can
show interest
in phones
and buildings
and boats
and all
of these
things,
but the
greatest
mystery
has been
revealed to
us in
the gospel,
the good
news of
Jesus Christ.
So there's
a mystery
here that
is revealed.
And as
this mystery
is revealed,
we then
see that
there is
a marvel
at this.
And this
then is
what Paul
is describing
as his
role.
In verse
7 of
this gospel,
this mystery
that's been
revealed,
I was made
a minister
according to
the gift
of God's
grace which
was given
me by
the working
of his
power.
To me,
though I
am the
very least
of all
the saints,
this grace
was given
to preach
to the
Gentiles
the
unsearchable
riches
of Christ.
To me,
though the
very least,
Paul is a
strange word
there that
it was almost
like he made
up a word,
I am the
leastest
of all
the saints.
That's the
way he saw
himself,
as we saw
this morning
reading in
Romans,
Paul,
O wretched
man that
I am.
He is the
leastest of
all the
saints,
but he has
been given
grace,
and he's
been given
grace and
a purpose
to preach
to the
Gentiles
the
unsearchable
riches
of Christ.
So again,
when you have
the unsearchable,
what does it
mean?
Does it mean
it cannot be
known?
Well,
the word
unsearchable
can also
mean
unfathomable.
There's a
depth to
it,
a great
depth,
it's almost
like a
depth that
can never
be reached.
And it's
the way
every preacher
feels,
I'm sure it's
the way
every Christian
feels.
There's just
a depth
to the
wonder of
the gospel
that we
just cannot
get all
the way
down,
even though
as Paul
prays later
in this
chapter,
that we
may grasp
the breadth
and length
and height
and depth.
it's a
prayer that
we might
know it,
but there's
a size,
there's a
scale to
this that
goes beyond
our understanding.
And it's a
marvel to
us.
But Paul
is declaring
this message
to the
church.
He's
declaring
this message
to ourselves
here tonight.
He's
declaring it
in a way
that he's
saying,
well,
no,
we cannot
fully comprehend
it,
but that we
should delve
into the
very depths
of it
because
there's a
richness
here,
the
unsearchable
riches
of Christ.
This is
worth
delving
into,
this is
worth
knowing
because
it's
about
a
relationship,
a
relationship
that we
have by
faith
in the
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
A
mystery
revealed
to us
and the
unsearchable
riches
of Christ,
they are
worth
getting
our
teeth
into.
A
man called
Patrick
Henry
He knew
that his
days were
coming to
an end
and he
wanted
to sort
out his
affairs
with his
family
and leave
to them
his property
and various
things.
And so
he did
that.
He arranged
things,
made sure
that his
property
would be
given to
his family
and sorted
between
them.
But then
he said,
there's one
more thing
I wish
I could
give them
and that
is faith
in Jesus
Christ.
And he
said,
if they
had that
and I
had not
given
them a
single
penny,
they would
have been
rich.
And if
they had
not that
and I
had given
them all
the world,
they would
have been
poor indeed.
If they
had that
faith in
Christ and
nothing else,
they would
be rich.
That's what
Paul is
saying here.
He is
preaching to
the Gentiles
the unsearchable
riches
of Christ.
What are
they?
what are
the
unsearchable
riches
of Christ?
It's like
they're saying
there's so
many,
they're
bottomless,
no one
can fully
comprehend
all that
they entail,
but they
are priceless
things to
God's people,
to his
redeemed,
and they
are made
known to
us through
his word.
And the
more we
understand
these
unsearchable
riches
of Christ,
the richer
then our
prayer,
the richer
then our
understanding,
the breadth
and length
and height
and depth
and to
know the
love of
Christ that
surpasses
knowledge.
What are
these riches
then?
We could go
on all
evening
talking about
them,
but just
to highlight
a few
for ourselves.
He is
preaching
the
unsearchable
riches.
We are
loved by
God.
there are
so many
verses in
the scriptures
that remind
us of
this.
Romans 5
verse 8,
but God
shows his
love for
us in
that while
we were
still sinners,
Christ died
for us.
It's a
mystery and
it's a
marvel.
While we
were still
sinners,
while we
were away
from God,
he showed
his love
to us
that Christ
Jesus died
for our
sins.
Unsearchable
riches,
that we
are loved
because how
can you get
to the
depths of
that love?
You can't,
but we can
marvel at it.
Isn't it a
mystery and a
marvel that we
could say with
John Newton,
amazing grace,
how sweet the
sound that
saved a
wretch like
me.
It is
grace.
It's the
grace that
Paul writes
of in this
letter,
by grace
you have
been saved
through faith.
The wonder
of God's
love, the
marvel of
God's love.
What about
the fact that
we are a
chosen people?
You go back
to chapter
one of this
letter,
you know,
Paul has
said that he
has written
briefly before
chapter three.
Well, in
chapter one,
in verse
four, what
does he
say?
Even as
he chose
us in
him before
the foundation
of the
world.
There is a
mystery and
a marvel in
that.
There is the
doctrine of
election for
us.
He has
chosen us
before the
foundation of
the world.
How can we
understand these
things?
Charles Spurgeon
was asked by
one of his
congregation,
how do I
know if I
am in the
elect?
It's a
question maybe
many of you
here have.
It's a
common question.
Well,
Charles Spurgeon's
reply was,
ask yourself
instead,
do I
believe with
all my
heart?
If you
do, you
are in the
elect.
We cannot
understand the
depths of
these things,
the mystery of
these things.
us.
But yet
the gospel
calls us to
put our
trust in
the Lord
Jesus Christ,
to believe
in him with
all our
hearts.
And then
we are
reminded that
how can we
know we
are in the
elect?
How can we
be one of
those?
Well, in
Ephesians 1
verse 7,
we are told
we are saved
by the blood
of his
Son.
In
verse 7,
in him
we have
redemption
through his
blood for
the forgiveness
of our
trespasses
according to
the riches
of his
grace.
We are
saved
because of
God's
love,
because of
God's
choosing,
because of
God's
giving
his Son.
So when
we are
discouraged,
as the
people in
Ephesus
were,
when we
are discouraged
by sin,
as we were
thinking about
this morning,
when we
are discouraged
by the
world,
and by
feeling
unworthy,
and all
of these
things,
where do
we have
to go?
Where can
we look?
Not to
ourselves,
but to
the cross
of Jesus
Christ,
whereby
his blood
we are
forgiven.
We have
redemption
through
his blood.
And then
Paul goes
on into
chapter 2
here,
and give
us a
wonderful
assurance
there in
verse 6,
chapter 2,
verse 6,
comes in
that great
part where
we are by
grace saved
through faith.
We were
dead in our
trespasses and
sins in which
we once
walked.
But then
in verse
6, we
have those
words,
and raised
us up with
him and
seated us
with him in
the heavenly
places in
Christ Jesus.
Isn't that a
mystery?
Isn't that a
marvel?
That he has
raised us
up.
And when you
go back to
verse 4,
that reminds
us of how
but God,
being rich in
mercy because
of the great
love with
which he
loved us,
even when we
were dead in
our trespasses,
made us alive
together with
Christ.
By grace,
you have been
saved.
And that is
how we are
seated in the
heavenly places.
Even now,
you are alive
in Christ.
You are in
him.
You have
access to
the very
throne of
grace in
heaven.
And you
see there,
it kind of
ties all
these things
together.
We're chosen.
We're loved.
We are
seated.
We are
forgiven by
his grace.
All of
these things,
they're so
mysterious to
us, and yet
we can marvel
at them.
So the
more that we
look, the
more that we
see the
depth of
his love
for us.
We are
also secure
in him.
In verse
8, for
by grace
you have
been saved
through faith.
This is not
your own
doing.
It is the
gift of
God.
It is
God who
has done
this.
It is
God who
has given
us this
security.
And that
is what we
can marvel
at.
It is
a gift.
A gift
from God.
And so
then as we
read other
passages such
as Romans
8, verse
38 and
39, what
great assurance,
what great
comfort we
can take
there from
these riches
of Christ.
For I am
sure that
neither death
nor life
nor angels
nor rulers
nor things
present nor
things to
come nor
powers nor
height nor
depth nor
anything else
in all
creation will
be able to
separate us
from the
love of
God in
Christ Jesus
our Lord.
How?
Well, because
of God's
grace to
us.
For by
grace you
have been
saved through
faith, a
gift of
God.
We have
security in
him.
This is
just a
small sampling
of the
unsearchable
riches of
Christ.
There are
so many
other things
that we
can look
at, but
they are
reminders to
us of
what the
mystery that
is revealed
to us.
This
gospel gives
us.
It is to
marvel at
these
unsearchable
riches of
Christ.
So we
can praise
him now
and praise
him for
all
eternity.
And so
then that is
why Paul
goes on
to pray
in
understanding
these things.
For this
reason I
bow my
knees before
the Father.
This is
verse 14.
From whom
every family
in heaven
and on
earth are
named.
This is
his prayer.
That they
may have
strength to
comprehend
with all
the saints
what is
the breadth
and length
and height
and depth
and to
know the
love of
Christ that
surpasses
knowledge.
That is
where the
prayer comes
from.
From
understanding
the mystery
that is
revealed of
these
unsearchable
riches of
Christ that
are so
many.
Let us
look into
this mystery.
Let us
search the
depths of
these
unsearchable
riches.
Because the
more that we
know them
the more
they bring
us closer
even in
our prayers
to coming
seeking that
prayer to
grasp
even more
all of
these things.
I quoted
from Martin
Luther this
morning.
I will
quote him
again as
we conclude
this evening.
He once
said,
I have held
many things
in my
hands and
I have
lost them
all,
but whatever
I have
placed in
God's
hands,
that I
still
possess.
It is a
wonderful
thought that.
I have held
many things
in my
hands and
I have
lost them
all,
but whatever
I have
placed in
God's
hands,
that I
still
possess,
because with
God all
things are
secure,
and we
seek to
take hold
of things
ourselves,
we lose
them.
But when
we put
ourselves
into the
hands of
God,
we lose
nothing,
and we
gain so
much more,
the unsearchable
riches of
Christ.
There is a
mystery around
them,
but they are
revealed to
us through
his word,
and there
is reward
for those
who seek
him and
follow him.
And so
may he
help us
to delve
into them,
to understand
them,
and to
know them
more fully
and more
meaningful for
ourselves,
to lead us
closer at
all times
to him.
Let us
pray.
Lord,
our gracious
God,
we do
thank you
for your
truth,
we thank
you for
your gospel,
we thank
you for
how it is
revealed to
us,
through
your word,
and we
pray that
prayer this
evening that
we will be
able to
grasp with
all the
saints what
is the
length and
breadth and
height and
depth,
and to
know the
love of
Christ that
surpasses
knowledge,
that we
might be
filled with
the fullness
of God,
as we ask
it in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
We'll
conclude by
singing to
God's
praise in
Psalm 146,
Scottish
Psalter
version,
page 446
of the
psalm
books.
Psalm 146,
we'll sing
from verse
8 to
verse 10.
Page
446 of
the psalm
books,
the Lord
doth give
the blind
their sight,
the bow
down doth
raise,
the Lord
doth dearly
love all
those that
walk in
upright ways.
We'll sing
from verse
8 to
the end
of the
psalm,
to God's
praise.
The Lord
doth give
the blind
their sight,
the love
and the
down
the praise
the Lord
doth hear
thee
love all
who's
that
obey
our
high
grace.
The
stranger
shield
the
widows
stay,
the
orphan
of the
helpless
!
the
be
the
wind
!
wind
!
the
wind
side
down
shall
be!
The
Lord
shall
wait
forever
!
Lord
shall
wait
forever
for thy
God
who's
high on
thee!
praise
to all
generations
!
praise
to the
Lord
give
thee!
after the
benediction
I'll go to
the door
to my
left
we'll
close
with
the
benediction
now may
grace
mercy
and
peace
from
God
Father
Son
and
Holy
Spirit
rest
upon
and
abide
with
you
all
now
and
forever
more
Amen
Thank you.