Paul's Ministry: The Mystery of Christ in You B

That's the message we have to announce to the world that every man has a hope of glory glory manifest now in the hope of future glory with God by virtue of Christ in perhaps you worried that you wouldn't be clear that the person would be turned off by the conversation.

That's a common scenario we've all been there, but that doesn't have to be the case, God has given you amazing powers so that you can overcome fear and be a bold witness for his son John MacArthur looks at that power today as he continues to show you that if you're a Christian, you literally are complete in Christ. That's the title of John's current series, and now with the lesson here is John in the Old Testament. The Jews new Messiah was coming. They were told that what they never really fully knew was that the Messiah would not only come but that he would live in the very bodies of his people. What they didn't know was that your body and my body would become the temple of the living God.

They do know that I was a mystery.

And that's the message we have to announce to the world that every man has a hope of glory glory manifest now and a hope of future glory with God by virtue of Christ in us. Paul prayed in Ephesians 319, that we would be filled with all the fullness of God that all of that available resource and power would be used. That's our message. That's the subject of the ministry that the hope for man's honor now and a guarantee for man's honor or glory in the future is the indwelling Christ.

He is power now and he is the guarantee of future security with Ephesians 317 it says Christ dwells in our hearts, living God, and I can't even fathom that principle.

The longer I think about it the more unbelievable it becomes in back in John chapter 6 and our Lord was talking in 656 I think he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood. Melissa dwells in me and I in him, Jesus said if you will partake in. He was talking about spiritual partaking.

If you will partake in my death, if you will accept my death on the cross for you and believe in my atoning blood if you will accept the sacrifice for sin that I make on the cross. Then I will come and live in you. What a phenomenal reality. That's our message people. That's what the world needs to hear John 1417 even the Spirit of truth in the world can't receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him. But you know I'm 40 dwells with you, and shall be in you.

The Holy Spirit is going to come and be in you and John same chapter the 23rd verse John 1423 he says if a man loves me, he will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him. If you will accept my cross in John six if you will love me and obey me in that act, and I will come and live in you indwelling and tested reality in Romans chapter 8. It tells us you are not in the flesh verse nine Romans 89, but in the spirit of so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you, and if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his and of Christ be in you body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteous your Christian. He says the spirit of God is in you spirit of Christ is a new and Christ is in you three different ways.

He says God lives in us what incomprehensible reality. One other thought. Second Corinthians 616 I can't resist this. I love it. He says you are the temple.

Second Corinthians 616 you are the temple of the living God was you're the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they will be my people.

Emphasis on the personal pronoun. I will well and then I will walk in the and so does Paul say I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives where in me. Just staggering. That's the subject of the ministry and that is the hope of glory and what you mean by the phrase, the hope of glory. Paul I mean that all the glory they could ever be will only be yours when Christ is what in the only hope. A man ever has for glory. Now future anytime any condition is when Christ rose God wants to live in you. That's the message so we see the source of the ministry.

The spirit of the ministry the suffering of the ministry. The scope of the ministry, subject to the ministry. Verse 28. Let's look the style of the ministry and this is simple. The style of the ministry. Verse 28.

Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom stop there. The style of the ministry.

What is Paul, what's the style and how we do it once the mold what's the method here it is. He says preach cut Don Gallo literally means to proclaim it is the language of mission.

It refers to declaring a completed truth. A completed happening and it is a general term for Paul's proclaiming mission.

What is the style of our ministry say it's just to sneak around, don't say anything just live the still open your mouth. It's to proclaim you live the life to not denying that you got open mouth once talk a lot about example example is important, but nobody will follow you into the kingdom unless sooner or later you open your mouth so the style history. Paul says we proclaim isn't formal preaching necessarily in this term is simply speaking the truth and it has two components. It has a negative warning that has a positive teaching has an end in mind, wisdom be imparted. How do you impart wisdom. How do you proclaim wisdom by negative warning by positive teaching warning in teaching me to warn admonish Newsday tackle in the great you know the word we discussed many times what is warning. We give you the biblical definition of the Greek word here means encouraging counsel in view of sin and coming punishment is just what you do with your kids.

Keep that up kid and you're in real trouble.

That's warning knew they tell is encouraging counsel with a view I should say, in view of sin and impending punishment admonish. We discussed it from the standpoint of second Thessalonians 314 and 15 is to be done gently but is to be done firmly.

We see it used in many, many New Testament passages.

Every Christian has the responsibility I'm telling you every Christian has the responsibility to admonish in Colossians 316, but the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all of you in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another.

That's just a responsibility almost to warn each other if there is sin in Romans chapter 15 verse 14. I myself am also persuaded of you all, brother, and that you are also full of goodness filled with knowledge able to admonish one another. We are to warn each other if there's a sin in the life of a believer were to warn them lovingly, gently we have that responsibility. Every pastor has that responsibility. That's my responsibility. He says in first Thessalonians 512, we beseech you brother to know them who labor among you and our love for you in the Lord and admonish you, we have to warn you, we have to warn you about your sin about false doctrine about the consequences of disobedience about the consequences of spiritual laziness about missing the will of God, we have to warn you, as we would want our children second aspect of the positive side is teaching, imparting positive doctrine and we do both of these we part positive doctrine.

We wore were to teach the word of God and notice what you teach all wisdom. Don't leave anything out wisdom and spiritual principles on the basis of spiritual principles.

We warn men and we teach them. So what is the proclaiming that we do. It involves warning in teaching whether it's to an unbeliever when you say when a believer you know.

If you keep living the way you lead and you keep rejecting God in Christ. I will warn you my brother what's going to happen and that's warning and then you need to say to that same unbeliever. Let me teach you what you need to do the same two things apply in the church. If you see a Christian sending you warn and then you instruct so those two things are part and parcel of the style of the ministry which is to talk to speak, to proclaim, to announce to declare a mission and that mission has two parts, and that is to warning to teach and this was style with Paul always did this and usually connected to it would usually teach solid doctrine and then on the basis of solid doctrine.

He warn it say now that I'm told it is true there is way better at. So for the man of God is life style is dictated. Know what we all are. This we are all proclaimers right.

Some of us stand up here and proclaim this way. Talk to big crowds of people, some of us go out there. We are in small groups of friends, family, and we proclaim where we are, but we all proclaim we all are maths the Lord to warn and to teach very vital taking it to my own heart I know what God's call me yes and called me to stand here and tell you my opinion hasn't called me to tell you who vote for what you do to protest the current economic situation, secretary, and always call me to do proclaim. That's the style say proclaim what, to proclaim the mystery of Christ in you, and all that means. All that means for your life and in doing that to warn you, and to teach. I was so beautiful about this. He says whom we preach, the lesson warning whom José warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present what every man whose most decent only the elect no it's really pretty obvious in everybody rebutting every man listen, let's get to be proclaimers if everybody just wants if this is your proclaim her week. I will open my mouth but just leaving little tracks on the table and scurrying away. I will speak for the Lord.

Let's make it I will proclaim with my mouth week this week and I will warn negative behavior and I will teach positive truth. This I could go on from here to talk about a lot of things. That's what the preacher always has these are material right right I could because in my heart because in my heart I would like to apply this to the pastor by Mona set that aside and just leave it with the application to you but all does it have application to the man in the pulpit to teach everybody. The word of God and all of it in all wisdom. We need to get the word of God.

That's why we should have an answer for every man who asked us whatever the question might be, well, let's go to the seventh point, the sum of the ministry. The sum of the ministry when it's all said and done, what is it at up to what is the goalie objective the sum of it all. Verse 28 the end of the verse must read the members whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man here is was an expert, perfect or mature in Christ was the goal of the ministry maturity of the saints is fusion chapter 4 gave to the church of apostles and prophets and evangelists in teaching shepherds for the perfecting of the saints. Ephesians 412 to bring people to maturity. We want to build people up. Want to bring them to maturity. This is what the Holy Spirit is trying to do.

Galatians 33, having begun in the spirit are, you made perfect by the flash listen let the Spirit do his work and he'll make you perfect, that indicates that that's his ministry. The end of the book of Hebrews and 1321 he says the Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, that is the objective of the ministry, not just to bring people to Christ but to bring them in Christ to maturity so that they also can reproduce so that they also can proclaim in all wisdom, so they also know something they can tell somebody else very, very, very important. In Philippians chapter 3 will just give you a couple of verses deleting some. Chapter 3 verse 12 not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after these, as I have arrived called us, but I'm sure going that direction. What is perfection, maybe civil definition. What is maturity in the Christian life is the point of perfection to be like what Christ and later rebutting owner I'm in progress on the road and closer I get the further away it seems say John how you get there.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, second committee 317 is profitable for doctrine, instruction, correction reproved the man of God may be what birth how you get you get there because you take this book and you make it a part of your life. This is in your food child matures because it eats a Christian brothers because he feeds on the word of God.

That's the goal. The goal is to bring people to maturity. Now think about here is Christianity making an absolutely cross-cultural cross time statement that is staggering and the statement is then asked that in Jesus Christ there is the capacity for perfection for every man in every age and every society credible water. Lippman said this as yet no teacher has ever appeared who was wise enough to know how to teach his wisdom to all mankind. In fact, the great teachers have attempted nothing so utopian they were quite well aware how difficult for most men is wisdom and they have confessedly stated that the perfect life was only for the select few" baloney. Paul says we will preach and warn every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present what every man perfect in Christ. Listen, the Lord Jesus Christ can perfect every not every man can master every arts. Not every man can master every craft.

There are those who are blind are those who are deaf.

There are those who cannot speak. There are those who are retarded. There are those who are unlearned. There are those who are unskilled. There are those who are weak and sum of all of those make up the body of Jesus Christ. There is one reality for every man, Jesus Christ, and he someday will make them all like himself credible. Lastly, you seen the source spirit suffering scope subject to style the sum of the ministry and you say John, you mean to tell me I gotta do all that's my ministry.

Yeah say how number eight. The strength of the music. You can pull it off. Strength of the receipt generally can do in verse 29 first for this. I also labor .1 will do it, you won't have to. What will guard you say, yeah, looks like the word labor means to toil to the point of exhaustion. Sometimes people say to me Johnny work to our work too hard.

You run the problems in my own with my thought back when my eyes are disabled.

No, I am probably not working hard enough, you see process for this. I also toiled to the point of exhaustion.

I know little about that.

Probably not my fault. I know what it is to be weary in well doing what it is to be dead flat tire and I know what it is to work. Also notice the not work, I'll tell you one thing I would rather like David Brainerd, I would rather burn my life out and be dead. Having spent myself for the Lord and try to pace myself and be unable to accomplish what God wanted me to come.

He's in control of my life and the ministry is work.

I remember never forget the lady said to me in a golf course one time your smart young man.

You're going to ministry. I said really she said yeah we don't do a thing to make a lot of money. I said yours and you say that I am in a ministry with a few things. Also I work hard I got scars on my body have been stoned, beaten with rods shipwrecked slept in the craziest places been imprisoned in stocks. I fought against fornication among the Thessalonians. I fought contention more fornication and fanaticism and litigation among the Corinthian's I've fought vice and heresy among the Colossians I fight legalism among the Galatians and I beat my body all the time to bring this objection I work my fingers to the bone in my own living in the living everybody travels me.

This is an easy and I'll take some photos if you think that you can accomplish any ministry for God without working out your it takes work. It takes toil it takes just plain effort and you porch to do anything while pushed his body taught hours and hours and hours during the day every day for three years in school to rent from 1 to 5 and then he went back to work in the evening when it was cool. After that he went from house to house in the middle of the night and the rest of the night. He stayed up crying about him. He says in acts 23 years worth striving there striving. He says hi labor, striving is the word the English transliteration is agony and so agonize to an athletic word you can be a lazy Christian you will be a lazy pastor you can be a lazy missionary to be a lazy exceptional teacher you can be lazy helper in the church to be a lazy anything but I'll tell you one thing you'll never fulfill the word of God in your life and you never maximize your ministry. It takes a maximum effort for the years of your life to fulfill the word of God in your life choices island sale today assumption sounds a little bit just self generated is a little humanistic to me. Well I didn't get to the rest of the verse, striving according to what is working, which what works in me mightily. I'm not alone in this. Sure, I have to work hard she tried to we know what the only way I can work artisan his energy is in his power and I find it as possible.

Reset every morning.

I am renewed with fresh drinks every set. I know it day by day.

Christ power by his spirit is at work in my life and he gives me an almost supernatural energy.

There are times when I don't feel that I can do it, and yet I do it. I know the resource came from outside of myself as God gave me the power I work hard.

The human viewpoint, but it would all be absolute ashes would all be burned out. Nothing.

If it wasn't the energy of God energizing so that when anything is accomplish this because I worked hard because he didn't. He energized. He gave the power he gave the resource that you can sum it all up in your own mind. There is, he states his credentials as a minister because the Colossians to hear and believe and obey what he said he gives us a tremendous look at the ministry and all I can say to you, as you've heard, I trust you apply father, thank you for a time. We pray Lord that we might be as faithful as those who set the pattern for us as the apostle Paul and others to fulfill all of the features of the ministry that you might you might be glorified. Give us a continuing sense of our own unworthiness and uses so that we always have joy in anything. Thank you pricing this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John is pastor of Grace Community Church, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary, and he is been our featured speaker for over 53 years now. He startled her current series complete in Christ, John, I'm sure we have listeners who go to church. They pray they read their Bibles and they really try to fight the temptation to sin. And yet they're not experiencing the joy or the power that you're talking about the comes from being complete in Christ. So what would you say are some of the most common reasons that people struggle and lose hold of their joy give any practical encouragement for people like that and I think the simple thing is to go back to this statement. Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you, lucky you. Your conduct and your behavior is a product of your thinking as a man thinks in his heart so is he. So whatever is dominating your thoughts shows up in your life. So it's about what dominate your thinking in a course that's the battle today right because our thinking is blasted incessantly in ways that in past generations people would never have comprehended.

They would never have comprehended 35 years ago that you could have a device in your hand, it would blast you nonstop every waking hour with things that you really didn't ask for and steal your concentration on your Christ focus. So the battle is more challenging these days which I think is why God has raised up so many ministries like Grace to you and in media format so that believers can counter the onslaught by being able to access things are going to build them up in Christ so I want you to be encourage that the battle is the Lord's that he is sanctifying you.

It may seem slow at times, but the speed of that sanctification is directly proportional to the time that you think God's thoughts and have your affections on things above are not on things on the earth, and that comes from spending time in the word deeply in the word listening, reading and understanding divine truth. We are so thrilled to be doing this series on complete in Christ because he gets to the heart of really the Christian life and I want to remind you one more time about the new study guide on this series 250 page in-depth study titled complete in Christ. Perfect for devotional use or Bible study use any any group of people will find this a tremendous tool in a sort of a group opportunity for studying the word of God simply order a copy of the complete in Christ study guide org order a dozen for your Bible study whatever you want. We have them available. Contact us today. Yes, this is an ideal resource for digging into the person and work of Christ. There is no subject more amazing, more more life-changing than that to order the complete in Christ study guide. Contact us today. Call our toll-free number 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org to complete in Christ.

Study guide includes a question-and-answer section at the end of each chapter. That's great for prompting discussion in your home Bible study again to pick up a copy of complete in Christ. Study guide. Call 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org and when you get in touch. Make sure you let us know how John's teaching. Whether it's a lesson from complete in Christ or some other series how it's strengthening you spiritually.

Perhaps you found help to think biblically about your trials or someone you know heard the gospel on one of these broadcasts and came to saving faith.

We love those kinds of stories so email yours to letters@TTY.send your letter to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 in our email address one more time. letters@tty.org now for John MacArthur and the staff. I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to join us tomorrow when John looks at how the apostle Paul cultivated love for the church and how you can do the same. It's another half hour of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on grace to you