#300 The Mystery of God’s Will

#300 The Mystery of God’s Will
By Guest Speaker: Zach Sloane

The Mystery of Gods will answers the Big Questions:
1) What’s my purpose
2) Whats the heart of God behind that purpose
3) How do I achieve it – live the good life

Mystery = the unknown ?

The unknown can cause all sorts of problems –

The University of Illinois Chicago – researchers have confirmed that “several anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias, share a common underlying trait: increased sensitivity to uncertain threat, or fear of the unknown”

Is it possible that – a lot of anxiety and chaos in the world right now is result of not knowing answers to biggest questions? Desperately trying to figure it out – some parts of the world want to figure out clean water – others, what Tv show to watch, or what’s wrong with LFC – but innate drive for best life drives us to survival and beyond.

But what about those who say, nah – I don’t think about those things – Neuroscience, sociology, psychology and even the Bible say that yes you do, whether you know it or not – eternity – big picture is in your heart.

“…He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Paul paints an ugly picture of the human condition in Ephesians 4:18 “…having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.

A Big Idea – Knowledge of Good and Evil is the ignorance in the human condition. When our ancestors ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil it became to us:
– more than legalism and man made religion
– more than representative of a bad choice

The knowledge of good and evil imparts a worldview in which we are the interpreters of reality, and we ourselves become the centre of the story. It has ultimately injected into humanity a way of looking at God and interpreting life that has become filtered through own abilities, our own faculties, and has dimmed us to God’s own self-revelation, ensuring that when we look at God we fear Him, hide from Him, and thus believe that His only interest in us revolves around what is wrong with us. He only cares about how to punish us or how to fix us – but we are much more than God’s project.

Reverse also true – because we are our filter – our performance is also the basis of God’s blessing – the ultimate delusion.

Proposal – To attain clarity on the big questions – we must have the knowledge of good and evil and its worldview – extracted from our vision.

We must both get back to God’s intention for us – let God inform these answers not us – and realize that Jesus is the place where this happens and through whom God provides clarity.

So what is the mystery of Gods will?
Musterion – not something unknowable – but knowable only by revelation.

God wants to reveal them to us –
Colossians 2:2-3 “all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ – in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Col. 2:2-3

Paul says in Eph. 3:3 by revelation He [God] made known the mystery… which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets…”

We are going to look at the the story of our origins and the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil – but when we do we must realize that Jesus, not Adam and Even, who were only God’s beginning – demonstrates God’s plan.

Genesis story – any religious story – filtered through Jesus
John 5:39-40
Matehw 11:13
John the Baptist, who’s ministry encapsulated the heart of the law and the prophets, pointed to
Jesus – lamb of God AND qualifier and baptizer in the life, Spirit of God – that’s the key to human history and the what the OT and human history is screaming to us.

ONE BIG PROPOSITION – The Big Idea of this message is Colossians 1:26-27 “ the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints, to them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Method = to unpack and illustrate – use of narrative – 90% of Bible is narrative according to
Mark Virkler – going to tell the creation story as I see it in Jesus. Remember this is A narrative.
Adam and Eve as God’ beginning
Jesus as fulfilment – free of knowledge of good and evil

(1.) What’s my purpose? To life by the Life of Another – Christ in You
– Adam and Eve given own life – Genesis 2:7 and 1 Cor. 15:45. God breathes the breathe of life resulting in them becoming living beings/souls – nephesh and psuche. They were created righteous, holy – didn’t think about it just were it – but their life was human.

Contrast with Jesus. 1 Cor. 15 “ life giving Spirit”. See John 5:30 “ I can of my own self do nothing. John 14:10 “the Father who dwells in me does the work.

Paul knew it too – Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ, yet I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me, and the life I know live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Created to receive God’s giving of Himself – to receive Him.
Adam and Eve did not – but would have. Jesus still would have came, demonstrated humanity living by the life of another and by grace through faith they would have received Him.

What does this look like : dominion. God giving self, so completely that humanity would be brought to the very throne of God, manifesting not dominion over just natural stuff with a commission to mankind, but manifesting the very rule of God on His throne with Him. This dominion flows from the very nature of who God is. Genesis is a prophecy – man in Our image – all the way to the throne.

Scriptures scream this point – Daniel 7 Son of Man – Ezekiel and the 4 faced creatures with the face of the man – man destined for the throne – but not any man – Man filled with the life of God. Not man ruling but the MAN – Jesus. Our destiny is in Him.

Too good to be true? Knowledge of good and Evil to strong still. Our view of God’s plan is conditioned by our weakness, sin, and still feeling naked. Got to let Him take us on a journey of renewing mind so we can see past what He saved us from – to what he saved us to.

Revelation 3:21 – promise to overcomers
Overcomers not super special Christians. 1 John 5:4 “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world – even our faith.”

When Jesus the glorified and Ascended God Man, Ascended to heaven, to its highest heights, sat down at the right of the Father, and received the Promise of the Father – God’s eternal purpose was secure. Even eternal purpose – see Eph. 3 is accomplished in Christ – past tense – before knowledge of glory of the Lord covers the Earth, that’s the result, the consequence of God securing an eternal partner in Humanity – bringing humanity to His throne with Him – finally bearing His likeness by bearing His life – all the way to dominion.

Doesn’t make us God – but does make us those in whom He dwells – one with Him. Those who are constituted by his seed.

Practical Points
– This should not leave you with your head in the clouds but embracing every earthy opportunity to manifest the life of God and fill your world with His glory – work, family, school, relationships become a place where you manifest Life.
– Christ in You is the basis of a miraculous life – manifesting His nature, which is supernatural.
– Find meaning in life beyond what you do, or even how you do it, but rather in who he is in you – this frees you to find meaning and joy in what you do do.

Knowledge of good and evil says this is how you live for God, grow in God, and be like God.
The essence of Christianity is God living in You.

The face of Christianity needs to be changed in the Earth today. They need to see His face in us – His life – not what we are doing for Him.

(2.) Why? What is God’s heart behind making you and giving you this purpose?
– You are His dream home – not heaven. Its glory is not enough for a relational God.
– God is love – Trinity – self-giving.

Because of His great love – God wants to be known and give Himself to someone. He wants to be known in the most intimate way – deepest relationship possible where he does not just give info about Himself – but actually gives Himself.

This is eternal life. John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

The problem with wanting to be known – God’s dilemma.
1 Timothy 6:16 God is describes as “alone having immortality, dwelling unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see.” Unapproachable, too Other than – so stoops to a knowable level.

Unknowable God wants to be known so he creates – looks for a helpmate suitable for the Son – finds none – so he makes humanity – a vessel that can actually bear God’s life and make the unapproachable nature of God’s glory seen in and through their own existence in union with Him.

Made for marriage with the Son and partnership in making God known – the Son’s chief joy.

1 Cor. 6 :17 “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Not enough you walk side by side like with Adam in garden, or with disciples – closer than that.

“Hey God, how you doing?” Great ! “What does that even mean for God to say he feels great.
We cant know. No reference.
So, he comes inside us – we get to know each other on a deeper level – now I feel what He feels,
I see what He sees – we know each other because we share a Life. Thats a deeper knowing! One flesh – marriage the great mystery.

Union with Son = sons and daughters. Ephesians 1:5 “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the pleasure of His will.”

Knowledge of good and evil – separates, divides, sees who is in and who is out.
Truth of God is that we are predestined to sonship – thats the relationship we are predestined to, and God’s commitment to us in that particular relationship – the One He has with His Son – that’s what predestination is all about.

You are created and given your purpose because God loves you – wants You to know that, and wants to give Himself to you in an experiential relationship. He also wants all of creation to understand this about His nature.

Practical Point
– If you are listening thinking about how you can be an overcomer, how you can enhance or attain this union with God, grow in His authority etc – practical point is this : STOP IT.
– Discover and live out the union you already have. Enjoy what you already have.
– Maybe study the Bible – pray, engage your Christian life with the primary goal of knowing God – not serving Him. Sounds too risky? I can assure you – His blood is enough for all your sins and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is more than enough to overcome your issues.

(3.) How?

If Adam and Eve not fallen – Jesus still appears as perfect man living by life of His Father. Adam and Eve would have still put faith in Jesus, received him by grace through faith.

God could have made humanity one with Him from the get go – full of His Life. But because the point of “Christ in You” is a loved based self-giving – and not a driven revelatory agenda – He offered to give Himself – not force Himself. Humanity’s option only ever was, and only ever will be to accept this grace by faith.

Objections:
– God needed to us to fall to demonstrate grace- Nope, his self giving is grace no matter what!
– Lamb slain before foundation of the world – foreknowledge yes but… knowledge of good and evil so corrupting – we see even God through what he does and not who He is. This is a descriptor more than a function. Eternally he is the lamb slain. God was self-sacrificial in His love, that was his nature before foundation of world, before we fell. Did not need sin to gain this quality. Always was and always will be self-sacrificing. Need to see this before creation, and even before cross in OT – God is not two souled – Hear O Israel, the Lord Your God is One – his heart is unified, not divided.

Knowledge of good and evil is so corrupting that we even can’s see God without the lens of sin, or disaster or bad stuff framing his goodness and His grace.

It keeps us stuck in even a redemptive vision that remains so conditioned by our own subjective selves and our performance levels that we cant see the glory of what He made us for and is calling us too. Even redemption, purpose, etc gets framed through the lens of our own weakness, nakedness, and fearful vision of God.

Objection – Not taking sin seriously enough.
It is a problem but is dealt with. The blood both cleanses and speaks a better word – that word is found in Leviticus – “the Life is in the blood.” Blood cleanses and releases life … all the way.

Practical Point –
Romans 5:17 – …much more, those who receive abundance of grace [and because of the fall] the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

– Receive do not earn or take.
– Set your heart, renew your mind – an incredibly practical thing – to know God’s self giving love as the top priority of your Christianity. Take a break from working on yourself. Some of us have stuff we need to be mindful of yes, but… trust His life in you is more than enough to get you there. See where He is. That life is in you too. Be patient and grow in faith.

Summary:
Our purpose is to be the dwelling place of God, because He loves us, and He wants to be known.
He wants to give Himself to us. The plan is, always has been, and always will be, by grace through faith.

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