Key Verse: Lke 1:53, "He hath filled the hungry with good things; & the rich he hath sent empty away."
Sup Verses: Eph 3:7-8, "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;"
Title: "DO NOT LOOSE THE BALANCE" After you have trusted in Christ, you become a saint who is yet at the same time a sinner. Otherwise, if we lose our balance, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ will not be helpful as it sounds irrelevant because this message is exclusive for sinners. "Much is Given..."
Challenge: Even among the Lord's people, some had more important things to do than to come and explore more deeply the unfathomable riches of Christ. Some were too tired or too busy & as they were filled with so much sorrow. But in contrary wise, the more holy any being is, the more sweet, and delightful will it be to him to behold the glory & beauty of the Supreme Being. "Gain through loss" & "Living sacrifice"
I. INTRODUCTION:
The glory and beauty of Jesus Christ should captivate us so that out of great joy, we sell everything in order to gain the treasure of Christ (Mat 13:44-46). "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, & buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went & sold all that he had, and bought it."
Paul not only talks about the unfathomable riches of Christ, but also of God's eternal purpose as it's relates to the church and of two practical consequences of these mind boggling truths. So I had to limit myself to v-8, which shows us that, Sinners may freely partake of the unfathomable riches of Christ.
II. MESSAGE:
A. THE UNFATHOMABLE RICHES OF CHRIST ARE OFFERED ONLY TO SINNERS. If the
subject is boring, better check your heart, in Jer 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Here observe: The Spiritual Riches & Bankruptcy (Luke 1:53).
1. V-53a, "He hath filled the hungry with good things; ..."
a) Those (sinners) who see their need of Christ, and are importunately desirous of righteousness and life in him.
b) The Lord Jesus fills with good things, with the best things; he gives liberally to them, and they are abundantly satisfied with the blessings he gives.
c) Those who are weary and heavy-laden sha shall find rest with Christ, and those who thirst are called to come to him and drink; for they only know how to value his gifts.
d) To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet, manna is angels food; and to the thirsty fair water is honey out of the rock.
2. V-53b, "...; And the rich he hath sent empty away."
a) Those who are materially rich & not hungry, who, like Laodicea, think they have need of nothing, are "full of themselves" and their own righteousness.
b) Those who think they have sufficiency in themselves, Jesus sends away from His door, & they are not welcome to him, as they are self-righteous & no need of forgiveness.
c) Jesus sends them empty away, they come "full of self" & sent away "empty of Christ."
d) Jesus sends them to the gods whom they served, to their own righteousness & strength in which they trusted to.
B. UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST (Eph 3:8). Paul gave us the impression of a man standing in awe and in amazement-before a splendor that dazzles his eyes that the description is impossible. It's unfathomable; it's indescribable; & unthinkable. Speech is useless. It isn't an unusual thing.
It's a characteristic of Paul's ministry. Over and over again, as Paul will portray the Gospel message of Christ, he is speechless.
1. Riches of His grace for forgiveness. Paul will stop the march of his thought & stand in awe with wonder at the amazing riches of God in Christ Jesus. In Eph 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
2. Riches to grow in the knowledge. That ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph 1:18), "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"
3 Riches of His grace in His kindness. We who were spiritually blind, dead in trespasses, slaves to sins, have the eyes of our understanding opened. Eph 2:7, "That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
a) We have been declared righteous. Forgiven of sin; received eternal life, and become heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. We were once children of wrath. But have been made a child of God.
b) The child of the light. We were once under the power of darkness but now in the kingdom of light and be seated with Christ in heavenly places.
4. Riches of God's infinite glory. Paul's prayer is that the Body of Christ would be strengthened in the inner man according to the riches of God's infinite glory, according to and the power of His everlasting might & majesty, dominion & power. Eph 3:16, "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."
5. God's provision according to His riches in glory. In (Phi 4:19), "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
6. Riches of the glory of this mystery. 1Tim 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
7. Riches of full assurance of understanding. "That your hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, in Christ, in whom are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:2-3).
8. Riches of His glory on the vessel. "That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy" (Rom 9:23). Do you know who these vessels of mercy are? Those whom he hath the called, chosen and faithful, for whom he did predestinate those He also called with an effectual call: and these not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles.
III. CONCLUSION:
1. Are you rich in God's grace? "THE GIFT OF GOD'S GRACE" - The Unsearchable Riches
Of Christ.
2. Are you covered with priceless insurance? "BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD" -The Sacrifi-
cial Gift (Christ in the OT).
3. Do you wear a victor's crown? "BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD"-The Conquering Gift.
4. Whose own you? "PRESENT YOUR BODIES" - Believer's Best Gift to God.
a) Rich in prayer & fasting?
b) Rich in worship?
c) Enrich by the Word?
d) Rich in witnessing?
e) Rich in giving?
"To God Be The Glory" - "Praise The Lord"