Today’s message is the third in our series on the mysteries of the Church Age. This period of time was concealed in the Old Testament and has been revealed by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, and the knowledge of it can only be understood by the ones who believe that Jesus is the Christ, even though the salvation of Gentiles as well as Jews has been available from the beginning. Let each of us therefore, learn to “Thank God For Ears To Hear”.
https://www.facebook.com/teachingbible/videos/2677082152595612/
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Isaiah 51:1 – 5(KJV)
Isa 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
Isa 51:2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Isa 51:4 Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
Isa 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:1- 9 (KJV)
Eph 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Eph 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Eph 3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Eph 3:7 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.
Eph 3:8 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;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Transforming Power Facts:
1) God The Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah reminds us to remember where God has brought us from in order for us to come to understand that our salvation is HIS IDEA, which HE caused to esist, because it was GOD Who called out Abraham and Sarah in order to reveal HIS plan of salvation through them, when HE had made the promise to send HIS SON to bear the sin of everyone who is willing to believe the good news by hearing!
2) As revealed in the apostle Paul’s life and course of his coming to “have ears to hear the good news ” about God’s salvation through Jesus Christ His Son, we learn more about the Old Testament teaching of salvation for all people by the Grace of God, with such examples as that of not only Abraham and Sarah, but also of Ruth, Rahab, Naaman, and other Gentiles; which all were saved by believing by faith, the promises of God’s Word which they had heard.
3) When we are blessed by faith to be able to hear God the Holy Spirit speaking to us, let us pray that we also are willing to request more faith to not only hear what God is saying to us; but also to do the things that He grants us the power to execute as He desires as well!