— Brother Phil Enlow: Everything that is happening is the unfolding of His Story…written before time began. We who are called into His kingdom have the privilege of stepping into His story and not only becoming a part of His story, but become instrumental in seeing it happen.
How many things that were spoken of by some obscure Hebrew prophet, thousands of years ago, are we walking in today because He spoke it? Do you see how everything is so tied together in God’s plan and God’s kingdom? It’s incredible!
And I want to live with that understanding. My God, these things…don’t these things give you a context in which the Christian life makes sense? You think about the principle of speaking. It’s not only that we need someone speaking words that have life in them, that have God’s life in them, we need that. But every single believer, you’ve got a tongue, in case you didn’t know it. And it’s a power of live and death.
Every single believer has the privilege of yielding their whole being and their tongues to God. You have the power to speak life. You have the power to be a part of the process of bringing forth the kingdom of God by the way you use your tongue with one another. It’s a sobering and amazing thing. But of course, we can do the other too.
But oh, I pray that God will help us to see the concept of His Word, words that are coming out of His mouth that have everything to do with the building, and the preparation of a kingdom that’s gonna last forever. It’s absolutely in the process of destroying Satan’s power, even when it looks like it’s not.
Even when it looks like he’s…see, God’s allowing him a certain amount of freedom. But the fact is, he’s already lost…the story has already been written. We know how it turns out. The devil is just beating his head against a wall and trying to take everybody down with him he can.
But I’ll tell you, we’ve got a God who is doing something that’s eternal. And He calls His people to step into the unfolding of His Story. That’s His call to us today. This isn’t just something where we look back and say, oh, isn’t that great? They gave these wonderful prophesies, and they came true, and that’s great, and here we are playing church. No. We are as much a part of the story that He wrote before the foundation of the world as they were. We’re just here at a different time in history.
But oh, what an amazing thing it is that God’s word creates that which has not existed before. Now here’s another truth about the Old Testament. You know, I’ve referred a number of times to the fact that God’s purposes were hidden in the Old Testament. And one scripture…I’m go ahead and read it today, in 1st Corinthians, chapter 2, because it deals with both sides of it, 1st Corinthians, chapter 2.
And this is Paul who has been talking about how the men in their wisdom, they were unable to discover the things of God, and the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them. They can’t figure it out. And God has done something that just simply doesn’t compute with natural man.
So Paul is now talking about the ministry of what he has done, in chapter 2. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom…” (NIV). This is not natural ability, in other words. “…As I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
That is our message. That’s the sum total of our message. Everything else is like the spokes of a wheel that come off of that center. But Jesus is the message, who He is and what He’s done. “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” I can identify. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
Now, here’s where he gets into what I’m getting to. “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature…” those who have grown and those that have come to understand, “…but not the wisdom of this age…” See, there is a wisdom behind what the Devil does, but it’s a different wisdom. It absolutely flies in the face of God and it’s headed for catastrophe. So, this is not the wisdom of this age, “…or of the rulers of this age…” Now, who’s he talking about?
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Yeah. He’s talking about the principalities and powers. There is a wisdom behind what they do in their quest to dominate the human race. There’s a wisdom there. But that’s not the wisdom Paul’s moving in. This is something totally different. Okay?
And so, the ruler, “…not the wisdom…or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.” That’s their destiny. “No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” Boy, does that put things into perspective? God made a plan. He had been unfolding it for generations, but it was hidden. And it was hidden in such a way that the Devil couldn’t figure it out.
I can just imagine the Devil listening to the prophets. What in the world is that about? I don’t get that. Oh, I know, He’s gonna build a kingdom. You know, just… He hid the whole purpose of what He was getting ready to do. All right?
“…A wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”
Now, I’ll just make a passing comment. I know most of the time people quote that and they’re talking about heaven. Well, that’s true enough. But what’s he talking about here? See, he’s talking about everything that came before Christ. Nobody could discover it…not even God’s people really understood it. But God prepared it and now it’s time for the unveiling—the revealing of that. How does that happen? Because of my intellect? No. It happens because God reveals it by His spirit.
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Truth has to be revealed! And so, the devil…all this was hidden from the devil.
There’s another scripture that’s well to see in this context, is Ephesians, chapter 3…Ephesians, chapter 3. And Paul has just been talking again, in chapter 2, unfolding the fact that the Gospel was not just for the Jews but for the Gentiles. God was gonna build one new man out of the two, as a temple to live in. So, that’s kind of the context of what leads into this.
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles…” I’m going through stuff but it’s for your benefit. “…Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
“In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
Now, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” Boy, it kind of all goes back to Him, doesn’t it? “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
Do you get this sense, over and over and over again, that whatever God did in the Old Testament age, was a mystery that was yet to be unfolded? Now, the time has come. Now God’s gonna say, this is what I’ve been doing. Here it is, this is the kingdom that I foresaw, that I predicted and prophesied. All right?
His intent…God’s intent…why did He do this? “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…” God has made you and me, and His church throughout this age, the very means of communicating to the Devil himself, this is my purpose, this is what the creation was all about. It’s not about you doing what you’re doing, I’ve got a purpose and a plan. I hid this from you. In fact, not only did I hide it from you, I used you to help fulfil it.
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You know that some of the earliest messages the apostles preached was, Devil, you took and crucified the Son of God, but you did it by God’s express purpose. You fulfilled God’s purpose in crucifying him. And now, God’s made Him Lord and Christ. Now what are you gonna do to do about it, basically, is the message?
But oh, I’ll tell you what, God is absolutely revealing His plan to the devil, through you and me. I wonder to what degree we’re expressing that? May God help us! I believe He is, don’t you?
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But what an amazing thing. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished…” Oh, that’s past tense, isn’t it? Yeah, I love that. “…Which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Does that sound pretty good to you?
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Praise God! So basically, he’s looking back and saying, this was all concealed—it was concealed from the devil. What about, what about the people who were involved in this? Look at 1st Peter, chapter 1. Peter is writing about the salvation, how great it is and what’s coming, and he says, in verse 10, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”
So here’s a man standing there, yielding himself to the Lord, speaking these words, causing them to be recorded, and he’s saying, God, I sure wish I understood this. I sure wish I could figure out all the details of what this is about, but, all I’m gonna do is speak in faith. And here’s God using somebody who didn’t really understand…didn’t need to understand, but just spoke the very words of God.
We today are walking in the power of the fulfillment of words that were spoken thousands of years ago. Those men didn’t understand at the time. We’ve got an awesome God!
( congregational amens ).
Praise God! So anyway, “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves….” Think about that. Every generation is so intertwined. “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you…” How did they do that? “…By the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”
I can imagine the angels that were sent to Daniel. I mean, they knew what they were sent to tell him, but they’re sitting there saying, I can’t wait to see how this turns out, ‘cause, I don’t know. What do you think, Gabriel, what’s the story here? Has He told you anything else?
And yet God was absolutely working through every circumstance, every servant of His, to create something that’s eternal…and involving us in it. You and I are not just bumps on a log, recipients of all this. We are meant to be participants in the same process that they were, according to our calling in this age. And so, the prophets themselves didn’t know.
What about Daniel? I’ll just refer to this because we know this scripture in Daniel, chapter 12, where the Lord talks about there is going to be resurrection, there’s gonna be all kinds of…knowledge is gonna be increased. There’s gonna be all this stuff that’s gonna happen.
When’s this going to happen, Lord? Tell me about it. Oh, shut up the words Daniel, close the book, it’s, “…sealed until the time of the end.” Many are gonna run to and fro. Knowledge will be increased. “…The wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand…” But the righteous will understand.
I mean, Daniel didn’t quit believing because God didn’t show him, didn’t answer his question. He told him to shut up the book. God, I demand answers! No, I don’t demand answers. I trust the God that has revealed Himself to me, to let me in on what I need to know, let me participate in His purpose for my particular life.
And I’ll tell you, His story is unfolding. It cannot be contradicted. It cannot be interrupted. Let’s look at a couple of scriptures. I’m gonna just go ahead and close with this. There’s a whole lot of stuff I’m not even getting to. This is good. But I felt like this is about what it was gonna be. I’m gonna to go ahead and jump straight to Isaiah 46. This is one example of many.
Boy, Isaiah is rich. And, where in the world? This is part of where he’s talking about how the idols…they don’t know what’s going on. And, you hire somebody to build an idol and it sits there, and it can’t predict anything. And he’s talking to rebels here.
He says in verse 8, “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
Folks, that is the God who has called us to His kingdom. And I put my hope in Him, 100 percent. It’s not just that He’s revealed Himself as a God of power, He’s revealed about Himself as what we spoke about this morning, as a God of love and mercy! A God who can take someone with a past and turn it into a future that never ends, that’s glorious! Praise God!
( congregational amens ).
Praise God! And there’s not a devil in hell…I don’t care which way the Lord allows him to work, whether He puts a bullet in my head, and I win that way, or He allows me to live for Him and serve Him here, and I win that way! I know how this turns out!
The devil is trying with all his might to write his story…he is a pawn in the hands of God who is writing His Story! That’s the one I want to be a part of! And in His Story, He’s got a Lord and a Savior who is the head of the Kingdom. His name is Jesus. That’s where my loyalty is, 100 percent. I’m with Him! How about you?
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I’ll tell you, I can find rest in these truths. There’s a God who’s in charge. And my life is not in the devil’s hands. I’ll tell you, when the devil oppresses you, just remind him about that. I don’t have to listen to that voice of fear. I don’t have to listen to all that other stuff.
I can be patient with my brothers and my sisters too. Isn’t that a wonderful truth that we sing about sometimes? “He looked beyond my faults and saw my need.” Oh, how quick we are to jump on peoples’ faults, and not see past that. And I’m so thankful the Lord sees me differently than that. Oh, praise God!
What a kingdom to which we have been called! All that that went before…all those thousands of years when God was literally preparing the things that we are stepping into, just as much as the old, first creation…He spoke and it happened, He spoke and it happened, He said this, He said this other. He’s been speaking these things. This is a new creation. If anybody is in Christ, he is…
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…A new creation. It came forth in the person of Jesus Christ. The life that was in Him was the beginning of that new creation. And we are stepping into that which God has been preparing from the foundation of the world.
And all those men that faithfully spoke His word…may we be as faithful, to walk with Him and speak His words and believe as they did. Because we are called to walk with Him in this hour of darkness as they were called to walk in theirs. And I’ll tell you, I know how it’s coming out because I know who’s on the throne. To Him be glory! Praise God!
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