The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

We can turn back now to our reading in Ephesians chapter 3.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

We can read again at verse 8. Ephesians chapter 3, reading at verse 8.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, and so on.

Two things that we have in these verses that we're going to be focusing on this evening.

We have the unsearchable riches of Christ mentioned there in verse 8,

and also we see how Paul here is speaking about a mystery,

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.

What do you think of when you think of that word mystery?

What comes to mind?

It might have something, bring something to mind that's hard to understand.

Perhaps if you're in school, you're thinking about things that you find difficult as you're studying.

They seem like a mystery, algebra, physics, a foreign language.

It just seems like a mystery when you first start looking at them.

How do you understand these things?

It might be something you've misplaced.

It's a mystery where it's gone.

You leave your keys, you leave glasses, leave all kinds of things lying around and just say,

well, it's a mystery.

I don't know where they've gone to.

It might be something like a book or a TV show that you enjoy.

Maybe you're into mystery novels or mystery shows.

You're wondering about, as it starts, there's an unsolved mystery and who it's going to be that's done it as it were.

And it takes you in different directions before you see the answer coming that was staring you in the face all along.

There's so many things that we can relate to when we think of the word mystery.

As Paul is writing to the people here in Ephesus, he uses the word mystery often.

And he uses this phrase in verse 8 as well as he is a preacher, seeking to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.

And they sound like things that cannot be known.

They sound like things that are maybe so far off that we just cannot reach them.

But as you make your way through this letter, you find that the people of Ephesus, as he is preaching to them,

are hearing the things that they need to hear.

And this point in his letters, we're about the halfway point.

And he's been teaching them many different things.

And he's been teaching them because there are people who have had their concerns, who have had their struggles.

They've been discouraged.

They've been discouraged by what has happened to Paul himself.

They have seen him writing to them from prison.

They've heard what's happened to him.

They're concerned.

They're discouraged.

They've got their own things going on in Ephesus as well.

There's persecution all around them.

There's threats all around them.

There's fears all around them.

And it's in light of that, then, that Paul is writing to them.

And he's writing to encourage them.

And so it maybe seems a little strange that you write to encourage them,

talking about things that are a mystery or things like the unsearchable riches of Christ.

But that is what he is revealing to them as he writes to them.

And he has already told them so much up to this point that we're going to think about.

Because what you find as you're going through this letter, the people are encouraged.

They're encouraged through what they hear.

And it's like their darkness is turning into light.

As Paul is teaching, as he is proclaiming the gospel to them,

their confusion that has seemed like darkness is becoming light.

The light of God's word is coming in.

Confusion is turning to understanding.

The things that they have been confused about,

they are beginning to understand more in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And especially that phrase, the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Because the more they get to know that,

the more they are strengthened and encouraged.

So their understanding is growing, their light is coming.

And that is what God's word does for ourselves as well.

That's what the preaching of God's word is meant to do,

to build us up in the faith,

to help us understand the things that are the mysteries of the gospel

and the unsearchable riches of Christ.

But how do we understand?

How do we get to that point?

Well, you could say that it's through much prayer.

We have to get there by much prayer.

And that's where this chapter is leading,

to that wonderful prayer that you have in verse 14 to verse 21,

where Paul says,

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father.

And he prays that they might have a grasp,

that they might grasp the height and length and breadth and depth

of the love of Christ.

It's a wonderful prayer.

And be filled with all the fullness of God.

But before he comes to that prayer,

before he comes to pray that prayer for them,

he wants them to be assured and to be strengthened,

not just by prayer,

but by understanding the word of God,

by understanding the truths of what God has been teaching.

And it's a great reminder to ourselves tonight

when it comes to our own prayers.

As we come to pray to God,

we can pray that great prayer of these verses 14 to 21,

that we might grasp with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.

Again, it seems like something that is far away,

surpasses knowledge.

Can it be known?

It can.

But in order to know it through our prayers,

we really have to come first and foremost

to see it in his word,

to see it in all the truths that he has revealed to us,

to grasp the depths of what God's word is telling us.

Even as we were thinking of this morning,

as we were looking at Paul's letter to the Galatians,

just the previous pages to this,

we were thinking of how often we are caught up

in that way of sin,

how we are repeat offenders,

that sin that just keeps coming back to us again and again.

And yet, as we see here,

we are reminded that we have grace,

we have mercy, we have forgiveness,

we have all of these things.

And that's what God has revealed through his word.

And the more we understand these things,

the more we are then able to pray to him

with a greater knowledge,

with a greater understanding.

Things that seem beyond our understanding.

Do you this evening come here believing God can be known?

Do you come here this evening thinking,

I've got a great knowledge of God?

Or have you come here this evening thinking,

there are so many things I don't understand?

There are so many things that seem beyond my understanding.

Well, probably all of us should be in that latter category.

We don't come here knowing everything

because we cannot possibly know it all.

But we should come here seeking to understand more,

seeking to have our knowledge increased,

seeking to understand the ways of salvation.

When you go back to the Old Testament,

to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 29, verse 29,

Deuteronomy 29:29

there it reminds us of what we have before us this evening as well.

It says there,

the secret things belong to the Lord our God.

So there are things that we don't understand.

There are secret things that belong to God.

But it says then,

but the things that are revealed belong to us

and to our children forever,

that we may do all the words of this law.

So there are things that are revealed to us.

There are things that are given to us

that we can seek to understand.

So many things that seem a mystery to us.

The more we study, the more we learn,

the more they begin to be revealed to us.

You think of algebra, you think of physics and maths and foreign languages.

All of these things, they can seem like a mystery to begin with.

But the more we're taught, the more we come to understand.

And that's the way it is with God's Word.

And that's what Paul is doing in this letter,

seeking to teach them the mysteries of the gospel

and the unsearchable riches that there are in Christ.

And so we want to just look at two things together this evening

based on these words.

The first is the mystery of these things.

And then secondly, the marvel of these things.

The mystery and the marvel of these things.

Well, the first thing we have is the mystery.

Have you ever been left with a kind of sense of being dumbstruck before God?

Left with no words to utter.

There's just nothing you can offer up to God.

Maybe it's something that's happened in your life.

It may be a good thing.

It may be a bad thing.

There can be so many things that happen in life

and we're just silenced before God.

We don't know what to say.

We don't know how to express ourselves.

Well, as you look through God's Word,

you find that that is a common occurrence.

Especially when you look in the book of Psalms,

many Psalms,

you find the Psalm is questioning,

asking questions of God.

And there's one Psalm, Psalm 77.

I'm going to quote some of the verses from that Psalm.

And you find the Psalm is there with a sense of being dumbstruck,

as it were,

before God.

He has many questions.

But listen to how the Psalm works out.

Verse 4, it says,

Mine eyes debarred from rest and sleep,

thou makest still to wake.

My trouble is so great that I unable am to speak.

And so you see there the Psalmist,

it's almost like he just cannot sleep,

he cannot rest.

His trouble is so great,

but he says,

I am unable to speak.

It's almost like there's nothing he can bring to God.

But then you see in verse 7,

he has his questions.

Forever will the Lord cast off,

and gracious be no more.

Forever has his mercy gone.

Fails his word evermore.

So he's got questions.

And it's questions that are concerning him.

Has God's mercy gone?

Has his word failed forevermore?

Is there nowhere I can turn?

He's in the midst of a difficult providence.

It's a mystery what is going on in his life.

Then in verse 10 it says,

Then did I say that surely this is mine infirmity?

I'll mind the years of the right hand of him

that is most high.

Yea, I remember will the works performed by the Lord,

the wonders done of old by thee,

I surely will record.

How does the transformation come about?

From being unable to speak in verse 4

until in verse 10 and 11,

he's able to see the works of his right hand most high,

his works performed, the wonders done.

How?

By looking to God.

By looking to him.

What is the psalmist saying?

He's saying,

I have many worries,

I have many questions,

but God is over all.

God is in control.

And that's the very thing that we're seeing here

with Paul in Ephesians.

As he is writing to the church in Ephesus,

as he's writing to the people there,

they have their concerns,

they have their worries about Paul in prison,

about themselves and their own situation.

But what Paul is saying is,

God is in control.

Even in the mystery of the things that take place.

Two kinds of mystery we see here

with Paul in chapter 3.

In verse 1,

we see the mystery of providence.

A great mystery to us all at times,

the mystery of God's providence.

Verse 1,

it says this,

For this reason I,

Paul,

a prisoner for Christ Jesus

on behalf of you Gentiles.

What is he saying there?

Well, the people are concerned

that he's in prison.

But what is Paul saying to them?

Well,

who

put Paul in prison?

The people then,

and we ourselves reading through this,

would say,

well,

it's those in authority.

It's those in power.

Nero was the emperor at this time.

He was an evil man.

He had no time for Christians.

He treated them wickedly.

And so was it him

that put Paul in prison?

Well,

Paul is saying to the people here,

in providence,

it's not.

Because he's reminding them

that he is a prisoner

for Christ Jesus.

This

is where he wants him.

Because he wouldn't be in prison

if that's where Christ didn't want him.

And so he's reminding them

that there is this mystery of providence.

That there are things

that are happening

here for Paul

beyond understanding

for him or for the people.

But that there are assurance

that their comfort is found

in the knowledge

that it is all of Christ.

He is a prisoner

for Christ Jesus

on behalf

of you Gentiles.

He is there

for them.

He is reminding them

that the powers of this world

have no control

over these things.

They are all

in God's hand.

That not one hair

from his head

can be taken

without God knowing

and giving permission

for it.

So you have this mystery

of providence.

And providence

is one of those things

that is so often

a mystery to us.

It can leave us

to that sense of

we have no words

before God.

And it can be

in the providence

that we see

as wonderful providence

and the providence

that we see

as hard providence.

that we see

God is in control.

There's a story told

a story that actually

happened of

two sides

of the same

situation

and both

looking at it

as the providence

of God.

It goes back

to the year

1980

and someone

wrote about

a Christian

wrote into

an article

in a magazine

about a Christian

who providentially

escaped death.

And this was

because an unexpected

delay in New York

kept this man

from catching

a flight

flight 191

in Chicago

in 1980.

That flight

crashed

and 254

people

lost their lives.

And the article

was written

by the person

saying

this is a

wonderful providence.

How this man

was delayed

in one place

that he ended up

missing his flight.

And you could say

it's a great providence.

But someone

replied

to the article

and said this

I just had to

let you know

about a Christian

who ran

to make flight

191

and made it.

He got on

the plane

and he perished.

And this man

was a minister

in a church

in California

and his plane

had been late

when he arrived

in Chicago

and he had to run

to catch the flight

but he made it.

He got on board.

And the last thing

his friend saw

was running

towards that gate

to catch that flight.

And this made

the man who wrote

the original article

just ponder

just pause

for a few moments

and think

well where was

God's providence

there?

Was God's providence

operating only

in New York

where one man

was kept

from catching

that flight?

Or was God's providence

at work

where that man

made the flight?

He was a man

who was a

Christian minister

who had a

fruitful ministry.

And the question

could be

well why

has God

allowed that?

It's a mystery

of providence.

But one comment

that was made

was from

the friend

who had seen

the minister

who caught the plane.

And he put it

like this.

At the time

the minister

didn't know

that he was indeed

running to heaven.

That although

it was his providence

that he would pass

away that day

he had a greater

hope

in the Lord

Jesus Christ

that he was safe

for eternity.

And providence

should be seen

in light

of eternity.

And Paul

often speaks

of it in that way

the mystery

of providence.

The mystery

of his providence

here in that

he's in prison

but it's for Christ.

The mystery

of the afflictions

that we have

in this world

but they are

light

momentary

afflictions

he describes

them as

and so we have

this mystery

of providence

and in the midst

of that

we are to have

an eternal

perspective

to look at it

from eternity.

And what helps

with that then

is the second

mystery that we

have here

and that is

the mystery

of the gospel.

Paul uses

the word

mystery here

in verse 3

and verse 4

and verse 6

and verse 9.

and they are

all associated

with the gospel.

When you see it

in verse 3

how the mystery

was made known

to me

by revelation

as I have

written briefly.

So this mystery

was made known.

There's been

a revelation

of this mystery.

And the word

made known

revelation

here is

an uncovering.

An uncovering

uncovering

of things.

So this is

what Paul

has been doing

for the church

at Ephesus

for the church

in Galatia

for the gospel

spreading.

It's a revelation

and it's a revelation

of a mystery.

Just go back

to Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 29:29

29

verse 29

the things

that are revealed

belong to us.

There's this sense

of revelation.

So you have

this revealing

but you also

have this mystery.

The mystery

refers to

something that's

been hidden

and especially

here it

implies

hidden by

God

because they're

beyond our

natural

understanding

until he

reveals them.

Until he

reveals them.

There are

various things

that you see

being launched

in our world.

Things that are

kept secret

until there's

a big reveal

as it were.

If you're into

Formula One

racing

every new season

they reveal

the new car.

All these secrets

that are being

kept behind the

scenes.

The preparations

that's going on

and then the

launch day

comes and the

car is taken

off under

a cover.

It's revealed

and people are

looking to see

what has been

done.

How they've done

certain things.

there's this

big revelation.

It can also

be done

with phones.

Many of the

big companies

launch a new

phone every

year.

There are secrets

that are kept

and then you

have this big

launch day when

things are

revealed.

The same as

through another

big ceremonies

whether it's

launching boats

or opening

buildings.

They're often

done to a

great fanfare

and people

come curious

to see what

it's like,

what's inside,

how it's been

built,

how it's been

designed.

People want

to look.

That's the

same with the

gospel.

It's a mystery

that is revealed

and we should

be longing to

see what is

in this

mystery.

What is the

mystery that is

being uncovered,

being revealed

here by Paul?

It is the

word of God,

the gospel,

the good news

of Jesus

Christ.

He's saying

God has

lifted a

veil away

from the

truths that

were hidden

by God.

A divine

secret is

revealed and

it's something

that has been

hidden.

It's been

hidden.

In verse

5 it says

this was not

made known

to the sons

of men and

other generations

as it has

now been

revealed to

his holy

apostles and

prophets by

the Spirit.

So there

were things

that were

hidden.

Even to

people like

Moses and

Abraham,

David,

Isaiah,

they couldn't

see the

whole mystery.

They couldn't

see the full

revelation of

it.

But here

this revelation

is for us.

And it's in

verse 6 it

goes on to

say,

this mystery

is that the

Gentiles are

fellow heirs,

members of the

same body,

partakers of

the promise

in Christ

Jesus through

the gospel.

And this

would be a

moment for

these people

to think,

we thought

that God

was only

for the

Jews.

But here

we are being

told this

mystery,

the Gentiles,

that all

people everywhere

can be

fellow heirs,

members of

the same

body,

partakers of

the same

promise in

Christ Jesus

through the

gospel.

gospel.

This is

a revelation

that is being

made.

The mystery

that is revealed

to you and

to me tonight

is that we

can be

partakers of

this gospel.

Something that

seems a

mystery to us

at times,

so difficult

to understand,

and yet here

we are told

that God

through Christ

and his

spirit works

in us so

we might

understand

these things

that have

been hidden

for generations.

The revelation

of God

to us

through his

son,

Jesus Christ.

What a

wonderful mystery

has been

made known

to us.

Do you

long to

see it

more?

We can

show interest

in F1

cars,

we can

show interest

in phones

and buildings

and boats

and all

of these

things,

but the

greatest

mystery

has been

revealed to

us in

the gospel,

the good

news of

Jesus Christ.

So there's

a mystery

here that

is revealed.

And as

this mystery

is revealed,

we then

see that

there is

a marvel

at this.

And this

then is

what Paul

is describing

as his

role.

In verse

7 of

this gospel,

this mystery

that's been

revealed,

I was made

a minister

according to

the gift

of God's

grace which

was given

me by

the working

of his

power.

To me,

though I

am the

very least

of all

the saints,

this grace

was given

to preach

to the

Gentiles

the

unsearchable

riches

of Christ.

To me,

though the

very least,

Paul is a

strange word

there that

it was almost

like he made

up a word,

I am the

leastest

of all

the saints.

That's the

way he saw

himself,

as we saw

this morning

reading in

Romans,

Paul,

O wretched

man that

I am.

He is the

leastest of

all the

saints,

but he has

been given

grace,

and he's

been given

grace and

a purpose

to preach

to the

Gentiles

the

unsearchable

riches

of Christ.

So again,

when you have

the unsearchable,

what does it

mean?

Does it mean

it cannot be

known?

Well,

the word

unsearchable

can also

mean

unfathomable.

There's a

depth to

it,

a great

depth,

it's almost

like a

depth that

can never

be reached.

And it's

the way

every preacher

feels,

I'm sure it's

the way

every Christian

feels.

There's just

a depth

to the

wonder of

the gospel

that we

just cannot

get all

the way

down,

even though

as Paul

prays later

in this

chapter,

that we

may grasp

the breadth

and length

and height

and depth.

it's a

prayer that

we might

know it,

but there's

a size,

there's a

scale to

this that

goes beyond

our understanding.

And it's a

marvel to

us.

But Paul

is declaring

this message

to the

church.

He's

declaring

this message

to ourselves

here tonight.

He's

declaring it

in a way

that he's

saying,

well,

no,

we cannot

fully comprehend

it,

but that we

should delve

into the

very depths

of it

because

there's a

richness

here,

the

unsearchable

riches

of Christ.

This is

worth

delving

into,

this is

worth

knowing

because

it's

about

a

relationship,

a

relationship

that we

have by

faith

in the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

A

mystery

revealed

to us

and the

unsearchable

riches

of Christ,

they are

worth

getting

our

teeth

into.

A

man called

Patrick

Henry

He knew

that his

days were

coming to

an end

and he

wanted

to sort

out his

affairs

with his

family

and leave

to them

his property

and various

things.

And so

he did

that.

He arranged

things,

made sure

that his

property

would be

given to

his family

and sorted

between

them.

But then

he said,

there's one

more thing

I wish

I could

give them

and that

is faith

in Jesus

Christ.

And he

said,

if they

had that

and I

had not

given

them a

single

penny,

they would

have been

rich.

And if

they had

not that

and I

had given

them all

the world,

they would

have been

poor indeed.

If they

had that

faith in

Christ and

nothing else,

they would

be rich.

That's what

Paul is

saying here.

He is

preaching to

the Gentiles

the unsearchable

riches

of Christ.

What are

they?

what are

the

unsearchable

riches

of Christ?

It's like

they're saying

there's so

many,

they're

bottomless,

no one

can fully

comprehend

all that

they entail,

but they

are priceless

things to

God's people,

to his

redeemed,

and they

are made

known to

us through

his word.

And the

more we

understand

these

unsearchable

riches

of Christ,

the richer

then our

prayer,

the richer

then our

understanding,

the breadth

and length

and height

and depth

and to

know the

love of

Christ that

surpasses

knowledge.

What are

these riches

then?

We could go

on all

evening

talking about

them,

but just

to highlight

a few

for ourselves.

He is

preaching

the

unsearchable

riches.

We are

loved by

God.

there are

so many

verses in

the scriptures

that remind

us of

this.

Romans 5

Romans 5:8

verse 8,

but God

shows his

love for

us in

that while

we were

still sinners,

Christ died

for us.

It's a

mystery and

it's a

marvel.

While we

were still

sinners,

while we

were away

from God,

he showed

his love

to us

that Christ

Jesus died

for our

sins.

Unsearchable

riches,

that we

are loved

because how

can you get

to the

depths of

that love?

You can't,

but we can

marvel at it.

Isn't it a

mystery and a

marvel that we

could say with

John Newton,

amazing grace,

how sweet the

sound that

saved a

wretch like

me.

It is

grace.

It's the

grace that

Paul writes

of in this

letter,

by grace

you have

been saved

through faith.

The wonder

of God's

love, the

marvel of

God's love.

What about

the fact that

we are a

chosen people?

You go back

to chapter

one of this

letter,

you know,

Paul has

said that he

has written

briefly before

chapter three.

Well, in

chapter one,

in verse

four, what

does he

say?

Even as

he chose

us in

him before

the foundation

of the

world.

There is a

mystery and

a marvel in

that.

There is the

doctrine of

election for

us.

He has

chosen us

before the

foundation of

the world.

How can we

understand these

things?

Charles Spurgeon

was asked by

one of his

congregation,

how do I

know if I

am in the

elect?

It's a

question maybe

many of you

here have.

It's a

common question.

Well,

Charles Spurgeon's

reply was,

ask yourself

instead,

do I

believe with

all my

heart?

If you

do, you

are in the

elect.

We cannot

understand the

depths of

these things,

the mystery of

these things.

us.

But yet

the gospel

calls us to

put our

trust in

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

to believe

in him with

all our

hearts.

And then

we are

reminded that

how can we

know we

are in the

elect?

How can we

be one of

those?

Well, in

Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:7

verse 7,

we are told

we are saved

by the blood

of his

Son.

In

verse 7,

in him

we have

redemption

through his

blood for

the forgiveness

of our

trespasses

according to

the riches

of his

grace.

We are

saved

because of

God's

love,

because of

God's

choosing,

because of

God's

giving

his Son.

So when

we are

discouraged,

as the

people in

Ephesus

were,

when we

are discouraged

by sin,

as we were

thinking about

this morning,

when we

are discouraged

by the

world,

and by

feeling

unworthy,

and all

of these

things,

where do

we have

to go?

Where can

we look?

Not to

ourselves,

but to

the cross

of Jesus

Christ,

whereby

his blood

we are

forgiven.

We have

redemption

through

his blood.

And then

Paul goes

on into

chapter 2

here,

and give

us a

wonderful

assurance

there in

verse 6,

chapter 2,

verse 6,

comes in

that great

part where

we are by

grace saved

through faith.

We were

dead in our

trespasses and

sins in which

we once

walked.

But then

in verse

6, we

have those

words,

and raised

us up with

him and

seated us

with him in

the heavenly

places in

Christ Jesus.

Isn't that a

mystery?

Isn't that a

marvel?

That he has

raised us

up.

And when you

go back to

verse 4,

that reminds

us of how

but God,

being rich in

mercy because

of the great

love with

which he

loved us,

even when we

were dead in

our trespasses,

made us alive

together with

Christ.

By grace,

you have been

saved.

And that is

how we are

seated in the

heavenly places.

Even now,

you are alive

in Christ.

You are in

him.

You have

access to

the very

throne of

grace in

heaven.

And you

see there,

it kind of

ties all

these things

together.

We're chosen.

We're loved.

We are

seated.

We are

forgiven by

his grace.

All of

these things,

they're so

mysterious to

us, and yet

we can marvel

at them.

So the

more that we

look, the

more that we

see the

depth of

his love

for us.

We are

also secure

in him.

In verse

8, for

by grace

you have

been saved

through faith.

This is not

your own

doing.

It is the

gift of

God.

It is

God who

has done

this.

It is

God who

has given

us this

security.

And that

is what we

can marvel

at.

It is

a gift.

A gift

from God.

And so

then as we

read other

passages such

as Romans

Romans 8:38

8, verse

38 and

39, what

great assurance,

what great

comfort we

can take

there from

these riches

of Christ.

For I am

sure that

neither death

nor life

nor angels

nor rulers

nor things

present nor

things to

come nor

powers nor

height nor

depth nor

anything else

in all

creation will

be able to

separate us

from the

love of

God in

Christ Jesus

our Lord.

How?

Well, because

of God's

grace to

us.

For by

grace you

have been

saved through

faith, a

gift of

God.

We have

security in

him.

This is

just a

small sampling

of the

unsearchable

riches of

Christ.

There are

so many

other things

that we

can look

at, but

they are

reminders to

us of

what the

mystery that

is revealed

to us.

This

gospel gives

us.

It is to

marvel at

these

unsearchable

riches of

Christ.

So we

can praise

him now

and praise

him for

all

eternity.

And so

then that is

why Paul

goes on

to pray

in

understanding

these things.

For this

reason I

bow my

knees before

the Father.

This is

verse 14.

From whom

every family

in heaven

and on

earth are

named.

This is

his prayer.

That they

may have

strength to

comprehend

with all

the saints

what is

the breadth

and length

and height

and depth

and to

know the

love of

Christ that

surpasses

knowledge.

That is

where the

prayer comes

from.

From

understanding

the mystery

that is

revealed of

these

unsearchable

riches of

Christ that

are so

many.

Let us

look into

this mystery.

Let us

search the

depths of

these

unsearchable

riches.

Because the

more that we

know them

the more

they bring

us closer

even in

our prayers

to coming

seeking that

prayer to

grasp

even more

all of

these things.

I quoted

from Martin

Luther this

morning.

I will

quote him

again as

we conclude

this evening.

He once

said,

I have held

many things

in my

hands and

I have

lost them

all,

but whatever

I have

placed in

God's

hands,

that I

still

possess.

It is a

wonderful

thought that.

I have held

many things

in my

hands and

I have

lost them

all,

but whatever

I have

placed in

God's

hands,

that I

still

possess,

because with

God all

things are

secure,

and we

seek to

take hold

of things

ourselves,

we lose

them.

But when

we put

ourselves

into the

hands of

God,

we lose

nothing,

and we

gain so

much more,

the unsearchable

riches of

Christ.

There is a

mystery around

them,

but they are

revealed to

us through

his word,

and there

is reward

for those

who seek

him and

follow him.

And so

may he

help us

to delve

into them,

to understand

them,

and to

know them

more fully

and more

meaningful for

ourselves,

to lead us

closer at

all times

to him.

Let us

pray.

Lord,

our gracious

God,

we do

thank you

for your

truth,

we thank

you for

your gospel,

we thank

you for

how it is

revealed to

us,

through

your word,

and we

pray that

prayer this

evening that

we will be

able to

grasp with

all the

saints what

is the

length and

breadth and

height and

depth,

and to

know the

love of

Christ that

surpasses

knowledge,

that we

might be

filled with

the fullness

of God,

as we ask

it in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

We'll

conclude by

singing to

God's

praise in

Psalm 146,

Scottish

Psalter

version,

page 446

of the

psalm

books.

Psalm 146,

we'll sing

from verse

8 to

verse 10.

Page

446 of

the psalm

books,

the Lord

doth give

the blind

their sight,

the bow

down doth

raise,

the Lord

doth dearly

love all

those that

walk in

upright ways.

We'll sing

from verse

8 to

the end

of the

psalm,

to God's

praise.

The Lord

doth give

the blind

their sight,

the love

and the

down

the praise

the Lord

doth hear

thee

love all

who's

that

obey

our

high

grace.