God's Shared Vision

In 1986, it was a very significant year. And for all of us, it was a very significant year, because it was run about the time of Mr. Armstrong's death. But to me, it was also significant because of something else. I used to work at that time for IBM in South Africa. And for years and years and years, as you may know, South Africa was going through certain challenges. And the company said they would never leave South Africa, because they were doing everything they could for all people in the country. But on October 22, that was during the feast, in 1986, my wife will probably remember, and I remember vividly, that we suddenly heard on the news that IBM was leaving South Africa. And I, as a manager, I was completely caught off by surprise. And the news stated that IBM had decided to disinvest, and they were going to sell the local subsidiary, in other words, IBM South Africa, to the local management, and that changeover would occur in March 1987. As you can manage some 2,000 employees or so, the morale was devastated. However, the South African management team put together a plan, which was called Share Division. And they executed that plan with all the staff, all the employees in the company. They set together a number of workshops and training sessions about the vision they had of what they were going to do and move forwards. And the intent was that every employee would internalize that vision, so that every employee would do its share, as working for this little company now that would have to stand by itself. It's interesting, that about four years later, after that event, in 1991, IBM International declared a $5.7 billion right off. That was causing the biggest loss ever in history until that date. But the interesting thing is, in that same year, that company that had been disinvested and was now standing on its own two feet, had the greatest profit or income they ever had selling the same products that IBM US was doing. And to me, the difference was that the vision had been shared with every employee and every individual played its part and its share in making success for that little company. And that is important for us to have a vision that we all need to do our share. God gives us a vision, and God's vision goes beyond just this age, but His vision is a mystery for the world. And you and I are blessed, blessed to understand it. But regrettably, if we don't internalize that vision, if we don't have it well written in our minds and hearts, we can allow ourselves to become demotivated, discouraged, and maybe give up. So my purpose today, brethren, is to make the vision that God has shared with us, make it again, indelibly clear in our minds, so that it would help us to be motivated and strive regardless of whatever trials you and I have. Let's turn therefore to Psalm 8. Psalm 8. And we're going to read, starting from verse 4. Psalm 8, starting from verse 4. What is man that you are mindful of him, and the Son of man that you visit him? What are we as human beings that God cares for us? Now granted, you and I understand the meaning is dual. It applies to Christ, but it applies to us as well. For you have made him a little lower than angels. Yes, Christ and we, mankind, are lower than angels. A little lower. And you have crowned him, that's Christ. But ultimately, this will be looked back thousands of years from today, and it will be prophetic of you and I, mankind, that God will have, as it says here, crowned us human beings with glory and honor.

I think, quite often, we neglect to understand that God wants to give you and I glory and honor.

We are going to be co-inheritors with Christ. You have made him, that's Christ, but ultimately, us with him. To have dominion over the works of your hands, you have put all things under his feet. Ultimately, everything will be under Christ's feet, and we, as I mentioned, will be with him, serving with him, and we will inherit all things with him. That's our goal, brethren, to have, ultimately, glory and honor. How often do we meditate that God is going to give us glory? We do think, often, that God is going to make us his sons and daughters in his kingdom, but he's going to give us glory in addition to that as well. That is prophesied, for instance, even Daniel, in chapter 12. Daniel 12, verses 2 and 3. Daniel 12. Verse 2 and 3 says, And many of those who sleep in the dust, As we heard in the sermon, many are sleeping in the dust.

They're not in heaven today. They're sleeping in the dust. Shall awake. In other words, we'll resurrect. Some to everlasting life. Those in the first resurrection will resurrect immediately to everlasting life. Some in the second resurrection, as we mentioned, in the sermonette will have to go through a little bit more learning and overcoming.

The decision will then be made whether they will have everlasting life or everlasting shame and contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament. There is glory, brethren. There is glory. God is going to give us glory at different levels. Not all stars in the firmament shine with the same intensity. And those who turn many to righteousness by being part of a team and helping as a team, knowing each one, knowing and doing their part, understanding the vision and doing the part that they can, they will shine like the stars forever and ever.

Brethren, God has given us an enormous plan and hope and vision that He is sharing with us. But this vision is a mystery to the world. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2. And we are going to read verse 7. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 7. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. God has got this plan worked out in such great wisdom that you and I cannot even begin to comprehend it.

But it is a mystery. The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages. God decided this before the ages, before He created the world. For what purpose? For our glory. For our glory in His kingdom, in His family, as His children.

Look at verse 9. As it's written, Brethren, you and I can see through a glass faintly, darkly. We don't even begin to understand the greatness, the huge greatness that God has planned for you. You and I need to have this vision implanted in our minds and in our hearts to strive and overcome till the end and not to be demotivated. He says, No, I, man, has seen the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. As we heard in our opening prayer, we love you, Father. And God loves us even more.

God's love will never leave you or forsake you. Never, never, ever. Oh yeah, you and I do sin, and our sin separates us from God, but not His love. So we'll act like when our children do things wrong. There is a separation in a way, but that love we have for the children remains, and we want them to repent. Look at Romans 16. Romans 16. We're going to read verse 25. Romans 16. And that's the concluding prayer of the Book of Romans. But now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel.

There was this good news that has been revealed now because Christ came and the Apostles understood, and particularly Paul understood, and was explaining these good news. And the preaching of Jesus Christ, or what Christ has done for us, according to the revelation of the mystery, of the mystery kept secret since the world began. Mankind does not have a clue of this great plan of God. Oh yeah, they think that once you die, go to heaven and play a hop or whatever.

Verse 26. But now, made manifest, this mystery is now revealed to us by the prophetic scriptures made known to all nations. Yeah, the scriptures have been there, the prophets have been there, but people don't get it. According to the commandment of the everlasting God for obedience. Yes, we have to be obedient to the faith. To God alone wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. You see, the revelation of this mystery has been given to us, made possible through Christ. Let's dig a little deeper into this great mystery, and let's go into Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 3. Ephesians chapter 1, starting in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

But, a big part of justice, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. God has decided in his plan that he would have some that will be selected first and others later. But ultimately his plan is that everybody will be in that family. And he says, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy. We have to be holy and without blame before him in love. Having predestined us, God has decided that the whole of mankind, he has predestined the whole of mankind to adoption. Or, maybe a better translation, is sonship, as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.

According to the good pleasure of his will. That's his will. That's God's desire that we will be his sons. That's his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace. You see, you and I don't deserve it. It's just God's goodness and kindness and outgoing concern in love for you and I that he wants you to have that. By which he made us accepted in the beloved Jesus Christ. We are being accepted because of what Christ has done for us.

He named in Christ, we have redemption, we have the ransom. Our bodies are being brought back. Our life is brought back through Christ's blood. The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. Which he, God, made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Having made known to us the mystery of his will. He has revealed to us the mystery of his will that we are going to be his children in his kingdom.

According to his good pleasure, which he purpose in himself. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, that when all this is finished, he might gather together in one all things in Christ. Everything will be under Christ and you and I will inherit it with him. Both all things which are in heaven and are on earth through Christ. So everything will be under Christ. Verse 11, in him also, that's in Jesus Christ, we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

So this is God's plan. That is God's desire. That is the mystery. And the mystery is YAH, clearly described, which is the plan. And what is the plan? Is that at the end of time, everything will be under Christ and we will be part of that team working together with Christ. Everything will be under. That is the plan for us. That is the huge glory that you and I will have to rule the universe, all the planets and everything else, and even the angelic realm. All will be under Christ and we will be part of that team. Do we get that vision? We need that vision. We need that vision to help us overcome when we go through serious trials.

Look in chapter 3 of the same book, Ephesians, chapter 3, starting in verse 9. Ephesians chapter 3 verse 9. It's talking about the unsearchable reaches of Christ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ. God the Father architected this plan and delegated all the responsibilities of the execution of this plan to, let's call it, the chief executive officer, which is Christ, until he has completed and then he will hand it all over to the Father, saying, mission accomplished. And so God created all through Jesus Christ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church, by us being made known by the church to angels. You see, angels didn't even know that. They didn't even fully comprehend it. But now as God is working through the church, through you and I, the angelic domain of these principalities and powers in heavenly places are starting to get it. According to the eternal purpose, verse 11, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So through Christ, this is a great purpose. This is a great mystery from the beginning of creation that has been hidden. And only with Christ coming and he doing what he did and the church preaching it through the apostles, this mystery is now being revealed and understood. And how does God help us to remember this mystery? Well, for one, through his Holy Days, right? As you live and practice God's Holy Days every year, every year it becomes clearer and clearer and clearer in your mind. But you and I have to live it. We have to practice it. You see, I know some so-called churches of God that don't practice them. I'm not talking about the ones that we know near us, but there are some that I've come across in Portugal that they say, Oh, well, we remember the Holy Days. And they say, yeah, this is the day of Atonement. Say, for instance, the day of Atonement. And then that night after Atonement, they have services to remember the day of Atonement. That is not keeping the day of Atonement. You see, we have to live it. We have to practice it, to comprehend it. But for instance, those people say, well, we remember the feast. So they take one weekend and they go out and have a camp out on a one-week-end, run about that period. And they say, well, it's around the spirit that the feast was kept, so we're just having a church camp out over there. We can't remember the feast. That does not help you or help those people to understand God's plan of salvation. That's what I mean when I say it's not just remembering, it's practicing and living God's Holy Days. That's how we understand it better and better every year.

Turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy chapter 3.

Verse 16.

I was getting a bit puzzled because I turned to 2 Timothy and I didn't read what I wanted to read. It reads what's correct on 2 Timothy, but I wanted to focus on what it's seen 1 Timothy. So that's why I took a little while there. But 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 says, And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. Great is the mystery of godliness.

Do we understand profoundly this mystery of us becoming like God? Because it's initiated by this great action by Christ. Let's read this verse carefully and analyze it carefully.

God was manifested in the flesh. Now I know some Bible versions don't say God, but the Greek manuscripts, the majority of the manuscripts say Theos, which is God. God was manifested in the flesh. It was Christ came in the flesh, one of the two God beings. Now, when He came in the flesh, you're subject to all the temptations of the flesh, but He never sinned. He never sinned. And as you read, for instance, in Philippians chapter 2 verse 6, 7 and 8, where He says that He was in the form of God, and it was not robbery to be equal to God, He came and became a human being, and He humbled Himself to death of the cross. In the flesh, that's what He did. He gave His life. He that had eternal life, He came to die, to die for you and I. And He was dead. That's why it required another being that remained alive to resurrect Him from the dead, which was the Father, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, through God's power. And then we read the R, justified in the Spirit. What does that mean? It means that He was made alive by God's Spirit. Keep your finger there in 1 Timothy chapter 3, but quickly read 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 18.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just and for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. He was made alive by the Spirit. And He was made alive by the Spirit through God's power.

God raised Him up. And He was raised up for our justification. Turn with me to Romans chapter 4 verse 25. Romans chapter 4 verse 25. He's talking about Jesus, our Lord, that was raised from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses and raised because of our justification. He was justified. He made us reconciled to the Father. He died for us. And He was justified. He made right and He resurrected. Now continue, therefore, now reading in 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. And it says, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels. The angels were witness of this.

And then preached among the Gentiles the apostles and Paul specifically preached what Christ did among the Gentiles. Next one, believed on in the world. Christ is believed in the world. The wrong type of belief because they don't practice it, but the world says, yeah, generally speaking, the Christian world says, yeah, that's Christ. But they don't practice it. They don't live it. And then He says, received up in glory. Christ is in glory. And you and I will receive the same glory. You see, this gospel, this good news of what Christ has done has been preached by the apostles and by Paul.

If you look at Colossians chapter 1, Colossians chapter 1, verse 28, we read, Here we preach. You know, as Paul says, we preach Christ, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Christ was preached. Now, if we just go a little bit before Paul says that, let's read from verse 21.

He says, And you were once aliens or a lineage and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled. Christ has reconciled us by His resurrection by paying for our sins. In the body of His flesh, through death, He is death as reconciles, so that we can be presented holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight, in the Father's sight.

Verse 23, If indeed we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. This is our hope, brethren. This is the good news that you and I have of this gospel. And this hope that we are going to be in God's family is a great vision that empowers us to overcome whatever trials we go through. The hope of the gospel, which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Verse 24, I now rejoice in my sufferings. Paul says, I rejoice in the problems and health issues and whatever problems I have, I rejoice. For you, my sufferings for you, suffering, we suffer for one another. What do you mean we suffer for one another? Then he says, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Do we get that? What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ? You see, there are certain illnesses and problems and difficulties that Christ can go through.

But his body, you and I, the church, as it says, in the flesh of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church, his body, spiritually speaking, the church, as, we'll have suffered all the sufferings, all the type of sufferings that mankind has had to suffer throughout all these years.

And you and I would have filled up in our flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, of his body. Christ's body, the church, would have suffered all types of pains and difficulties. And you and I, as members in his family, as spirit beings, will be able to encourage and comfort, because the Father is the Father of mercy and comfort. We will be able to encourage and comfort every person that will be coming out of great tribulation or resurrected out of great difficulties, going through great anxiety, and you and I will be able to encourage them.

And then he goes on, of which I became a minister, according to the stewardship from God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to his saints. It's been revealed to the church of God. It's that hope of being glorified with Christ.

But it does require us to change from the old man to a new man. It does require us to repent and to cleanse ourselves. You're reading scriptures like in Acts 17, 28 to 30, when Paul was at Marzill, he said, we have to repent. Also, Paul, in 2 Corinthians 6-18 through 7, verse 1, says, we have to cleanse ourselves. And in Ephesians chapter 4, Ephesians chapter 4, verse 22, it talks about, through 24, it talks about that we have to put on a new man. He says, put off that old form of conduct, that old man, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind that you put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. And then it explains a little bit further what we need to put on.

We need to put on, look here in verse 29. Verse 29 says, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification. Are we analyzing ourselves, and do we say things that are cutting, that are cutting to others, to members in our family, physical and spiritual? Because it says that you may impart grace to the errors. So our word should be kind and loving, not cutting.

That is what it says, and do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Verse 30. You know, God has given His Spirit. God, the Father, and Christ live in us through the Holy Spirit, and saddens God when you and I say things that hurt. Are we changing? Therefore, verse 31 says, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, bitterness, do we have things that are rooted in our hearts? It's like a root of bitterness.

And out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and then, bang, it comes out of our mouth. We have to put on a new man. We've got to put on a new man. Verse 32. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another. Do we forgive others, or do we have a root of bitterness?

Even as God in Christ forgave you. You see, brethren, God wants us to be like Him. God wants us to inherit His kind of being. Look at Romans 8, verse 16. Romans 8, verse 16.

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, God's Holy Spirit bears witness of the spirit of man in man, because we receive God's Holy Spirit, right? That we are the children of God. Yes, we are the children of God now. We're not yet what we'll be like, but we are God's children now. And if children, then is. Is of God.

Do we get that? We're going to inherit the type of kind of being of God, of being a God family, the God kind. We're going to be heirs of God and the joint heirs with Christ. So everything that belongs to Christ will belong to us, because He will delegate some of those responsibilities to you and I. But He's not going to delegate it to you and I, and you and I are not going to be there if we have corrupt speech coming out of our mouth.

How do we talk to people? Really, that is the heart of the matter, what's in our hearts. Joint heirs of Christ, if. Brethren, the word if is probably the biggest, smallest word. If. If. Indeed, we suffer with Him. What did Christ suffer? The pain of being crucified must have been unbelievable. Therefore, we get that word excruciating pain. Comes from the word cross, excruciating. But can you imagine the mental anguish that He had from the moment they decided before the world was created that He had to come to earth and suffer like He had to suffer? All those millennia and millennia and millennia and millennia, He knew that He had to do this. And then He became a human being. And then when He had to do it, like He said, the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. And then He said, Father, not my will but Your will. Because in the flesh, He didn't want to go through it. But He therefore understands the difficulty of the mental anguish and pain that we go through. If, as it reads here in verse 17, indeed we suffer with Him. So it's not just physically but mentally and emotionally He had to go through that suffering. If that, that we may also be glorified together with Him. We're going to have the same glorious Christ.

It's mind-boggling. We need to have this vision, brethren. Oh, but Satan is very clever because it... Oh, well, look at Christmas. All these beautiful things and beautiful trees and all these other things. Indiviating you from God's plan of salvation and His holy days. Oh, look at Easter Sunday and the lovely beautiful eggs. Oh, how beautiful! Hogwash! Because that is distracting you from God's plan of salvation. We have to abide in the doctrine of Christ. Jesus Christ came in the flesh, as it says in John, in 2nd Epistle of John, verse 7. Jesus Christ came in the flesh. He died for us. And this is a warning for us.

And so, in Hebrews chapter 12, Paul then says, in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1 and 2, he says, Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by such a great clown of witnesses, you know, the chapter 11, all these men of faith, some of them, they were sawn asunder. They were sawn asunder.

I don't want to even think what sort of pain that was. And why didn't God intervene for them? But He didn't. They died in faith. And so He says, We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him in the Jewish cross, what was the joy that was set before Christ?

The joy that was set before Christ was not just to be resurrected and be next to the Father, because that's what He was before anyway. The joy set before Christ is that you and I will be there with them in that family. That is the joy, because He loves you and I so much. That's why I endure suffering, because of the joy of having you and I in that family. He had the vision of us being glorified, and that gave Him joy. That gave Him motivation to go through it. In 1 John chapter 3, verse 1-3, Behold, what man of love, the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. Yes, we are now children of God, but still physical human beings. Therefore the world does not know us, because it does not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. At Christ's resurrection of that glory, that has not been revealed yet. But we know that when Christ is revealed, when Christ comes, we will be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this vision, who has this hope, who has this vision internalized in Him and in her, and focuses on it and does not let it go, will purify Himself or herself, just as God is pure, so that Him, you, I, us, may be motivated to endure till the end. Because the vision that God shares with us is so great. May God help you keep that vision alive in your heart and mind.