“SPECIAL IMPACT IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE”

              EPHESIANS 3:8-11

In verse 8, we read Apostle Paul writing, “Unto me, who am less (worthy )(unworthiness) than the least (important) of all saints, is this grace given,”…..(so right here, that’s telling us that Paul was CLEAR, “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3); I tell you, Paul had a good understanding of who & whose he was.

(Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom (Godly) is the principal (most important) thing; therefore (from this point on) get Wisdom and with all your getting get (a good) understanding” (& that works in Homes etc. Paul had a good understanding that everything he had accomplished for Christ, was not do to his own ability,……. but by the Grace of God. “I Obtained Mercy!”

A.    In 1 Cor. 15:9-10; Again, Paul was having none of boasting “For I am the least   (worthy) of the apostles, & not meet (fit) to be called an apostle, (WHY?* Acts 26:10) ”because many of the Saints did I shut up in prison and when they were put to death I gave my voice (vote) against them” (1 Cor 15:10 “But by the Grace of God (unmerited, unearned, underserved favor) I am what I am: and His Grace which was bestowed (applied, given) upon me was not in vain.”

B. In Philippians 2:13; Paul says: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Break it on down Paul: “For it is (not your strength, but it is) God (Word) who is effectually at work (operating) in you, (in the details) both to will and to work (that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the desire and the ability to fulfill YOUR / OUR purpose) for His good pleasure.”                            

C. In Eph. VS 8. (text) Apostle Paul had a Twofold Purpose for writing this passage.                                                 # 1. “That I should preach among the Gentiles the Unsearchable Riches of Christ.” (the Gospel of the Grace of God) which in Time Past was, unsearchable, untraceable, hidden from prophetic scriptures, hid in God, kept secret, “BUT NOW,“ Rom.16:26 “made manifest, made known“ through Paul, to be shared with everyone.                                          

D. # 2. The SECOND PART of Paul’s twofold purpose is found in:                                                                                                                         VS 9. “To make ALL MEN see what is the fellowship (dispensation) of the mystery,”  *And this VS 9. is linked to 1Tim. 2:4; “Who will have ALL MEN to be saved,” “The will (desire) of God is to have ALL MEN to be saved.”& “To make ALL MEN see the Mystery.  YOU SEE, God was Dispensing brand new information/doctrine (that’s what the Preaching of the Unsearchable Riches of Christ -the Gospel of the Grace of God is all about!)  And after Salvation, “to come to the knowledge of truth,” (that’s what the Fellowship/Dispensation of the Mystery is all about.) And it is to be accomplished through us, the CBOC.

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A.  *AND THAT’S WHERE YOU & I COME IN SAINTS!                                                                     WE ARE “THE CHURCH,” individual members of the Universal BOC, & God has equipped/commissioned us with the “Ministry of Reconciliation” to “preach the “Simplicity of the Gospel of Grace,” which is: “God Loves You & Christ Died For Your Sins + Nothing Else!  And once we’ve presented the Proper Gospel of Salvation, we are instructed to “Make All Men see (Each One, Teach One) “What is the fellowship of the Mystery.” But that’s not all folks!!

B.     God has also equipped and designed us, “the one new man,” CBOC during this present dispensation of Gentile Grace, with a “SPECIAL IMPACT,” “to engage or penetrate,” “to have a Direct Effect” on the principalities and powers in heavenly places.

C.    WHAT IS THIS “SPECIAL IMPACT?” It is a “SPIRITUAL IMPACT!” It is the Divine Knowledge, the Sum Total of what is Known, it is the Body of Truth about the “Glory and Genius Of God in the Mystery of Christ”, in which you and I possess! It is “The Divine Knowledge of the Manifold Wisdom (multifaceted – unlimited layers and degrees) of Wisdom of God and His Eternal Purpose.” You talking about holding a Degree!  We hold the Knowledge of the Manifold Wisdom of God:Treasure in earthen vessels; 2 Cor 4:7

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A. Before this Dispensation of Grace ends, (Jordan View) and before God translates us to the Heavenly Places which is our destiny, to reconcile (settle) that domain back unto Himself, (which is our purpose,) we are privileged to make an Impact to God’s honor and glory in the heavenly places in the face of the very ones who will be replaced by us .

This “SPIRITUAL IMPACT” which we are Privileged to make today” (1.) PROVIDES a constant reminder in the Heavenly Places: COL. 2:15 of God’s Genius, in taking Satan and His principalities and powers in their own craftiness, making an open show of them, triumphing over them in the Cross of Christ.

(B.) This “SPIRITUAL IMPACT” Is accomplished By Us rejoicing and celebrating the glory of God’s Wisdom in Grace right now, as we GROW UP in the “Knowledge of His Manifold (multififa) Wisdom” & MAKE KNOWN to others the Mystery of Christ.

(C.) As I stated before, this SPIRITUAL IMPACT (is a constant reminder of the Glory of God’s Genius and confronts Satan with the assurance of the complete DESTRUCTION of his Plan of Evil. And because of this, Satan’s contempt (hatred) of us is intensified, stepped up! And his POE is designed to RESPOND to this SPIRITUAL IMPACT, in an effort to minimize our effectiveness!

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CASE & POINT Saints, in August of this year, our fellowship along with First Philippian, put on our first ever Grace Conference, at this location. *The Conference was a dynamic Spiritual experience.

*Our Theme was “God Is Love.”  *The entire fellowship was fruitful! *From the welcome comm, to food service, excellent! *The preaching & teaching Rightly Divided was dynamic! *The Breakout Sessions (Men & Women) were dynamic! *The Music/Worship & Praise/Singing was dynamic! *And the Audio & Video Ministry was impeccable! People Came from far and near to hear the Word and Fellowship!   

*You see our conf.( born in mind & heart of Bro. Sheppard) was the CBOC, collectively making our “SPIRITUAL IMPACT,” to Gods Honor and Glory in the Heavenly Places.  *Rejoicing and celebrating the KNOWLEDGE of His Manifold Wisdom and Making Known to ALL MEN the Mystery of Christ.                               

     A. But REMEMBER, while God has designed the CBOC to make a Spiritual Impact into the Heavenlies, Satan and his principalities and powers are designed to make a Satanic (Eph. 6:12) Spiritual Attack upon the BOC, to minimize our effectiveness.  How does Satan do this?

     B. He has 3 major Ploys in his battle plan to minimize the effectiveness of the Believers Spiritual Impact in the Heavenly Places. We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices)2 Cor2:11

PLOY 1. Satan attacks the Message FIRST in order to corrupt the believer’s understanding & conduct= Spiritual Impact! By masking the message, hiding it, or even denying it (MYSTERY), especially by means of misleading and unsound teaching from God’s word, NIV. Satan’s goal is to keep Christians ignorant or mistaken about the Mystery of Christ. SEE: EPH.4:14 *If Satan can’t get you to turn away from the message (Mystery, or go back under the law) he goes after (Attacks) the Messenger.

PLOY 2. Satan not only attacks the message, he attacks the Messenger! *With personal attacks, insults, name calling, gossip, threats, physical abuse, & disfellowshipping, with a goal to intimidate and cause fear an eventually silence the Messenger. SEE: 2Tim. 1:6-8 (“Suffering for Christ”) *Timothy had backed down, sat down & shut down! (became TIMID). Paul had to rebuke, reprove, & exhort young Timothy “preach the word,” “God has not given US the spirit of fear, power, love, sound mind-judgment (to Remain Calm, self-control under fire). *Satan wanted to stop Timothy from making his God given Spiritual Impact in the Heavenlies.

PLOY 3. Turn Up the heat another way, discredit, discourage & disgrace the Messenger!

If he cannot be intimidated into silence, then targeted attempts will be made to discredit him in the minds of others so that he will not be seriously listened to. As a result the “cold shoulder treatment” is given to the Faithful Messenger.  SPOE Seeks to cause the Messenger of the Mystery to feel hopeless and say: “what’s the use.”

   

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 C. By discrediting the Messenger in the minds of others, causing them to NOT want to hear him, as they turn away, as they ostracize, (Keith Blades calls it a “silent boycott), Satan hopes the Messenger quits!  By being discredited and discouraged & hopefully disgraced into voluntary withdrawal from fighting the good fight of faith, the Knowledge of the Fellowship of the Mystery is once again being NOT made known. And the Spiritual Impact is brought to a halt.

D. PAUL KNEW SOME THINGS! Paul was not ignorant of Satan’s devices. By producing corruption and bringing that Spiritual Impact to a halt, Satan is able to achieve his ultimate goal: and that is to stop the message, and or stop the Messenger, through intimidation, fear, slander, discouragement and disgrace!

E. But Paul wants us to know, God has an Ultimate Goal for the Spiritual Impact that He has equipped The BOC To make in the heavenly places.   

READ: VS 10:  This verse doesn’t get very much attention, But it contains an “Unknown Goal” and an “Unexpected Audience.“

The word “NOW” is very important! The “Ultimate Goal” of Paul preaching “The Unsearchable Riches of Christ” and “Making Known the Fellowship of the Mystery“ is that the principalities and powers, (that is the Angelic Creation) in the Heavenly Places might be Known To Them by the Church, the ”Manifold Wisdom of God.” I’m talking about our “Spiritual Impact” Saints.

VS 10; “TO THE INTENT (God’s intended Eternal Purpose) that Right “NOW,” (in Real Time) The principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church, (“Which The Elect Angels desire to look into, to find out about the Mystery through the instrumentality of the CBOC, & the Manifold Wisdom of God, Which is God’s genius plan to take Satan and his principalities and powers in the heavenly places in their own craftiness triumphing over them in the cross. And the removal from their positions and the reconciliation of their positions back to God through the new creature the, CBOC  

YES, WE HAVE AN ANGELIC AUDIENCE & they are watching and observing us, and we are to teach Angels right NOW, because we know some things: EPH. 1:9-11

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