SHOW NOTES
Stewards of the Mystery, pt2
Leadership in Context with Keith Tucci
Episode 204
God wants to reveal the mystery of Christ to us. We ought to be gospel detectives that unveil the mystery of God.
Matthew 13:10-11
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
The disciples are asking Jesus a question about His style of ministry. It is as if they wanted to ask why He was speaking in parables that THEY didn’t understand. Instead, they asked why He was talking in parables that OTHERS don’t understand. My suspicion is that Jesus answered a bit sarcastically, understanding what they were really asking.
Jesus was trying to tell them that He didn’t want this to be a secret, but rather a mystery that was being unfolded.
Romans 11:25
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
There were probably questions as to why people wouldn’t believe. We have all experienced that–where the gospel has been presented, but people won’t receive it, as if there is a hardening of their heart through unbelief.
1 Corinthians 15:51
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.
There was some confusion in the New Testament church about what happens at the end of their life. He was telling them that it shouldn’t be a mystery. It will be unveiled, and there will be a resurrection. The resurrection was part of the stumbling block, the mystery, of what wasn’t known in New Testament times.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The resurrection was a mystery to them. They really thought that if they killed Jesus, He would stay dead. They could not fathom, understand, or grasp the resurrection.
Ultimately presenting the gospel boils down to this question: Was Jesus raised from the dead?
If you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, by definition, it will cause you to believe a lot of other things. One of those beliefs is that if you are a believer in Christ, you too will be raised from the dead. That is the mystery of the gospel that many of the religious leaders and Pharisees did not see nor comprehend.
1 Corinthians 4:1
Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Paul saw that he was a steward of the mystery. He had solved the problem, so to speak, and he ran out and told everyone.
Ephesians 3:8-9
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things.
Let us be regarded as people who are great stewards of the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our ministry is revealing the mystery of Christ. We are living in an age where God wants to continue to unveil that mystery and how it relates to Him and to His Church.
Join us next week as Keith Tucci continues to put leadership truth in the context of the local church. And as always, please like, share, rate/review, and invite others to listen. See you next week!
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