Intro: Paul is talking about his own mission

Start reading w/ 3:8, what a tragedy that someone put a comma in here--none in the original--

Facts:

What grace did Paul receive?

1. preach gospel to gentiles

2. and bring to light the admin of mystery which for ages has been hidden in God

Why did God create all things?

3. in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

You mean God didn't create the church to prove everyone else wrong, or to make everyone SDAs? What are some other common and erroneous reasons people think the church exists?

Interpretation:

What is this mystery? Who's connecting this to what we last studied--give me scripture from Ephesians!

So what is the administration of this mystery--how is it put into practice? What was it Paul's mission to reveal? gospel-in Christ

And what will be the result when this takes place? Wisdom of God revealed to heavenly realms! Is there some question about God's wisdom in the heavenly realms? What? God's law cannot be kept. (Gen,Job,Zech)

How might God resolve the questions about His wisdom in the universe through the church?

Why would He pick on the church to resolve those questions?

eze 36:23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

Eze 38:16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

What is this wisdom of God?--no way to answer but to pray and dig.

Humans filled w/ fullness of God! (Illust?) Did you catch that?

What an amazing calling! God here offering, promising that through the inclusive church, His wisdom will be revealed to the Universe as Christ indwells people, and they are filled with the fullness of God!

Did you know that as You encounter situations, God will bring to you the very attribute of Christ needed to move forward into the fullness of God?

We're here to reveal something about God which cannot be revealed unless we grasp the full extent of His love and allow Him to indwell us!

What to do about it. How is God convicting you? If we're hearing correctly there should be conviction. How is God convicting you all? Am I the only one who has wondered what we're doing here? Has God given us an impossible task? COL quotes? Who's praising God with me?