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The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 1
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The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery
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Date/Teacher
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Audio Format Available
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August 27, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 1
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September 3, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 2
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September 17, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 3
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September 24, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 4
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October 8, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 5
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Download Handout
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October 15, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 6
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October 22, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 7
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October 29, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 8
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November 5, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 9
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November 12, 2006
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Derek McCammon - Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 10
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The lesson on August 27, 2006 begins a series on the twofold purpose of The Mystery. This study will show you that there is a great need for you to understand scripture.
The ignorance of scripture has to be removed in order to have a proper relationship with God. The problem with churches now a days is they focus on the
ignorance within you by providing varying groups that focuses on the problem instead of replacing the focus on Christ. Those are called Seeker classes or
churches. The problem with Seeker classes is that you’ve replaced theology with philosophy. If you read Ephesians 3:1-12, you will find the first purpose in
verse 9 where it says “... to make all men (saints) see what is the fellowship of the mystery...”. We see Paul
praying in Ephesians 1:17, 18a for our enlightenment on who Christ Jesus is. Faith comes from believing what God has said (DIPOG - Divinely Implanted
Principles of God) which means taking those and putting them into practice. Trusting in God and His principles is the exercise of faith and that’s where
we get the lessons that God wants to teach us in life. The second purpose of the Mystery is in verses 10 and 11. ”To the intent that now unto the
principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” The principalities and powers are
seeing the body of Christ in action fulfilling God’s eternal purpose. As a student of scripture, you should learn that certain words used should grab
your attention. Word’s like “but”, “wherefore”, “now”, and “but now” show
emphasis in what’s being told to you so they should grab your attention. Chapter 3 starts with “For this cause”... and with the rest of the verses we
find the very important truth that Christ’s faith has made us whole (verse 12 - “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.”) Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 2
- The lesson addresses the question “what am I supposed to do?”. The calling of The Mystery is addressed to the gentiles for the sake of Christ and the
focus for Christians should be on what they need to do in this calling. When we begin to look at what God has called us to do, we need to focus on obedience to the
dispensational differences in The Mystery. Ephesians 4:1 says to walk worthy in your spiritual
calling. There’s no wonder that Paul prays for us in Ephesians 3:18, and 19 to understand the four
dimensions of the love and knowledge of Christ. We read in Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) “Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”. Notice it doesn’t say in Earth, or in Abraham, but rather in heavenly
places in Christ. That is a dispensational difference and we should pay attention to these truths. We learn in Ephesians
4:16 that we all play a part in building the body of Christ when we are obedient to our calling. We find that there has to be
an illumination of this truth by God. The lesson on September 3, 2006 continues the series on the twofold purpose of The Mystery. Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 3.
- The lesson last time discussed our need to be obedient to our calling. That’s why in Ephesians 4:1 (KJV) says “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord
, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” . This reference has
impact on your behavior in the world today. Noah was an example of someone who had that
obedience in his walk and he demonstrated it by completing his task given to him by God. Therefore,
the first thing you need to do is figure out if this body of truth called The Mystery is your calling. We
find the first presentation of us in Colossians 1:19-22 where verse 22 tells us that “In the body of his
flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” This
was accomplished by the blood of Christ. The second presentation is identified on Colossians 1:26b-28 (KJV) where it says “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all
wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” We have this responsibility to
present this truth to every Christian... whether you acknowledge this calling is up to you. Luke 16:1-13 tells of a parable of
a steward that wasn’t faithful in his stewardship. Are you like this steward? The Apostle Paul was obedient to this calling
. If you are going to be faithful like Paul was, you must understand what is the fellowship of The Mystery which is defined
as a dispensation. This “fellowship” means a specific way to govern your house in this dispensation of grace. Several
examples were given in scripture that shows of an administration or “economia”. Our administration is one of being faithful
to what has been given to us for this timeframe. In Ephesians 4:3, we are told to “Endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.” This is the third lesson in the series. Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 4. - The body of truth called “The Mystery” is really
our great commission for the believers of this age. Much like the commission given to the disciples in
Matthew 28:19-20, our commission is given in Ephesians 3:9. This is what God has given us with
this particular fellowship which is part of a particular administration. Christ Jesus is the fullness of
God and we a made a part of His calling in Christ. The Jew has nothing today that makes him
distinctive in God’s eyes. There are two things that make this truth distinctively to you (2U). First of
all it is Unique. Never before in all the writings of scripture is this fellowship or group of believers
made known. There is no prophesy that entails the detail of the Mystery. It’s something that was
thought out by the Godhead before the foundation of the world and hidden with them and hidden until
the revealed plan of Israel was set aside. Secondly, it was Unforseen. As it says in Ephesians 3:5 (KJV) “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and
prophets by the Spirit;”. This unforseen and unique administration was given to Paul directly from God to be revealed unto
to us after the close of Acts. How do we accomplish what God has given us to do? As a member of the body of Christ,
we all take a part, whatever that may be, but the focus should be on Christ. The lesson on September 24, 2006 talks about
prayer and study. These are the primary tools to equip us in our calling. This is the fourth part in the audio series. Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 5.
There are two aspects of this study of the twofold purpose of The Mystery, that which you do and that which God does. We are to compare
the things that differ which is a primary function of right division. Ephesians 3:10 talks of God’s
intent, which will always be accomplished and we see it will be accomplished in your life, as the
song says “God will take care of you”. The Christian’s greatest need is to know that from God’s
perspective. This lesson looks at prayer and study which helps you determine what you are supposed to do in this calling of The Mystery. As it says in Ephesians 3:9a (KJV) “And to make all men see what is the
fellowship of the mystery...” This calling is a fellowship and we need to know how to make all saints see this fellowship.
The key to that is study so you know the scriptures and what applies to you in this calling. For instance, knowing the
difference between salvation and inheritance. As it says in Colossians 3:23-24 (KJV) “And whatsoever ye do, do it
heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Most uneducated Christians don’t know the difference. We need to know these things! We have
an adversary in our Christian walk and the battle is in our mind. We have a fallen nature. Why do we have to make others see? Colossians 1:28 (KJV) tells us “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we
may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” The way God asks us to do this is by prayer. We’ve studied prayer
before and we find that it is some serious stuff! God teaches us how to pray, and in Ephesians 1:17, we have His prayer set forth in these words: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in "THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM." This, then, must be the Christians greatest need: . The lesson on October 8, 2006 continues the series with Part 5. Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 6.
Our calling is so specific but when you share it with other Christians, they tend to deny what has been revealed to us. The lesson on October 15,
2006 teaches on the fact that God reveals some things to us, and He also doesn’t reveal things to us
. There are some things that God’s revealed to us in specific times yet there are other things that
won’t be revealed until the Revelation. Edwin Hubble started a mission to place a telescope in space on a satellite. This effort to see our space better and to find out are place in the universe, is just like
what we compare the body of truth called The Mystery to the “biblical astronomer”... meaning, you
finally can see our place in scripture as members of the Body of Christ. This lesson touches on the
fact that this truth was hidden in God and was unforseen. It was not found in time or in generations. As it tells us in Ephesians 3:9 (KJV) “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” and in Colossians 1:26 (KJV) “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is
made manifest to his saints:” You cannot find the mystery in the Old Testament or the New, until it was revealed through
the Apostle Paul by direct revelation from Christ Jesus. The Mystery gives us the full knowledge of who Christ is. Clearly
in scripture there are things that have been hidden from the hearts of man. For example, Paul, during the Acts period was
explaining the New Covenant to Israel (2 Corinthians 3:6-16; 4:1-6) and they could not see what he was trying to get
across because of the vail that was in their mind and in their heart. You need to have a spirit of revelation given unto you
as stated in Ephesians 1:17 (KJV) “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit
of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”. Click here to listen now to 6th lesson in the series.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 7.
From the beginning of time, God had hidden the Mystery in Himself. God is outside of time but since He is the creator of all things, He hid this body of
truth before creation of the Earth and before the beginning of the ages. Colossians 1:15-16 (KJV) tells us that Christ “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by
him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:”. Further, when we read verse 20, we find that “... having made peace through the blood of
His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” “The all things” refers to only the good things that God has created (as
opposed to universal reconciliation). There are things in heaven and earth that are reconciled by Him
and the cross. We haven’t seen this yet but we have proof through the resurrection of Christ. God
has demonstrated His victory in Christ and this is a good thing because we are in a spiritual warfare. The Mystery
incorporates the mystery of Christ (which can be found in Genesis) but it was hidden in a sphere where He resides, far
above all things. If God had the power to create all things He also had the power to keep this Mystery secret! When we read in Ephesians 3:10 (KJV) “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” we see the reference to God’s intent. How can we learn this intent?
God had a specific plan in this body of truth. If we look at passages in scripture regarding “intent” we see in John 11:14
-15 that he uses the death of Lazarus to achieve His intent that nonbelievers would believe in Christ. Hebrews tells us that
those who come to God must first believe that He is God. God’s intent is that we believe and not act as unbelievers, which
we see in 1 Corinthians 10:6. Further we learn in 2 Kings 19:10 an example that demonstrates an intent to destroy those
that serve the enemy. Perhaps God’s intention in Ephesians 3:10 is that now the manifold wisdom of God is revealed. This
isn’t the manifold love, or the manifold grace, but the manifold wisdom of God. What is God’s manfold wisdom? The lesson
on October 22, 2006 is the 7th lesson in this series. Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 8.
- God does ultimately get the glory for everything He has created. There will even be a time when Christ turns everything over to the Godhead. So
many times we are caught up in where we are and what we are doing but it is just a drop in the
bucket compared to eternity. We all have our problems but God is there to be with us so we don’t
face them alone and He is there for us until the end. You may faint but God will never fail. In the
study of scripture we see the eternity of God. For the lesson on October 29, 2006, it picks up with the 8th lesson in the series with Ephesians 3:10 (KJV) that says “To the intent that now unto the
principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,”. God has 3 things that He has declared through the Apostle Paul that He wants us to realize in
their fullest extent. 1) In Ephesians 1:18, He tells us that since our eyes have been opened, we
should be enlightened with the hope of His calling. We are to have that hope by keeping our eyes on the prize (the things of Christ). 3) The third thing pertains to the “exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” We find that in Ephesians 1:19-20. Derek discusses the tradition of Halloween in regards to
the raising of the dead. The traditions of Halloween are believed by many people whereas the truth that is found in the
Bible, is ignored. For instance, the power of the resurrection was given to Christ which He gives to us as declared in
Ephesians 1:19-20. Heavenly Places is where God placed Christ after His resurrection. This is far above all principalities
and powers and might and dominion. This group is separate from the angels (the angels that are particularly associated
with Israel.) This group of beings are unique because God’s intent is to show them the manifold wisdom of God. The
angels are particularly interested in this wisdom. We learn in Job 38:7 that they were present when the world was
created. The lesson also teaches on Lucifer, who became Satan (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:12) and took 1/3rd of the angels
with him (Revelation 12:4; 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6). The lesson finishes on Job 1:6 where the angels came and presented themselves to God and Satan came with them. Click here to listen to the lesson on October 29, 2006 which is the 8th lesson in the series.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 9.
What was the twofold purpose that God revealed the Mystery? The first reason was to reveal it to mankind as it says in Ephesians 3:9 (KJV) “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”. The second purpose was to
show God’s wisdom to the Principalities and Powers as it continues to say in verse 10 “To the intent
that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,”. Who are these principalities and powers? In Genesis 1:1-2 we’re
reminded that God created all things as it states “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Now this wasn’t the beginning for God because He has no beginning since He is eternal.
There is a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 that includes a long period of time that was before Adamic man. God
mentioned this in His conversation with Job (Job 38:3-7). We found that Christ is the cornerstone of all creation
(Colossians 1:16-17). We learned previously that there was a Cherub named Lucifer who sinned and became Satan (we
also learned that 1/3 of the angelic beings sided with Satan in Revelation 12:4) and this is when the conflict began
because Lucifer wanted to be God. The scripture tells us in Matthew 25:41 that the Lake of Fire was created for the Devil
and his angels so Satan argued with God that this was not fair. He probably asked how can a loving God condemn these
angels without cause and that God was being inconsistent? God gave the angels a chance to stay with God and His
grace. There was a great overthrow on the Earth due to Lucifer’s rebellion and subsequent downfall of the 1/3 of the
angels that followed Lucifer. God then sentenced them to the Lake of Fire, even though the sentence was given, it has
not been fulfilled yet. God then re-created the earth and put Adamic man on it. Maybe God created man as an answer to
the problem and then demonstrated His answer until the time of the conclusion when He executes judgement. God
demonstrates His wisdom through the way He loves mankind through Christ. There is so much of a parallel here between
the creation of the angels and the creation of mankind. There is a lot of differences between them and us, one of which
was we lost our wings being made a little lower than the angels but we do have the right to make choices. We have a
free will and conscience just like the angels do. Romans 13:1-4 tells us of obedience to delegated authority is what God
has decreed. The lesson on November 5, 2006 continues with the 9th lesson in this series. Click here to listen now.
The Twofold Purpose of The Mystery - Part 10 (final).
This is the final lesson in the series given on November 12, 2006 pertaining to the twofold purpose of The Mystery as identified in
Ephesians 3:9, and Colossians 1:25-26. The Mystery is the specific truth given to the Christian today
to follow with faith obedience. The Apostle Paul says in Eph. 3:8 that he was given this ministry so
he might then give it to all Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. There are two responsibilities
that the group of believers have, the first being responsible for making other Christians see this
fellowship of The Mystery. The second is just living it out because in Eph. 3:10 God is using us to
the intent that now, unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the
church the manifold wisdom of God. Who are these principalities and powers that God wants to
show His wisdom to? We find it pertains to the conflict between God and Lucifer who became
Satan and one third of the principalities and powers sided with Lucifer upon his rebellion. Now, two
third’s of the Angels did not fall with Satan and still have residence in the heavenlies, whereas the
other third have become the spiritual beings that we are warned about in Eph. 6:10-12. We find
Creation and Redemption are very close because of the conflict that was brought about by Lucifer and those in the
heavens that went with him. God gave His creation free will and in Isaiah 14:12-16 we find Lucifer exercises his free will
to the point of sinning against God. Therefore, we see a gap between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2 where the original Earth was
brought into chaos from Lucifer’s rebellion. (Isa. 45:12 says God created the Earth to be inhabited). Lucifer is now Satan,
the accuser, the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). Mankind was created after the fall of Lucifer in order to show
the manifold wisdom of God. Consequently, the church which is the body of Christ, restores the emptiness to God’s
original creation that was impacted by the principalities and powers that sided with Satan! In Eph. 1:4 we find that God
chose us in Him, before the overthrow of the world (kosmos)! God was prepared. Click here to listen now.
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