God’s New Society

• The following message by Aleister Beg is made available by Truth for Life. For more information, visit us online at truthforlife.org. The heading in the version that I’m using has uh the mystery of the gospel revealed. and from verse one. For this reason, I Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into
• the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it is now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellows, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
• through the gospel of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me by the working of his power to me though I am the very least of all the saints this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the uncarchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the
• eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you which is your glory. Amen. The ringing of that bell is a reminder to turn off our cell phones. Um thank you for doing that as I suggested to you.
• And um a brief a brief prayer my favorite brief Anglican prayer. Father, what we know not, teach us. What we have not, give us. What we are not, make us for your son’s sake. Amen. Well, let me begin uh with a quiz as I turn to the verses that we’ve just read. Apart from the fact that all of these people are now dead, what do these individuals have in common? Winston Churchill, John Lennon, Bill Barker, and Michael Jackson.
• Well, since no one is volunteering, let me tell you what it is. Smart move on your part. Each of them in their own way, one way or another, was hoping by earthly means to create a world of harmony, hope, and peace. John Lennon, 61, imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion, too. Imagine all the people living lives in peace.
• You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope you will join us and then the world will live as one. That was actually 1971. In the same year, Bill Barker, who was an advertising exec, came up with a tagline to give to Coca-Cola, which eventually became a number one hit. I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.
• 14 years later, in 1985, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and a group of people assembled in Hollywood late at night and into the early hours of the morning in order to create their own cry for the world. We are the world singing forcefully. It’s a choice we’re making. We’re saving our own lives. We are the world. We are the people.
• 40 years before that at the Yaltta conference 80 years ago from now, Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt met following the end of the Second World War in order that they could envisage a world that would be vastly different. And although Roosevelt never made it to the founding of the United Nations, that was their focus when they gathered.