Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Lexington, KY. Pastor JOE H. HEAD
Pleasant Ridge Baptist ChurchLexington, KY. Pastor JOE H. HEAD 

"THE SECRET'S OUT"

TEXT: ROMANS 16:25-26

INTRO: MOST EVERYBODY IS FASCINATED BY A MYSTERY. MUCH OF THE WRITINGS OF FICTION SHROUD A SITUATION WITH A CLOAK OF MYSTERY TO DRAW THE READER DEEPER INTO THE STORY HOPING TO DISCOVER THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, AND WHY OF THE MYSTERY. THE PLOT GRADUALLY UNFOLDS, AND OFTEN ONE IS KEPT IN SUSPENSE UNTIL THE VERY LAST PAGES OF THE FINAL CHAPTER BEFORE EVERYTHING BECOMES CLEAR. HENCE, ONE WHO PERUSES A SHELF OF MYSTERY BOOKS MIGHT BE GIVEN TO TURN TO THE BACK OF THE BOOKS TO SEE "WHO DONE IT." MYSTERY SOLVED, NO NEED TO READ WHAT'S IN BETWEEN THE INTRODUCTION AND THE CLOSE.

THE BIBLE HAS ITS ELEMENTS OF MYSTERY ALSO, AS PAUL SPEAKS OF HERE. AND FOR THOSE WHO JUST DON'T GET IT, PAUL SAYS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL HAS BEEN REVEALED, BUT IF YOU WANT FIRST HAND INFORMATION, YOU'LL NEED TO READ THE SCRIPTURES TO FIND IT ALL OUT.

WHEN WE WERE KIDS WE WOULD TEASE OTHERS BY SAYING, "IKNOW A SECRET, AND I WON'T TELL YOU." AREN'T SECRETS DELIGHTFUL THINGS? AND YOU KNOW WHAT, MOST OF US JUST CAN'T WAIT TO TELL A SECRET CAN WE? SECRETS ARE SUCH GOOD THINGS THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST ONE PERSON TO KEEP THEM. SO WE TELL OUR LITTLE SECRET, THEN SAY, NOW PROMISE THAT YOU WON'T TELL. THAT IS HOW SECRETS GET

OUT.  MOST ARE ANXIOUS TO LEARN A JUCY SECRET ABOUT SOMEONE; HOWEVER, SELDOM DOES ANYONE INITIATE AN INTEREST IN DISCOVERING

THIS SECRET ABOUT WHICH PAUL SPEAKS.  MANY HAVE NO TIME FOR IT; SOME EVEN REFUSE TO LISTEN

IT IS THE MISSION OF GOD CALLED PREACHERS, AND BIBLE BELIEVING FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST CHURCHES TO SHARE THE REVELATION OF THIS MYSTERY CONCERNING THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL WHO WILL LISTEN. WE ARE NOT TO KEEP THIS SECRET ANY LONGER. WE ARE TO SHOUT IT, SHARE IT, AND SPREAD IT ALL AROUND. WE ARE TO MAKE IT CLEAR NOT CLOUDY, CLEAR NOT CONCEALED.

IT IS A WONDERFUL SECRET THAT GOD HAS REVEALED TO US THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES. IT EXPLAINS HOW SINNERS SUCH AS WE CAN BE MADE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE A HOLY GOD. HOW THE FEAR OF GOD'S WRATH CAN BE REPLACED BY A SENSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE. HOW THE PUNISHMENT WHICH OUR SINS AND TRANSGRESSIONS DESERVE CAN BE FORGIVEN AND PAID FOR BY A SUBSTITUTE. HOW TO FIND THE MEANING AND PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE, WHY YOU ARE HERE. WHY THINGS HAPPENED AS THEY DID.

FROM THE BOOK OF BEGINNINGS, GENESIS, THE SECRET WAS CONCEALED IN TYPE AND SHADOW, BUT SINCE CHRIST CAME 2,000 YEARS AGO, THE SECRET GOT OUT. AND HAS BEEN BROADCAST AROUND THE WORLD BY CHRISTIANS AND CHURCHES IN THE MESSAGE OF GOOD NEWS, THE GOSPEL.

PAUL EXPLAINS ALL ABOUT THIS MYSTERY WHICH WAS REVEALED TO HIM THUS MAKING IT NO LONGER A MYSTERY IN EPHESIANS 3:1-12

A PERSON MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL, BUT IT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD. A PERSON MAY NOT BELIEVE IT, BUT IT IS EVERY BIT BELIEVABLE. A PERSON MAY NOT DESIRE SALVATION, BUT IT IS A DESIRABLE ACQUISITION. A PERSON MAY NOT FEEL THE NEED, BUT IT IS A NEED WHICH CAN BE FELT IF ONE OPENS UP HIS MIND TO LISTEN TO GOD SPEAKING THROUGH HIS WORD. A PERSON MAY NOT BE CONVICTED THAT HE IS A LOST SINNER, BUT IT IS A CONVICTION WHICH MANY QUITE READILY ADMIT.

EXACTLY WHAT IS AT THE CENTER OF THIS MYSTERY? I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. ICOR.       15:1-4.

HOW WAS THE GOSPEL FIRST PRESENTED IN A MYSTERY, IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN IN GENESIS? IN 3:21 BY GOD SLAYING AN INNOCENT ANIMAL TO

PROVIDE SKINS TO COVER THE NAKEDNESS OF ADAM AND EVE AFTER THEIR SIN. THIS IS SET FORTH IN TYPE THE OFFERING OF THE LAMB OF GOD FOR OUR SIN, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS GIVEN TO US FOR A COVERING WHICH MAKES US ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD.

DILIGENT STUDY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WILL FIND CHRIST CONCEALED, THE NEW TESTAMENT IS CHRIST REVEALED. THE O.T. CHRIST IS SEEN IN FIGURE, A MYSTERY. IN THE N.T. HE IS REALITY.

PAUL THE APOSTLE WOULD HAVE DESIRED THAT ALL THE WORLD SHOULD HAVE THIS MYSTERY EXPLAINED TO THEM FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH.

THIS MYSTERY REVEALED CHRIST IS MANY THINGS:        

 I.    IT IS A LIFE CONVICTING REVELATION.

IF IT TOOK THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD TO BRING US TO GOD, THEN WE MUST SURELY HAVE BEEN FAR, FAR AWAY AND IN A HELPLESS CONDITION. A SINCERE STUDY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST WILL BRING CONVICTION OF OUR OWN SINFULNESS AND HIS SINLESSNESS, AND THAT HE IS THE TRUE AND THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. JOHN 14.6

 II.  IT IS A LIFE CONDEMNING REVELATION.

IT MAKES ONE SEE HIMSELF AS GOD SEES HIM. OUR SINS ARE NOT JUST LITTLE MISTAKES OR ERRORS, BUT OFFENSES AGAINST ALMIGHTY GOD WHICH DESERVE PUNISHMENT. A SONG WRITER GOT IT RIGHT WHEN HE COMPARED HIMSELF TO A WORM IN GOD'S SIGHT. "WOULD HE DESERT HIS SACRED THRONE FOR SUCH A WORM AS I?" WE SINNERS STAND CONDEMNED WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES ALONG SIDEOF'THE PERFECT SON OF GOD. ISAIAH UTTERED "WOE IS ME FOR I AM UNDONE.... MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING" ISA 6.5

III.  IT IS A LIFE CHALLENGING. REVELATION.

LET CHRIST DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE WHICH IS FAR BETTER THAN WHAT YOU WILL DO WITH IT IF LEFT TO YOURSELF. THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.  GIVE CHRIST THE CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YOU.  JESUS CHALLENGED FOLK EVERY WHERE HE WENT, TO PUT HIM TO THE TEST, TO "TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN OF ME. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN LIGHT." HE CHALLENGES SINNERS TO BECOME THE SALT OF THE EARTH, AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. CONSIDER THE CHANGES IN  PAUL, "I AM HAT I AM BY THE GRACE OF GOD."

IV.  IT IS A LIFE CHANGING REVELATION.

MOST OF US WILL ADMIT THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE SOME THINGS IN OUR LIVES, BUT WITHOUT OUTSIDE HELP CANNOT MAKE THEM. AND NOT ALL CHANGE IS GOOD, BUT A CHANGE OF DIRECTION FOR MANY IS EXACTLY WHAT IS NEEDED. JESUS SAID THAT THERE ARE MANY WHO TRAVEL THROUGH THE WIDE GATE AND FOLLOW THE BROAD WAY WHICH LEADS TO DESTRUCTION. FAITH IN CHRIST IS THE 180 DEGREE TURN WHICH WILL LEAD TOWARDS HEAVEN AND HOME. NOTE THE CHANGES IN PAUL, PHIL 3:4-9.

V,  IT IS A LIFE CONVEYING REVELATION.

IT TELLS US HOW THAT WE MAY PASS FROM OUR SINFUL CONDITION INTO A STATE OF ETERNAL SALVATION. WE ARE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS, BUT HOW MAY WE GET OUT OF THIS DEADNESS? ONLY BY BEING MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST JESUS BY REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN HIM AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR.

TO MEET JESUS IS TO BE FILLED WITH THE ESSENCE OF ETERNAL LIFE. "HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE, AND HE THAT HATH NOT THE SON OF GOD HATH NOT LIFE, BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM."

IF A PERSON WANTS MORE THAN THIS PRESENT LIFE, IF A PERSON WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER IN PARADISE, IF A PERSON WANTS TO HAVE SOME ASSURANCE AT THE TIME OF DEATH THAT THEY NEED NOT FEAR WHAT LIES BEYOND THE VEIL OF THIS MORTALITY, THEN THEY MUST LOOK TO JESUS, AND TO LOOK IS TO LIVE.

THE O.T. STORY OF THE SERPENT OF BRASS WHICH MOSES HELD BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BROUGHT LIFE TO ALL WHO HAD BEEN BITTEN BY POISON SERPENTS WHO.. SIMPLY LOOKED. "LOOK AND LIVE" THEY WERE TOLD. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE." ISA 45:2.  NO GOOD WORK IS NEEDED, ONLY FAITH.

SINNER, YOU WILL BLESS THE DAY THAT SOMEONE POINTED YOU TOWARD JESUS AND URGED YOU TO ACCEPT HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR. I KNOW IDO. OUR LIFE IS ONLY AN EMPTY SHELL UNTIL JESUS COMES TO FILL IT WITH HIMSELF. ONCE THIS HAPPENS WE ARE NO LONGER THE SAME PERSON, BUT A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST.

THE UNBELIEVERS OF THIS WORLD PROFESSING THEMSELVES TO BE WISE BECOME FOOLS. THEIR IMAGINATIONS ARE VAIN, THEIR HEARTS DARKENED, THEY'VE CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD INTO A LIE, AND FILLED THEIR LIVES WITH ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. THEY ARE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING. NOT ONLY DO THEY SIN, BUT HAVE PLEASURE IN OTHERS THAT SIN.  BUT ROMANS 1:16 IS FOREVER TRUE. HEAR IT!

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Revelation 11:17 "Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." 

 

SERVICES:

SUNDAY MORNING:

Bible Study 9:30
Worship 10:30

 

SUNDAY EVENING:



Choir Practice 5:00



Men’s Prayer 5:15



Evening Worship 6:00

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING:

Men’s Prayer 5:15

Sermon 6:00

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