Christian Universe
Home | Christian Resources | Christian Links | Links | Site Map
Fullness of Times
May 10 2015
God had an ages-old plan for this world that included His son, Jesus, as Lord and Savior of all creation. The Bible, both Old and New Testament writings, are one continuous story. When everything was as God anticipated, He sent His son to die for us on the cross, as our sacrifice and savior. This was the fullness of times. The time was right. - Bernie Parsons
Fullness
of Times
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 05-10-2015
Presented to Load church of Christ on 06-14-2015
A lot of Christians seem to think that some
world-shaking event lies in our future something that the world has
never before seen. They point to scriptures to support their claims, but
they take them out of context, and in doing so, minimize the most
earth-shaking event to ever take place the arrival of Jesus Christ on
the earth as Lord and Savior.
God made a promise to Abraham that was to be fulfilled
later.
Genesis 22:15 "And the angel of the LORD called unto
Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD,
for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as
the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the
gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."
Moses also prophesied of the coming savior and leader.
Deuteronomy 18:17 "And the LORD said unto me, They have
well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their
brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he
shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not
hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it
of him."
Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the
children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come
and smite the earth with a curse."
Matthew 3:1 "In those days came John the Baptist,
preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet
Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
Matthew 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist
until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take
it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until
John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was
for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and
to say, Repent: for the
kingdom of heaven is at
hand.
Matthew 10:5 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and
commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into
any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven
is at hand."
Isaiah 49:6 "And he said, It is a light thing that thou
shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore
the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the
Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
Isaiah 60:1 "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and
the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his
glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising."
The just and devout man, Simeon, had this to say about
the coming of the child, Jesus:
Luke 2:29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in
peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all
people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of
thy people Israel."
Apostle Paul and his fellow minister, Barnabas, said
this about preaching the gospel:
Acts 13:47 "For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying,
I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be
for salvation unto the ends of the earth."
And Paul told the following to King Agrippa:
Acts 26:22 "Having therefore obtained help of God, I
continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none
other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should
come:
23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the
first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the
people, and to the Gentiles."
This was the world-altering event that both Jews and
Gentiles awaited for ages.
Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in
Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
The writer of Hebrews shows the importance of what was taking place.
Hebrews 12:18 "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched,
and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and
tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they
that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any
more:
20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much
as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through
with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear
and quake:)
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are
written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of
just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who
refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we
turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying,
Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things
that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which
cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire."
