HOW RICH YOU ARE!
The Riches of God’s Grace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro.
Let’s open our Bibles in the book of Ephesians.
Each book of the Bible has its own theme and special message, although it can cover many different topics.
Genesis is the book of beginnings;
Matthew is the book of the kingdom;
Galatians is the book of freedom.
Ephesians 1:3 The theme: is the riches of the believer in Christ.
Ephesians, is God's guide to Christian growth.
God's command is:
2 Peter 3:18“18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
It is one thing to be saved; It’s another thing to “grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus” – and the book of Ephesians places an emphasis on growth.
This book was written as letter around 61-63 AD, when Paul was imprisoned in Rome.
The church in Ephesus was a young church with many problems. They were rich in the things of God, but they did not know it.
This letter was sent to let them know what they had in Jesus, who they were in Jesus, and how to take possession of what they had in Jesus!
Today is not much different, many believers in Jesus do not understand who they really are in Christ, what they have and how to possess what is already theirs.
In order for you to live the life that Jesus came to give us (John 10:10) you need to understand what God says about you.
You need to know who you are, what you have in Christ and how to use what you have.
That's what we're going to talk about in these first weeks of the new year.
Our key verse this morning is verse 3, a golden nugget that God places at the very beginning of this testament of truth:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Right at the beginning of his letter he is talking about the riches that belong to those who know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, How Rich You Are!
I want to tell you, friend, that you may be worried about the global crisis, war, the deterioration of the financial system, shortages, unemployment, poverty and hunger at a global level, etc.
I want to tell you something. There is no crisis heaven. Did you know that?
Did you know that the value of heaven's currency hasn't decreased one bit?
Did you know that your assets are very safe and protected if they are in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Did you know that if you are saved, you will be immensely and gloriously rich?
This is what the letter to the Ephesians is about. - Oh, How Rich You Are!
Now, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9:
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Now, God doesn't want children unless they are rich children.
You are fabulously, immensely rich, and the purpose of this morning's message is to help you rejoice in the riches of the redeemed.
This is what the book of Ephesians is talking about.
Look at verse 18
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Paul said, “I pray that the eyes of your hearts will be enlightened – that somehow the scales will fall off from your eyes and you will discover and know exactly how rich you are.”
I. The Source of These Riches
I. The Source of These Riches
Now, there are several things I want us to notice. The first thing I want you to notice in verse 3 is the source of these riches – the source of these riches. The Bible says in
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Where do these riches come from? Friend, they come from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is He who blessed us. So to begin with, we need to understand that these riches are not riches that you earn; these riches are inherited riches. They are granted. We have a rich father.
Elon Musk is the richest man in the world, he has a net worth of approximately $248.8 billion. His weekly income is in the millions. However, all this wealth, no matter how vast it is, means NOTHING to me.
Elon Musk has a lot of money, but that doesn't do me any good, why? because I'm not part of his family.
The riches that Paul is talking about are for those who are in the family of God – if God is your Father you can give God high praise!
Paul is talking about the riches of the redeemed; and, friend, if you're not saved, don't jump around. Don’t say, “Praise God, I’m rich!” because this is family wealth.
See, notice verse 2:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
“God our Father.”
Now, if God is not your Father, you are not rich with the riches of God. But if God is your Father, and He is rich, and you are His heir, then you are rich.
“Oh,” you say, “well, God is the Father of all.” No, friend, The Bible says God is not the Father of all. The Bible teaches that God is the Creator, but Father of those who have been saved, amen?
If you are born again, the Bible says:
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Now, friend, if you are saved, God is your Father. And if God is your Father, and you are His heir, then you are rich – wonderfully rich!
But on the other hand, friend, if you are in the family, how sad that you are a millionaire and go around acting like a pauper! There are so many blessings.
You cannot estimate the greatness of God's love for you. “My Father is rich in houses and lands, He has the wealth of the world in His hands!” He is the source of these blessings.
And so, that's the first thing I want you to notice: the source of our riches. They come from God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of greatness, the God of glory, the God of goodness. He is the source of our riches.
II. The Kind of Riches
II. The Kind of Riches
The second thing I want you to notice with me is the kind of these riches.
Many want to be rich, but in the wrong way. Many don't want the right kind of wealth. All they want is the green one with the portrait of “Benjamin Franklin”. They want the moolah; they want din-din. And you think, “Man, if I had a lot of that, that would make me happy.” My dear friend, you would not necessarily be happier. Because Only true riches can make you happy.
And notice how God describes the kind of riches:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
“spiritual blessings” - Paul is talking about the kind of riches: you see, true riches are always of a spiritual kind – they must be, because the spiritual is the only thing that will last.
It is the only thing that will escape the corrosive teeth of time and the corroded fingers of decay: it is spiritual riches.
Jesus said:
Matthew 6:20 “20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Friend, If you want to know how rich you are, add up everything you have that money cannot buy, time cannot spoil and death cannot take away. Then you will know how rich you are:
add up everything you own, which money cannot buy, time cannot spoil and which death cannot take away.
For example, money does not bring peace to the heart.
Money cannot buy the forgiveness of sins.
Money cannot buy a house in heaven.
Money cannot soothe a guilty conscience or heal the wounds of a wasted life.
True riches are spiritual riches, because spiritual riches meet true needs.
We want money because we feel that money can satisfy our needs.
Well, dear friend, our greatest needs are spiritual, and therefore, if we have what it takes to satisfy our greatest need, then we will be rich indeed.
But the Bible says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 19, for those who are children of God:
Philippians 4:19 “19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Now, sometimes we want things we don't need and we need things we don't want.
Sometimes people ask if I want another piece of birthday cake, but I don't need that.
Sometimes my mother would say, “You need a good spanking.” I didn't want that, but I needed to.
You know, there are things we sometimes need and don't want, want and don't need.
But the Bible says that “my God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
This means there will be an unfailing supply of blessings of everything we need.
However, there are many Christians who fail to appropriate God's promises.
He “blessed us with every spiritual blessing.”
III. The Sufficiency of Our Wealth
III. The Sufficiency of Our Wealth
Now, the third thing I want you to notice: not just the source of riches, and not just the kind of riches, but I want you to notice, thirdly, the sufficiency of our wealth.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
// who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings…”
That means nothing was withheld // Can I say that again? God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings!
God, with his infinite love, did not spare in blessing us! In His infinite wisdom He forgot NOTHING! God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings!
Now if you believe that, you can't leave here the same way you came in!
See, the problem is that we read this, but it doesn't enter our heads; it doesn't enter our hearts.
We don't understand what God is saying.
Friend, one of these days someone is going to pick up this book and read it and believe it, and the rest of us are going to be ashamed of ourselves.
Now you say: “Amen, yes, He will bless me”. No, friend, He has already blessed us!
The Bible says: He “blessed us.” We have already received the blessings; not we're going to get it, we've already have; not some blessings, all spiritual blessings. Nothing that the saint, saved, redeemed of the Lord will need has been forgotten.
He will meet all the needs of your spiritual soul and your body, present and future; their needs for salvation, sanctification, service and glorification.
Everything you need is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He “blessed us with all” — all — “[blessings].”
“Friend, you and I already have them all, all the blessings, and they are all in Jesus.
Jesus is everything, and everything is in Jesus! And if you understand that when you have the Lord Jesus Christ, you have everything!
Have you looked carefully at what the Bible says in Romans 8, verse 32:
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
God gave us His Son. Well, if God gave us His Son, the Lord Jesus, won't He bless us with other things?
The logic of this verse is tremendous. If God gave us the great gift without asking, will He not give us the others upon asking?
If He gave us a great gift that cost so much, will He not give us smaller gifts that cost Him nothing more than the pleasure of giving?
That is why Paul said:
Ephesians 1:18 “18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”
What exactly is the hope He has called us to? The riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.
I hope you see what his inheritance is; I hope that from this day forward you will see what you have in Christ Jesus.
IV. The Region of These Riches
IV. The Region of These Riches
Where are they deposited?
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
“……he has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms”
We are not talking about heaven; This is not about the heaven where people go when they die.
And if you understood this verse this way, you would say, “Yes, of course, when I get to heaven, I will have all these riches.”
This type of understanding is completely unrealistic. He is not saying that you need to go to heaven to take possession of these blessings.
He is not talking about a place, but about a sphere or a kingdom - a region - the heavenly realms; that is, the sphere of the spiritual. See, there is an invisible world around us: which is called the heavenly realms.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
In heaven there is no fight against the powers and authorities of the dark world… there will be no such thing in heaven!
Revelation 21:4 “4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””
There is an invisible world around us: right here in this auditorium this morning – The world of electronics - In the world of electronics many things are happening right here, right now in this place - horse racing, there is a sailboat sailing on the high seas, there is a football match going on with a full stadium, there is someone remodeling a house - The world of electronics is happening right here in this place, but you don't see it. Why don't you see? Because you need a device to connect with the world of electronics.
I'm speaking here in SS, MD, USA and there is someone seeing and listening to me there in Brazil, in China, Europe! This is only possible because we are using a device that connects us with the world of electronics and the other person on the other side is using another device to connect with the same world.
There is another world right around us that is very different from the world of electronics. The spiritual world – which is very real.
Do you remember when Elisha was in Dothan and his servant was distressed because the enemies were everywhere, and he said, “Woe is me, my lord! what shall we do?" (2 Kings 6:15) And the prophet Elisha said, "[O God], open his eyes, that he may see." And the Bible says that the eyes of that servant were opened - "and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17) See, they were already there, but the servant couldn't see them.
One day, our eyes will be fully opened to the kingdom called the heavenly realms and this is where its riches lie.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
I want to conclude by showing you one last thing
V. The Security of These Riches
V. The Security of These Riches
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
// “in Christ". (Ephesians 1:3) In Christ is the security of all blessings. The Bible teaches:
2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Now, the phrase “in Christ” is a small phrase, but it appears about 150 times in the Bible: “in Christ.” It is used fourteen times in this chapter. “in Christ” appears 25 times in this letter.
in Christ This is the security of riches: in Christ.
in Christ it is a small phrase, but it is like a small key that can open the door to a very great treasure:
Being in Christ is the secret to having all these riches.
Now, what does it mean to be in Christ? Well, you see, there are only two men who represent all humanity: Adam and Christ. And either you are part of Adam or you are part of Christ. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:22:
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
In other words, whoever is in Adam was born once and will die twice.
Whoever is in Christ is born twice and will die once. (but it is possible not to die even once if Christ returns first)
If you are in Christ you have a whole new life.
Now, if you are in Christ, that means everything that happened to Jesus happened to you.
That is, when Jesus was crucified, you were crucified.
When Jesus was buried, you were buried.
When Jesus was resurrected, you were resurrected.
When Jesus ascended, you ascended.
When Jesus sat in the heavenly places, you sat with Him in glory.
See, you are in Christ. Christ acted for you. The Bible says:
1 John 4:17 “……in this world we are like him.” // But this is only possible if you are in Christ.
That's where your security lies: being in Christ. How do you enter into Christ?
Well, when you repent of your sin and trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the Bible says that God's Holy Spirit baptizes you into the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:13) He simply places you - not water baptism, but Spirit baptism - the Holy Spirit takes you and places you in Christ, in His invisible, mystical Body.
And then God looks at you as He would look at His dear Son. God no longer sees your sin; God sees the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are in Christ. You have become part of Christ. Nod your head if you understand. To hear. You are in Jesus, and when you come into Jesus, God looks at you as He would look at His own Son. That's security, friend.
The Bible teaches like this:
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
v.3 says: “now our life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Illustration of the boxes:
……This is our safety!
John 17:22–23 (NIV84)
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me..…..”
”I in them and you in me…
John 17:23 Jesus said He is in us and God is in Him
It seems that what some believers want most is to get to heaven and slam the door behind them. Because they think safety is in heaven. They come in, close the door quickly and say, “Phew, I did it.”
Friend, you will never be safe in heaven if you are not safe here on earth. Angels fell from heaven. Security is not in a place; is in a person. If you are in Jesus, you are safer than ever. And if you are not in Jesus, you are not safe anywhere.
He is the security of our riches. He “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in … Christ [Jesus]” — “in Christ [Jesus].”
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Conclusion
What else can the Spirit of the Lord tell us besides what He has already told us? Oh How Rich You Are! You are rich—gloriously, fabulously rich—if you know the Lord Jesus Christ.
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