Blessings In Christ Pt. 1

Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented a month ago

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Just one week ago, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus! We celebrated the truth that Christ is victorious over sin, death, and the grave!

AND… throughout our Easter series, we discussed how what we have available in relationship with Jesus… is truly incredible!

We call on His name… a name that is like no other

We live in His grace… a grace that is like no other

We experience His love… a love that is like no other

We receive new life… a life that is like no other

Life with Christ… or life in Christ… is truly something that is remarkable!

It is FAR more than simple religious practices or motions.

It is FAR more than attending services

It is FAR more than wearing Christian clothing or hanging up Christian decorations

It is FAR more than a spoken claim

Life with Christ is life IN RELATIONSHIP with Christ… and this life is a blessed life!!!

This morning, we begin a new sermon series that is going to take us through the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians was written by Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to “the faithful in Christ Jesus” who lived in Ephesus.

Ephesus was a booming town in Paul’s day. In fact, it was the most important city in Western Asia Minor.

It was located on the most direct land and sea route to the eastern provinces of the Roman empire making it a large trade and commercial center.

It was the location of a huge theater… able to seat roughly 25,000 people.

Ephesus was also well know for its pagan temple dedicated to the Roman goddess, Diana. This temple was something the Ephesian people were very proud of.

This goddess was known variously as the moon goddess, the goddess of hunting, and the patroness or guardian of young girls.

It was a highly influential part of their culture.

Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the world. It was certainly a place to visit in Paul’s time… and a place that desperately needed Jesus.

And… it is important to note that Paul was in prison as he wrote this letter of encouragement!

This was not a letter of rebuke or correction, but a letter that focuses on the depth of spiritual maturity, gratitude, and insight.

The purpose of this letter is twofold:

One, Paul desired for all believers to grow in faith, love, and wisdom in what God the Father had already done for them and revealed to them through His Son, Jesus. Paul wanted the people to know God… better. Who desires to know God better today?

Two, Paul wanted the reader to better understand the purpose God had for them in a way that is worthy of identifying with Jesus Christ as leader of their lives. In other words, he wanted believers to not only know and claim to know Jesus and His purpose… Paul encouraged believers to live as Christ-like and to carry out His purpose for them. Who desires to live like Christ and to fulfill His purpose for your life?

Alright… now that we have established these two desires… what steps are you taking to place action to said desires? We can hope for God’s best but must move toward God’s best if we want to see it come.

This morning is part one of three messages simply called, Blessings In Christ. Turn with me to Ephesians 1:3 and look at what it says...

Ephesians 1:3 NIV

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.

The life we have in Jesus… is a blessed life! The life we have in Jesus is like nothing we can find in this world.

Ephesus had it all. It had the wonder, the wealth, and the wow-factor. it had the best of what the world had to offer. But the world’s best… doesn’t come close to God’s best for His people.

People were settling for less than thinking they had the best of. But God wanted them to know… as He desires for us to know... that the best is found in Him.

Church, let’s not settle for what we might think is the world’s best for us… let’s go for God’s best for us.

And not in a selfish way… but in a serving and loving way. I don’t serve God to gain… I serve God to give… because He first gave for me. His love for us was proven long before we ever called on His name. If we desire God’s best, we must humbly give our best to Him. There is no going half way with God!

When we settle for the world… we can lose sight of our God-given identity and purpose. We settle for what the world says about us. We settle for the pattern or purpose the world wants us to conform to.

So today, I am hoping to break the molds the world would try to fit us in. I want to remind us of the goodness and blessings we encounter in our fellowship with God. I hope to prepare our hearts for what God has for us in the weeks to come.

Let’s talk about this blessed life for a moment. Let’s see what Paul has to say about the blessing we have in the Lord. Blessing number one comes with realizing...

God CHOSE Us.

I’m curious… does anyone remember how teams were chosen in P.E. classes of yesteryear?

I do… and I didn’t like it!

Team captains were selected… then one by one, peers were chosen to be a apart of the two opposing teams.

And the minute the teacher announced this process, the dread of all the non-athletic students began to set in, “I don’t want to be the last one standing on the wall.”

Why? Because it made you feel inadequate. It made you feel like the leftovers. You were only selected because there was no one else to choose from.

You might feel like you weren’t popular enough.

You might feel like you weren’t strong enough.

You might have felt like a liability… instead of an asset. You felt unworthy.

And in reality… the world might have you feeling this way even today. And culturally, we are seeing the damage that this behavior has caused.

For example, last Sunday, was Easter… and it was also Transgender Visibility Day. And there was uproar and controversy… and in my heart… a missed focus of a very real issue.

In my prayer time, God hit me with something I had not thought about. There is a community of people who desire to be seen… and in this new life style ask, “Can you see me now?” What might have happened… if someone had seen these people… before there was an identity crisis? What might have happened… if someone had paid them attention before they lost sight of who they are?

I am not condoning this lifestyle… but maybe… just maybe… if a father had spoken identity, or a mother had nurtured identity, or a family had confirmed identity, or a church taught truth about identity. If someone would have come alongside that person when they were searching for who they are… maybe they would not be lost today.

And transgenderism is NOT the only form of lost identity in our culture today. I truly believe that much of the negative we see in our society is a result of generations who feel like they are overlooked, undervalued, and unworthy. They feel like the last pick, a liability, and they are fighting to be free of this feeling.

NO ONE wants to feel inadequate. NO ONE wants to feel unnoticed.

The world can be cruel and demeaning. But God’s Word is life giving and true. Where the world projects rejection… God has chosen… YOU.

Ephesians 1:4–6 NIV

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Quick disclosure, we will talk about what we believe regarding election and predestination and God’s gift of free will in a future message… what I want you know today is… GOD CHOSE YOU.

The proof of His choosing comes in the gift of His Son, Jesus. Despite our sin, despite our weakness, despite our brokenness, failures, rebellion, and so forth… GOD CHOSE US. In His love, God chose us!

You are not His last pick, He sent His Son to die for you! God desires to spend eternity with you! God does not want to see anyone perish from their sins… His desire is for ALL PEOPLE to come to repentance!

Listen to me… God had His eye on you before He created this world! He doesn’t want you settling for an “identity” in sin or the things of this world, He wants you to know your identity in the One who made you in HIS IMAGE, male and female… HE CREATED US!

And once your identity in Christ is found… there isn’t anything the world can do to take that identity away. Why? Because the world has NO SAY in who God created you to be!

It’s identity found through faith… not how we feel.

So… how do we find the identity God has given us? How do we go from where we are and how we feel, into the blessing of being chosen by God? Well, to put it simply, we’ve gotta get our backs off the wall.

God calls our name through Christ… God has chosen you to be a part of His team! it is up to us to respond to His choosing.

Look at verse 4 again… God chose us through Him - Him being Jesus. Jesus is God’s voice calling us to new life. We must make the choice… to choose God.

Here’s the question to consider: God’s choice for you is clear… but how clear is your choice for God?

If you want the blessing of knowing who God created you to be… if you want any of the blessings God has to offer… those blessing are found when we choose Him over all other!

You see, sometimes we feel like the last pick… but friends, if we’re honest, I fear we have sometimes made God the last pick in our lives.

We pick sports or hobbies over services or discipleship

Listen, God has given us six days a week to take care of business. Day seven belongs to Him. Our world will never understand that if Christians continue to compromise their priorities.

We pick community involvement over church involvement.

We’re too busy volunteering in the world and we don’t have enough time to serve in the church.

We pick worry and fear instead of seeking first His kingdom and righteousness

I’ve heard people say, “I guess all we can do is pray.” Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort.

We pick personal agenda over spirit anointing.

Don’t make God your last pick! Make Him your first priority!

Bottom line is… God CHOSE You. The world may reject you, the enemy may try to destroy you, but God gave ALL for you.

This is a tremendous blessing in our walk with Jesus!

The next blessing I want you to see is...

God OFFERS Redemption

What is redemption?

Redemption defined is deliverance by payment of a price.

In the NT, redemption refers to salvation from sin, death, and the wrath of God through the sacrifice of Christ.

Ephesians 1:7-8 says this:

Ephesians 1:7–8 NIV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

See here’s what we need to remember… God revealed His choice for us through the giving of His Son. Jesus died on the cross so that redemption could become a real and available thing. Redemption is key in our choosing of God. The text says “In Him we HAVE redemption.” In Christ, redemption is NOT something we wish for… it is something we can be assured of.

We are redeemed by the blood, when we choose repentance over rebellion.

We are redeemed by the blood, when we choose salvation over sin.

We are redeemed by the blood, when we choose Jesus as Lord and Savior.

And we need to NEVER forget that the redemption that God offers through Christ, came at a high price.

Jesus made the payment we owed for our sins… with His life. Jesus… CHOSE to lay down His life for us. Again, His life was NOT taken… it was offered by Jesus.

Is this sinking in at all today? God chose… Jesus chose… and we now have the opportunity to choose.

Will we receive what the God has chosen to offer us through His Son, Jesus? Will we enter into redemption through repentance?

Redemption cannot be found in the world, it cannot be found in anything outside of Christ. ONLY JESUS had what was needed to pay the price for our sins IN FULL. And He offers it to all who would believe in Him.

Only the redeemed can find their true identity in the Lord. Only the redeemed will spend eternity in heaven with God the Father. And… only the redeemed are those who know the will of God for their lives!

God REVEALS Purpose

Ephesians 1:9–11 NIV

9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

The will or the purpose of the Father is revealed to us… by coming back into fellowship with God through the redeeming blood of His Son.

Paul refers to the will of God as a mystery...

God’s plan and purpose for us remains a mystery outside of having a relationship with Him. We cannot know the will of God, without knowing God Himself.

When our fellowship with God is restored, His will is revealed to us. As we break out of conformity with the world, we come into alignment with His plan. Look at what Paul says in Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Our minds are renewed in relationship with God.

His Word… becomes our way.

His truth… becomes our freedom.

His hope… becomes our assurance.

In this renewal of our mind… comes clarity of purpose. Purpose that is revealed through redemption and the renewal of identity.

Talk about an amazing blessing! God has a plan and a purpose for you… and according to Jeremiah 29:11… it is a GOOD plan!

And it all starts, when we choose Him.

Closing

So as we close the message today, I want to ask a bit of a pointed question: How are you doing in your walk with the Lord?

Listen, if you’ve lost sight of whose you are, what you are doing, and where you are going… maybe… you have lost sight of God.

And this can be an easy thing to do in our society today. Our culture does not promote faith in God like it used to. But our hope was never found in the message of the culture, it was only found in the message of the Lord.

Distractions happen. Schedules get busy. Life in general can demand a lot of our time. It is important… that as life get’s challenging, that our resolve to choose God first does not waver.

God has nothing but good in store for those who choose Him. Our choice must be more than a claim, it must be more than a motion, it must be a heartfelt, genuine decision to follow Jesus.

And when we make that choice, we step into the blessings of God. We step into new life. We step into knowing who we are, knowing that our sin debt is covered, and knowing God’s purpose for us.

And… it this new life doesn’t stop with the first step… it is only getting started! Choosing to come back to fellowship with God through the redeeming blood of Jesus is the beginning of a new spiritual walk with the One who loves us beyond measure!

God chose you. God offers redemption. God reveals purpose. These blessings are found in relationship with God.

This means… it’s time to break free. This means it is time to leave the pattern of the world behind and embrace the fullness of what God has for you.

This might require some changes in the way you do things. This might cause you to rearrange your schedule, re-prioritize your resources, and reconsider some behaviors and habits.

Daily walking with the Lord is exactly that… and in that walk you can expect His blessings and guidance.

So I ask again as I did before… God’s choice for you is clear… how clear is your choice for God?

Is it evident in all things… or only when it is convenient? Are we living in redemption, or conforming to a pattern that remains to be redeemed? Are we sure of His purpose… or aimlessly doing our own thing?

We cannot expect God’s best when we give Him less than we give the world. Today, I invite you to come into His blessings… rid yourself of the distractions… and get ready to grow in your walk with the Lord!

If you know there are things that are distracting you, I want you to come to this altar and lay those things down at His feet.

If you do not have a relationship with Him but you would like to start one today, I want you to come to this altar and give Him your life.

If you feel a bit lost in identity or purpose, I want you to come to this altar and focus in on God.