The Riches of His Glory

There is a story I have heard and read several times of Jesus still bearing the marks of the cross talking with the angels, and Gabriel said “Master you must have suffered terribly down there, do they all know about how you loved them and what you did for them?” Jesus replied “no, not yet, but a few know.” Gabriel was shocked and said Master what have you done, what have you done to let everyone know what You did for them? Jesus replied I asked Peter, John and the other Apostles to make is their life work to tell others about me. Starting in Jerusalem, Judea and then out from there. But Lord, said Gabriel, what if they become tired or weary or just give up? what about centuries from now the word does not carry, do you have another plan, another way to tell all the world?” Jesus replied “no, I’m counting on them.”

(INSERT SLIDE: WE ARE THE CHURCH!) - Find a picture

We are the church the means to get the word of Christ to all the world. in our passage today we will see the riches we were born as Christians with and our responsibility of those riches. For not only do we receive an inheritance, we are Jesus inheritance to the Father. He is counting on us and Paul understood it and writes this prayer of encouragement that starts here and basically ends in chapter 3.

We were born rich with a great inheritance when we were born again, but that is not enough, we are to grow in our understanding of the riches we have, if we don’t understand them then we won’t know what to do with them.

In the prayer you will not see Paul asking for God to given them anything they did not already have in them, rather prays for God to reveal to them what they already have.

As introduction still more to go so you may get the fullness of what Paul is stating.

Enlightenment

(Slide) Enlightenment

(Slide) All enlightenment comes from the Holy Spirit (i.e. Isa11:2; Jn14:25-26, 16:12-14)

(Slide) Enlightenment comes to the heart of the believer

(Slide) So you can see (Psm119:18)

(Slide) So you can hear (Mt13:9)

(Slide) So you can taste (Psm34:8)

(Slide) So you can smell (Phil4:18)

(Slide) So you can touch (Act17:27)

The heart of the matter is this, you cannot see spiritual things, understand spiritual things without the spirit of God opening your eyes to see them. This is again revealing in you what is already in you.

Rich in Love

Ephesians 1:17 NASB95

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Ephesians 1:15–16 NASB95

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;

(Slide) How would you like to have someone say they heard that about you?

(Slide) Faith in the Lord

(Slide) Love for all the saints

(Slide) In other words Love and loyalty!

These two things should be very evident in any true Christian, one more than words, but actions. The word spread to Paul of their faith and the love of all the saints. We show our love when we love the people God brings in our path.

(Slide) William Barclay says “The true christian loves Christ and his fellow men. More than that, he knows that he cannot show his love to Christ in any other way than by showing his love to fellow men.”

Paul not only prays for them, he gives thanks for them, because of their faith and their love.

(Slide) So one of the riches of His glory and to His glory is - LOVE

Rich in Knowing God

Ephesians 1:17 NASB95

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

The greatest thing to know is to know God and to be known by God.

(Slide) Atheist’s claim there is no God

(Slide) Agnostic’s claim if there is a God we cannot know Him.

Paul wanted the church to understand what he understood that outside of knowing God anything else is not knowing much

(Slide) WILLFUL IGNORANCE - willful ignorance lead people away from God, Paul expands on that in Rom1:18ff

(Slide) From ignorance to Idolatry

(Slide) From Idolatry to immorality

(Slide) From immorality to indecency

(Slide) From indecency to being handed over

(Slide) We as believers need to grow

(Slide) To know God personally - Salvation (Act4:12)

(Slide) To know Him increasingly - Sanctification (Ph3:10)

(Slide) To know Him perfectly - Glorification (1Cor13:9-12)

Remember we were created in His image (Gen1:27); separated because of our sin (Isa59:2); our walk with Christ to have us returned to the state in which we started. The more we know Him, the more we learn, know about ourselves.

Riches of knowing God’s calling

Ephesians 1:18 NASB95

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

The “ekklesia” the called out one’s

We were called out by the gospel message, by His grace

Galatians 1:15 NASB95

But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased

It is a holy calling

2 Timothy 1:9 NASB95

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

Out of the darkness and into the light

1 Peter 2:9 NASB95

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

and called out to glory

1 Peter 5:10 NASB95

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

Not by any works, but by grace! Because of His calling this we have hope

Ephesians 4:4 NASB95

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

The faithful assurance of good to come.

We were once without hope

Ephesians 2:12 NASB95

remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

but now we have a living hope

1 Peter 1:3 NASB95

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

(Slide) Hope brings the power, the dynamic force needed to live in the riches and to share the riches of His calling.

(Slide) To be pure (1Jn2:28-3:3)

(Slide) To be obedience (Heb13:17)

(Slide) To be faithful (Lk12:42-48)

So be filled with enough powerful hope as to be these things and let that be your motivation to live for Christ today in word and deed.

Riches of His Inheritance

Ephesians 1:18 NASB95

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Pay attention to the last part of the verse, “the riches of the glory of HIS inheritance in the saints”. Not only do we have an inheritance in Him, we are His inheritance!

Let this sink in, we are His glory.

Ephesians 1:6 NASB95

to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Through Jesus Christ we are His glory. No longer a slave to sin, no longer defined by our past, no longer constrained by what the world says, but by what God says about our assured future. - WE ARE GOD’S INHERITANCE - Now that should motivate you to live for Him today, live to serve Him, live to please Him, live to share Him, live to glorify Him.

When Christ returns for His inheritance He will be glorified

2 Thessalonians 1:10 NASB95

when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

When we receive our inheritance in Him we will be glorified

Colossians 3:4 NASB95

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Does this make you want to be dedicated and devoted to the Lord - Are you starting to understand some of the riches we have in Him?

The Riches of God’s Power in Us!

Ephesians 1:19–20 NASB95

and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Eph1:

Ephesians 1:21–23 NASB95

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

God has made us His inheritance by showing His love in Christ Jesus. By His promise of our heavenly home, it gives us hope, built on nothing less the Christ and His righteousness (Phil3:9) - His righteousness brought His power to us

(Slide)the dunamis “power”

(Slide) the energeia “the working”

(Slide) the kratos “the mighty”

(Slide)and the ischus “power”

(Slide) in other words “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the operation of the might of His strength.” - Warren Weirsbe

(Slide) God’s divine, dynamic, eternal energy is available to us, because we are His and has given us His Spirit.

We need God’s power to help us for

Matthew 26:41 NASB95

Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Leaving it to us, our power we fall short, we miss the mark, but God’s power helps us to use God’s riches in us for His purpose and His glory.

(Slide) That power came when Christ was crucified, and was raised from the dead (v.20)

(Slide) He was seated above all and given all authority (v.21)

Another reason we need the power is there are spiritual battles that are going on and we need His power to face them.

Ephesians 6:11–12 NASB95

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

These spiritual forces want to steal our riches in Christ, we need God’s power unleashed in us to keep us in the inheritance we have and the inheritance we are!

Ephesians 1:23 NASB95

which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Christ is the head of the church and we are the body, we are the fullness of Him!

So what do we do now?

Rich in application too!

Because we are connected to Christ (united)

Romans 6:4–5 NASB95

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Rom6:3

We are united by the Spirit, raised up with Him to walk in the newness of life.

God’s power, God’s Spirit is at work in us to do God’s will. For it is by grace we are saved by faith.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

From Jesus bringing the message, leaving it with a few to bring it to the masses, 2000 years later it is us who are charged to carry the message. God’s power in Jesus did miracles to prove who HE was. God’s power in the Apostles did signs, wonders to prove their word is true. What is God’s power in you going to do?

The greatest power shortage today is not measured in the power grid or by OPEC prices but it is in our lives and what we do when we understand the riches of knowing God, the riches of God’s calling, the riches of God’s power in us.

Invitation - to have any of these things you first must have God, through Christ . . . (expand); maybe today you are reminded of the riches you currently possess and you need to step up and out to be bold for Christ, you have the power, put that power to work and bring the glory to God!

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