Riches of His glory

Sufficency of Christ Series: Book of Ephesians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  38:25
0 ratings
· 188 views
Files
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

I’m counting on them!

(insert picture wounds of Christ already saved on computer)
There is a story I heard, and it went something like this, a conversation between Jesus after the ascension and Gabriel. Gabriel asked the master “Master you 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 do know.” Gabriel shocked by the masters answer 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 it their life work to tell others about me. They were told to start in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then the outer parts of the world. I am sending My Spirit to help them to do it.” Gabriel still had more to say to the Master, “What if they become tired, or grow weary, or maybe they just give up? What about centuries from now? What if the Word does not get carried out, do you have another plan? Do you have another way to tell all the world?” Jesus reply was short, “No, I’m counting on them.”
(Insert slide: we are the church; already saved on the computer)
We are the church, 2000 years later, the inspired word has been completed, the word has been compiled and the Spirit given to the church to accomplish the mission.
We are the church the one’s now charged to get the Word out. In our passage today we will see the riches we were born with when we were born again. And as Christians we are responsible for those riches. Not only do we have an inheritance in Christ, we are Jesus inheritance to the Father.
He is counting on us to use our inheritance wisely and Paul starts a prayer in our section today and basically interweaves it through this passage until the end of Chapter 3.
To understand the riches of His grace, and the riches of His glory we need to grow in the understanding of Him and what we are to do with the riches we are entrusted with.
Paul in his prayer in this section does not ask the Lord to give the church anything that they do not already have, but to reveal to them what they have, to give them enlightenment.
Enlightenment comes from the Holy Spirit (Isa11:2; Jn14:25-26, 16:12-14)
Enlightenment comes to the heart of the believer (Ps119:18, Mt 13:9; Ps34:8, 4:18; Act17:27)
So you can see
Psalm 119:18 NASB95
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.
So you can hear
Matthew 13:9 NASB95
9 “He who has ears, let him hear.”
So you can taste
Psalm 34:8 NASB95
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
So you can smell
Philippians 4:18 NASB95
18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
So you can touch, grasp
Acts 17:27 NASB95
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
The heart of the matter is this. You cannot see spiritual things without the Spirit being in you. You cannot understand spiritual things without the Spirit in you and enlightening you with what is already inside you.
So let’s look at some of riches.

Rich in love

Heard it from a friend who, heard from a friend who, talked about your love. We are rich in God’s love and that should abound and overflow from us.
Ephesians 1:15–16 NASB95
15 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, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
How would you like to have someone say they heard that about you?
About your faith in the Lord
About your love for all the saints
In other words, about your love and your loyalty!
Point below for handout only, not to be said
____________________________________________________________
Your faith, your love, your loyalty evident to all
____________________________________________________________
Love and loyalty should be evident in the life of any Christian. More than the words we speak but through our actions too.
Word had spread to Paul of their love for all the saints. We show our love when we love people.
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.” - William Barclay
So the first riches of His glory is love - may it abound, may it overflow, may it be evident.

Rich in knowing God

Riches of knowing God is different than just knowing of God. Paul wants the church to understand the importance of knowing God.
Ephesians 1:17 NASB95
17 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 we can know is to know God and to be known by God. For:
The atheist’s claim there is no God
The agnostic’s claim if there is a God we cannot know Him.
Paul knew of God, even served Him until that Damascus road when everything changed and 3 days later was given spiritual eyes to see that nothing outside of knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection was worth anything.
Don’t be wilfully ignorant
Willful ignorance lead people away from God, Paul expands on that in Rom1:18-32, to sum it up, but I do suggest you read it on your own. It goes from:
Ignorance to idolatry
From idolatry to immorality
From immorality to indecency
From indecency to being handed over
As believers we need to know and grow (Act4:12; Php3:10; 1Cor13:9-12; Gen1:27 and Isa59:2)
To know God personally - Our Salvation
Acts 4:12 NIV
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
To know Him increasingly - Our Sanctification
Philippians 3:10 NKJV
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
To know Him perfectly - Our glorification
1 Corinthians 13:9–10 NASB95
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
1 Corinthians 13:11–12 NASB95
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
We were made in God’s image (Gen1:27); then we were separated because of our sin (Isa59:2) but when we decided to walk with Christ in the riches of His glory it is to have us return to the state in which we started, a perfect close relationship with the Creator, all made possible through the Son.

Rich in knowing God’s calling

“Hear ye, hear ye” God has called us, called us by His gospel, by His grace and we have eternal riches in that.
Ephesians 1:18 NASB95
18 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,
We are to be the “ekklesia” the called out ones. Called out by the gospel,called by His grace to be recipients of His grace and His mercy
We are called out by the gospel message, by His grace (Gal1:15)
Galatians 1:15 NASB95
15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
This calling is a holy calling (2Tim1:9)
2 Timothy 1:9 NASB95
9 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,
Called out of the darkness into the light (1Pt2:9)
1 Peter 2:9 NASB95
9 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;
Called from being without hope, to hope (Eph2:12; 1Pt1:3)
Ephesians 2:12 NASB95
12 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
3 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,
Consider it this way:
Hope brings power,the dynamic force needed to live in the riches and to share the riches of His calling.
To be pure (1Jn2:28-3:3)
1 John 2:28–29 NASB95
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 John 3:1–2 NASB95
1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
1 John 3:3 NASB95
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
(expand briefly) confidence, practicing righteousness, promise
so then be obedient
To be obedient (Heb13:17)
Hebrews 13:17 NASB95
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
To be faithful (Lk12:42-48)
You can look at the parable of the faithful servant in Lk12, in short because we know the riches we have in the Lord, because we know the riches of His glory we should be faithful until the end, looking for Him!
So be filled with enough powerful hope as to be these things and let that be your motivation to live for Christ today in both word and deed!

Riches of His Inheritance

Let this passage sink it, pay attention to the words, You are the Lord’s glory!
Ephesians 1:18 NASB95
18 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!
__________________________________________________________
You have an inheritance in Him and you are His inheritance
__________________________________________________________
You are His inheritance, and you are His beloved (Eph1:6)
Ephesians 1:6 NASB95
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Because you are His inheritance when he returns He will be glorified (2The1:10)
2 Thessalonians 1:10 NASB95
10 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 He returns we too will be glorified (Col3:4)
Colossians 3:4 NASB95
4 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, make you want to be devoted to the Lord. Are you starting to grasp, or being reminded of some of the riches we have in Him?

Riches of God’s power in us

God has made us His inheritance by showing His love to us in Christ Jesus. By His promise of our heavenly home, it gives us hope. This hope built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness (Php3:9). And His righteousness brought His power to us!
Ephesians 1:19–20 NASB95
19 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 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:21–22 NASB95
21 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. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 1:23 NASB95
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
This power is the
Dunamis “power”
The energeia “the working”
the kratos “the mighty”
and the ischus “power”
Warren Wiersbe says it like this
“The surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the operation of the might of His strength.”
God’s divine, dynamic, eternal energy is available to us because we are His and He has given us His Spirit.
For we need Gods power for
Strength and attentiveness (Mt26:41)
Matthew 26:41 NASB95
41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
To face, fight the spiritual battles (Eph6:11-12)
Ephesians 6:11–12 NASB95
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 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.
To be reminded we are the fullness of Him (Eph1:23)
Ephesians 1:23 NASB95
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
These spiritual forces that want to steal our joy, derail our faith, distract us from our race and discourage us are overcome by the power of God through His Spirit that dwells in you. So that brings us to some richness in application too.

Rich in application too!

We are connected, we are united in Christ, recipients of the riches of His glory by grace, may we remember our unity where it started.
United in the likeness of His death (Rom6:4-5)
Romans 6:4–5 NASB95
4 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. 5 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,
Raised up to to walk in the newness of life. God’s power, God’s Spirit is at work in us to do God’s will; to carry out His mission for His purpose and His glory. It starts with God’s grace
United by God’s grace (Eph2:8-9)
Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Remember where we started today, a possible conversation that could have happen in heaven. God’s plan started with a few to bring it to the masses. God’s power in them accomplished it’s task, hence why we are sitting here today, what are you going to do with the power at work in you today? Or what are you going to allow God to do in you and through you today?
(Lead to invitation)
(Insert invitation slide)
The greatest power shortage today is not measured by the power grid, or by OPEC prices but by our lives in what we do, in what we understand about God’s riches, God’s calling, God’s power available to us today.
________________________________________________________________
Let God’s power work in you and through you because you understand the riches of His glory!
__________________________________________________________________
First it starts off by allowing His power to forgive your sins, and to come into you. (expand)
(insert exit slide)
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more