Sermon Tone Analysis

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

So you can hear

So you can taste

So you can smell

So you can touch, grasp

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.

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

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Your faith, your love, your loyalty evident to all

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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.

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

To know Him increasingly - Our Sanctification

To know Him perfectly - Our glorification

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.

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)

This calling is a holy calling (2Tim1:9)

Called out of the darkness into the light (1Pt2:9)

Called from being without hope, to hope (Eph2:12; 1Pt1:3)

but now we have a living hope

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)

(expand briefly) confidence, practicing righteousness, promise

so then be obedient

To be obedient (Heb13:17)

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!

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!

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You have an inheritance in Him and you are His inheritance

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You are His inheritance, and you are His beloved (Eph1:6)

Because you are His inheritance when he returns He will be glorified (2The1:10)

When He returns we too will be glorified (Col3:4)

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