Listening to God's Message

EPHESIANS 3:1-7 LISTENING TO GOD’S MESSAGE A YOUNG MAN APPLIED FOR A JOB •AS A TELE-GRAPH OPERATOR. •WHEN HE ENTERED THE LARGE, NOISY OFFICE WITH THE TELEGRAPH CLACKING AWAY IN THE BACKGROUND. •HE NOTICED 7 OTHER APPLICANTS WAITING. •EACH ONE HAD HIS JOB APPLICATION FILLED OUT. THERE WAS A SIGN ON THE DOOR •TO THE INNER OFFICE SAYING APPLICANTS MUST WAIT TO BE SUMMONED. •AFTER STANDING THERE A FEW MOMENTS IN THE NOISY OFFICE •THE YOUNG MAN, CROSSED THE ROOM TO THE DOOR OF THE INNER OFFICE, AND WALKED RIGHT IN. •THE OTHER APPLICANTS WERE SHOCKED, WHAT WAS GOING ON. •WHY HAD THIS MAN BEEN SO BOLD? •THEY HADN'T HEARD ANY SUMMONS YET. •THEY ASSUMED THE YOUNG MAN WHO WENT INTO THE OFFICE↓ WOULD BE REPRIMANDED •FOR HIS PRESUMPTION AND DISQUALIFIED FOR THE JOB. •WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE YOUNG MAN & THE INTERVIEWER CAME OUT.. •"GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING, BUT THE JOB HAS BEEN FILLED BY THIS YOUNG MAN." THE OTHER APPLICANTS BEGAN •"WAIT A MINUTE -- I DON'T UNDERSTAND. •HE WAS THE LAST ONE TO COME IN •WE NEVER EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO BE INTERVIEWED. YET HE GOT THE JOB. THAT'S NOT FAIR." •THE EMPLOYER RESPONDED, "ALL THE TIME YOU'VE BEEN •SITTING HERE, •THE TELEGRAPH HAS BEEN TICKING OUT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: •'IF YOU UNDERSTAND THIS MESSAGE, THEN COME RIGHT IN. THE JOB IS YOURS.' •NONE OF YOU HEARD IT OR UNDERSTOOD IT. THIS YOUNG MAN DID. •SO, THE JOB IS HIS." •TO BE ABLE TO TRUST THE GOSPEL MESSAGE •WE HAVE TO HEAR IT… •AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT… •BUT FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR IT SOMEBODY HAD TO PROCLAIM IT… AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE CALLED •TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS… •THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST… •BY GOD’S GRACE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN STEWARDSHIP OVER THE GOSPEL MESSAGE… •A MESSAGE THAT HAS BEEN REVEALED OR MADE KNOWN TO US… •THROUGH GOD’S WORD… THE BIBLE… IF WE ARE GONNA FULFILL THE CALL •TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL •THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW…. •TODAY WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT PAUL EXPLAINING SOME OF THESE THINGS •AS HE TALKS ABOUT HIS MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES. TURN TO EPHESIANS 3:1 •PAUL SPENT ALL OF CH. 2 TALKING ABOUT THE UNITY OF THE JEWS AND GENTILES IN THE CHURCH… •HE TOLD THE GENTILES THEY WERE NO LONGER STRANGERS •THEY ALL WERE BEING BUILT UP INTO A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD… EPHESIANS 3:1–2 FOR THIS REASON I, PAUL, THE PRISONER OF CHRIST JESUS FOR THE SAKE OF YOU GENTILES— IF INDEED YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME FOR YOU; THE GOSPEL BRINGS UNITY •PAUL WROTE THIS LETTER FROM PRISON. •HE IS IN PRISON BECAUSE OF A RIOT IN JERUSALEM… •THE RIOT STARTED WHEN PAUL WAS ACCUSED OF TAKING AN EPHESIAN GENTILE INTO THE TEMPLE… •WE READ ABOUT THIS IN ACTS 21 THE JEWS ACCUSED HIM OF THIS •BECAUSE HE KEPT PREACHING THAT THE GENTILES WERE FELLOW HEIRS IN CHRIST… •WHEN PAUL SAYS FOR THIS REASON I, PAUL, THE PRISONER OF CHRIST JESUS •HE IS EXPLAINING THAT HE IS A PRISONER ↓ BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN •PREACHING THE GOSPEL. •HE HAS BEEN LOCKED UP FOR TEACHING UNITY BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES. •DID YOU NOTICE WHO PAUL SAID HE WAS A PRISONER OF… •HE DID NOT SAY HE WAS A PRISONER OF ROME… HE DID NOT SAY HE WAS •A PRISONER OF THE EMPEROR…. •PAUL SAID HE WAS THE PRISONER OF CHRIST JESUS •THIS IS PAUL’S WAY OF SAYING THAT ROME DOES NOT CONTROL HIS FATE… •THAT CHRIST AND NOT THE EMPEROR WILL DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM. HE IS A PRISONER IN A ROMAN JAIL •BUT HE BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST… •AND WE NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHY PAUL IS THERE… •HE SAYS HE IS THERE FOR THE SAKE OF YOU GENTILES •PAUL IS SUFFERING IN PRISON FOR THEIR BENEFIT. PAUL HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN •THE GENTILES AND JEWS BEING MOLDED TOGETHER INTO “ONE NEW MAN”… THE CHURCH… •AND THE GENTILES HAVE BENEFITED FROM PAUL’S WORK •GOD HAD CHOSEN PAUL TO BE THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES… •AND FULFILLING GOD’S CALL HAS RESULTED IN PAUL’S IMPRISONMENT… THE GOSPEL BRINGS SUFFERING •I KNOW WE DON’T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THIS… •BUT OVER THE LAST 2000 YEARS OR SO… •A LOTTA PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED FOR BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS… •AND THE TRUTH IS PEOPLE ARE STILL SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL TODAY… PAUL WANTS THE EPHESIANS •TO UNDERSTAND HOW HIS IMPRISONMENT WAS FOR THEIR SAKE… •WHEN HE SAYS IF INDEED YOU HAVE HEARD •HE IS NOT QUESTIONING IF THEY HAVE HEARD… HE IS POINTING OUT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE HEARD ↓ OF THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S • GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO PAUL FOR YOU; FOR THEIR SAKE… •THAT PHRASE THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S GRACE •IS A DESCRIPTION OF PAUL’S CALLING TO BE THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES… •A STEWARDSHIP…. IS A SET OF PLANS OR ARRANGEMENTS… AND THE PLAN OF GOD’S GRACE •IS THE GOSPEL.. •AND THIS GOSPEL PLAN OF GOD’S GRACE WAS GIVEN TO PAUL BY GOD… •WHEN PAUL TOLD THE PLAN OF GOD’S GRACE TO THE GENTILES… •HE ENDED UP IN JAIL… HE SUFFERED… IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD •WE NEED TO KNOW IT WILL INVOLVE SUFFERING… •I AM NOT SAYING WE WILL ALL END UP IN JAIL LIKE PAUL… •BUT IF WE SERVE GOD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL THERE WILL BE SOME LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT… MAYBE IT COSTS US TIME OR MONEY •MAYBE WE SUFFER THROUGH AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS •WHEN WE TRY TO EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL TO LOVED ONES. •IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD PEOPLE LOSE FREEDOM… AND EVEN THEIR LIVES FOR SERVING GOD 2 TIMOTHY 1:8 THEREFORE DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LORD OR OF ME HIS PRISONER, BUT JOIN WITH ME IN SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE POWER OF GOD, SOMEONE ASKED C.S. LEWIS, •"WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER?" •"WHY NOT?" HE REPLIED. •"THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN TAKE IT." •WHEN WE SUFFER FOR THE GOSPEL WE CAN KNOW IT WAS WORTH IT….’ •THE THING ACCOMPLISHED WAS WORTH THE PRICE PAID. THERE IS SOMETHING HERE I WANT •US TO SEE… AND WE MIGHT MISS IT IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL… •PAUL WAS GIVEN THE MISSION… THE TASK… OF TAKING THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES… •AND HE DID THIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF.. •FOR THE SAKE OF THE GENTILES… HE DID NOT SERVE GOD •FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT… •HE DID IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS… •I KNOW THIS SOUNDS OBVIOUS… BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WE MISS IT… •WE ARE SO USED TO DOING THINGS BASED ON WHAT WE GET OUT OF IT… WE HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME •SERVING FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS… •ARE WE SERVING TO IMPRESS OTHER PEOPLE? •DO WE THINK WE SCORE POINTS WITH GOD WHEN WE SERVE? •DO WE THINK WE CAN EARN HEAVEN BY OUR SERVICE? IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD •WE NEED SERVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS… •AND NOT FOR OUR OWN BENEFIT. •WE SERVE GOD OUT OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE FOR WHAT HE DID FOR US… •WE SERVE GOD OUT OF RESPECT AND HONOR FOR WHO GOD IS…↓ THE CREATOR SUSTAINER •OF THE UNIVERSE… •WE SERVE GOD FOR THE SAKE OF… •FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS… •AND NOT FOR WHAT WE GET OUT OF IT… •AND THIS GOSPEL THAT WE SHARE WHEN WE SERVE GOD •IT HAD TO BE REVEALED IT TO US… EPHESIANS 3:3–5 THAT BY REVELATION THERE WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME THE MYSTERY, AS I WROTE BEFORE IN BRIEF. BY REFERRING TO THIS, WHEN YOU READ YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST, WHICH IN OTHER GENERATIONS WAS NOT MADE KNOWN TO THE SONS OF MEN, AS IT HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED TO HIS HOLY APOSTLES AND PROPHETS IN THE SPIRIT; THE GOSPEL IS REVELATION •PAUL IS IN PRISON FOR TEACHING THE UNITY OF THE JEWS AND GENTILES IN CHRIST. •BUT PAUL IS NOT TEACHING HIS OWN IDEAS… •HE DID NOT INVENT THIS CONCEPT OF UNITY… PAUL SAYS THAT BY REVELATION •THERE WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME THE MYSTERY, •THE MYSTERY HE IS TALKING ABOUT HERE IS •THE FACT THAT GOD’S PLAN INCLUDED THE JEWS AND GENTILES •BEING JOINED TOGETHER TO FORM THE CHURCH. AND WHEN PAUL SAYS THIS •WAS MADE KNOWN TO HIM BY REVELATION… •HE DID NOT MAKE IT UP… •THAT MEANS HE DID NOT FIGURE IT OUT ON HIS OWN… •MAYBE PAUL RECEIVED THIS REVELATION ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS WHEN CHRIST APPEARED TO HIM… •MAYBE IT HAPPENED WHEN ANANIAS REMOVED THE SCALES FROM HIS EYES… •MAYBE IT WAS DURING HIS TRAINING IN ARABIA… •BUT THE POINT IS… THE REVELATION CAME FROM GOD… •BECAUSE GOD IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF REVELATION. AND JUST LIKE GOD HAD TO •REVEAL THE MYSTERY OF THE GENTILES. •GOD HAS TO REVEAL THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL… •NO ONE FIGURES OUT THE GOSPEL ON THEIR OWN… •GOD HAS TO REVEAL IT TO THEM… •AND WE ARE BLESSED TO BE PART OF THAT REVELATION… WHEN WE TELL PEOPLE ABOUT CHRIST •WE PARTICIPATE IN GOD REVEALING, OR MAKING KNOWN THE GOSPEL… •THE AMAZING THING ABOUT THE GOSPEL •IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CAN’T FIGURE IT OUT ON OUR OWN… •WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT ONCE IT IS REVEALED… THE GOSPEL CAN BE UNDERSTOOD •PAUL WANTS THE EPHESIANS TO KNOW THAT THIS MYSTERY •OF THE GENTILES AND JEWS BEING UNTIED IN THE CHURCH… •HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL… •WHEN HE TELLS THEM… •BY REFERRING TO THIS, ↓ WHEN YOU READ YOU CAN •UNDERSTAND •HE IS TALKING ABOUT THEM GOING BACK AND READING •HIS EXPLANATION OF HOW THE GENTILES AND JEWS •ARE NOW FELLOW HEIRS AND FELLOW CITIZENS.. HOW THEY ARE BOTH •IN GOD’S HOUSEHOLD… •AND WHEN THEY GO BACK AND READ HIS EXPLANATION… •THEY WILL UNDERSTAND PAUL’S INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST, •AND THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST IS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE… ROMANS 16:25 NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH YOU ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY WHICH HAS BEEN KEPT SECRET FOR LONG AGES PAST, IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE •GOSPEL MESSAGE BETTER… •IF WE WANT GAIN INSIGHT INTO GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR SALVATION… •WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ… •WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ THE GOSPELS… •WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ THE EPISTLES… AND THE BOOK OF ACTS… •WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ THE OLD TESTAMENT… •WHEN WE READ OUR BIBLES WE WILL GROW IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S PLAN FOR SALVATION… •WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT IS WRITTEN IN GOD’S WORD THE GOSPEL IS MADE MORE CLEAR •THE GOSPEL IS IN THE BIBLE FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION… •BUT THE WAY IT IS PRESENTED CHANGES AS WE MOVE FROM START TO FINISH… •FROM GENESIS TO MALACHI THE GOSPEL IS FORESHADOWED… •IT IS HINTED AT… OUR SIN IS REVEALED… OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR IS SHOWN… •THE PROMISE OF A COMING SAVIOR IS GIVEN… •BUT THE EXACT MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL IS VEILED… •FROM MATTHEW TO JUDE THE GOSPEL IS EXPLAINED IN GREATER AND GREATER DETAIL… AND IN REVELATION THE GOSPEL •IS COMPLETED… •THAT IS WHAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS… •WHICH IN OTHER GENERATIONS WAS NOT MADE KNOWN TO THE SONS OF MEN, •THEY MYSTERY OF CHRIST… THE GOSPEL.. THE GOOD NEWS… •WAS NOT MADE CLEAR TO THE PREVIOUS GENERATION… •BUT THIS SAME GOSPEL MESSAGE •HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED TO HIS HOLY APOSTLES AND PROPHETS IN THE SPIRIT; •WHEN HE SAYS NOW… IN THE CHURCH AGE… AND NOTICE HOW THE FULLNESS •OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE WAS REVEALED •TO THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT… •IT WAS DONE… IN THE SPIRIT… •JESUS TOLD THE APOSTLES THIS WOULD HAPPEN… JOHN 16:13 “BUT WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, COMES, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL THE TRUTH; FOR HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, BUT WHATEVER HE HEARS, HE WILL SPEAK; AND HE WILL DISCLOSE TO YOU WHAT IS TO COME. AND THESE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS •OF THE NEW TESTAMENT •WROTE DOWN WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDED THEM TO WRITE… •AND WE CAN READ THOSE WORDS AND COME TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST… •THE GOSPEL MESSAGE… WE CAN LOOK BACK ON THE O.T. •AND SEE FORESHADOWS AND REFERENCES TO THE GOSPEL… •WE CAN SEE OUR SIN.. OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR.. GOD’S PROMISE OF A COMING SAVIOR… •BUT TO GAIN CLEAR UNDERSTANDING WE NEED TO •SEEK INSIGHT INTO WHAT PAUL AND THE OTHER AUTHORS OF THE N.T. WROTE… WHEN WE LOOK IN THE SKETCH •BOOKS OF LEONARDO DAVINCI, •WE FIND DRAWINGS OF SOME OF HIS MOST FAMOUS PAINTINGS. •THESE CHARCOAL SKETCHES ARE FANTASTIC WORKS OF ART ON THEIR OWN. •THEY SHOW GREAT EMOTION, THEY HAVE GREAT IMPACT. BUT THEN WE LOOK AT THE •COMPLETED PAINTINGS. •THE FORMS OF THE SKETCHES ARE STILL THERE, •BUT NOW THE DETAIL IS FAR GREATER, •THERE IS COLOR AND DEPTH TO THE IMAGES IS AMAZING. •THE BEAUTY AND MAJESTY OF THE COMPLETED MASTERPIECE FAR OUTSHINES THE SIMPLE •CHARCOAL SKETCH. •THIS IS KINDA HOW THE BIBLE WORKS. •THE OLD TESTAMENT IS KINDA LIKE THE CHARCOAL SKETCHES. •THE FORMS OF GOD’S PLAN ARE WRITTEN THERE, •THEY ARE FANTASTIC WORKS OF ART. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS ACCURATE •AND TRUE, IT HAS GREAT IMPACT ON OUR LIVES. •BUT WHEN WE READ THE GOSPELS, THE BOOK OF ACTS, THE EPISTLES… •WE ARE READING MASTERPIECES THAT DISPLAY THE SAME PLAN IN FAR MORE DETAIL, WITH GREATER COLOR AND DEPTHS. •THE NEW TESTAMENT CONTAINS THE SAME PLAN AS THE OLD TESTAMENT •IT SIMPLY DESCRIBES THIS PLAN MORE CLEARLY AND MORE DIRECTLY. •IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD •BY TELLING PEOPLE THE GOSPEL… THEN WE NEED TO KNOW •THE GOSPEL… AND TO KNOW THE GOSPEL •WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ WHAT THE BIBLE… •WE NEED TO READ OUR O.T. TO SEE OUR SIN… OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR… AND GOD’S PROMISES… WE NEED TO READ THE N.T. •TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST… •THE MESSAGE OF TRUTH… THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. •AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE WILL SEE IF WE GO READ IS THAT THE GOSPEL UNITES… EPHESIANS 3:6–7 TO BE SPECIFIC, THAT THE GENTILES ARE FELLOW HEIRS AND FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY, AND FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISE IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGH THE GOSPEL, ↓ OF WHICH I WAS MADE A MINISTER, ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS POWER. THE GOSPEL UNITES •THE KEY INSIGHT PAUL WANTS HIS READERS TO UNDERSTAND •WHEN THEY GO BACK AND READ HIS WRITINGS IS •THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH… •THAT THE JEWS AND GENTILES ARE EQUAL IN CHRIST… AND PAUL COMMUNICATES THIS •EQUALITY WITH THREE STATEMENTS… •FIRST HE SAYS…THAT THE GENTILES ARE FELLOW HEIRS •TO BE FELLOW HEIRS MEANS THEY RECEIVE THE SAME INHERITANCE… •IT MEANS TO BOTH THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES HAVE THE SAME HEAVENLY DESTINATION… THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GIVEN AS A •PLEDGE TO BOTH JEW AND GENTILE… •NOT ONLY ARE THEY FELLOW HEIRS THEY ARE…. •FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY, •TO BE MEMBERS OF A BODY •MEANS TO WORK TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK OF THE BODY… AND ALL THE MEMBERS •OF CHRIST BODY ARE CALLED TO WORK TOGETHER… •AND WE ARE NOT JUST WORKING TOGETHER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.. •WE ARE FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISE IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGH THE GOSPEL, THIS PROMISE… IS THE PROMISE •OF SALVATION… THE PROMISE THAT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE… •AND BOTH THE JEW AND THE GENTILE PARTAKE IN THIS PROMISE •THROUGH THE GOSPEL… •WHICH RESULTS IN THEM BEING IN CHRIST… GALATIANS 3:28 THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE MAN, THERE IS NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. AND WHEN WE ARE IN CHRIST •WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE… WE ARE CALLED TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL… •WE DON’T SERVE GOD BECAUSE HE NEEDS HELP… •WE DON’T SERVE BECAUSE WE ARE SO AWESOME… •WE ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE↓ THE GOSPEL BY GOD’S GRACE •PAUL HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIS SERVICE TO GOD… •HIS IMPRISONMENT… HIS STEWARDSHIP OF THE GOSPEL… •HIS MESSAGE OF UNITY BETWEEN JEW AND GENTILE.. •BUT PAUL WANTS TO MAKE SURE↓ GOD GETS THE GLORY •SO HE SAYS HE WAS MADE A MINISTER, ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE •PAUL DID NOT EARN HIS POSITION AS MINISTER… •HE DID NOT MAKE HIMSELF INTO A MINISTER… •IT WAS THE GRACE OF GOD… IT WAS AN UN-MERITED GIFT… •AND THAT IS TRUE FOR EVERY ONE OF US… •NO MATTER HOW WE SERVE GOD… •WE DID NOT EARN IT… •WE ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE GOD BY GOD’S GRACE AND GOD’S GRACE ALONE… I DID NOT EARN THE RIGHT •TO STAND UP HERE AND PREACH… •THIS DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE I AM SO AWESOME GOD JUST HAD TO PUT ME IN THE PULPIT… •THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF GOD’S GRACE… HIS UN-EARNED FAVOR… •AND NOT ONLY DO WE ENTER •INTO SERVICE THROUGH GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR, HIS GRACE… •WE DO THE WORK GOD CALLS US TO DO BY HIS STRENGTH AND NOT OUR OWN.. WORKING BY GOD’S POWER •NOW THIS IS KINDA HARD TO SPOT… •BUT THE GRAMMAR IN THE GREEK IS PRETTY CLEAR… •PAUL ENTERED INTO SERVICE BY THE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE •AND THAT LED TO HIM DOING THE WORK HE DID BY GOD’S POWER THAT IS WHY PAUL WRITES •THAT HIS SERVICE •WAS GIVEN TO HIM ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS POWER. •IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD •WE NEED TO TRUST THAT WE SERVE BY GOD’S POWER AND NOT OURS… •THIS CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE ↓ IN HOW WE APPROACH MINISTRY •IF WE ARE DEPENDENT ON OUR OWN STRENGTH... OUR OWN POWER… •WE CAN END UP OVERWHELMED… •WE CAN END UP FEELING INADEQUATE… •AND THE TRUTH IS IF WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE GOD BY OUR OWN RESOURCES •WE ARE INADEQUATE…WE SHOULD BE OVERWHELMED… ONLY WHEN WE SERVE GOD •BY RELYING ON HIS POWER AND NOT OUR OWN…. •ARE WE ADEQUATE FOR THE TASKS HE SETS BEFORE US. •CHARLES SPURGEON ONCE SAID… •“WITHOUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD, •WE CAN DO NOTHING. WE ARE AS SHIPS WITHOUT THE WIND •BRANCHES WITHOUT SAP, •AND LIKE COALS WITHOUT FIRE, WE ARE USELESS.”— 2 CORINTHIANS 9:8 AND GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND TO YOU, SO THAT ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN EVERYTHING, YOU MAY HAVE AN ABUNDANCE FOR EVERY GOOD DEED; ONLY THROUGH GOD’S POWER •AND BY GOD’S GRACE CAN WE LIVE IN THE UNITY HE CALLS US TO LIVE IN… •ONLY THOUGH GOD’S GRACE AND POWER CAN WE BRING THE GOSPEL TO THE LOST… •ONLY THOUGH GOD’S GRACE AND POWER CAN WE SERVE HIM AS HE CALLS US TO SERVE… GOD’ WILL… GOD’S PLAN… •IS PRESENTED IN HIS WORD, THE BIBLE… •BUT JUST LIKE THE YOUNG MAN IN THE TELEGRAPH OFFICE… •WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE MESSAGE… •WE HAVE TO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HIS MESSAGE… AND WE HAVE TO RESPOND •BY GOING THROUGH THE DOOR… •THIS MESSAGE CALLS FOR US TO TRUST IN CHRIST •THAT HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS PAID FOR OUR SINS… •BUT THE MESSAGE DOES NOT STOP THERE… THIS MESSAGE ALSO CALLS •TO LIVE IN UNITY…. BEING FELLOW HEIRS… •FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY… •FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISE… •THIS MESSAGE… FOUND IN HIS WORD… •CALLS FOR US TO SERVE GOD IN THE MINISTRY HE HAS PLACED •US IN… ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF HIS GRACE… •AND TO SERVE BY HIS POWER AND NOT OUR OWN…. •THIS MESSAGE CALLS US TO… •TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL MESSAGE… •THAT GOD LOVED US SO MUCH HE CAME IN THE FORM OF A MAN… LIVED A SINLESS LIFE •DIED ON THE CROSS, ROSE AGAIN AFTER THREE DAYS… •ASCENDED TO HEAVEN… •AND HE IS COMING BACK… •IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE….