Sermon Central
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Its All About Us
Contributed by Jerry Stepp on Oct 8, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Some points to show the Love of God Toward US
It’s All about Us
~Paul’s writing here in this book of Ephesians is about us and to us. So many times we look so close to what others think and say about us. When really all that matters is what God Himself thinks of us. He, and He alone has set the bar for us to measure up to, and that is the goal that we should be pressing towards.
~To many times we lower ourselves to meet the “requirements” of others that we may fit in, that we may feel wanted, accepted, or loved, when we should be striving towards the high mark that Christ has raised. We have been made winners and NOT losers in the eyes of Christ. It is in this time and place of this sin sick that world we raise from the filth of sin and oppression to the place that Christ has prepared for us.
In this first chapter of Ephesians Paul is clearly trying to encourage us by the place we find ourselves in, “In Christ”. He identifies nine (9) different things about “us” that we may stand firm in who we are in Christ.
For time, today we will just look at three points in this passage.
1. He has Blessed US. Vv.3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
>What can we think of that just today we have been blessed with?
(I can Breath, I can See, I can Hear, I have a Family, I have a Car to drive, I have a Job, I have a Place to Live, I have Jesus)
>To many times we as people are wrapped up in the things that we DO NOT have and forget how blessed we have been in the now!
Look at verse #3 again;
>The words “hath blessed” in this verse, is in the form of a past tense phrase.
It is not something that will be done in the future, but it is something that we have obtained NOW!
>Let us not complain of what we do not have, but rather rejoice at what we do have, and how we have been blessed of the Lord.
>It’s tough in this day and age we live in to tell some on the saints from the aint’s, if we are just listening to there conversation; 90%-10% rule.
A. Paul is NOT speaking to everyone; he is speaking to the CHURCH. This letter is sent to the Ephesians and the Saints. Look at verse one (1)
B. All these things in this chapter are not for everyone, but for the CHURCH of God!
C. What has he blessed us with in this verse? “Spiritual Blessings” which are not for the world but again, for the CHURCH. Look at verse 3 again
D. Paul speaks of the persons referred to as having "redemption," and "the forgiveness of sins;" as having "obtained an inheritance," and as being sealed with the "Holy Spirit of promise”. All of these are for believers.
E. The only way to receive these is through the Spirit of God.
F. What a Blessing it is, that God has thought enough of us that he gave us all nine of these things in Ephesians chapter one.
2. He has Accepted Us. Vv.6
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved
>It does not matter of your back ground, your past, your nationality, if you’re fat, skinny, tall, short, beautiful, or ugly.
>If you have been deserted by your family, felt alone, abandoned, left behind, in or out of the click, a nerd or a jock, even if the world loves or hates you.
>God has welcomed and opened His arms for you to be a part of His family; His call goes out to whosoever will.
The Bible says…
For WHOSOEVER will save his life shall lose it: and WHOSOEVER will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Also I say unto you, WHOSOEVER shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God
That WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And WHOSOEVER liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
And it shall come to pass, that WHOSOEVER shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
