July 11, 2021
Sermon Title: Mysterious plan.
Scripture Text: Ephesians 1:3-14
Illustration:
There are 12 or 13 diseases that Doctors know nothing about or very little. They are Mystery's.
One such mystery disease is “the sleeping sickness”.
From 1917 to 1928, half a million people were afflicted with a ghastly condition that could be part of the plot-line of a horror film. The victims—very much alive and conscious—found themselves in inexplicably frozen states, their static bodies prisons for their minds.
Encephalitis lethargica (EL), aka “the sleeping sickness,” first appeared in Europe and quickly spread around the world, reaching epidemic levels in North America, Europe, and India by 1919. About a third of those stricken with the illness died. Of the survivors, nearly half eventually found themselves unable to physically interact with the world around them, all the while fully aware of their surroundings. Though occasionally capable of limited speech, eye motion, and even laughter, they generally appeared as living statues—totally motionless for hours, days, weeks, or years.
The cause is a mystery, but one theory is brain inflammation triggered by a rare strain of streptococcus, the bacteria responsible for many sore throats each year. Science’s best guess is that the bacteria mutated, provoking the immune system to attack the brain, leaving the victim helpless.
This mystery of “the sleeping disease” is hiding out and only one case has been seen in 10 years. So we are pretty safe from this particularly mysterious disease.
There are many Mysteries in our world and even in the area we call Space. God has one Mystery that we all should be aware. Unlike this mystery we just discussed and all the other mysteries the mystery of God can be found.
So this morning I want us to have a close look at the Mystery of God as proclaimed by His written word. People can read it and know what it says but to really understand it Spiritually you have to know and understand who the mystery Man Himself; God.
The Word of God
For the people of God
Thanks be to God
Ephesians 1:3-14 (NLT)
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
-The very first thing that Apostle Paul makes clear is this one fact. We must be united with Christ. For us today that means we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. Then we are open to every spiritual blessing and all the other benefits of God.
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
-We were not picked by God to be a Doctor, Lawyer or Indian Chief. We have certain biological traits that lead us to desire to be certain things. I do realize that this world can have a great influence on where and how we go in this life. But still God loved us and chose us to be holy and without fault in His eyes.
-To be holy and without fault in His eyes doesn't mean we are to be perfect in His eyes as we see perfect today. In the Hebrew Scriptures the sacrifice that was to be offered to God was to be perfect without blemish. But when we move forward in time and Jesus Died for our sins on that old rugged cross the use and meaning of perfect was tempered by Jesus’ blood, his death. The word in the Greek Scriptures means “mature”. We are called to be grown ups and not act like a child that doesn't have the experience of life and judgement.
*As I read listen to the phase “who belong to his dear Son”
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
-I want to point out some things in this pericope:
---God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
---Praise God for the glorious grace he poured out on us who belong to his dear son.
---His rich kindness and grace purchased our freedom with blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
---poured out on us glorious grace to those who belong to his dear son.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
---Jesus was to fulfill God’s mysterious will/plan. He did that when he died for us.
10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
------God chose us, all of use, all of humanity to accept Christ and when we do accept Christ we receive all the benefits of God.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
---He identified us as his when he gave us the Holy Spirit that lives in us, around us, and among us.
---Holy Spirit is our guarantee we will get our God’s promised inheritance.
---God did this so we would praise and glorify him.
----When was the last time you praised God in your daily walk. God has done so much for us.
There are two things that this Scripture shows:
(1) God does what he says.
(2) Jesus is used by God to make it come true
All the glorious things we have are all because of God and Jesus’ horrible death on the cross.
