Good evening, it's great to be with you this evening.
If you've got a Bible, I'd like to open it at Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 1 to 14.
Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 1 to 14.
We're going to be looking at that tonight.
You need to forgive me, I'm loaded with the cold and my eyes are watering like mad.
So if you see me bringing out this hanky and wiping my...
It's either because I'm sweating like mad or because my eyes are watering like mad.
Ephesians chapter 1, is this too loud? Is this alright?
Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1 to 14.
Paul writes, this is the word of God.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace with which he blessed us in the beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace,
which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight,
making known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose,
which he set forth in Christ
as a plan for the fullness of time
to unite all things in him,
things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance,
having been predestined according to the purpose of him
who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
so that we who were the first to hope in Christ
might be to the praise of his glory.
In him you also,
when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until we acquire possession of it,
to the praise of his glory.
Amen.
This is God's word.
Let me just pray before we look at this.
Father, we come before you,
Lord, humbled and in awe of who you are.
Father, we thank you so much that
even though we are fallen, sinful creatures,
Father, we're here tonight
only because of your grace and your love
which you've shown us through your Son.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are a God who speaks to us
and so, Father, we pray that you would speak
through your word to us tonight
and encourage us and build up our hearts
and help us to stand firm in our faith.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
A TV programme, Doctor Who.
I'm sure most of you know what it is
and will have watched it at some point in your life.
The few times I've watched it myself,
the TARDIS, the Doctor's time travel machine,
has totally fascinated me.
And it's fascinated me because from the outside,
the TARDIS just looks like any other police telephone box.
There's nothing unusual about it,
nothing impressive about it,
nothing significant.
From the outside,
it just looks like an old, ordinary police telephone box.
But it's not until the doctor opens the door
and you get to go inside
and see that it's not just an old police telephone box,
but it's something far greater than that.
It's not until your eyes are opened
and you get to see inside
that you get to see the significance of it,
that it's much more than an old police telephone box.
Well, friends, in a similar way,
it's the same with the church and the gospel, isn't it?
The church and the gospel
often don't look that impressive, do they?
Often it doesn't look as if the gospel
is making much impact in the world,
nor does it always look as if God's plans
and purposes are being worked out.
And it certainly doesn't seem as if the church
is where the action is really happening, does it?
But Paul has written his letter
and certainly the first half of this letter
to encourage and strengthen the Ephesian believers
by reminding them of the riches
they have been blessed with in Christ.
God's plans and purposes are being worked out in this world
despite the fact that how it looks to us at times.
God's plans and purposes are being worked out in this world
through the gospel to unite all things in Christ.
And the church is where God is displaying this
and making known his manifold wisdom
to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
And so Paul in this passage
blows the Ephesian believers away
with what God the Father has done for them in Christ.
He sets out before them God's eternal plans
and purposes for the universe.
He leads them in praising God
for his glorious work in them
and for uniting them to Christ by grace.
And he's writing to remind them
and encourage them that they are part of God's plans
and purposes because of their union with Christ.
And he does that because he knows
that we're prone to forgetting
and prone to getting discouraged
and disheartened by the lack of sight that we have.
Now Paul went to Ephesus
during his second missionary journey
and he stayed there around two and a half years.
Ephesus was a huge place
with a big population and a lot of wealth.
It was also a place full of dark magic arts
and idol worship.
And there was a massive idol worshiping community
in Ephesus who worshipped the goddess called Artemis.
Now Artemis had supposedly fallen from the sky
and people thought that she was from heaven,
a god, the saviour of the world.
But in reality it was just a massive rock
which they carved the goddess out of.
But not only was the idol worshipped,
it was also used for profit by some people.
They made smaller shrines
and sold them onto the people in Ephesus.
So they could worship not only at the temple
but at home as well.
But through the preaching of the gospel
by Paul and others,
the word started to take root
and bear fruit in Ephesus.
People were turning from the idol
to serve the true living God.
And because of this,
the people who made a living
from selling Artemis merchandise
started losing profit
and eventually started a riot because of it.
Luke writes in Acts 19 verse 23,
about that time there arose
no little disturbance concerning the way.
In other words,
it was mad mental mayhem.
There was no little disturbance there.
But in the midst of all that chaos,
a church was started.
And now sometime after all that
and after Paul had left Ephesus
and now in prison,
he's writing this letter
to encourage and build up
the believers in Ephesus
who are finding their Christian life
hard and difficult
in their present surroundings,
feeling weak and inferior
to the massive
and impressive-looking idol Artemis
looming over them in the background.
This goddess who was worshipped
by more than 50,000 people
in Ephesus and even further abroad.
Compared to the small
and not-so-impressive community
of believers who follow Jesus,
they felt intimidated and small.
At times they could hear
the deafening chants of the thousands
who would go to the temple
and proclaim,
great is Artemis,
great is Artemis.
And I wonder how they felt
when they heard those chants
and I wonder what they thought too.
Perhaps,
have we got this right?
Is this really God's plan?
We seem so small
and weak,
but they look so big
and strong.
Is this really
where the action is?
They probably felt
how a lot of us feel today.
intimidated,
disheartened,
and discouraged.
Today we are in a similar position
in the church,
although our contexts
are a bit different.
We don't have a massive temple
looming over us
and intimidating us.
But we live in a similar society
full of idolatry,
immorality,
a world that is totally against
the gospel of Jesus Christ
and his church.
We live in a similar position
where it's very easy
to get discouraged,
disheartened,
and down
because the church
can look very insignificant
and unimpressive
in comparison to the world.
In comparison to the impressive
looking things
the world offers
is the gospel
doesn't always seem
to be making much impact,
does it?
It doesn't seem like
this is where the action
really is.
The church doesn't seem
to be significant
or impressive
in the world's eyes.
if you went outside now
and told someone
you could take them
somewhere where the real action
in the world is happening
and you brought them here,
they would think
you're having a laugh,
wouldn't they?
They would think
you're half your nut.
They would say
you've got to be joking
the church.
Jesus,
there's no way
this is where the real action
is happening.
It's out there in the world.
It's certainly not here.
Nothing's happening in here.
Friends,
we also might be tempted
to think this
at times as well
throughout our Christian lives.
I know I am.
Like the Ephesians
we can be tempted
to think that action
is in more impressive
looking things
and places.
But as I said,
Paul has written this letter
to these discouraged,
disheartened,
downed believers
to encourage them
and strengthen them.
He wants them to stand firm
in their faith
to be built up
and to know God better.
He wants his readers
to have their eyes opened
to the unseen realities
and blessings
of being in Christ
and to see that God
really has blessed them
with every spiritual blessing
through their union
with Christ.
And this letter's here
for us also
to encourage
and strengthen
our hearts
so that we stand firm
in our faith
and to remind us
that the church
really is
where the action is.
look at verse 10.
Verse 10's a key passage,
key verse in this passage.
Through the gospel,
God is working
to unite
all things
together
in Christ,
things
in heaven
and things on earth.
Being in Christ,
being joined together
with Christ
is where the action
truly lies,
friends.
Because in and through Christ,
God is working
for his glory
and declaring
to the world
and his universe
his power,
authority
and reign.
And Paul says
that statement
12 times
in this passage.
In Christ,
in him,
through Jesus Christ,
in the beloved,
to ground us
and affirm us
in our faith
because Jesus
is the centre of all
that God is doing.
And to be in Christ
or to be united to him
means to have
a personal relationship
with him.
It belongs to him
to be joined
to him
and to look at him
as saviour
and Lord.
It's a bit like marriage
as Paul tells us
in chapter 5
where two people
become one
and are joined together.
They are united
as one
and share
in each other.
And so it is
with us
in Christ.
And because of that union
we share in all
the eternal blessings
in him.
There's no greater union
that we can have
than having union
with Christ.
And what better way
to encourage
the disheartened believers
in Ephesus
than telling them
they are in Christ.
They are part
of the action.
Whether they feel it
or not
or even at this point
realise it,
they are part
of God's eternal plans
and purposes
for this world
because of the simple fact
that they are in Christ.
Because God
had set them apart
and chosen them
in him.
the action
isn't in the more
impressive
or successful
realities around us
in the world.
Celebrities
or other religions
that more people
follow.
Successful businesses
people with money.
The real action
is happening
in the thing
that the world hates
and the unimpressive
thing in the world's eyes.
The action
is happening
right here
in the church
through the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
What better way
to build us up
and to help us
stand firm
in the midst of pressure
to stand firm
in our faith
than to hear
of the great blessings
and realities
of being in Christ.
So let's look
at this amazing beginning
to Paul's letter
together then.
Begin to be
in awe and wonder
of the blessings
we have received
in Christ
and through our union
with him.
Well first of all
Paul begins
with his usual
greeting
in his letter
and greets
the Ephesian believers
here in a very
encouraging way
and addresses them
as the saints
who are in Ephesus
verse 1
he writes
Paul an apostle
of Christ Jesus
by the will of God
to the saints
who are in Ephesus
and are faithful
in Christ Jesus.
Grace to you
and peace from God
our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now in Paul's letters
when he says
to the saints
and faithful
in Christ
are those sanctified
in Christ
he means those
who have been set apart
those who are holy
because of what God
has done for them
those who are possessed
by God
and indeed that is
what Paul goes on
to expand on
in the rest of the passages
he goes on to tell them
how this came about
and the same can be said
of all those
who are trusting
and have put their faith
in Christ
as saviour
they are called saints
holy ones
set apart
by God
through Christ
but we are not saints
in the sense
that
some think of saints
Paul doesn't mean
those eerie pictures
of guys
in stained glass windows
who are made out
to be almost
unhuman
and spiritual giants
people who
no one can relate to
and who make us
feel crushed
because we think
we'll never be
as spiritual as them
that's not what
Paul means here
when he says saints
Paul means
they are saints
in the sense
of what God
had done for them
it's real people
Paul is saying
this to here
people who struggle
who fall
and people
who are sinners
and so often
wander
it's people like us
which Paul says
are the saints
they are the spiritual ones
every Christian
past, present
and future
are saints
everyone who is in Christ
is a saint
it's not just
the spiritual elite
and so Paul goes on
to explain
how they became
the saints
in Ephesus
in the rest of the passage
look at verse 3
being in Christ
means you
have every spiritual
blessing
Paul writes
blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ
who has blessed us
in Christ
with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places
if you're here
as a Christian
tonight
it doesn't matter
how long you've been one
it could be 5 minutes
5 years
or even 50 years
every spiritual blessing
is yours
in Christ
you have been given them
you have them all
God the Father
has blessed you
abundantly
with everything
that you need
but note what Paul
means here
is not that
in Christ
we have been
or will be
blessed
with every
material blessing
again
it's not what
some people say
today
come to Jesus
and everything
will be great
and you'll have
health
wealth
and prosperity
we all know
that's nonsense
don't we
because some of us
who are here tonight
are skint
some of us
don't have the best health
and some of us
are not prospering
are we
but that's not to say
that God doesn't bless us
now in particular ways
he does
but that's not
Paul's concern here
so what does Paul
mean here
when he says
we have been blessed
in Christ
with every
spiritual blessing
well it's not
material blessings
it's so much
more glorious
than that
the spiritual blessings
that Paul is talking
about here
are in the rest
of the passage
but notice
that these blessings
are in the heavenly places
literally the heavenlies
which is not heaven
but the unseen realm
where the spiritual powers
and authorities dwell
they are unseen realities
which we have received
through our union
with Christ
which is important to know
and be reminded of
because we don't always feel
or necessarily see
the blessings visibly
but nevertheless
they are still
realities
all the great riches
that Christ
have been given to us
because we have been
united
to him
Christians are the most
blessed people
who walk this earth
and I hope that
encourages you tonight
if you're a Christian
here tonight
you're the most
blessed person
who walks this earth
well in the rest
of the passage
we see what these
blessings are
look at verse 4
where Paul encourages us
with a past blessing
we have been lovingly chosen
and adopted in Christ
all the blessings
of salvation are ours
because God has chosen us
in Christ
before the dawn of time
before the world
was created
even before the foundation
of the world
that's a mind-blowing thing
to think about
isn't it?
God had his mind
before any of us
were even born
or thought of
before anything
was ever made
when it was just God
Father, Son
and Spirit
he had chosen us
in Christ
how can that be
you might think
because God is God
and well that's the wonder
and majesty
of God's sovereignty
and election
isn't it?
and the more you think
about it
the bigger and bigger
it gets
we can never here
and now I don't think
fully understand
or take that in
but simply to be in awe
wonder
and praise of it
and I think that's
what Paul wants to happen
as we read this
he wants us to be in awe
and wonder
and amazement of God
but notice that
this is not a mechanical thing
God doesn't just
randomly choose people
he doesn't put his hand
in a hat full of names
and pick one out
and that's the next person
nor does he see
something in us
that makes him think
we deserve such
electing grace
and mercy
and to be adopted
into his family
if we think that
there's something good in us
that would make God choose us
and we've got the wrong
end of the stick
friends
as we find out
in chapter 2
we are dead in our trespasses
and sins
without hope
and enmity with God
and disobedient
to all his ways
and what
following the prince
of the power of the air
who is Satan
that was
and is the sad state
and predicament
of being outside of Christ
sorry my nose
is running now
that's bogging in it
so there was
and is nothing
in us
that God
can
or could see
that would make him
want to choose us
so what did make him
want to choose us
well we see it here
don't we
look at verses 4
and 5 again
it was his love
for us
someone said
predestination
rightly understood
as the most comforting
and enriching
and thrilling
of all truths
he goes on to say
what an answer this is
to the rootlessness
of life
for a man to discover
that in Christ
he is rooted
and grounded
in everlasting love
to get through
to ultimate reality
and find not nothingness
but a smiling father
who has lovingly
chosen him
it was God's will
it was God's purpose
and it was to the praise
of his glorious grace
to shower upon us
his love and choosing
predestining
and adopting us
and his purpose
and result in all this
was for us
was that
we would be holy
and blameless
before him
scandalous thing
about all this
friends
is not that God
has predestined
elected
and adopted
some in his kingdom
but that one day
you believer
who deserve nothing
but wrath
and judgment
will stand before God
and because of these
things you have received
and been blessed
with in Christ
and through your union
with him
you will be welcomed
by your heavenly father
with open arms
you will be welcomed
into your heavenly father's home
because you have been chosen
and adopted
in Christ
isn't that great
secondly
verses 8
and 7 and 8
Paul encourages us
with a present blessing
we have been graciously
redeemed
and forgiven
not only has God
lovingly chosen us
and adopted us
he's also
graciously redeemed us
through Christ
Paul writes
in him
we have
notice the present tense there
we have
redemption
through his blood
the forgiveness
of our trespasses
according to the riches
of his grace
with which he lavished
upon us
in all wisdom
and insight
friends
the world sees the cross
as being one of the most
foolish things
to have ever happened
they don't want a saviour
who looks weak
who is unimpressive
and had to die
to save them
the world wants someone
who is strong
who looks strong
and impressive
someone who looks powerful
who can overcome
anything
and conquer
but they can't see
that the cross of Christ
is where the power
of God is
it's there the wisdom
of God is shown
Paul says in 1 Corinthians
1 verse 18
for the word of the cross
is folly
to those who are perishing
but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God
God in sending
his son Jesus
and him dying
on the cross
in our place
with his blood
being poured out
and him hanging
on the cross
there the pure
and just
wrath of God
was laid
and directed
straight upon him
but it wasn't
for his own sake
that he died
or for his own sin
it was in our place
it was our shame
he took
and it was our sin
which was laid upon him
and what happened
when we walk away free
we stand before the Lord
justified
holy
and blameless
in his sight
the God
who we were
created by
and for
and created to know
but were alienated from
and ignorant of
whose word we disobeyed
and rebelled against
we have now been
reconciled to him
through Christ's death
and the cross for us
it's breathtaking to think
is it not
that the God
that we offended
and rebelled against
gave up himself
to be a ransom for us
that's what it means
to be redeemed
to have redemption
it means to be
bought with a price
it means to buy back
what is rightfully yours
and what a cost
it costs
what a price
it costs
to God
who lovingly chose us
and adopted us
cost him his own son
this grace
which has been lavished
upon us
Paul tells us
brought us this redemption
through his blood
the forgiveness
of our trespasses
every command
that God gave us
that we walked over
every loving thing
that he did for us
that we despised
and rejected
every trespass
that we made
has been forgiven
in Christ
and again
hopefully
and I prayerfully
hope
that that helps
someone
here tonight
again helpfully
someone said
by his death
on the cross
Christ has justly
purchased his back
for God
at the cost
of his own blood
he has dealt
with our guilt
to bring his pardon
he has overcome
the cosmic forces
of darkness
which bound
and enslaved us
he has died
to the reign
of sin
that mastered us
and has risen
in triumph
over all his
and our enemies
he was
our great exchange
as the hymn says
bearing shame
and scoffing rude
in my place
condemned
he stood
sealed my pardon
with his blood
guilty
vile
and helpless
we
spotless
lamb
of God
was he
full atonement
can it be
hallelujah
what a saviour
in him
we have redemption
through his blood
the forgiveness
of our trespasses
again
a good friend
sent me this one day
God took the place
of the guilty
enduring in himself
the condemnation
for sin
when a cry
went up before him
that sin must be covered
he gave himself
in Christ Jesus
God almighty
came and took
our human nature
precisely in order
to put himself
in a position
where he had
blood to shed
and a soul
to pour out to death
to redeem us
friends in here
in Christ
here tonight
you have that
now
you who are in Christ
and have been
united to him
have that now
redemption
and forgiveness
in Christ
finally we can see
in verses 11 to 14
Paul encourages us
with a future
blessing
of a guaranteed
inheritance
I read a story
once
on the internet
two homeless guys
who used to
live in a cave
in Hungary
they used to walk
the streets
looking for scrap metal
that they
could sell
for pennies
but this pair
of penniless
down and outs
this article
described them
one day
when roaming
the streets
were approached
by a stranger
and were told
that they had just
inherited
a four billion
pound fortune
from a relative
of theirs
who just died
and you can imagine
their reaction
can't you
they were overjoyed
well friends
we were like
those pair
of penniless
down and outs
before we had
nothing
we were so poor
before God
we had the scraps
of this world
but now
because Christ
died for us
and because
of our union
with him
we have a
glorious inheritance
but that
inheritance
friends
is not a
four billion
pound fortune
it's better
so much
better than that
look at verse
11
in him
we have obtained
an inheritance
having been
predestined
according to
the purpose
of him
who works
all things
together
according to
the counsel
of his will
now the
inheritance
that some
get today
is just
stuff which
will all
decay
it will all
perish
and will one
day fade away
there is no
guarantee
that it will
last
one day
it will be
gone
and be
spent
that four
billion pound
that those
two homeless
guys inherited
will one day
be gone
either they
will spend
it
or they
will die
and it
will go to
someone else
and they'll
spend it
it isn't
guaranteed
really
is it
but look
at the
Christians
inheritance
look at the
inheritance of
those who are
in Christ
in verses
13 and
14
in him
you also
when you
heard the
word of
truth
the gospel
of your
salvation
and believed
in him
were sealed
with the
promised
Holy Spirit
who is a
guarantee
of our
inheritance
until we
acquire
possession of
it to the
praise of
his glory
friends
this inheritance
of ours
in Christ
is guaranteed
when we
heard the
gospel
and believed
in Christ
we were
sealed
by the
promised
Holy Spirit
and given
the promise
of this
inheritance
the Holy Spirit
is a stamp
of approval
on our lives
and the seal
by which
we will
receive
our inheritance
inheritance
but what is
this inheritance
well really
it's all the
blessings
that Paul's
spelled out
for us
here in this
passage
but simply
put
it's eternal
life
that's what
Jesus said
himself
didn't he
in John's
gospel
all who
come to me
will receive
eternal life
and just as
that eternal
life is found
in him
so is
our eternal
security
because we
have been
predestined
by the will
of him
who works
all things
according to
the counsel
of his will
and what is
the will
of the father
who sent
his son
what Jesus
said in
John chapter
6
this is the
will of him
who sent
me
that I
should lose
nothing
of all
that he
has given
me
but raise
it up
in the
last day
that's how
it's guaranteed
friends
all this
we have
received
in Christ
and because
of our
union
with him
isn't that
so encouraging
to be reminded
of
doesn't that
build us
up in our
faith
there's nothing
greater to hear
is there
than God
the father
in love
sent his son
to die
on the cross
to shed his
blood
so that we
his rebellious
creation
might be united
to him
through his son
and receive
eternal blessings
we constantly
need reminded
of that
don't we
of the effect
the gospel
has had
on our own
lives
why
because as I
said at the
beginning
often we don't
see the effect
the gospel
is having
in our world
which makes us
think that the
gospel is having
no effect
at all
but here just
like when the
doctor opens
the door
of the TARDIS
and you get
to go inside
and see
that there's
a much bigger
picture
it's much bigger
than what you
think
so Paul does
here and reminds
the Ephesians
and us
of the glorious
blessings we
have received
in Christ
to remind us
that God's
plans and
purposes
are being
fulfilled
in this
world
through the
gospel
God's
plans and
purposes
to unite
all things
in Christ
things in
heaven
and things
on earth
are being
worked out
and friends
where's the
evidence of
that
well it's in
the church
isn't it
it's in the
church where
lives have
been changed
and transformed
by the gospel
just as we've
looked at
lives which
have been
blessed by
every spiritual
blessing
in the heavenly
places and
have been
truly united
to Christ
my friends
I know at
times it
doesn't seem
like the gospel
is having much
impact on the
world around us
I know we
aren't seeing
many coming to
Christ in our
churches every
week but
nevertheless every
time we preach
proclaim and
share the gospel
although we can't
see it
God is at work
every time we
talk to somebody
about Jesus
Christ and
about the
gospel every
time so
brothers and
sisters be
encouraged and
don't be
deceived by
the lack of
sight that we
have take
courage and
boldly proclaim
and keep on
sharing the
gospel of Jesus
Christ in this
world because as
we do this
as we proclaim
the gospel of
Jesus Christ in
this world
God's plans and
purposes to unite
all things in
Christ are being
fulfilled to the
praise of his
glorious grace
let me pray
heavenly father
we thank you so
much for these
promises that
Paul spells out
for us here in
Ephesians 1
father we thank you
so much that you
have united us to
your son and
father we thank you
for the encouragement
that we have from
that that we are
part of the big
plan your
eternal universal
plan to unite all
things in Christ
things in heaven
and things on
earth and father
we praise you for
these great blessings
in Christ's name we
pray amen