So Rich In Christ, Ephesians 1:1-14 - Luke Frechette

hey everybody pastor Daniel here I am so excited to introduce tonight's guest speaker tonight pastor Luke Frechette from South Beach Church in Newport Oregon is back with us pastor Luke and I we came up in ministry together if you have loved ones out of Newport Oregon on the Oregon coast or if you're out there on vacation you got to go check out South Beach Church God is doing extraordinary things there the last time pastor Luke was here you guys had so much fun everyone said you got to bring pastor Luke back he's the one guy who makes you look like you have no energy not only does he have an epic beard but he's a phenomenal Bible teacher so let's give a really loud and totally joyful welcome to my friend pastor Luke Frechette well I want to just say that that video made my drive worth coming up here just to see that and to be invited to a church to speak and all honesty is a great honor to be invited back is a miracle to say just so you know like I've been invited all over the place and only been invited back a couple of times so I'm gonna take that as a good sign tonight and I'm just so pleased to be here gathered with you numbered with those who want to seek Jesus who want to be here tonight on a Wednesday night there's probably a hundred different things going on and you could be any of their places doing other things but you're here tonight I'm here with you and we're here to seek the face of Jesus and I'll tell you what he's pleased there's one of our ingrained needs inside of us is to just please the Heavenly Father we just want to please them as soon as Adam and Eve sinned the first thing they tried to do is to hide it so they would please them let's fix it and they couldn't do it and there's something inside of each one of us that just wants to please them I need you to get this you just be in here tonight even in your brokenness even in your sin even in your struggle you're here in God's house tonight and already God is silent seeing all of heavens it's just right hey come here look look what they're doing they're seeking my son's face look and he is excited the Bible says that God rewards those who seek his face he is pleased by you just being here there's so much baggage that comes along with being a human seeking God's face wanting to do it right beating ourselves and comparing ourselves when you look at Jesus you fulfill the father's command remember the father in the New Testament in the Gospels when he said hey Peter stop building things man look look at my son listen to him this is the one I'm well pleased and you've done just that here tonight I'm just so glad to be here so thank you for allowing me to show up again and to teach I just love Daniel he's one of my really really close friends one of my mentors that I really look to and I just appreciate him I love us spontaneity so spontaneous is Daniel that 15 years ago this June June the 9th he left San Francisco I'm not even sure what I'm sure he stayed within the speed limit I'm sure but he drove from San Francisco to Ashland to play bass in my wedding On June the 9th 2001 and the wedding started at 2:00 and he got there at 1:55 p.m. you know just in time to get a sound check every sound Tech's dream come true this guy showing up and he just has a servant's heart wants to serve and so spontaneous is Daniel actually that he texts me yesterday I'm just saying hey look you want to come teach and come share and I just I'd honestly don't have enough time to prepare sermon in that short of time so I'm just gonna tell embarrassing stories about him all night long yeah yeah it is gonna be rich it is gonna be rich we're enough to cut the cameras off now I'm just kidding no it's not true well part of that's not true but anyways we're here to get into God's Word tonight and so I'm gonna say a prayer you can turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 1 is where we're gonna take our text from tonight father we thank you for again thank you for your son that truly makes it so simple to follow you to know the father jesus said I am the way I'm not even so much gonna show you the way I'm gonna be the way the truth and the life and so father we thank you for your son which loved so much and showed your love so well that he came and he served us and told us that he did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many that his disciples his boys then would know the character in the heart of God and then that we would be drawn into relationship restored renewed and regenerated so tonight we just explore the riches that are in your son that are in Jesus and I beg of you father now to give your Holy Spirit to this group the young the old the knew the krusty all of us here gather does watching online streaming later I ask Lord that you would give us a renewed understanding of you not so much that we would look within and consider and go on a a sin hunt or become sin sniffers of one another but that we would all return to our first love that we would have our hearts prepared for communion it's not a religious thing we do it's worship as we return to the table week in and week out and so we thank you Lord for your word which leads us again to your grace and to your kindness and we ask now Lord your anointing on this time your blessing I thank you again for the family of God that we're all in it's already been said tonight that's the same boat we're all just here thought about us constructing our life and our best efforts now it's about what's already been done we want to explore the great mercy the great mystery the great riches of Christ I pray again Lord your mercy on me as I teach as I share driving a long way to get here Jesus name we pray amen amen ephesians chapter 1 is where you should be in your bible they told me I have 95 minutes to teach tonight is that true is that true and they they I don't think they started the timer yet they're about to get on that one right there so let me give you one of my favorite quotes it goes this way the gospel is the principal article of all Christian doctrine most necessary is that that we know this doctrine well and teach it to others and beat it into their heads continually anybody know who quoted that who said that we have me thank you Martin Luther said that the gospel is the principal article of all Christian doctrine most necessaries if that we know it well teach it to others and beat it into their heads continually because we forget the gospel the good news of God it's like we get the good news yeah yeah got it we take off and do other stuff and we find ourselves they didn't get into religion and weirdness and comparisons and fear and all this stuff Martin Luther came to a conclusion he said man this is it this is what I and you all know Martin Luther story at least some of you do and he struggled with his own identity he struggled with who God wasn't who he was in this wrestling match and he came to this conclusion that the gospel the good news changes everything he has realized that news is different than advice how many guys just love good advice well I see what you're doing with your life maybe I could give you some pointers let me give you some advice with that and you're like ah advice I don't need advice I need news I don't need you to tell me how to do it better I need somebody to do it for me news is different than advice advice you can get from dr. Phil Oprah BuzzFeed Facebook wherever you want there's all kinds of advice out there good news though is what has already been done for you it's already been done Jesus gave us good news to believe and it changes everything because I'm just like you just like most of us here I'm a go-getter I want to do it right I don't want to blow it I don't want to fail want to succeed and so often though I do blow it I don't succeed I have failed how many guys sped on your way to church today just go ahead and be here with us join us thank you it's not about us it's about him and when you here's the deal listen please when you find out when you truly find out this is an aha moment might change some of your lives again when you find out when you realize what God has done and who God is it then gives you your proper identity and allows you enables you to then be who you are you got to know who he is what he's done then you'll do what you're supposed to do naturally as a matter of fact Ephesians is broken up very simply the first three chapters are all about what Jesus has done what God has done what Jesus and God have done tempers 1 through 3 finally in chapters 4 5 & 6 he says now that you know that assuming you do now you can get into chapters 4 5 & 6 and loving your wife and loving your husband and being a kid and being a parent being an employer being an employee and being a Christian and being in the government and being a citizen all the things that Ephesians tells us to do he doesn't get there at all until the camps hardcore on what has been done and here you're the Wednesday night crew okay you guys get this I understand you guys are the Christians you're in I understand I understand but let me just get honest with you let's be honest we're a church okay first time this week you can be honest here we go that's funny how many of you here tonight would say would be honest and humble enough to say that you don't at this point in your life maybe later you will but right now you don't know everything okay most of you have the rest of your lives that's okay we have prayer ministry for you too and here's the deal here's the deal so fun so fun to just be like oh man I thought I knew everything for a second there at least I acted that way with my spouse or my kids or my employees are my boy who acts let's just do another question how many of you guys act like you know everything please my hands not up by example I'm doing it because I act that way and I'm 37 years old and I've been called on the carpet like every minute for my whole life God saying you don't know what you're doing listen when you realize I don't think I know it all wow I think not only do I not know at all I think there's more to learn even right now I think the Lord might want to take me deeper when you assume that position mentally spiritually Christianity gets fun again okay worship gets fun again prayer gets fun again missions gets fun again giving gets fun again taking communion gets fun again when you realize humble yourselves you don't know at all you need to get off the high horse that you've made for yourself because you figured out one or three things and say I wonder what if there's more I had this friend one time that had this house and they were complaining of a wall Jack that they were using for their vacuum you know nothing worked on this wall Jack no lamps no vacuums no phone chargers it didn't work so really I said well is there in your house also same room maybe a switch that doesn't work yeah there is there's a switch that's broken too so check this out when you plug something into the broken plug and then use the broken switch it fixes both of them how many guys like just learned at your houses like improve now like you have that thing wait and how long do people live in their homes or live with God or live with the riches of Christ and not know that oh oh connect man I wish I would have known that earlier here's the deal you're the Wednesday night crew I'm proud of you guys for being here good job but I fear there are some of you who are just here because man do you feel bad if you didn't show up this is what you do you read your Bible in the morning because if you don't you can't X off that little through the Bible marker thing you got going since January you're like I had that you know that's done now and there's these things you do out of repetition and religion and of dedication but wouldn't it be awesome if there was more to it wouldn't be awesome again if it was just so fun and so awesome and so deep and so rich the the book of Ephesians is for you and we're studying this right now in Newport at South Beach Church org fine it's fine and we're going at a record break next speech week one we got through zero versus all together imagine that a week two we actually touched on verse one week three we actually ended on verse three and week four we touched verse six we're just touching it a little bit and my goal tonight is to get through chapter one verses one through six with you tonight so no more chitchat you guys got to start listening let me say this about the book of Ephesians though the book of Ephesians has been called the queen of the epistles the quintessence of Pauline ISM and the divinest composition of man it's been called the Waterloo of commentaries it's been said that you can't even read this book without getting excited about it am i demonstrating it well enough and I would just say this if you're a Christian here you've been a Christian longer than six months you're likely to be crusty at this point this would be the book for you to return to and to study what I would say is the riches of Christ now let me just set the table for you I'm not gonna be able to get through the entirety of my points in the text tonight but I want to sow some seeds whet your appetite and challenge you ah you need to be challenged you realize that okay I tell people to find a church I said find a church that feeds you man you feel fed okay but also find a church that challenges you I'm not just gonna tickle your ears and rub your back okay you're gonna leave wondering man I should probably think about that I should probably dig into that okay you need to be challenged each and every one of us do here's the deal the book of Ephesians and I need you to consider this is written to the church at Ephesus from pastor Paul okay pastor Paul and he writes it from a prison cell so if you would in your mind's eye so you can tuck away a few illustrations because we're gonna disconnect about 8:30 you're gonna go your way and go to in-n-out burger or something like that you're gonna forget I even exist oh they don't have that in Washington that they have won in Medford now you realize that Oregon Oregon you guys ever heard of Oregon okay okay okay here's the pictures I want you to get in your mind as you go to Five Guys or wherever you go you're you got your thing Paul is in prison I'm not gonna go into my past but I've been in a similar place we'll call it jail okay another story another time and he is seeing with love and desire not for himself but for his church my church all emphasis what could I say to them and I want you to kind of if you would have a drone view of Paul there in Rome with the pen a drone view and then fly over to Ephesus and I want you to imagine the church at Ephesus let me give you a few background historical stories that happen in the Bible to help you understand the church at Ephesus and we could all just relate to the church at Ephesus and I couldn't we with the church okay we're primarily Gentiles we're living in a carnal world Ephesus at that time was the fourth largest city in the world Artemis the temple of artemis the temple of diana all kinds of commerce and access and egress and byways and try ways and the internet was invented there no no stretch has a stretch okay it's big city though and the church was there so Matt it's very similar to this church an urban center of business is all around here's check this out just just someone tell you a quick story I don't have time to turn there in Acts chapter 19 Paul shows up to Ephesus first time feed on the ground and guess what he finds their disciples everyone say disciples raise your hand if you're a disciple some of your thinking I don't trust this guy I'm not gonna breathe I don't know what to do I want to go oh okay we're all disciples kid didn't he Paul gets there and he sees some disciples he hangs out with them doesn't say how long but after a little while he's rubbing his beard because obviously he had a glorious beard and he looks at me says cute guys have the holy spirit stop right there and just consider is that a weird question to ask like a disciple but kind of confrontational a little bit edgy like Jesus are you sure you're getting this maybe they smell different maybe they acted if I don't know if their vernacular was weird but an emphasis he found some disciples the Bible tells us acts 19 is just like twenty years after Christ rose from the dead okay you should have Jesus by now he asked some if they have the Holy Spirit they said we actually don't even know what you're talking about and he says well what what do you have we have the Gospel of John the Baptizer he told us to prepare the way to repent to get straight to get right to become religious what for well he didn't tell us what for oh and Paul then leads him to the rest of the story which is Jesus Christ the cross the tomb the resurrection the Holy Spirit and the whole kit and kaboodle lays hands on a praise form baptize them the church is born the disciples actually become the church then in Ephesus he stays there for two and a half more years teaching in the school of Tyrannus my point in your drone view over Ephesus listen they were religious they were dedicated they were even known as disciples if they didn't have the switch and the plug connected there was more there was more he knew that when he was then in his cell thinking about the church at Ephesus I want to communicate a message to them because I feel they're prone to miss connect they're prone to not have the whole picture to not know and you can just write this down consider it what they have to access that is to acquire as it pertains to the riches of Christ they totally missed it you don't even need to raise your hand in here but if you just totally missed it you've been totally off-base everyone else seems to be getting it you're somewhere else okay that's one picture I want you to see now check this now this one kind of scares me it's gonna save this for the end of the message but I fear we may not ever get there just watching that clock go down here here we go that's forward paul meets them they don't have all the right pieces they're missing something and maybe here tonight maybe you'd say humbly you say yeah I kind of feel I'm missing something too like I don't shame myself but if there's more I want more I and at the end I'm gonna ask if you want more to raise your hand into to pray that in tonight I hope you do you're here Wednesday night of course you want more check this out though fast-forward Jesus Christ from heaven translates a message to John the Revelator in the goth or in the book of the revelation and he addresses seven churches one of the churches is the Church of you say it Ephesus and he says to them you know what I'll summarize chapter two right around the first couple seven verses he says oh Jesus talking you guys got it going on multiple services baptisms Wednesday night gathering two sanctuaries parking lots cool I'm paraphrasing also read it not now later he's Easter probably stoked gosh man you guys are doing well really really well you're really doing but yes he has a he's a a concern it seems as though even though you guys have everything polished on the outside and you're doing well your disciples you started out disciples not having it all but now that you got it you seem to have left it somewhere behind and he tells that church you guys left your first love I'm not gonna shut you down I'm not stopping you I'm actually really happy with what you're doing but you need to include me in it you need to come back to the spot where the blessings come out you need to return to your first love you need to repent and remember where it all started I've been walking with Jesus since 1999 saved since age eight gave my life to Him in 1999 January 6 got into the ministry that very second and I'll tell you what if you're not careful it can become very religious and you'll go through the motions and you'll forget what it's all about and you'll still go to church and you'll tie then you'll share in your worship and when everyone else stands you'll know it's your turn to stand too hands going up of course they are my being too honest tonight here's the deal though I wonder if Jesus would be so candid with you tonight and invites you back and just say hey you know what I remember that sweet fellowship we used to have remember that when it wasn't even a big deal we would just cry together and we just have joy together just the simplicity of the gospel that is the good news and it sets you free it changed everything and it made all things new imagine these two scenes now Ephesus how they started without the connections how Jesus saw them in their latter days missing the whole point altogether then insert Paul sitting in his cell I want to write to my church cuz I need help in prison I need bail money need food on my book or money on my books he wasn't thinking about himself he said no I loved him so much he spent two and a half years there and I don't want them to miss it again I don't want them to fall away from Jesus and so so important I just I so that hopefully for you tonight as you go home as you read Ephesians please do that would you just homework assignment yourself right now okay I could ask you to go on Facebook tonight but you're gonna do it anyways I don't need to ask you to do that read the read Ephesians one and in Chapter one all the way to verse 14 I'll just tell you a little tidbit here it's the longest Greek sentence in the Bible for sure I would say in the world the guy takes a big breath and then puts out verses 3 through 14 it's the longest Greek narrative sentence unbroken it's broken up in our English but in the Greek original it's one elaborate from heaven to earth for you thought from God it'll change your life forever it'll change everything about you as you access it turn the switch on plug it in same time simultaneous and you'll find things happening that at one point did not all that's to say this you guys ready to get into the word and read it a little bit wow that took forever to get this far here we go he says this way Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the Saints who are in Ephesus and the 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 with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestined us to adoption by sons by Jesus of sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of His grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved I'm gonna keep reading just so we can have the context in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself did you see where his intentions are he is maximizing all that Christ has done the good news and he is detailing it in great depth and clarity in color lest we be flipping switches on trying to figure out what's wrong with our lives he goes on look at verse 9 having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth where and him in him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory verse 13 and 14 in him you also trusted that great they trusted in him he's in Rome writing to his church in Ephesus bunch of Gentiles in one of the biggest cities in the world but most carnal you can imagine just go there oh you guys trusted the gospel ha ha amazing amazing in him you also trusted after you heard the word of the gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory stop right there eyes appear Wow it's taken us like I said one month exactly to get into verses 6 it's gonna take us a year and a half to get to verses 8 okay it's gonna just take forever because it's so deep so rich so real and you could just summarize it tonight when you go home what it was Church about don't you always want to just kind of know what was church about you ever go home like we'll stretch about I don't know it was about Wednesday Wednesday you know I think we're in Kings or something I was a church listen yeah I just want you to get these pictures accessing the riches that are in Christ but could it be that you who are Christians here tonight you're not getting all that has been garnered for you wouldn't it be fun to humble yourself tonight and say I'll bet you God has more for me and it's not even that he wants me to do more that's where we get off-track something he wants me to get up earlier read more pray more give more memorize more he wants me to believe in to trust the word that I've heard that he's already done it and to allow then the truth of God's power and love to then flow through me as his riches have already been given okay that's what I want you guys to consider look again at verse 1 as he addresses this crew this motley crew I would just go so far as to say he calls them the Saints who are in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus now he uses this term in Christ in him in the beloved in God in heaven in this epistle under 30 times pay 29 times throughout his epistles Paul would use those same phraseology Zin a constellation of sorts like them in him in Christ in God in the beloved he would use that same phrase 216 times throughout all of his epistles all 1314 if you count Hebrews now if you say something the same 216 times to your audience what are you getting that anybody in here married have a spouse repeat the same thing 216 times like I hear you you know write it out here's the deal listen please if you say something if you repeat yourself 216 times here's two reasons why number one it's really important okay you've missed this one it's really important I'm gonna say and they didn't have typewriters back then word processors copy and paste delete blind carbon copy then write the same thing down over and over you're not gonna say the same thing writing it down and precious papyrus or whatever unless it's really important in Christ in Christ in him in God in the beloved in him if that's where it's at it's located somewhere it's actually it's there I don't know where my Joel will use I don't know where my happiness is I don't have the strength I don't have the whatever I'd I wish i well maybe it's in him maybe it's in him well you know how you do you okay number one it's really important why else would you repeat yourself 260 times because number two we forget we totally forget where we put the treasure we totally forget what we have given to us we wake up feeling so drained so overwhelmed so unable to move forward at times and as God is God gone bankrupt ever seen God go bankrupt that's so weird when he goes bankrupt when he just runs out of money and runs out of love runs out of forgiveness runs out of power runs out of joy runs out of the fruit of the Spirit man it's so embarrassing oh wait yeah I love praying for people and I always remind myself and the person I'm praying for God's two things he's not broke and he's not stingy okay we we're all broken stingy yarn we were like I don't have enough and you can't have any right am I just okay God is he's not broke okay and it's not stingy yeah when I pray when I read when I negotiate my life when I make big decisions I usually look at my own resources I look at my own spiritual depth my own abilities my own contacts why I don't know if I could really afford that because I don't well I guess I could I guess like I guess I will forgive my neighbor I guess I could afford that I'll do that I do something crazy something spiritual and yet how many times has the Lord asked me to step on water when you can't step on water unless it's his will I love that story more than most Peters looking at Jesus there's no good reason for Peter to walk on water in that storm there's no good reason for Pete to get out and enjoy the superfluous gifts of the Lord and yet he says hey if that's you can I do it too in Jesus Christ our King on the water should have had you been on the board have you been the committee chief should have said no Pete that's crazy town stay in the boat here I come I'll be right there I know I'm going slow it's I know I'm kind of hurrying that's what you would have chose right Pete says if it's if it's real can i jesus says yes it's a storm it's water there's no reason and we know the story it's actually not gonna end well why not he gets out it's awesome he's a miracle he's walking on water the only human every surf without a board you know this guy's doing it you know the story he gets all in his head starts checking his own personal resources his accounts he forgets it's all in Christ he sinks Jesus rescues him throws him back in the boat Jesus obviously did CrossFit just picked him right up tossed him in what's the end result you guys know the story he's wet in the boat and all the disciples worshipped that was the end that's what happened there they all worshipped him that guy's crazy this is it it's this is him cuz then this is him no one walks on water nobody invites others to walk on water and I just wonder again I know for me okay I want to change the world I don't know why you guys are here right I want to change the world I would keep every day I want to change the world the first person I see in the mirror is myself and my God's not gonna happen darn it wrong account it's the wrong account and here's Paul poring over an epistle to his church at Ephesus you know they didn't have it at the beginning they've missed it they got Jesus but they kind of trailed off at the end and I wonder if the church is just like Ephesus and he addresses them as Saints in Christ Jesus as faithful in Christ Jesus again that term 216 times that's where the riches are throughout chapter 1 verses 1 through 14 the longest again sentence in Greek literature that I'm aware of correct me if I'm wrong but not here email me the list goes on and on of all that is in Christ all that is in Christ all that is in including this first initial address Saints because they're Saints you're Saints in Christ ok how many guys woke up this morning droves Starbucks and they said in your name please and you said st. Luke with an S write it down thank you how many guys are gonna go to work tomorrow tell your boss need a new name tag guys get turns out last night according some fellas we don't feel like Saints we feel like ain't you know say like it says we're not I don't fit wouldn't it be horrible if you always acted on your feelers wouldn't it be horrible if you always did what you just felt okay you don't be in jail for one like no Sam did you act on your feelers you got act on your knowers okay feelers are broken and they get all over the place it all messed up somebody slips you decaf and it's over you know your feelers Cooktown what do you know it's called doctrine it's called theology it's called teaching and when he calls you Saints when he addresses the church of saints it's not just say what's a fun word that'll mess with them no no it means set apart in Christ it means sanctified it means purified it means special in Christ it's one of the riches we have as Christians as believers those who heard the word and trust in you're a saint I don't feel like a saint that's okay you don't to feel like a saint to be a saint you got to be in Christ that's where you are positionally that's how it begins this letter and again I just wonder maybe we gloss over this and think Oh FSS I bet they were saying late I bet they weren't really good I wore robes and stuff they were just like you just like me messed up from the core up and they needed Christ in all whale he goes on to say in verse 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places we're in Christ now again you're the Apostle Paul wouldn't you just be sitting in your Roman self sounds beautiful thinking man I'm going to talk about the blessings that are in Christ obviously I woke up in jail I was like where's he getting this inspiration from see Paul tells us in the book of Philippians that he'd learned in all situations to be content he said whether with a lot or with a little okay whether being lifted up or being tore down I have learned to be content in all situations because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians chapter 4 this guy was fired up and you couldn't stop this sky and he wanted them to realize them to know that you're blessed verse 3 you're blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus you need to raise your hands tonight but how many of you guys are dealing with financial woes spiritual wolves emotional setbacks physical turmoil bodies that are aching today I spent the first half of my day in a hospital praying for people on the way to surgery people there's pain there's things there's emotional there's letdown there's divorce there's decay there's sin and you might challenge Paul's day every spiritual blessing where I don't see any blessings look at verse 3 again blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who's blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ did you know that you're a spiritual being tonight having a short human experience you realize that you're not a human being becoming more spiritual okay that's cray-cray you're a spirit having a very short human experience it's going to be over soon your spirit however that's who you really are is going to last forever and ever and ever and Jesus has it's guaranteed that your riches are protected from moth and from rust and from thief and from anything this world would bring and he's guaranteed it to you and this short little thing called life and Paul reminds them says guys you're so blessed really pray tell haha where's the blessings in heavenly places listen though in Christ let me just say this this might change this might change your life matter of fact it will this will change your life gets ready but actually that's just pray no I'm just kidding I'll change your life haha the blessings every blessing in heavenly places isn't so much things that God will give you money a restore relationship a spouse kids one day a job okay a car things from God God is a the giver of all good things I believe that okay all those things are good having a car is a good thing you having a spouse is a good thing having kids is a good thing having health is a good thing God is better than all those things combined having God having him Paul in prison has none of those things but he has God you might not have any of those things or you might have all of those things and forgotten the only thing that actually matters the one thing that changes everything the blessings are in him when Jesus was on the earth he met lots of people from time to time he would call himself exactly what they needed to the woman at the well he said I am the living water you're here for water I'm actually the water I'm the bread of life I'm the vine I'm the way the truth and the life I'm the door I'm it man this will change your life this will change your life Christian because what you need probably isn't really what you need okay tell that to your spouse next time she goes shopping it's a bunch of scared laughter right there what you need is it what Lu what you need what you need is him okay the presence of Christ changes everything you can go through all things in life you can endure all sin and all temptation and all things if you have Christ and Paul here knows that is experienced he doesn't want them to miss the switch and the plug blessed be the god of father verse 3 again who's given us all these blessings that we would not forget he and I listed him I wrote we read through verses 1 through 14 you would do a service to yourself by the way to study and see all the blessings that he details in great color and great great clarity for us that we have in Christ Jesus the adoption the predestination being chosen being sealed being faithful being in Christ all of these things that he lists for us were forgiven we have knowledge inheritance the list goes on and on and on a few more I want you to see this look at verse 4 he goes on to say this is just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will stop right there again eyes up here Paul's just going crazy about the riches of God in Christ Jesus and he goes on to say you know how this all started it was through being chosen and being predestined according to the good pleasure of his will before the foundation of the world in other words let me just ask a few questions so this in your thinking does God know everything thank you gets theology theology 101 here it is there is a God and you're not him okay there if you get that one you get an A on that exam you're on to being a theologian of excellence Kay there's a God you're not named God knows everything it's not surprised by anything okay so therefore God cannot learn anything he knows who is going to be his in the end and he also knows who's not okay many tribes get into many discussions about how that works I'm not gonna go there the fact remains the same though God knows how it ends in the end for you and for me and for them for they he knows it all and for those who love him for those who heard and trusted he said yeah I did that I chose you and I loved you and you responded by loving me isn't that great when God starts something when God begins something when God chooses to do something can you and I just take a big ole man I'm sure glad this is his problem not mine you know what I mean Paul starts his letter to the Philippians 1 or verse 6 of chapter 1 he says and being confident of this very thing that he who began a good work and you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus Paul knew that what God chose to do what God predestined to do God's gonna do this frees me from so much fear and trepidation and stress and worry and wondering and it makes me elated and excited to say this is gonna be fun last time I checked God doesn't make stupid stuff have you guys ever looked at the creation have you guys ever looked at the Stars if you guys never looked at the Stars and wondered why God made so many Psalm 19 tells us it's to display my handiwork in my glory okay I didn't want you guys to like think I was an idiot think about it the stars we're like wow there's so many we're like I think there's 900 billion light years worth or something and then there's probably an edge and maybe like I don't know like a waterfall you know we have no idea what's on the edge there is no edge cuz God didn't make an edge because God's infinite he did that on purpose so here's the deal the God the God the God who made the cosmos spans and by his hand names of stars twinkle he's pretty creative I'm not stopped right there he not only made the cosmos he made the atoms the atoms that consist of your body the makeup the cell the structure the the spinning scientists that's what they try and figure it out holes all get you know he made that too he's both big and small he did it all if he chose you he predestined you if he adopted you uh-huh serious man why you trippin what's the problem he's a good father that's who he is okay and you and you're loved by him that's just the way it is he's a good father he's gonna complete the work he began he won't stop and he's adopted you is that we're just awesome every time you hear it adopted we hear that word we instantly just resonate like yeah that's awesome adoption finding somebody who's without and making them within finding somebody who's not included and including them somebody's not being cared for and it's now being cared for somebody who's not loved in that way with the father and now has that fatherly love and we just all resonate that's what I would consider personal adoption God's done this to you as your father now do you realize that I grew up with a great dad my dad goes to my church I get to preach to him now payback and crafts all my sermons for his years I'm kidding but he does go to church there but not all of us grew up with a great dad okay there's a lot of pain God adopted you as his own to adopt somebody means to to choose to say yes yes you me yes you come into my family personal adoption the church has been taking part in adoption throughout the centuries because it's a part of the heart of the father to adopt to bring in to bring near to reconcile and to heal okay that's personal let me just say something about positional adoption it's different Kay personal adoption is what he's talking about here you're part of the the the family and by the way this will change everything yes ready for another life change moment thank you if you believe that you've been adopted that's up to you if you've trusted and believe that's up to you I can't believe for you if you believe that you've been adopted into the family of God it's personal you now have the ear of the Father in the Old Testament we don't see him as the father as not he's not really shown as the father God he's kind of seen a little bit kind of like The Godfather can I just can i that okay am I in trouble am I in trouble you don't saying then Jesus comes on same same God same same family no there's no change there's no difference and he says hey hey let me just fill it in when you pray pray this way our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name and they're like Wyatt you're addressing God that way that Abba Father that term Jesus yeah that's how when you come to heaven you got to become like a little kid when you come let the little kids you when you come in to God come to like a kid does if you believe it if you believe you're part of the adopted family if it's personal to you here's the deal your voice is directly tuned to his ear um you know if raise your hands but if you if you have kids okay you know their voice do you not you're in a crowded room you're at church you hear somebody squeal yeah I got mine you hear another one squeal you know that's not mine you hear nosewheel that's my what's wrong what's happening what stopped you shut up I'm going over here and all of a sudden the only thing that matters is your kid right that's how it is my kids okay how do you pray right now when I need to when I have to when I get around to it doesn't want to hear my prayers he's not he doesn't like me and he loves me he's obligated to love me first John 4:8 he is loved yes or do it but he doesn't like me really hahaha imagine the best father you could ever imagine not only does he love you he likes you he thinks about you he imagines your life unfolding he just considers all of your doings if you can imagine a good parent on earth now times up by a billion but a good parent on earth now taking pictures of their kids writing down first words saving teeth that fall out of their head it's gross parents love their kids fractional compared to your father okay it's personal okay this will change the way you pray this will change the way you fall off the stage this will change the way you interact with him in your times of devotion it will next time you get up I've got a prayer ha here we go just remember he actually likes your voice he really does he enjoys it it number two not only is it personal but it's positional in this time to be adopted as a son to actually be given lineage with a family that wasn't yours would not just be personal yeah have a seat here's some food you're part of the deal now inheritance later sure it was actually part of the family business you're not part of the team okay you run this thing you're in charge now okay here's your card here's your keys here's your authority now we're doing this together and God looks at the church and he employs you not just as a father figure who loves you but as one who employs you in the kingdom business he says right on join the team let's do this and you get now an opportunity to be an ambassador of Christ in a god-rejecting world he met you being an ambassador in a foreign country that is rejected our policies you can be careful so - God has said would you be my ambassadors in a crazy world a world gone upside down I'm gonna give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven I'm gonna give you all the riches all the blessings of Christ but I don't just want to just love you as a dad I'm gonna do that don't don't even doubt it but I'm also gonna send you out I want you to kind of do some stuff when when Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven to his disciples who to give it to Peter Peter had foot-in-mouth disease I you know Peter the most likely not to succeed Peter soon as he got the keys here's the keys Peter a few verses later Peter you remind me of Satan ah it's bad day when Jesus calls you Satan like lo day on the totem pole yeah he just gave me the keys Jesus didn't make a mistake he accounted for all the mistakes he paid for him the education that you have as a Christian the payment has been paid in full in Christ Jesus and he employs you said would you be part of my business would you tell people about me would you take some risks would you do a thing or two please I'll do all the work it's free it's like bumper bowling okay it's like you're gonna you're you okay just throw it down and there's so many Christians tip maybe you maybe this is a word for you who you are just straight-up stoked when I die I'm gonna go to heaven yes ha that's cool but until you get there I'm not doing anything what kind of do anything about it I come there I'm good to go can't rattle me but I'm not gonna like do anything I'm not gonna join a community group I'm not gonna join a prayer team I'm not gonna give extra I'm not gonna pray a little not gonna invite my neighbors to Easter service to get baptized I'm not gonna go to Guatemala I'm not gonna give my shoes I'm not gonna do this you're gonna and I'll tell you what it's so exciting when you realize and recognize to be adopted it supposed to be included in the family personal but also it's positional you're part of the team now and I would just say take some risks step on in the water see what he'll do no but I don't want to blow it you're gonna plow it read the book everybody blows it everybody ah Daniel invited me or he blew it it's fine I'm running out of time I want you to catch this he says this in verse five you're predestined and here's why there's two reasons it says according to the good pleasure of his will and then verse 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace for two reasons God adopts you that is he includes you as his family I love you I hear you I like you he does it for two reasons he also gives you part of the family business the case the kingdom of heaven the rights to walk on water the rights to do stuff their rights to lay your life down now give you two reasons it's so that it's for the pleasure of his good will he actually literally is stoked to do so he's not stingy not broke he likes to share it's his good pleasure to include you I laugh God called me as a pastor at age 8 sitting in a Pew just like this on a Sunday service in Bend Oregon at the Foursquare church called Westside now and God spoke to my heart heavy thought what that guy on stage is doing is life-changing and the most important thing in the world heavy thought poor eight-year-old kid I agreed with that thought I said yes it's the most important next thought and you're gonna do that when you get older I'm like no I'm not no and I told God no and I ran for 12 years okay now when I'm here doing when it God said look who won by the way look who won I think about the risk that God takes on me not took takes and the men and the women and you all and we all I got three kids I sigh so so desire for them to exceed an excel in all things God and all things fun and all things like man just live all these kids to be so how much more so God says would you just get out there risk a few things just something start a life group pray do something don't just show up to church you get spoon-fed don't just watch the stars on stage false do it all get crazy why it's his good pleasure secondly lastly I'm almost done Lee verse 6 this is to the praise of the glory of His grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved this is all happening in order for one thing to happen for people to see in your life and in my life God's grace the gospel God's riches at Christ's expense grace it when people see grace in your life it's to the praise of his glory they see grace which is glorious and they praise him to figure it out do the math think it through write it down just meditate on it when grace is exercised access light switch on plugged in boo when that happens and things happen it's because of grace and grace alone and the purpose is so people would praise God it's so people would find themselves looking at you saying you did what he chose you he used you hey everybody see when you when I step out and be used as a matter of fact let me just prove Texas for you this is in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy the longest sermon in the Bible I'm gonna read it from beginning to end the longest sermon in the Bible right before mo led the children of Israel into the land of promise Moses he didn't actually go in he disqualified himself for check this out he disqualified himself check this out he disqualified himself this way check this out he made God look mad he made God look angry he's like dude I'm not angry sorry bro you can't go in I'm the god of grace kindness and mercy but mo gave this message Deuteronomy you can just memorize it this way dude you're on to me dude drawn to me here's the message from mo to the children of Israel please get this and this is the in verse and I want you to just to manage one more time here's the deal listen he says this he says do not think in your heart after the Lord your God has cast them out that's the Giants before you saying because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land listen but it was because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you it's not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess the land but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you that he may fulfill the word which we spoken before the father's to Abraham Isaac and Jacob therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness stop right there listen here do you hear what he's saying guys ready to go in by the way the reason I'm making you go into this land is because they need to be disciplined I'm actually using you as a light in a dark world that's the whole point he goes on to say and I'm also using you for this reason please just humble yourself therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness for you are a stiff-necked people just conceptualize this for a moment God says hey follow me I want to use you oh really you are adopting me why you I would get a dump it sooner or later you chose me well of course you chose me look what I've become God says no no no no no no no I I chose you for two reasons one because the world needs light and I am that light and I'll shine through you the second reason is by choosing you you're actually a stiff-necked rebellious person and by using you the whole world heaven and earth combined look at you say no way no way as a matter of fact next time you see Pastor Daniel Fusco just look and say no way no way I'm serious I was there I'm not kidding I was there and it is in no way moment okay figure it out as to the praise of the glory of His grace what do you what are you waiting for what are you waiting for what's your what's your holdup I don't know and I didn't it's not about you it's the if the blessing is the riches that are in Christ I'm gonna have the worship team come on up and get ready to lead us in communion now as we respond and I would just put a challenge out there as we respond tonight first question I asked you guys tonight was do you know everything oh man you want to change your life right now as a Christian seeking Jesus next time you do your morning devotional I gotta read it's it's always good I read humble yourself and say Lord wonder if I'm like the church at Ephesus I just I've left you and I don't know it and you have more and read the same portion of Scripture you've read a hundred times if you're like me maybe a thousand times and humble yourself and say Lord is there more that I don't know maybe you're at either in this church maybe you give you get listen humble yourself and say Lord I'm gonna keep giving but I want it to enrich my soul I want to be blessed I want to see the Malachi promises I want to worship you with my tithes and offering maybe you pray maybe your prayer person but maybe there's no energy in your prayer maybe you'd humble yourself and say Lord how wonderful I wonder if I'm like the church at Ephesus maybe I'm discipled and disciplined but I don't have it all maybe I'm like the church at Ephesus when Jesus instructed them and maybe I Lord would you just light me up again and keep praying keep reading keep sharing keep witnessing man what has God given to you as an ambassador of Christ as a disciple I'm a natural-born Evangelist you know what that doesn't mean it doesn't mean I'm evangelizing just cuz he made me one doesn't mean I am he's made you exactly who you are that doesn't mean necessarily that you're walking in it and maybe it's just because you've been looking at the wrong resources the wrong balance account whatever the case is can we just tonight be excited and know that in the family of God you're adopted you're included you're predestined you're blessed you're sealed you're forgiven you've been given an inheritance you've been given knowledge you've been given resources you've been given well if you've been given permission you've been given forgiveness you've been given sainthood you've been given grace you've been given mercy you've been called faithful he's done it all it's in Christ it's in him and as we prepare to come to the table to just remind herself how could this be you could read verse seven on your own time he talks about what we're about to do he's forgiveness of all trespasses he's forgiven us of all her sins why would he do this it's his good will and it brings him great glory your life what you don't feel it I understand I don't either I don't feel great they don't feel good it doesn't matter what I feel like he said it's true and I believe it I'm gonna ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes with me Father in Jesus name we repent that means we just change our thinking week we conclude we don't know it all we don't know it all you do and so we worship you and we ask now Lord that the table would be rich that there would be Lord of repentance of pride or repentance of knowing at all the repentance of pretending that you're not rich a returning to the joy to the love to the blessedness of being in Christ in Christ in Christ but I pray that you would just make sense bust the prayer team bless those who repent bless those who take communion Lord we do what we do examining ourselves proclaiming your death until you come we thank you Jesus and your name we pray amen

Channel: Crossroads Community Church

Views: 27,497

Rating: 4.7520661 out of 5

Keywords: Crossroads

Id: y08G-d77CdM

Length: 62min 8sec (3728 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 11 2016