1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,760 As we pull back together, let's turn our attention to God's 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,800 Word. After a wonderful Holy Week, we 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,640 continue our series through Ephesians. 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,800 We're still in chapter 1 and it's a joy to continue working 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,680 through Paul's prayer. So our text this morning is 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:23,480 Ephesians 118 through 21. Paul continues to pray for the 7 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,400 Ephesians. He says, having the eyes of your 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,360 hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which 9 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,759 He has called you. What are the riches of His 10 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:35,920 glorious inheritance in the Saints, And what is the 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,520 immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, 12 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,160 according to the working of His great might, that He worked in 13 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:46,400 Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:51,000 right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and 15 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,920 authority, and power and dominion, and above every name 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,440 that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to 17 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,720 come. This is the word of the Lord. 18 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,319 Thanks be to God. Please be seated. 19 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:10,680 Father, we sense that these are wonderful things in Your Word, 20 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:14,960 and so we pray with the psalmist that You would open our eyes to 21 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:20,400 see and to know and to love these wonderful things in Your 22 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,320 Word. In Jesus name we pray. 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,200 Amen. So at least one thing is clear 24 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,920 as we study Ephesians one Paul had rare spiritual vision into 25 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,440 who God is and what he has done. The Lord opened the eyes of 26 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,560 Paul's heart and what he saw changed everything. 27 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,600 Paul began to grasp all the privileges that we have in 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,080 Christ, what we've been talking about for a few months now. 29 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,080 And so Paul had this burden for believers and ultimately non 30 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:56,120 believers to understand all that we have in Christ or all that we 31 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,960 could have if we were in Christ. So for the last few months we've 32 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:04,520 been like divers and Ephesians one has been our ocean. 33 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,960 So each week we dive beneath the surface and come up with a new 34 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,200 treasure to take a look at and examine and figure out what to 35 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,440 do with. But these are not random 36 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,960 trinkets for us to sell on a secondary market. 37 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,120 These are precious things that God wants us to keep and to 38 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,880 treasure for ourselves. He wants to enrich our lives 39 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,560 with a deep knowledge of all that we have in Him. 40 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,960 The problem is we don't realize all that we have in him and what 41 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,160 it means for us. I said this a few weeks ago, 42 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,680 that Christians can be like a child of a billionaire living on 43 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:43,880 the streets. And what's interesting, there's 44 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,000 a real relationship. We're adopted children of our 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,240 heavenly Father, and there's real treasure. 46 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,000 We've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 47 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:58,040 But there's also a real problem. We live like we don't know it or 48 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,360 like we don't have it. We're disconnected from our true 49 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,040 identity and our story. So as Paul prays that we would 50 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,400 have the spirit of wisdom and revelation to know God better, 51 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,040 he focuses here on three things that he particularly wants us to 52 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,120 see and to know. It's the hope to which he's 53 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,360 called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the 54 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,040 Saints, and the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us 55 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,680 who believe. So let's start by considering 56 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,080 the hope to which he's called us. 57 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,560 So what is hope? If you look in the dictionary, 58 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,200 you'll read hope is the longing or desire for something 59 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,520 accompanied by the belief in the possibility of its occurrence. 60 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,760 So we want something, and we have a reasonable expectation 61 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,920 that that might happen. So in the world, hope often 62 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,160 seems like wishful thinking. So we hope to find a good job, 63 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,720 or make it into a good school, or get married, see our team win 64 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,080 a championship. We think our hopes depend on 65 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,240 luck or chance or our ability to make it happen. 66 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,560 But in the Bible, hope is a little different. 67 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,600 It's this deep confidence in God's faithfulness to keep his 68 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,880 promises. When we know God, he transforms 69 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,320 our hopes. Our deepest longings and desires 70 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,680 become more centered in Him. And he also teaches us not to 71 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,800 trust in chance or trust in ourselves, but to trust in Him. 72 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,560 So what does hope look like in the Scriptures? 73 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,120 There could be so many examples. But think about Abraham. 74 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,560 He hoped that God would give him a child in his old age. 75 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:35,160 Or Moses who hoped to enter the promised land. 76 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,440 Or Peter who hoped that his failures when Jesus was arrested 77 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,600 and tried would not be the end of the story. 78 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:45,680 Now these men's hopes were fulfilled, but not as they 79 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:50,480 imagined or when they expected. Abraham had to wait till he was 80 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:55,360 100 years old to hold his child, Moses had to wait until he stood 81 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,400 on the Mount of Transfiguration in the Gospels with Jesus and 82 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,400 Elijah come into the promising, and Peter had to wait for an 83 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,400 encounter with the risen Christ on the shore. 84 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:10,360 So when we hope in God, he's faithful to his promises, even 85 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,080 when life goes differently than we expect. 86 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,080 But no matter what we believe, we all live by hope. 87 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,000 I don't know if you know the name Viktor Frankel. 88 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:24,360 He was a Jewish man who survived multiple Nazi concentration 89 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,760 camps during World War 2. It's really an amazing story. 90 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,560 Viktor survived, but along the way in camps, he lost his 91 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,760 parents, he lost his brother, and he lost his wife. 92 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:37,800 After the war, he had this long career as a professor and an 93 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,160 author. And in one of his books, Man's 94 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,520 Search for Meaning, he talks about what he learned in the 95 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,960 camps. So one thing that stuck with me 96 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,400 because I read this book a long time ago is a word he shares 97 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,200 about hope. Frankel writes those who have a 98 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:55,280 why to live can bear with almost any how. 99 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,000 Imagine being in a concentration camp, how easy it would be to 100 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:05,240 lose hope, to forget why you should hang in and hang on in 101 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,040 the face of so much suffering. So Frankel noticed that those 102 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,480 who lost their why would struggle and often not make it. 103 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,720 But those who held on to hope and had a why had perspective to 104 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,240 keep going. Which begs the question for us, 105 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,200 what's your hope? What gets you up in the morning? 106 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,880 What gets you through the day? Do you have a why that can help 107 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,720 you bear almost any how? Now, as I've reflected this 108 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,800 week, I believe there are two kinds of hope. 109 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,880 They're the hopes to which we cling. 110 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,840 And there's a hope to which we're called. 111 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,400 So what are the hopes to which we cling? 112 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,440 Years ago, Jim Carrey was a presenter at the Golden Globe 113 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,600 Awards. And as you probably know, Jim's 114 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,320 a talented, funny actor, but rarely serious. 115 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,560 And that night, his speech from the podium was sort of like a 116 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,720 sneak attack because all the actors were there hoping to win 117 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,360 an award. And of course, they thought Jim 118 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,840 was trying to be funny. But I think he was actually 119 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:04,960 showing them that they were clinging to the wrong hope. 120 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,840 Listen to what he said and I'll not try to be Jim Carrey. 121 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,480 He said thank you. I'm two time Golden Globe winner 122 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,920 Jim Carrey and when I go to sleep at night, I'm not just a 123 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:18,320 guy going to sleep. I'm two time Golden Globe winner 124 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,920 Jim Carrey. Going to get some much needed 125 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,480 shut eye. And they're laughing. 126 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,840 And when I dream, I don't just dream any old dream, no Sir. 127 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,440 I dream about being three time Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey 128 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,360 because then I would be enough. It would finally be true. 129 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,560 And you feel the laughter starting to turn to discomfort. 130 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,360 And I could stop this terrible search for what I know won't 131 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:45,440 ultimately fulfill me. And then pregnant pause. 132 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,600 And he says, but these are important, these awards. 133 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,680 Jim got a lot of laughs along the way, but by the end, they 134 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,400 became awkward laughs because we don't like it when people poke 135 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,600 holes in our hopes. But friends, this is what the 136 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,680 Bible does. Imagine if you were making a 137 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,480 speech like Jim Carrey. What hope would you unmask? 138 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,200 Are we hoping for some kind of belonging with friends, at 139 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:14,600 church, in marriage, with family, at a Country Club? 140 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:20,640 Are we hoping for some kind of success in school or work or 141 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,360 sports or a hobby? Are we hoping for some kind of 142 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,440 possession or wealth or comfort or pleasure? 143 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,039 Entertainment? We cling to all kinds of hopes, 144 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:35,080 thinking like Jim Carrey said, if I could just get that, then I 145 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,880 would be enough. It would finally be true and I 146 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,640 could stop this terrible search for what I know won't ultimately 147 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,600 fulfill me. The problem is, usually we hope 148 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,720 for good things. They don't seem bad. 149 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,120 But left to ourselves, we don't hope for God. 150 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,800 We cling to hopes that are too small for these hearts that were 151 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,440 made for God. So we look for significance and 152 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,240 security and satisfaction in these things that we cling to. 153 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,600 But sooner or later, if we're honest, we have to say this 154 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,000 isn't as significant as I thought. 155 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,600 This isn't as secure as I thought. 156 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,280 This isn't as satisfying as I thought. 157 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,000 And the most profound stories are the ones of the people who 158 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:22,640 get what they hope for. And you see so much frustration 159 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,320 and disappointment. And that's why Paul prays that 160 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,600 the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to see not the hopes 161 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,680 we cling to, but the hope to which God has called us. 162 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,000 When the Bible talks about the Father adopting us as his 163 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,960 children, what's the implication that he initiated that He shows 164 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:45,440 us that he called us and that before he adopted us, we were 165 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,880 like orphans. In Ephesians 212, Paul describes 166 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,760 our life before we knew Christ. He says that we were without 167 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,680 hope and without God. So it makes sense because 168 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,240 orphans don't have hope. They can't imagine glorious 169 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,800 horizons for their life. But being called into a new 170 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,640 family means being called into a New Hope. 171 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:11,840 In Colossians 127, Paul boils the hope down to 3 words. 172 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:17,880 Christ in you, he says. Christ in you the hope of glory. 173 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,800 Remember Ephesians 113 through 14 just a few weeks ago. 174 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,360 In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of 175 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,920 your salvation and believed in Him, were sealed with the 176 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,800 promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 177 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:37,760 until we acquire possession of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of 178 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,840 Jesus Christ living in US, bringing home to us all the 179 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:46,120 glorious riches that we have in Christ now and forever. 180 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,520 So we already enjoy the first waves of this hope. 181 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:55,840 But this mighty ocean is coming. The Lord has called us to a hope 182 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:01,240 that is glorious and perfect. So let your imagination run wild 183 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,600 in glory. What will our relationship with 184 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,280 God be like? What will our relationships with 185 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,720 one another be like? What kind of satisfaction will 186 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,720 we experience? What will this world be like 187 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:17,520 when it's the new heavens and the new earth? 188 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:22,600 That's the hope to which we've been called, and it's ours in 189 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,880 Christ. In every dimension, the Lord has 190 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,040 called us to this hope that's beyond our wildest dreams. 191 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,320 And in all of these dimensions, the Lord will bring our hopes to 192 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,520 a glorious, perfect fulfillment. But it all started with a 193 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,360 calling. And a calling implies what? 194 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,360 A caller knowing this hope isn't ultimately about something we 195 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,320 did or decision we made. It's ultimately about his 196 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,440 calling, calling our name, calling us out of darkness and 197 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:55,040 into his glorious light. So friends in Christ we have the 198 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,280 greatest hope. Jesus becomes the center of our 199 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,800 lives now and forever. And that's why Paul can say in 200 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:07,800 Philippians 121 For to me, to live is what Christ, and to die 201 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:08,840 is gain. Why? 202 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,480 Because we get to go be with the one who is our hope. 203 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,720 So friends, we will always have temporal disappointments, but we 204 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:21,000 will never lose our eternal hope if we have the right hope. 205 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:26,600 So do we know this? And if so, why keep clinging to 206 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,200 these lesser hopes? May the Lord open our eyes to 207 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:31,960 see the hope to which He's called us. 208 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,720 And Paul also prays that we would know the riches of his 209 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,840 glorious inheritance. He says, what are the riches of 210 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,400 his glorious inheritance in the Saints? 211 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,600 So let's talk about inheritances for a minute. 212 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,720 Why do we ever receive an inheritance in the world? 213 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,160 Well, because we have a relationship with someone, 214 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,720 usually a family member, because they make plans to pass their 215 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,640 valuable possessions to us, and usually because they die. 216 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,320 Now imagine that our parents have vast resources. 217 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,160 What might we say about our inheritance? 218 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:10,560 I can't believe all that is coming to me now. 219 00:13:10,560 --> 00:13:12,000 What do we see in the Scriptures? 220 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:15,000 God's Word talks about inheritance is really in two 221 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,640 ways. On the one hand, we learned that 222 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,080 we have an inheritance in Christ. 223 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:20,800 This is easier for us to understand. 224 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:22,880 Why? Because God is the Father. 225 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,200 He's the one with all the possessions. 226 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,640 Paul says in Romans 8 that if we're children of God, that 227 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,000 means we're heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. 228 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:36,040 It's this mind blowing idea that He wants to share everything He 229 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:40,640 has with us. Simply put, He is our 230 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:43,520 inheritance. But that's not the predominant 231 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,400 note in our passage if you look closely. 232 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,680 If that were the case, Paul would say the riches of our 233 00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:52,960 glorious inheritance in Christ, but instead he says the riches 234 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,320 of his glorious inheritance in the Saints. 235 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:02,680 This is the more shocking idea that we are his inheritance, we 236 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:07,280 are what's coming to God, and he sees us as a glorious 237 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:10,240 inheritance. As strange as that sounds, it's 238 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,280 not a new thought in Scripture we see in the Old Testament. 239 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:14,880 This is just one example of many. 240 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,360 Deuteronomy 14. Two, For you are a people holy 241 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,240 to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a 242 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,320 people for his treasured possession out of all the 243 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,360 peoples who are on the face of the earth. 244 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,320 So we see it way back, but we also see it in the New 245 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,920 Testament. We see it here in Paul, but we 246 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,000 also see it in Peter. Both these apostles take this 247 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,640 ancient concept and apply it now to the church first. 248 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:45,960 Peter 29 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy 249 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,680 nation, a people for his own possession. 250 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,600 So if we compare an earthly inheritance to our heavenly 251 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,760 inheritance, how is it similar? Well, by faith in Christ, we 252 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,480 have a relationship with God the Father. 253 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,800 We are part of his family. Christ is our brother. 254 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,040 He's made a plan to bless us with an incredible inheritance, 255 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:12,120 and there's been a death. Christ died in order that it 256 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,440 might come to us. The difference is Jesus didn't 257 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:16,600 stay dead. Amen. 258 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:22,120 He rose again to win us for himself, but also to give 259 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,080 himself to us. We're united with Christ. 260 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,560 We're one with Him. The Bible pictures that as the 261 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:31,480 ultimate marriage. So we can truly say the Lord is 262 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,600 our inheritance. He is what's coming to us. 263 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,360 And the Lord can truly say that we are his inheritance, we are 264 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:44,320 what's coming to Him. What a glorious thought. 265 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,520 Remember Hebrews 12 for the joy set before him, the joy of a 266 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:52,760 treasured people. Jesus endured the cross. 267 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,800 So do we know this? Do we realize that we are His 268 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,400 treasure? Is he ours? 269 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,360 May the Lord open the eyes of our hearts to know the glorious 270 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,280 riches of His inheritance. Finally, Paul here prays that we 271 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,200 would know the immeasurable greatness of his power. 272 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,440 So let's talk power. We have a complicated 273 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,000 relationship with power, don't we? 274 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,760 We want to be powerful, but we often feel powerless. 275 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,440 We're drawn to those who have power in the world, but we're 276 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,000 also suspicious. We know the maxim power 277 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,000 corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. 278 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:35,120 Andy Crouch wrote a book about power called Playing God, and in 279 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,600 the book he argues despite all the abuses, power is actually a 280 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,880 great gift. Why is power a gift? 281 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:44,960 Crouch asks. Because power is for 282 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,760 flourishing. When power is used well, people 283 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:52,840 and the whole cosmos come more alive to what they were meant to 284 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,800 be. So God's infinite power is a 285 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:01,320 priceless gift because he has used it for our flourishing, to 286 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,599 renew us and the whole created world. 287 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,800 So Paul talks about the immeasurable greatness of his 288 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,960 power toward us who believe. Of course, God has acted for his 289 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,000 own glory. How could he not do that? 290 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,560 But he has also acted for our good. 291 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,839 Unlike so many rulers in the world, God has leveraged his 292 00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:24,839 power and authority to bless others. 293 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,160 And Paul says we see his power on full display. 294 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,840 Where in Christ's resurrection and exaltation. 295 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,360 So do we know the power of God and the resurrection of Jesus 296 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:39,280 Christ. Ever since Genesis 3, we felt 297 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:43,080 the power of sin and death. Sin has wreaked havoc in the 298 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,320 life of every person not named Jesus of Nazareth. 299 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,040 It holds us back, it drags us down. 300 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,440 It separates us from God and his will for our lives. 301 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:58,400 And the wages of sin, Paul says, is death the just payment for 302 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,720 our sinful work, if you will? Is death being cut off from life 303 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:07,760 in God and life in this world? Sin and death bring misery into 304 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,360 even the most admirable lives that we see. 305 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,760 But something happened around 2000 years ago when Jesus Christ 306 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,720 died on the cross and rose from the grave three days later. 307 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,320 In his days on earth, Jesus lived the perfect life. 308 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,520 He never sinned in his thoughts, words, affections, or actions. 309 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,120 He went to the cross as the perfect, spotless sacrifice. 310 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:35,280 He alone did not deserve death, but he tasted death for his 311 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,800 people who do. And the Father vindicated his 312 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,640 Son's sacrifice on Sunday morning when he raised him from 313 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,720 the dead. Satan thought he had won on 314 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:49,000 Friday. Imagine a surprise on Sunday 315 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,440 morning when the stone was rolled away. 316 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,680 So Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together to defeat sin and 317 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,920 death and Satan. So Paul reaches for everything 318 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:02,840 he can to paint this picture of this power. 319 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,240 In Greek, he actually uses 4 different power words in rapid 320 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,120 succession. The first is the root of our 321 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:15,120 word dynamite, it's raw power. The second is the root of our 322 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:18,440 word energy. It refers to that internal force 323 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,040 that drives or activates something. 324 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,960 The third is related to our word for autocrat. 325 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,280 It refers to the ability to conquer. 326 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,880 And the fourth word refers to strength or physical force. 327 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:36,120 So Paul grabs every word he can find to tell us what the great 328 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:40,560 powers that torment us are no match for the immeasurable 329 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,760 greatness of his power. And this power that we see in 330 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:48,000 the resurrection of Jesus Christ is in you. 331 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,960 If you are in Christ. Think about it. 332 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:56,880 It took nothing less than the immeasurable power of God to 333 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,680 save you, and he did that. It takes nothing less than his 334 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,360 immeasurable power to sanctify you, and he's doing that. 335 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:11,880 So if you feel weak, stuck, powerless to change, think about 336 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,960 the power that is in you. And if you do not know Jesus 337 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:19,320 Christ this morning, and you feel weighed down by the power 338 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,440 of sin and death. Do you know that he has the 339 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:28,160 power to bring you to life and change you bring your weakness 340 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:32,040 to Jesus and rest in his resurrection power. 341 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,640 Christ's resurrection is obviously a decisive moment in 342 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,360 the story of God's power. But Paul doesn't stop there. 343 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,960 He goes on to talk about the power of God and the exaltation 344 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,960 of Jesus Christ. Paul says that the Father look 345 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,120 at the end of verse 20 and then into 21. 346 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,800 The Father seated him at his right hand in the heavenly 347 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,800 places, far above all rule and authority and power and 348 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,080 dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this 349 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,560 age, but also in the one to come. 350 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:05,240 So how did Jesus go from being raised to being seated at the 351 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,440 Father's right hand? It's through His ascension that 352 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,080 we read about in Acts One. In the presence of His 353 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:15,320 disciples, our Lord was bodily taken up to return to the 354 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,760 Father. We don't talk much about the 355 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,680 ascension, but it's wonderfully significant. 356 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,400 Let me show you just a few things about the ascension. 357 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,640 The ascension completes our Lord's incarnation journey. 358 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,080 He said himself that He came from the Father and He was 359 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,640 returning to the Father. So he left heaven, He came to 360 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:39,000 earth, He took on flesh, He died on the cross, He rose from the 361 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,640 grave, and now through the ascension he has returned to 362 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,160 heaven. Do you ever think about this, 363 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,120 that our Lord is in heaven with a body like ours? 364 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,960 The ascension begins a new phase of Christ's ministry to his 365 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,480 people. So Jesus came to earth to be the 366 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,920 high priest who would not just pray or offer sacrifices, but 367 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,280 offer himself as the sacrifice for his people. 368 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,720 He made that final sacrifice, but that doesn't mean like we 369 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,360 often think that his ministry is over. 370 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:13,560 Even now as I speak, Jesus lives, the Bible says to 371 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:18,120 intercede for his people. How often do you think about 372 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:21,120 that, That our Lord Jesus, it's praying for us. 373 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,280 The ascension is also the precursor to the sending of the 374 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:28,720 Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples, it's 375 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:33,640 better for me to go away because when I go away, send the Holy 376 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,320 Spirit, the Comforter, the Advocate to be with you. 377 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,640 And that's exactly what he did at Pentecost with Christ at the 378 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,280 right hand of the Father. Now the Spirit was poured out on 379 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:48,240 the church and we transitioned from a few decades of Christ's 380 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,240 physical presence with us to this wonderful age of His 381 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,960 spiritual presence with us. The Spirit empowers the church 382 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,360 for its mission to make disciples of all nations. 383 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,440 And you can literally say we would not be here this morning 384 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:08,600 without the ascension of Christ and the sending of His Spirit. 385 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,800 The ascension is ultimately the coronation of Jesus as King of 386 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,160 Kings and Lord of Lords. What has been all over our 387 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,480 liturgy and in our singing. He's exalted, Paul says, far 388 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:23,680 above all rule and authority and power and dominion, above every 389 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,680 name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to 390 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,880 come. Just like with power. 391 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,680 Don't you see how Paul is reaching for every word he can 392 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:37,200 find to try to describe this exaltation, cosmic power and 393 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,280 glory, and yet he wants it to hit us at this deeply personal 394 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,400 level. Remember Jesus prayer in John 395 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,280 1724. Father, I desire that they also 396 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:53,320 whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my 397 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,760 glory that you've given me because you loved me before. 398 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:01,960 The foundation of the world. Jesus deep desire is for us to 399 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:06,800 be with Him where He is through his resurrection and ascension. 400 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:11,400 He has gone before us, but he will not remain there alone. 401 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,760 One day he will return and we will reign with Him forever. 402 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,600 Do you know the immeasurably great power that he has toward 403 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,480 us? So I read a fascinating story in 404 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,840 a commentary this week and I want to share it with you. 405 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,440 To close, it's a about a town called Atasca, Texas. 406 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,600 Has anyone been there a few? OK, cool. 50 miles South of Fort 407 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,600 Worth, there's I guess evidence that's a real place. 408 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:43,160 Before World War 2A fire hit the school there, it took the lives 409 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,760 of over 250 children. So you can imagine the whole 410 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,440 town was rocked by this tragedy. And the town was unable to 411 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,920 rebuild the school in the midst of the war. 412 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,280 But after the war, they rebuilt the school and they put in a 413 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,400 state-of-the-art sprinkler system, as you can imagine. 414 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,840 And they were proud of what they created and confident that that 415 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,160 kind of tragedy would not strike again. 416 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:05,720 And it didn't. And so I'll just let you know 417 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:09,440 that they offered tours for people to come and see the 418 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,720 school and this wonderful sprinkler system. 419 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,840 Now, the town continued to grow. And after World War 2, just a 420 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,600 few years later, they needed to expand the school again. 421 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:20,960 And so they added a new wing to the school. 422 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,960 And as they were constructing and expanding, they made a 423 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,240 shocking discovery. Their amazing sprinkler system 424 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,320 had never been connected. They had all the hope, all the 425 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,560 riches, all the power of this state-of-the-art sprinkler 426 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,880 system. And it wasn't plugged in. 427 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,360 And it's such a wonderful illustration because it's a 428 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:46,040 picture of how we struggle in the Christian life. 429 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:51,800 We have all the hope, all the riches, all the power in Christ, 430 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,560 but it's like our lives haven't been connected to it. 431 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,960 So what a gift to have all these privileges in Christ. 432 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,560 Friends, have we connected our lives to them? 433 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:09,960 Let's pray, Father, for those who know you this morning. 434 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:11,880 May the eyes of their hearts be enlightened. 435 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,960 May they know deeply the hope, the riches, and the power that 436 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,360 they have in Christ. Or it helped them to believe 437 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:23,840 that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in them 438 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,160 and with them. May they experience more and 439 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:31,400 more of the resurrection life. And Father, for those who don't 440 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,600 know you, open the eyes of their hearts today. 441 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:37,920 Help them to feel that the hopes they cling to are fragile. 442 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:42,240 Help them to know the hope of Christ, the glory of being your 443 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:46,760 beloved child, and the greatness of Your power to save them and 444 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,160 to change them. Oh Lord, as we come to this 445 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,880 table, we look to you as we eat the bread and drink the cup. 446 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:58,200 Make the reality of all that we have in Christ more real to us, 447 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:02,280 for we long to know You in a way that changes everything. 448 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,880 And your great name, the name above all names we pray. 449 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:06,920 Amen.