1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,800 If you would, please stand for the reading of God's Word. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,400 We're in our third week of the study of Ephesians, which is 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,200 going to take us in through the summer, and we're going to be 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:17,320 looking at one verse today. This one verse begins a section 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,320 of Ephesians which is some of the most remarkable things ever 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,320 written, one of the clearest expressions of doctrine in 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,560 theology. Don't let those words scare you. 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:34,600 Those words are important words. Doctrine, understood correctly 9 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,560 always leads to doxology. Understood correctly. 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,120 It is a deep, intimate connection between our hearts 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,680 and our minds that exits through our hands and our feet. 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:51,120 Primarily in doxology, primarily in worship, primarily in 13 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,400 repeating what we just sang together after the Carol. 14 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,240 And this is how Paul begins this sentence. 15 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:03,960 This sentence is over 200 words. It runs from verse 3 through 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,800 verse 14, though in most of our translation, it is broken into 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,000 five different verses. We're going to be moving slowly 18 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,400 through this passage today, again, looking just at a portion 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,560 of one verse, verse 3. So listen now as I read blessed 20 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,640 be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has 21 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:30,520 blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the 22 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,240 heavenly places. That's so short. 23 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:37,440 I'm going to read it again. I am listen, listen closely. 24 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:43,880 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has 25 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:53,000 blessed us, us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the 26 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,160 heavenly places. This is the word of the Lord. 27 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,920 Thanks be to God. Please be seated. 28 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:04,840 Oh Father, as we open your word, this one small portion of this 29 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:11,360 long magnificent Holy Spirit written carrying Paul along 30 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:17,680 sentence transform our lives for your glory in our good. 31 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,320 I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen. 32 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:32,040 The flowers behind me, the red ones represent 170 babies that 33 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:37,960 were saved through Thrives Women's Clinic and the white 34 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,960 flowers represent 37 new believers. 35 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,240 I want you to think about it for a moment. 36 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:59,120 And not move too quickly. Think about the women and how 37 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,600 overwhelmed they were in this moment. 38 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,080 The word overwhelmed, if you looked it up it will tell you 39 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,080 it's three things. Means to be buried underneath a 40 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,760 huge mass. It means to be defeated soundly. 41 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,560 It means to receive too much of something. 42 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:30,880 We celebrate 170 lives saved. We celebrate 37 women and men 43 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,960 who came to this place, this Thrive clinic, overwhelmed. 44 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,440 And some of you've been there and some of you did the very 45 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,760 thing that we call what it should be called evil. 46 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,000 And some of you paid for that and some of you probably parents 47 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,120 were overwhelmed when your daughter told you or your son 48 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,080 told you, and you may have done the unthinkable and gave counsel 49 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:02,120 that was anti God's word. And you feel that deep shame. 50 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,840 Bring it to the cross. Bring it to Christ. 51 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,320 I don't know one individual that's represented by these 52 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:16,399 flowers, but in the year 2000, if you're new to my this church, 53 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:18,279 you've never heard the story. Some of you've heard it before. 54 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:24,960 In the year 2000, spring, there was a girl named Aaron and Aaron 55 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,400 was being ministered to by Hillary Coffey, the 56 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,040 daughter-in-law of Roy and Janice Coffey, members of our 57 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,000 church, the parents of Cold Coffee who is a member of our 58 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,840 church. Their son, one of their twins, 59 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,680 Aaron, let a friend know that she was pregnant. 60 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,720 Not for the first time. She's had an abortion before, 61 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,880 maybe even to she let her friend know who's a Christian that she 62 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,920 was pregnant. That news reached Hillary and 63 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:56,680 Hillary and Clay were very powerfully involved in speaking 64 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:01,200 out against abortion. They found out that Aaron and 65 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,560 her boyfriend, the father of this child, we're going to have 66 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,040 an abortion. It was going to be on a 67 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,440 Saturday. And they came to me and said we 68 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,520 would like for you to go with us to the abortion clinic. 69 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,320 They get there before they do. They intervene. 70 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,400 I've never done anything like that. 71 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:21,000 I knew I had to go, and I did. We left West County, Saint 72 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,080 Louis, our town was called Chesterfield. 73 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,720 We drove across the Mississippi River, which is where you go if 74 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,240 you want to do this. And we got there before they 75 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:29,120 did. And we waited. 76 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,640 Finally, their car pulled in. And as they pulled in, I don't 77 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,640 know what to do but pray and act. 78 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,120 Same with Clay and Hillary. So I moved quickly to the 79 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,160 passenger's door. As Aaron opened the door, I just 80 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,120 kneeled down in between the door and between her. 81 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,200 Her boyfriend, the father of the child, hopped up out of the car. 82 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,120 Clay and Hillary prayed and talked to him. 83 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:59,520 Well, I just said whatever the Holy Spirit was encouraging me 84 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:05,360 to say, and it took a long time, probably an hour, until finally 85 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,480 she said OK. All I pleaded with her to do was 86 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:15,600 to come to my house to beat my wife, who was also pregnant with 87 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:20,080 our third child, Kaden, and she agreed to do that. 88 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:25,480 Her boyfriend said that's fine, I'll spend the money on a car 89 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,120 stereo. That's kind of how he thought 90 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,600 about it. She came. 91 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,680 She saw the sonogram of our little boy and they simply 92 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,280 talked and she said I'm going to keep the baby. 93 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,200 God, though, gave her courage to do more than just keep the 94 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,880 child, but to get involved in the youth ministry of church. 95 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,480 A couple months later we had our own Florida trip, much like the 96 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:58,320 one we do here, and she went in her second trimester putting on 97 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,880 a swimsuit with a baby bump on the beach. 98 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:06,560 And is that that week that she came to understand what 99 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:16,880 Ephesians 1/3 is all about. This represents her a woman who 100 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:22,080 came to saving faith. This represents the child that 101 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:27,320 was saved is God powerfully intervened. 102 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:35,080 I start here today because this is what Paul is Speaking of in 103 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,640 this long sentence that is profound. 104 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,160 There was a day when each of the red flowers representing a 105 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,880 child, that child took their first breath. 106 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,440 That happened in this past year. Some of them perhaps have been 107 00:07:55,440 --> 00:08:00,600 born just recently, and now that child is being raised by a 108 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,600 parent or parents and grandparents that are going to 109 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,280 do what parents do. Soon. 110 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,760 They're going to be pointing things out to them. 111 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:15,800 And one of the first things that a child learns to do is to speak 112 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,400 the name of something that's being pointed out. 113 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:27,120 A light, a banana, Mama, daddy, grandma, grandpa. 114 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:32,240 And they say those words, words that they've never known are 115 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,559 understood. They're now able to speak even 116 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,880 without fully understanding. But that same thing that's 117 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,480 happening to those red flowers, those children that are born, is 118 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,160 also happening with the white flowers of those who have been 119 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,720 born again. They're learning to speak words 120 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:54,840 and give names to things that they've never known about words 121 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:05,080 like grace and election and adoption and holiness and favor 122 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:12,120 and inheritance, lavishness. Born again. 123 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:19,760 We are taught a new language and there is no greater sentence in 124 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:25,520 the Bible or anywhere else as great as this one and what it 125 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,320 clearly speaks of. So let's dive in. 126 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:35,400 What were we to tell Aaron about what just happened to her? 127 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,560 What are we to tell those represented by these white 128 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:43,000 flowers? Paul begins this benediction 129 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,040 with the word blessed. What does the word blessed mean 130 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:53,080 here? The word blessed means to speak 131 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:57,120 with favor. It means to speak well of 132 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,160 someone. In this case, it means to speak 133 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,480 glory. Paul, knowing what he is going 134 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:09,120 to write, carried along by the Holy Spirit, this rich doctrine 135 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,280 of who God is and His sovereignty and who we are as 136 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:16,480 sinners needing a Savior. And there's only one He can't 137 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:23,880 wait to burst into praise for all that he is about to say that 138 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,040 is going to be given to this church and other churches, 139 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,640 including this one. 2000 years later, he burst into doxology. 140 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:36,880 You should too. Constantly in our cars, at work, 141 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,960 in our homes, in the shower, all sorts of places, just sing the 142 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,920 doxology. Praise God from whom all 143 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:50,480 blessings flow. The word blessed means to speak 144 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:56,400 well of how do we bless God who needs nothing. 145 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,160 This word blessed is a powerful word. 146 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,600 Psalm one O 3 speaks of blessing God. 147 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:08,960 Psalm 145 speaks of blessing God and the New Testament. 148 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:16,440 You've got the priest Zechariah, who's told that his wife is 149 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,520 going to conceive a child, and this child is going to be the 150 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,160 one who will be the forerunner of Christ, who will speak of the 151 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:26,680 one who is to come, Christ. He struggles to believe, which 152 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:30,840 is understandable, and in his struggle he is given a 153 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,680 consequence, and the consequence is that he will not be able to 154 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:40,920 speak. And so for nine months, no words 155 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:45,280 come out of his mouth. When John is finally born, those 156 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,560 close to Elizabeth say, what is the name of the child? 157 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:57,080 She says his name is John. None of your relatives is called 158 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:58,960 by this name. And they made signs to his 159 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,720 father because he can't speak, inquiring what do you wanted him 160 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,800 to be called? And he asked for a writing 161 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:04,680 tablet. Picture this. 162 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:07,200 It really happened. The priest Zechariah, silent for 163 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,920 nine months, writes his name is John. 164 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,080 And they all wondered. And immediately this is in Luke 165 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,360 164. And immediately his mouth was 166 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:26,320 opened, his tongue loosed, and he spoke blessing to God. 167 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:32,880 In fact, the first words we hear that Zechariah spoke is recorded 168 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,160 in verse 67. And his father Zechariah was 169 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,760 filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying, and it's the 170 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:44,000 same word in Ephesians 1/3. Blessed be the Lord God of 171 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,480 Israel, for he has visited, for he has visited and redeemed his 172 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,640 people. He's raised up a horn of 173 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:55,120 salvation for us in the House of his servant David, as he spoke 174 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,240 by the mouth of his holy prophets from of all that we 175 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:02,200 should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who 176 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,120 hate us, to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to 177 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:12,560 remember His holy covenant. He goes on, speaks of what his 178 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:15,720 Son will speak of to the one who's coming of the one who's 179 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:21,400 coming next. Chapter Mary and Joseph take 180 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:29,200 this baby Jesus and they take him to Jerusalem to present him 181 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,080 to the Lord, and they're waiting for them. 182 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:38,400 The one who's been waiting for so long is Simeon, verse 27. 183 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,960 And he came in the spirit into the temple. 184 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,920 And when the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him 185 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,560 according to the custom of the law, Simeon took him up in his 186 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:52,680 arms. He's holding Christ, he's 187 00:13:52,680 --> 00:14:01,080 holding this child who is fully God, fully man and blessed God, 188 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,760 and said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in 189 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:10,120 peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your 190 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:14,600 salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 191 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:19,120 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your 192 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:20,320 people. Israel. 193 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:25,760 Simeon was overwhelmed. Zechariah was overwhelmed. 194 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,120 The people witnessing it were overwhelmed. 195 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:34,600 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 196 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,800 When Paul begins this benediction at the beginning of 197 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:46,240 the letter with this fantastic doxology, blessed be the God and 198 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,040 Father. He tells us who we're blessing, 199 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,040 the God and Father. If you pay attention to what's 200 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,760 happening in this letter, you're going to see this high value 201 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:02,000 that Paul is placing on the Trinity. 202 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,160 He begins with the Father because this plan of redemption 203 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:10,200 originates with the Father, the Trinity working together. 204 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,840 Now Jesus is born and begins to walk upon the earth, and he does 205 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:19,200 everything that is required to accomplish salvation. 206 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,560 And then the Holy Spirit who was promised, He is the one who 207 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:29,960 applies this redeeming work to the lives of his people. 208 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,400 This high view of the Trinity is present already here. 209 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:39,000 Blessed be the God and Father, the one true God and Father of 210 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:50,720 our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he says and gives us the 211 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:57,200 motivation, who has blessed us the word blessing, the root of 212 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,240 that word three times in this one verse. 213 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:03,720 Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in 214 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,280 the heavenly places? We read our Bibles too fast. 215 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,640 If you're in a Bible reading plan, I'm grateful. 216 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:13,720 I'm glad you're in the word of God. 217 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,720 Continue to read that word each day, but don't read it just a 218 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,760 check a box. You are reading the living word 219 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,760 of God. In this one small verse 220 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:31,840 beginning of this enormous magnificent sentence, he says 221 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,880 blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has 222 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,920 blessed us, who is the US, It's the Saints. 223 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:44,400 If you have trusted Christ Jesus, it's you, it's me. 224 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,880 This is for us who are in Christ, blessed us in Christ. 225 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:54,360 But what has he blessed us with every spiritual blessing? 226 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:00,040 What a word. Each of those words matter. 227 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,560 With every spiritual blessing. God blesses us with material 228 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:10,400 things for sure, even common grace, which is for those who 229 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,800 are in Christ and those who are not in Christ exist. 230 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,440 But for those who are in Christ, we have these blessings that are 231 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:23,400 spiritual, and the Word tells us that He is giving us every 232 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,680 spiritual blessing. While the material blessings 233 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:31,920 vary, some born into great wealth or work hard for great 234 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,600 material blessing, others not at all. 235 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:38,680 God's in control, some born even as our dear sister mentioned, 236 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,800 with really good health, others with not good health. 237 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,520 There's variation in the material and physical blessings 238 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,800 with God, but with the spiritual blessings, they're for all of 239 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:55,160 us, all of them, each of them. Yes, there's differences in the 240 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,840 gifts that He gives us to bring Him glory, but in terms of these 241 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:05,600 spiritual blessings, every spiritual blessing is given in 242 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:09,120 the heavenly places. This is the motivation for our 243 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:11,880 praise. What are these blessings? 244 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:15,840 Listen to this just in the sentence that is about to 245 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,080 follow, and these are the words I was speaking about a moment 246 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,480 ago, some of them that are way above your intellect, way above 247 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,120 your understanding, complicated and mysterious for sure. 248 00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:31,400 But in this one sentence, listen to some of the blessings that he 249 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,160 mentions and we're going to get into each of them in the weeks 250 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,280 to come. Election. 251 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:44,480 It's biblical, it's here, you may not understand it. 252 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:50,280 Welcome to the club. It's mysterious, mind blowing, 253 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:55,760 but nonetheless true. Adoption, Grace. 254 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,960 I'm only up to verse 6, redemption verse 7, forgiveness 255 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:05,480 verse 7, riches of grace verse 7, revelation of His will verse 256 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:11,560 9, and inheritance, verse 11. Sealed and guaranteed by God 257 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,800 himself, the Holy Spirit. These are the spiritual 258 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,080 blessings that are given to us in Christ. 259 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:23,440 We must become more and more acquainted with the privileges 260 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:27,280 we have in Christ. This is what a new believer is 261 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,640 to hear. This is what a new believer is 262 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,840 to seek to understand. And old believers as well. 263 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:37,880 Notice that their spiritual blessings, they're not material. 264 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:42,160 They're from the Holy Spirit. Each and everyone is given to us 265 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:53,640 and these blessings are given now, yes, Now, not just when we 266 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,880 go to heaven, yes, and fulfillment there and full glory 267 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:58,640 there, but these blessings are given. 268 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:02,360 Now. This language is spoken so that 269 00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:06,680 it means effective now. Now let's talk about the 270 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,320 location of these blessings. This is why we have to read our 271 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,160 Bibles slow or we would miss a statement like this. 272 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,880 Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in 273 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:23,760 the heavenly places? OK, So what is the location of 274 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,440 these blessings? Paul doesn't do much to explain 275 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,000 to us what he means by heavenly places. 276 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,320 Remember, they're hearing this letter being read to them. 277 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,280 They're wondering what it means to be a follower of Christ. 278 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:37,880 They're seeking to understand these things. 279 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,160 What does he mean by heavenly places? 280 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,200 Well, it's a phrase that he's going to use throughout the 281 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,440 letter. And what he is speaking to is a 282 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:53,400 realm, a spiritual realm, a Kingdom that we can't see. 283 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,720 Yes, we can feel it. Yes, we can understand it. 284 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,520 But it's not a physical Kingdom. It's not a physical dynamic that 285 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,960 we can touch. These spiritual blessings are in 286 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:09,120 a different realm. Richard Phillips says it this 287 00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:12,200 way. This is where our blessings are 288 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:17,200 found, not in the realm of things you can touch and feel, 289 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:24,800 but our spiritual blessings are real, in fact, more real than 290 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,520 the worldly blessings that we can see. 291 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,800 That is why whether you are a brand new believer or today even 292 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,480 is the day you come to faith or you've been walking with the 293 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:39,360 Lord a long time, this living Word overwhelms us. 294 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:44,520 It reminds us that as clearly as God has given us eyes to see, 295 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,760 there is always more to see. He's going to speak about the 296 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:53,360 spiritual battle that we are in, in a realm that we don't see 297 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:57,640 that comes later, probably be like in July or August when 298 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,560 we're there. But it's powerful. 299 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,720 The location of these spiritual blessings is in the heavenly 300 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:12,640 places, but there's another location, and this location is 301 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:19,520 everything. And this location is in Christ. 302 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:29,560 The most frequently used phrase of Paul describing believers is 303 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:35,200 in Christ. In Him, the location of these 304 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:40,520 blessings is in the heavenly places, and those blessings are 305 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:46,400 not in anyone except for those who are in Christ. 306 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:52,320 So if you are in Christ, all of the spiritual blessings, those 307 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,920 we we will see in this letter and other letters in the 308 00:22:54,920 --> 00:23:00,160 Gospels, the Psalms, throughout God's Word, these blessings are 309 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,160 in the heavenly places and they're in Christ. 310 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:10,920 And what that ultimately means is that He is the spiritual 311 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:16,960 blessing, the person of Jesus is the spiritual blessing. 312 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,640 And to me, this is one of the things that the church has 313 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:25,200 missed so badly. We, in conforming to the pattern 314 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,600 of the world, treat Christianity like it's just another 315 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:36,480 worldview, another set of standards to live by, another 316 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:43,600 guideline for how to vote, another self help manual to help 317 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,920 you improve. And that is not the essence of 318 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,840 Christianity. The essence of Christianity is 319 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:57,080 that we who have trusted in Jesus, his life, his death, his 320 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:01,520 perfect righteousness, his resurrection, his reign, his 321 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:06,680 promised return, his kingship, his lordship, it's because we're 322 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:12,040 in him. There is this mystical union 323 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:17,600 that exists that we don't feel physically, but it's real. 324 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:21,160 There was a wedding here last night. 325 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:26,560 Tommy Overton officiated. My granddaughter was a flower 326 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,640 girl, along with four or five others. 327 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:34,600 My grandson was the ring bearer. I got to sit right where Clint 328 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,000 Harrison is, right there. It was awesome just to sit and 329 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,760 watch. Tommy began to explain this 330 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:47,920 covenant that between this 2 Stephen Madora and Claire 331 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:52,320 Obenshane is a mystical union that exists between Christ and 332 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:57,360 His church in Christ is the location. 333 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,120 So let me finish with just a couple of questions. 334 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:06,960 First, how do you obtain this blessing? 335 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:13,320 Well, the only way, please listen, the only way. 336 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,920 And if you're new to our church and maybe you don't even know 337 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:17,560 why you're here, this might be why. 338 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,880 The only way to obtain these spiritual blessings is in 339 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,360 Christ. It is resting and receiving 340 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,600 Jesus alone for salvation, as he's offered in the gospel. 341 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,800 Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life. 342 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,400 No one comes to the Father except through Him. 343 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,440 And for all who have rested and received in Christ, this is your 344 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:46,600 privilege, privileges, all the spiritual privileges, all the 345 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:51,680 spiritual blessings. Today, if you're eager to know 346 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,760 what it means to be in Christ, please come and talk to us. 347 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:56,520 Even this day. If you're ready to pray for 348 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,080 salvation as I close in a moment, just pray the sinner's 349 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,760 prayer. I'm a Sinner in need of a 350 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,880 Savior. There is only one, the holy, 351 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:11,560 righteous Jesus Christ, Lord and King, God, Redeemer, Savior in 352 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:17,240 that moment, that grip which was born before all eternity, which 353 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,720 you'll hear more about even next week, becomes the reality of 354 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,960 your life. Now for those who are in Christ, 355 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:33,800 here's the question, does this verse mark your life? 356 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:41,400 Is your life every day? And when we gather together in 357 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:46,520 corporate worship, is it filled with the richness of this 358 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:50,960 doctrine that leads to the doxology where, like Paul, you 359 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:58,240 just can't wait to say, blessed be the God and Father of our 360 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,880 Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every 361 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:05,560 spiritual blessing? Ian Hamilton says this, and I 362 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:10,120 want you to lean in and listen. If our individual and corporate 363 00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:13,880 lives should be marked by anything, they should be marked 364 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:19,240 by joyful, thankful, glorying and the God of our salvation. 365 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,360 Listen to this. Our public worship services 366 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:29,520 should pulse with the wonder of sinners forgiven by grace. 367 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,680 Now they're called Saints and blessed in Christ with every 368 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,920 spiritual blessing. The reason our worship services 369 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:44,720 do not always throb with life. The reason our worship services 370 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:49,840 do not always throb with life is not because our liturgies are 371 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:54,240 antiquated, our praise lacks modernity, and our surroundings 372 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,520 are formal. The reason is more basic and 373 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:03,520 serious. We are not captivated and 374 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:08,320 overwhelmed by the Gospel. There's that word again. 375 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:12,560 Overwhelmed. Overwhelmed means to be buried 376 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:17,280 under a huge mass. It means to be defeated soundly. 377 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,200 It means to receive too much of something in the garden. 378 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:27,480 Jesus said my soul is overwhelmed to the point of 379 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:31,560 death. Pray for me three times he said, 380 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:33,520 Father, if you're willing, take this cup from me. 381 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,440 And then on the cross, Jesus indeed was overwhelmed. 382 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:49,080 He was buried under a huge mass, the mass of your sin and my sin, 383 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:54,360 the sin of all of his people and the weight of the Father's just 384 00:28:54,360 --> 00:29:00,520 wrath. He was overwhelmed by receiving 385 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:07,280 too much of the penalty that you and I deserved. 386 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:11,880 He was defeated soundly. They went to break his legs so 387 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,400 he would die quicker. Recognizing that he looked as if 388 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,360 he was already dead. They pierced aside and out flew 389 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,480 fluid, a mixture of water and blood, signifying a heart that 390 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:24,800 it burst. His heart was overwhelmed. 391 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:31,160 He was defeated soundly, and that dead body of our Lord and 392 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,160 Savior Jesus Christ was taken down. 393 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:41,240 That body was placed in a tomb, sealed, guarded. 3 days later, 394 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:49,880 Jesus overwhelmed death. Death was buried underneath the 395 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:55,800 weight of His glory. Death received too much of His 396 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:02,680 resurrection power. Death was defeated soundly. 397 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:11,560 Everyone who comes to faith in Christ has Him. 398 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:16,200 He, the one who died, is the spiritual blessing. 399 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,040 We are in Him. If you're not in Him, these 400 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:25,000 blessings are not yours. If you are in Him and you're not 401 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:32,480 throbbing daily with the desire to praise Him with doxology, 402 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:37,600 it's because you're overwhelmed with something else, something 403 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:44,000 far less so. Ask Him, and trust that He will 404 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:50,800 do it, to open your eyes anew to the wonder of the Gospel. 405 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:59,920 About four years after we had moved here, about four years 406 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:04,040 after that little girl was born, Aaron's daughter, I'd gone back 407 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:08,720 to Saint Louis. I just so happened to see this 408 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:13,400 young mom with a toddler and another child in tow and a wagon 409 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:19,040 and I recognized it was Aaron. I stopped my car, I got out and 410 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,760 she recognized me. Mark and I looked and pointed to 411 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,760 the little girl walking beside her and I said is this? 412 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:32,960 Her Big Blue eyes looked up at me and she said my natural 413 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,480 instinct was to reach down and pick her up. 414 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,880 Her natural instinct was to yell stranger danger. 415 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:44,720 She wanted nothing to do with me. 416 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,720 And she jumped in her mother's arms right where she needed to 417 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:52,120 be. And now, with confidence, she's 418 00:31:52,120 --> 00:32:01,160 25 or 26, Her mother sought to raise her with the promises that 419 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:06,880 Paul speaks of in this really long sentence, beginning with 420 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,880 doxology. Blessed be the God. 421 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:19,440 I hope you're ready to sing this hymn to God beyond all praising. 422 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:25,200 Father, as we prepare to lift our voices to you and exit this 423 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:30,000 place, let us be overwhelmed by you, cause us to be overwhelmed 424 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,960 by you. Let us be completely consumed 425 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:39,560 and owned by you and this word of truth. 426 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,440 We pray in Jesus name, Amen. Please stand.