1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,360 Well, good morning everyone. It is a beautiful day together. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,320 We've got a wonderful study lined up. 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,560 So I hope you'll open your Bibles with me to Ephesians 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,480 chapter one. Ephesians chapter one, we're 5 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,360 going to just kick off this book and I'm going to do a little bit 6 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,600 of an introduction, a little outline and we're going to jump 7 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,760 right in and let's let's dive into this book together. 8 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,680 It's a wonderful day to worship and a wonderful day to study 9 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,360 with you, the Bible. So in Ephesians chapter one. 10 00:00:27,010 --> 00:00:30,330 I've got kind of this, this keynote of this lesson I think 11 00:00:30,330 --> 00:00:31,730 is this verse we're going to get to. 12 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:36,970 Paul is saying that you may know what is the hope of his calling, 13 00:00:37,290 --> 00:00:41,130 the riches of the glory and the exceeding greatness of his power 14 00:00:41,490 --> 00:00:45,050 toward us. This book is awesome. 15 00:00:45,570 --> 00:00:47,930 It's encouraging. This book is. 16 00:00:48,620 --> 00:00:52,660 Big picture, it's a little bit general in nature, but that 17 00:00:52,660 --> 00:00:55,740 makes that makes some awesome concepts flow out of this. 18 00:00:56,020 --> 00:01:00,100 And I hope that we can get this sense walking away from this 19 00:01:00,100 --> 00:01:03,620 lesson today because Paul has a prayer for his audience, and I 20 00:01:03,620 --> 00:01:08,260 hope we can work his prayer into our prayers very much in line 21 00:01:08,260 --> 00:01:10,700 with what he says right here. We'll get to that in a little 22 00:01:10,700 --> 00:01:12,820 bit. So first of all, what is the 23 00:01:12,820 --> 00:01:16,020 purpose of this letter? And I'll get into an outline so 24 00:01:16,020 --> 00:01:17,620 you'll see kind of how this is fleshed out. 25 00:01:18,030 --> 00:01:21,830 But the purpose is number 1, to remind Christians of their 26 00:01:21,830 --> 00:01:23,870 spiritual blessings. In Christ. 27 00:01:24,430 --> 00:01:27,430 The mind is a muscle. The mind is trained, the mind is 28 00:01:27,430 --> 00:01:29,390 guided. The mind doesn't just have 29 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:31,950 knowledge and it's just forever that way. 30 00:01:32,270 --> 00:01:35,670 The mind has to be reminded, has to be trained like a muscle. 31 00:01:35,790 --> 00:01:39,550 If you don't use a muscle, it atrophies, it dies. 32 00:01:40,110 --> 00:01:43,110 So our spiritual lives must be reminded of the spiritual 33 00:01:43,110 --> 00:01:46,710 blessings in Christ and as a response to that. 34 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,800 We're he's writing to exhort Christians to have a walk or a 35 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,720 life that is worthy of the calling with which you were 36 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,360 called. And that's later on in the book 37 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,720 in Chapter 4. We're not getting anywhere near 38 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,280 that this morning, so don't worry. 39 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,880 Here's an outline of this book. First of all, he's got a brief 40 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,120 introduction and we're going to talk about that in a minute. 41 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,240 It's interesting how brief it is. 42 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,520 And then he's going to get into verses 3 through Chapter 3. 43 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,820 Where he's talking about a section on doctrine and it's all 44 00:02:16,820 --> 00:02:20,380 about our riches in Christ. The first section of this 45 00:02:20,380 --> 00:02:25,780 doctrine or teaching section is going to lead up to the second 46 00:02:25,780 --> 00:02:28,500 section is going to be our responsibility. 3 chapters of 47 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:30,740 doctrine, 3 chapters of responsibilities. 48 00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:33,220 How he kind of lay this to this out and we're going to be 49 00:02:33,220 --> 00:02:35,100 covering what's kind of in yellow here today. 50 00:02:35,780 --> 00:02:39,020 Within that doctrine, he tells us about our spiritual 51 00:02:39,020 --> 00:02:42,940 possessions in Christ, and those possessions are from the Father. 52 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:48,280 From the sun, from the Spirit. And the first prayer is for 53 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,040 enlightenment. That's going to cover the first 54 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,640 chapter, but just to give you a little bit of view of where 55 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:55,560 we're going the second chapter, he's going to get into our 56 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:00,520 spiritual position in Christ, how we are raised and seated at 57 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,760 the throne, We are reconciled and set into the temple. 58 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,800 He's going to have a second prayer for enablement. 59 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:09,880 And then he's going to get into our duties. 60 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,960 He's going to call us in our duties in Christ, starting in 61 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:18,040 Chapter 4, to walk in unity, to walk as one together, preserving 62 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,760 the unity of the Spirit with the proper attitudes, and edifying 63 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,200 the body of Christ by the grace given us. 64 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,280 He's going to then call us to walk in purity, not as the other 65 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,520 Gentiles, but to walk in love, to walk as children of light, 66 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,640 and to walk as wise. Next he's going to call us to 67 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,440 walk in harmony. Husbands and Wives is going to 68 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,960 be one of the instructions. He's going to talk to parents 69 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,400 and children. He's going to talk to masters 70 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,600 and servants. And finally it's a call to walk 71 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,880 in victory. Chapter 6 is going to get into, 72 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,080 which means standing in, strong in the power of the Lord and 73 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,320 equipped with the whole armor of God. 74 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,080 The kids a lot of times get excited about the armor of God. 75 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,600 I used to draw in my notebook at church armor because it was 76 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,560 related to the scripture we were studying, but as a kid I thought 77 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,240 that was pretty cool. So this is the outline and we're 78 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,200 starting today in the first section, first with the 79 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,000 introduction and we have the author and the recipient. 80 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,560 Remember all these letters were written to churches or accounts 81 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,000 to people. And we first learned that this 82 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,800 is written by Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of 83 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:31,080 God to the Saints who are and some translation or not 84 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,640 translations. Some of the early manuscripts 85 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,240 didn't include this phrase in Ephesus. 86 00:04:37,850 --> 00:04:42,130 OK, but some of them did. So we'll talk about, you know, 87 00:04:42,130 --> 00:04:43,650 maybe some conclusions from that. 88 00:04:43,650 --> 00:04:47,490 But we what we do know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, is 89 00:04:47,490 --> 00:04:50,970 that he's writing to those who are faithful in Christ Jesus. 90 00:04:51,290 --> 00:04:54,090 He's not writing to an audience of people who have never heard 91 00:04:54,090 --> 00:04:56,050 the gospel. He's writing to people who are 92 00:04:56,050 --> 00:05:00,170 already faithful in Christ. And that is sure, And I believe 93 00:05:00,170 --> 00:05:03,690 that's the general tenor of this lesson of this letter. 94 00:05:04,450 --> 00:05:07,290 He doesn't give any other introductions, many letters. 95 00:05:07,290 --> 00:05:10,330 He's saying I'm writing to this congregation and I exhort these 96 00:05:10,330 --> 00:05:13,050 specific people in this congregation to do this and 97 00:05:13,050 --> 00:05:14,890 that. He does none of that. 98 00:05:15,290 --> 00:05:18,450 He doesn't give any specific names, any specific people. 99 00:05:19,290 --> 00:05:21,610 And so this is a more general instruction. 100 00:05:22,010 --> 00:05:26,210 But we can at least take pretty confidently that this was 101 00:05:26,570 --> 00:05:29,610 Ephesus was maybe the first led church he gave this letter to, 102 00:05:29,890 --> 00:05:33,170 had it sent to, because he's writing this from prison. 103 00:05:33,900 --> 00:05:37,660 And so I'm not at all going to take away from the fact that 104 00:05:37,660 --> 00:05:41,020 this is the letter to the church and Ephesus, but I don't think 105 00:05:41,020 --> 00:05:45,700 it's going to really change that much because let's first talk 106 00:05:45,700 --> 00:05:47,780 about how are the early Christians taught? 107 00:05:48,180 --> 00:05:51,500 Why is this not a big factor? Number one, they were taught 108 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:53,780 directly by the apostles in person. 109 00:05:54,540 --> 00:05:58,900 They did not write a series of letters, hand it to them and 110 00:05:58,900 --> 00:06:02,460 say, OK, we're done. The apostles traveled around. 111 00:06:03,020 --> 00:06:08,940 Preaching the gospel in person. Secondly, they were they taught 112 00:06:08,940 --> 00:06:12,220 directly by others with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 113 00:06:12,220 --> 00:06:15,140 So the Apostles gave the gifts of the Holy Spirit to other 114 00:06:15,140 --> 00:06:18,900 people, who then taught by the power of the Holy Spirit. 115 00:06:19,300 --> 00:06:22,540 So you had secondary teachers from the Apostles. 116 00:06:23,060 --> 00:06:27,820 Thirdly, they they wrote directly to churches and 117 00:06:27,820 --> 00:06:30,270 letters. Like the the letter to the 118 00:06:30,270 --> 00:06:34,030 church in Klossy Galatians, all those things were letters 119 00:06:34,030 --> 00:06:35,830 directly written by the apostles. 120 00:06:36,350 --> 00:06:40,710 And finally, and I think this is a key point in this concept, is 121 00:06:40,710 --> 00:06:43,270 they were supposed to share these letters with one another. 122 00:06:43,630 --> 00:06:48,030 We learn, we learn from Klossy chapter 4, verse 16, he says. 123 00:06:48,030 --> 00:06:51,390 Now when this epistle is read among you see that it is read 124 00:06:51,390 --> 00:06:54,310 also in the Church of the Leoticians, and that you 125 00:06:54,310 --> 00:06:56,630 likewise read the epistle from Leoticia. 126 00:06:57,510 --> 00:06:59,550 Point is, they were supposed to share these letters. 127 00:06:59,910 --> 00:07:02,150 They were supposed to share this information. 128 00:07:02,990 --> 00:07:05,590 So when we're reading this letter, we shouldn't get like, 129 00:07:05,590 --> 00:07:06,950 oh man, he only wrote it to them. 130 00:07:06,950 --> 00:07:08,950 So was it to them or was it somebody else? 131 00:07:09,190 --> 00:07:13,550 These were to get around and this same message was taught all 132 00:07:13,550 --> 00:07:16,670 over the place. OK, so it's a little bit of a 133 00:07:17,550 --> 00:07:23,740 non issue now, just to kind of. Remind ourselves of how much 134 00:07:23,740 --> 00:07:27,620 work was gone into spreading this gospel outside of just 135 00:07:27,940 --> 00:07:30,460 teaching through these letters that were written and 2nd 136 00:07:30,500 --> 00:07:33,940 printing is Chapter 11. Paul says three times thrice I 137 00:07:33,940 --> 00:07:37,620 was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned thrice I 138 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:41,980 suffered shipwreck 3 times. He was on a ship that wrecked. 139 00:07:42,580 --> 00:07:44,700 That's a traumatizing event you would think. 140 00:07:45,350 --> 00:07:48,350 All said, three times happened to me 3 * a night in a day. 141 00:07:48,350 --> 00:07:51,190 I've been in the deep. He was in the ocean for a day 142 00:07:51,190 --> 00:07:54,750 and a night. Man the things they went through 143 00:07:55,110 --> 00:08:00,190 and journeyings often I read Some biblical scholars pretty 144 00:08:00,190 --> 00:08:04,230 much all agree that Paul's missionary travels on foot would 145 00:08:04,230 --> 00:08:08,790 have been at least around 10,000 miles by foot alone, that would 146 00:08:08,990 --> 00:08:12,630 equal walking back and forth to New York. 147 00:08:13,020 --> 00:08:17,460 From LA to New York, back and forth four times he traveled 148 00:08:17,460 --> 00:08:23,180 often in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of 149 00:08:23,980 --> 00:08:27,980 by my own countrymen. And recently, I think one of our 150 00:08:27,980 --> 00:08:30,980 members knows the impact of perils of robbers. 151 00:08:30,980 --> 00:08:34,020 It it's unsettling. Kay had someone steal her car 152 00:08:34,020 --> 00:08:35,419 not long ago. That's unsettling. 153 00:08:35,419 --> 00:08:38,299 It just leaves you shaken up, Paul said. 154 00:08:38,299 --> 00:08:40,740 Yeah, I had that. I had perils by my own 155 00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:43,850 countrymen. I had perils by the heathen, 156 00:08:43,850 --> 00:08:46,450 perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the 157 00:08:46,450 --> 00:08:48,370 sea, perils among false brethren. 158 00:08:49,290 --> 00:08:54,530 These apostles taught through so much difficulty and weariness 159 00:08:55,170 --> 00:08:59,930 and painfulness and watchings, often always watching what's 160 00:08:59,930 --> 00:09:03,330 going to happen next in hunger and thirst and fastings and cold 161 00:09:03,610 --> 00:09:06,810 and nakedness. This is not the only way that 162 00:09:06,810 --> 00:09:09,370 the that the early church was getting the word. 163 00:09:09,750 --> 00:09:11,110 That's kind of one of the main points. 164 00:09:11,110 --> 00:09:15,030 I thought it was an interesting side note to remind ourselves of 165 00:09:15,030 --> 00:09:17,990 what lengths were went to to receive these words of God. 166 00:09:18,390 --> 00:09:23,830 OK, let's keep moving, he says Grace to you and peace from God 167 00:09:23,830 --> 00:09:25,590 our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 168 00:09:25,750 --> 00:09:29,310 OK to the people who are faithful gods bring grace to you 169 00:09:29,670 --> 00:09:32,830 and peace. Verses 3 through 14 is going to 170 00:09:32,830 --> 00:09:35,150 be the longest sentence in the in the New Testament. 171 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,680 Now I want you to put yourself in this position. 172 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:41,680 Usually when Paul wrote a letter himself, he says it, he says I'm 173 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:43,000 writing this letter with my own hand. 174 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,120 But it was very common in those days for someone to speak and 175 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:48,920 ascribe would then write the letter out. 176 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,800 Paul is likely in prison in Rome at this time around the year, a 177 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:59,520 D 6163 in that range. So Paul is is speaking likely 178 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,560 speaking this letter and and you kind of get the sense of that as 179 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:04,400 the sentence goes and goes and goes. 180 00:10:04,850 --> 00:10:10,930 All the way through 14 verses, he starts by saying blessed be 181 00:10:10,930 --> 00:10:14,170 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 182 00:10:15,130 --> 00:10:18,890 I think it's interesting that he's going to use this phrase a 183 00:10:18,890 --> 00:10:21,690 lot, the God and Father over and over in this letter. 184 00:10:22,410 --> 00:10:24,930 And I think it's interesting specifically in light of the 185 00:10:24,930 --> 00:10:28,610 fact that the church that this is maybe first written to an 186 00:10:28,610 --> 00:10:32,570 Ephesus was the home of the goddess Diana or. 187 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,960 Or Artemis. She was revered by the Romans 188 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,120 and they had this temple that was built for her to honor her 189 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:46,280 that was absolutely massive and ornate from scholars and the the 190 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:50,640 things I was reading, they were saying it was about 220 by 425 191 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,160 by 60 feet. This is a massive structure that 192 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,280 is bigger than a football field probably more like the size of 193 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,680 the track that goes around the football field and and square 194 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:04,430 footage. This is a massive building and 195 00:11:04,430 --> 00:11:06,910 this was dedicated to the goddess Diana. 196 00:11:07,270 --> 00:11:13,670 Maybe that that motherly goddess idea and it was rebuilt over and 197 00:11:13,670 --> 00:11:16,270 over, it would be destroyed there, was later rebuilt over 198 00:11:16,270 --> 00:11:18,950 and over in the city. And the last time, the seventh 199 00:11:18,950 --> 00:11:23,150 time this was rebuilt, it was built in honor and dedicated to 200 00:11:23,430 --> 00:11:26,270 Mary, the mother of God. And it was shortly after 201 00:11:26,270 --> 00:11:29,960 destroyed again. So this city seems to want to 202 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:35,480 Revere this motherhood and God and and it's interesting that 203 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,640 he's writing continually this The God and Father. 204 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,200 It's about God the Father. And that doesn't mean any 205 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,160 disrespect at all to women whatsoever. 206 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:48,280 But God the Father is the focus here in this letter. 207 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:55,240 OK, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the 208 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,650 heavenly places in Christ? I don't know about you, but when 209 00:11:59,650 --> 00:12:02,490 I read a verse like this, it makes me just go mad. 210 00:12:04,170 --> 00:12:08,690 I haven't even tapped into all of the beauties and the comfort 211 00:12:08,810 --> 00:12:11,370 and the joy. I don't even scratch the surface 212 00:12:11,370 --> 00:12:14,890 of what God has to offer every spiritual blessing in the 213 00:12:14,890 --> 00:12:18,330 heavenly places. In Christ, this word, heavenly 214 00:12:18,330 --> 00:12:22,330 places is literally the Heavenlys and in the Heavenlys 215 00:12:22,330 --> 00:12:26,330 in Christ, it's used five times. This word is used five times in 216 00:12:26,330 --> 00:12:29,560 the New Testament. And it's all in this letter. 217 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,840 It talks about an unseen reality, #1, where our blessings 218 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,920 are. In this verse it tells us this 219 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,560 is where our blessings are. And later on this chapter, it's 220 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:43,680 where Christ sits at God's right hand, where we now sit with 221 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:47,200 Christ because of his work, where rulers and authorities 222 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:51,520 observe God's wisdom, and where evil spiritual forces oppose us, 223 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:57,740 we get to be beneficiaries. Of all the spiritual blessings 224 00:12:57,740 --> 00:13:01,060 in the heavenly places, the protection from evil, the 225 00:13:01,060 --> 00:13:05,940 wonderful rewards One day man, it's it's good stuff, he says, 226 00:13:06,060 --> 00:13:11,980 just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the 227 00:13:11,980 --> 00:13:16,060 world. What an awesome thought not 228 00:13:16,060 --> 00:13:18,620 everyone had. The upbringing has maybe the 229 00:13:18,620 --> 00:13:22,260 relationships in your life where you feel chosen and selected and 230 00:13:22,260 --> 00:13:24,820 special. God wants you to feel that way. 231 00:13:26,370 --> 00:13:29,050 God wants you to know that you were chosen. 232 00:13:29,170 --> 00:13:31,170 We're going to talk a little bit in a second about what that 233 00:13:31,170 --> 00:13:33,290 doesn't mean. But I don't want that at all to 234 00:13:33,290 --> 00:13:36,850 overshadow the fact that this is a wonderful blessing. 235 00:13:36,850 --> 00:13:40,930 God chose us now because of how great we are. 236 00:13:41,090 --> 00:13:45,170 Nope. He chose us in him and Jesus 237 00:13:45,170 --> 00:13:50,330 before the foundation of the world, So before God even taught 238 00:13:50,330 --> 00:13:53,450 the planets how to orbit, before the trees even learned how to 239 00:13:53,450 --> 00:13:57,200 grow. I love that you and I were 240 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,320 chosen ahead of all that. If we were a forethought before 241 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,880 the world was even built, that gives us insight into why the 242 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:10,160 world was built. The biggest thing that I take 243 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:15,320 away is God built this world for us to be unified with Him and 244 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,160 for him to get glory in His creation. 245 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:22,200 That is an awesome, wonderful reality that God set up before 246 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,620 all this. Before man figured out all these 247 00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:28,420 machines and devices and and all these things that are seem so 248 00:14:28,420 --> 00:14:32,100 great before all that was even even a thought. 249 00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:40,180 When God built the world, He first chose, you and I, that we 250 00:14:40,180 --> 00:14:43,460 should be holy and without blame before him. 251 00:14:44,220 --> 00:14:46,420 Now we're going to get into discussion about, you know, what 252 00:14:46,420 --> 00:14:47,780 does it mean to be chosen by God? 253 00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:52,180 God wants us to be holy and set apart and different. 254 00:14:53,140 --> 00:14:55,740 Without blame, God has every good intention. 255 00:14:55,740 --> 00:14:57,220 He didn't create this world to say hi. 256 00:14:57,220 --> 00:15:00,020 I got you. It wasn't like a a game where 257 00:15:00,020 --> 00:15:01,940 he's going to create this world and swap people. 258 00:15:02,420 --> 00:15:04,700 No, he wanted us to be without blame. 259 00:15:04,700 --> 00:15:08,900 He doesn't want there to be any any negative judgment. 260 00:15:09,020 --> 00:15:11,940 It's a consequence of the fall that people would choose God, 261 00:15:12,340 --> 00:15:16,020 choose their own desires over God, but he only had good 262 00:15:16,020 --> 00:15:20,530 intentions for this world. Having predestined us to 263 00:15:20,530 --> 00:15:26,250 adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good 264 00:15:26,250 --> 00:15:31,970 pleasure of his will again that pre choosing God chose us a long 265 00:15:31,970 --> 00:15:34,970 time ago, we should not be afraid of this word. 266 00:15:35,570 --> 00:15:37,490 Do not be afraid of the word predestined. 267 00:15:37,810 --> 00:15:40,130 It is a wonderful truth of God's plan. 268 00:15:40,370 --> 00:15:43,450 God chose you and I before the foundation of the world. 269 00:15:43,650 --> 00:15:48,070 That's an honoring statement. And he chose us to adoption. 270 00:15:48,070 --> 00:15:51,870 Now it's interesting. God could have saved us from 271 00:15:51,870 --> 00:15:55,710 hell and not actually adopted us, right? 272 00:15:55,710 --> 00:15:58,310 Like if you wanted it to be that way, he could have said, I'm 273 00:15:58,310 --> 00:16:00,870 going to save you from judgment, you're going to stay there, 274 00:16:00,870 --> 00:16:03,750 don't do anything bad, just get you out of judgment and now 275 00:16:03,750 --> 00:16:07,750 you're safe. He could have done that, pulled 276 00:16:07,750 --> 00:16:10,430 us out of the judgment. He didn't just do that though. 277 00:16:11,270 --> 00:16:14,310 He not only pulled us from judgment, but he adopted us into 278 00:16:14,310 --> 00:16:17,100 his own family. If you were to do good for 279 00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:19,700 someone, you can go feed somebody on, you know who's 280 00:16:19,780 --> 00:16:22,700 who's less fortunate. You can give them a job, you can 281 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:26,260 give them clothing, you can buy even a place for them to to live 282 00:16:26,260 --> 00:16:29,260 in. You don't have to adopt them as 283 00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:32,660 a as a person, your family, to be good to them. 284 00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:37,260 God did all the good things, all the spiritual blessings in the 285 00:16:37,260 --> 00:16:40,300 heavenly places. And on top of that, he chose to 286 00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:45,500 adopt you and I as sons and daughters by Jesus Christ. 287 00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:49,420 To himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. 288 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:52,620 Because he had to. Because, well, Gia died for you, 289 00:16:52,620 --> 00:16:54,780 so he had to do it. No, because he wanted to. 290 00:16:55,300 --> 00:16:56,700 Because it made him happy to do that. 291 00:16:58,140 --> 00:17:02,340 I hope we start to get the sense that God wants you. 292 00:17:03,380 --> 00:17:06,819 God desires you not just because he had to, because his son died 293 00:17:06,819 --> 00:17:09,020 for you, but because he wants you. 294 00:17:09,099 --> 00:17:16,440 He wants to be with you. So let's talk about this word, 295 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,240 predestined. Because there is a sense in 296 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,680 which it can be a little bit of a cringy word for us. 297 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:25,040 It doesn't need to be. But let's talk about it #1 God 298 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:30,160 Predestined, yes, but what? He predestined the plan, not the 299 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,280 man. He predestined a plan where he 300 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,800 would save the world, where he would call people unto himself. 301 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:42,000 But he didn't say, I'll have that one have that one ahead of 302 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,870 time. He predestined the plan, not the 303 00:17:44,870 --> 00:17:46,870 man. If you're not familiar with this 304 00:17:46,870 --> 00:17:51,430 discussion that the two ideas that go against one another and 305 00:17:51,430 --> 00:17:53,830 that we have to reason from the scriptures which one is right 306 00:17:53,870 --> 00:17:55,230 because they can't both be right. 307 00:17:55,670 --> 00:17:59,390 It's either the general election, or a general chosen 308 00:17:59,390 --> 00:18:04,270 people, or an unconditional or a particular chosen. 309 00:18:04,870 --> 00:18:09,790 What that means is did God choose a type of people, a group 310 00:18:09,790 --> 00:18:13,620 of people, and a plan? Or did he handpick certain 311 00:18:13,620 --> 00:18:16,900 people that they had no choice, They were just going to be, you 312 00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:19,420 know, like the and Toy Story, like the little alien guys. 313 00:18:19,420 --> 00:18:21,300 They're chosen to go by the claw. 314 00:18:21,300 --> 00:18:24,940 It's not like that. We have to use Scripture wisely. 315 00:18:25,140 --> 00:18:28,980 And the two things we have to reconcile, and this is a fair 316 00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:31,860 argument to discuss. Number one, we have to know that 317 00:18:31,860 --> 00:18:36,140 God gave us free will, but we also have to acknowledge God's 318 00:18:36,140 --> 00:18:39,750 foreknowledge and planning. First of all, God's 319 00:18:39,750 --> 00:18:42,150 foreknowledge and planning. God uses tools. 320 00:18:42,550 --> 00:18:45,910 He uses people He uses timing He uses. 321 00:18:46,430 --> 00:18:49,270 We read about the different people, God, when they chose 322 00:18:49,270 --> 00:18:51,430 something, he was able to use them for that cause. 323 00:18:51,910 --> 00:18:55,190 If Pharaoh chose to be against God, God's OK you're going to be 324 00:18:55,190 --> 00:18:58,830 part of my plan to work about the saving of my people for 325 00:18:58,830 --> 00:19:01,350 those who did serve him. God said, OK, I'm going to use 326 00:19:01,350 --> 00:19:05,550 you to work about this plan. God uses tools. 327 00:19:05,590 --> 00:19:07,990 He uses people. He sets up a plan. 328 00:19:08,910 --> 00:19:09,990 But there is so much we don't know. 329 00:19:10,990 --> 00:19:13,710 We cannot try to figure out every nuance of God's planning 330 00:19:13,710 --> 00:19:17,510 his works. But we also have to really 331 00:19:17,630 --> 00:19:19,910 respect the free will God has given us. 332 00:19:20,870 --> 00:19:28,430 Repentance cannot be true if particular selection by God is 333 00:19:28,430 --> 00:19:31,150 true. You cannot have free will if God 334 00:19:31,470 --> 00:19:34,350 plucks you and decides you're going to be on his family. 335 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,120 Because repentance is a personal choice that I'm going to turn 336 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:43,400 from living this lustful, sinful by my own desires life and turn 337 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,000 around that takes a personal choice. 338 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,640 God cannot make a personal choice for me and it still be 339 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,000 free will. The beauty, the beauty of 340 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:57,400 repentance cannot be existent if God chose for you. 341 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,720 That's why it's so awesome that someone would have this strong 342 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:05,520 desire and urge but say no. God, you you say something else. 343 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,280 I'm going to follow you because I know you have what's better 344 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:08,840 for me. I know you have something that's 345 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:13,520 good for me. That can't be and a factor. 346 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:18,240 If free, if we have free will or if we don't have free will, our 347 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,840 free will. Let's let's take it to a story. 348 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:25,360 Let's say there's a love story. You have a man who just falls 349 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:28,360 deeply in love with a woman. He thinks just she's the most 350 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:31,240 beautiful woman in the world. She has the best personality. 351 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,220 She's the sweetest she. She just makes him feel so 352 00:20:34,220 --> 00:20:39,060 special and he asks her on a date and she feels the same way 353 00:20:39,060 --> 00:20:41,220 and they just have this wonderful marriage and life 354 00:20:41,220 --> 00:20:43,660 together. That's what every single movie 355 00:20:43,660 --> 00:20:45,900 and TV show ends up being about, because it's awesome. 356 00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:50,060 It's a great story. OK, let's say story #2. 357 00:20:50,620 --> 00:20:53,300 You have a man who falls deeply in love with a woman. 358 00:20:53,420 --> 00:20:55,500 He just thinks she's the best thing in the world, she's the 359 00:20:55,500 --> 00:20:57,700 most beautiful. She has all these qualities that 360 00:20:57,700 --> 00:21:00,140 he loves. And he asks her on a date and 361 00:21:00,140 --> 00:21:01,540 she says she wants nothing to do with him. 362 00:21:02,650 --> 00:21:04,930 And so he responds by saying, well, I love you so much that 363 00:21:04,930 --> 00:21:08,050 I'm going to, I'm going to trap you and I'm going to make you 364 00:21:08,050 --> 00:21:10,650 love me. That quickly becomes creepy, 365 00:21:11,010 --> 00:21:16,330 disgusting, morally and spiritually of horrible thing. 366 00:21:16,410 --> 00:21:18,650 That's a that's abuse. That's you should go to jail for 367 00:21:18,650 --> 00:21:24,090 that. It would be that kind of story 368 00:21:24,090 --> 00:21:28,690 if God made you follow him. That's not love. 369 00:21:29,340 --> 00:21:31,820 It's not loved by the person imprisoning the woman. 370 00:21:31,980 --> 00:21:33,660 It's not love on the woman's part. 371 00:21:33,660 --> 00:21:37,500 Being imprisoned for love, that's not love. 372 00:21:38,780 --> 00:21:41,700 That would be creepy. It's not really love at all. 373 00:21:42,860 --> 00:21:46,740 God predestined a plan where real love could exist, where he 374 00:21:46,740 --> 00:21:48,940 could set up the plan and let you choose. 375 00:21:48,940 --> 00:21:52,340 Are you going to love him? By the way, when people say how 376 00:21:52,340 --> 00:21:53,940 can a loving God send people to hell? 377 00:21:54,900 --> 00:21:56,860 I would. And I say back, how could a 378 00:21:56,860 --> 00:21:59,500 loving God? Make people be with him. 379 00:22:00,180 --> 00:22:02,180 That's that scenario we were talking about. 380 00:22:02,580 --> 00:22:05,300 If you don't, if I don't want to be with God on earth, that would 381 00:22:05,300 --> 00:22:11,260 be weird if he made me be with him in heaven, don't let people 382 00:22:11,460 --> 00:22:14,660 work that in. Like like that's God's fault. 383 00:22:15,820 --> 00:22:19,100 That would be weird and it would be creepy and love story. 384 00:22:19,660 --> 00:22:22,380 And God gives us free will so we can have a pure relationship 385 00:22:22,380 --> 00:22:24,240 with him. I'll just kind of close up with 386 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,040 a few analogies if this will help you God. 387 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,520 If, if a train system predetermines one trains going 388 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,480 to Sacramento, one trains going to Bakersfield, then that is a 389 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,800 predetermined route. But it doesn't mean that the 390 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,080 train station forces people onto a train, gives them a 391 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:46,920 predetermined plan, OK? The people who are chosen by God 392 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,280 are ones who are going to hear the call and respond in free in 393 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,160 faith. That is a type of group. 394 00:22:52,830 --> 00:22:56,230 Of people. OK, so predestination is a 395 00:22:56,230 --> 00:22:58,750 wonderful thing. We now we can appreciate it. 396 00:22:58,870 --> 00:23:01,590 We don't get lost in the in the arguments about what it's not. 397 00:23:01,790 --> 00:23:04,630 We can appreciate God's fore planning. 398 00:23:04,870 --> 00:23:06,390 You weren't an afterthought to God. 399 00:23:06,910 --> 00:23:10,350 You are the thought to God according to the good pleasure 400 00:23:10,350 --> 00:23:14,790 of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. 401 00:23:14,790 --> 00:23:18,150 Man when we see that Paul is just going to it seems burst 402 00:23:18,150 --> 00:23:20,230 into praise throughout this letter. 403 00:23:21,180 --> 00:23:23,300 To the praise of the glory of his grace. 404 00:23:23,420 --> 00:23:28,620 God's grace is so awesome that we should praise its glory that 405 00:23:28,620 --> 00:23:32,060 he would do something like that for us because he made us 406 00:23:32,060 --> 00:23:39,060 accepted in the beloved. The beloved is Jesus, which he 407 00:23:39,060 --> 00:23:43,020 made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence. 408 00:23:43,620 --> 00:23:47,260 Not in brainwashing and in scammering, but in wisdom and 409 00:23:47,260 --> 00:23:49,420 prudence. You should come to Christ with a 410 00:23:49,420 --> 00:23:51,680 clear mind. And knowing what you're doing, 411 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:56,880 having made to known to us the mystery of his will, where the 412 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,920 Old Testament is often a mystery because God's plan wasn't fully 413 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:01,760 unveiled, it wasn't fully revealed. 414 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:06,080 And so it's a mystery according to his good pleasure, which he 415 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,760 purposed in his in himself. There it is again. 416 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:11,080 It keeps telling us God wanted this. 417 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:17,960 God chose this even from the beginning of time. 418 00:24:19,630 --> 00:24:23,030 That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, or in the 419 00:24:23,030 --> 00:24:27,510 administration of a of a particular time, the fullness 420 00:24:27,510 --> 00:24:30,310 being when it was all full and ready, and it couldn't be 421 00:24:30,310 --> 00:24:34,070 contained anymore until it just had to happen, He might gather 422 00:24:34,070 --> 00:24:40,910 together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven 423 00:24:41,510 --> 00:24:44,710 and which on which are on the earth in him. 424 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:47,760 All things. You're neither Jew nor Greek, 425 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,080 male nor female, slave nor free. The Bible says you are all one 426 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,320 In Christ Jesus. We are unified in Him. 427 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:57,200 In Him we also have obtained an inheritance. 428 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,560 You mean, after all this discussion, we get a peace? 429 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:04,640 Yes, we get a peace of God's great inheritance being 430 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:09,160 predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all 431 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,280 things according to the counsel of his will. 432 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:16,840 There it is again, His will, he keeps saying. 433 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:18,640 Are you getting the idea that God wants you? 434 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:24,440 God wants you. You're not just someone God 435 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:25,520 doesn't like. He wants you. 436 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:30,240 That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise 437 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,240 of his glory. He's going to draw a little 438 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,760 connection. You're a contrast between the 439 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,040 Jews who first trusted in Christ because the gospel went to them 440 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,390 first. And next he's going to talk 441 00:25:40,390 --> 00:25:43,790 about the Gentiles, so that we who first the Jews trusted in 442 00:25:43,790 --> 00:25:46,870 Christ should be to the praise of his glory, with God's great 443 00:25:46,870 --> 00:25:49,710 plan laid out. The only response from them 444 00:25:49,710 --> 00:25:52,670 should have just been praised to God, because there was people 445 00:25:52,670 --> 00:25:55,270 waiting for that. There was people who saw the 446 00:25:55,270 --> 00:25:59,230 mystery and who had faith through all that confusion. 447 00:25:59,230 --> 00:26:03,110 They might have been enduring, but they had faith so that when 448 00:26:03,110 --> 00:26:06,670 it all happened, they were ready to praise his glory. 449 00:26:07,220 --> 00:26:12,660 When when Christ first came and was there for them to behold, in 450 00:26:12,660 --> 00:26:17,220 Him, you also now he's talking about Gentiles you also trusted 451 00:26:17,580 --> 00:26:21,300 after you heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your 452 00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:25,900 salvation, and whom also having believed you were sealed with 453 00:26:25,900 --> 00:26:31,380 the Holy Spirit of promise. There's a concept here of being 454 00:26:31,420 --> 00:26:33,500 sealed. It's it's a mark. 455 00:26:34,020 --> 00:26:37,950 It's a it's a brand. You're sealed, meaning a sign of 456 00:26:37,990 --> 00:26:42,230 ownership, he says. You were sealed for a new 457 00:26:42,230 --> 00:26:45,270 ownership. You were adopted earlier, he 458 00:26:45,270 --> 00:26:46,910 said. And then during the Greek times 459 00:26:46,910 --> 00:26:50,630 and in the Roman times, adoption meant you had a whole new life. 460 00:26:51,150 --> 00:26:52,950 If you had old debts, they were gone. 461 00:26:53,150 --> 00:26:55,870 If you had an old family, that's your old family's gone. 462 00:26:55,870 --> 00:26:58,190 And you had a you're a completely new person when you 463 00:26:58,190 --> 00:27:02,470 were adopted under that time period, And now he's saying 464 00:27:02,470 --> 00:27:04,990 you're sealed or you were branded. 465 00:27:06,930 --> 00:27:10,650 With the Holy Spirit of promise, you have been taken under by new 466 00:27:10,650 --> 00:27:13,650 ownership. You're not that beaten down old 467 00:27:13,890 --> 00:27:16,330 business. Now you are a brand new 468 00:27:16,650 --> 00:27:22,370 renovated and sealed by the Holy Spirit who Speaking of the Holy 469 00:27:22,370 --> 00:27:27,530 Spirit is the guarantee or it can be literally translated to 470 00:27:27,530 --> 00:27:32,210 down payment of our inheritance until the redemption of the 471 00:27:32,210 --> 00:27:35,930 purchase possession. We are the purchase possession. 472 00:27:37,850 --> 00:27:40,250 God made a down payment. Well, he's He made the He paid 473 00:27:40,250 --> 00:27:41,890 the whole price. Jesus paid the price. 474 00:27:42,690 --> 00:27:47,010 The Holy Spirit is a down payment reserved until the time 475 00:27:47,010 --> 00:27:50,330 when God comes back to get us, till the time when all this is 476 00:27:50,330 --> 00:27:52,530 going to be brought into fruition. 477 00:27:52,770 --> 00:27:55,250 We have the Holy Spirit. We have God's plan. 478 00:27:55,370 --> 00:28:00,610 We have His guidance, we have His ways until the redemption. 479 00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:04,470 Of the purchase possession. If I buy a voucher for something 480 00:28:04,790 --> 00:28:08,470 I can redeem that voucher at the store. 481 00:28:08,590 --> 00:28:12,270 So when I was skiing a lot I got a voucher for from school for 482 00:28:12,270 --> 00:28:13,710 something. So I can go get take this 483 00:28:13,710 --> 00:28:16,150 voucher lift ticket. I can go up to the ski resort 484 00:28:16,430 --> 00:28:20,270 and they would give me or redeem the value of that and I would 485 00:28:20,270 --> 00:28:25,750 get to go ski God. One day is going to redeem or 486 00:28:25,750 --> 00:28:30,110 turn in or exchange for the purchase possession with. 487 00:28:30,730 --> 00:28:34,130 Which is us to the praise of His glory there to get it, that 488 00:28:34,130 --> 00:28:38,290 phrase just keeps popping up to the praise of his glory. 489 00:28:38,730 --> 00:28:42,090 That's how we should respond to this, with praise to him. 490 00:28:42,570 --> 00:28:45,930 Therefore, because of all of this great inheritance and this 491 00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:49,930 great work that's been done and all of these things, I also, 492 00:28:49,930 --> 00:28:54,250 after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for 493 00:28:54,250 --> 00:28:56,250 all the Saints. Remember, Saints just means 494 00:28:56,250 --> 00:28:58,250 those who are Christ, those who are. 495 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:03,040 Called by God and faithful to him, do not cease to give thanks 496 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,680 for you making mention of you in my prayers. 497 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,240 This letter is going to get into an application section later, 498 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,080 but I think this is a great spot for us to get some application 499 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:19,080 and a great spot for us to see where this all goes, Paul says. 500 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,960 I didn't stop. Thank giving thanks for you and 501 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:28,040 praying for you these specific things. 502 00:29:30,490 --> 00:29:36,090 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may 503 00:29:36,090 --> 00:29:41,290 give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge 504 00:29:41,610 --> 00:29:44,130 of him. OK, first of all, what is this 505 00:29:44,130 --> 00:29:46,850 spirit of wisdom? When the Bible talks about a 506 00:29:46,850 --> 00:29:51,090 spirit of something, it's it's not referring to from my study. 507 00:29:51,090 --> 00:29:53,810 It's not referring to the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. 508 00:29:53,810 --> 00:29:57,210 It's referring to a disposition of the heart that we give 509 00:29:57,210 --> 00:30:00,180 ourselves to. OKA, Spirit of grace We give 510 00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:03,060 ourselves to a spirit of of of goodness and grace. 511 00:30:03,860 --> 00:30:10,420 Here he is saying that God will give you a spirit of wisdom or a 512 00:30:10,420 --> 00:30:16,380 heart that will be dominated or guided by wisdom. 513 00:30:17,100 --> 00:30:21,460 He wants us to have a heart that is guided by wisdom and 514 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:23,120 revelation. Okay. 515 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:24,680 Revelation. Usually when we think of that 516 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,040 word, we think of End times, the Book of Revelation, confusion, 517 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:32,680 and other people giving their revelations from what they claim 518 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,400 to be God. And so it's kind of a can be a 519 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,800 confusing topic that's the exact opposite of what the word 520 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,360 revelation means. The word revelation is to reveal 521 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,200 something. So he's saying here that he 522 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,480 wants them to have the spirit of something that is revealed and 523 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:50,120 opened up to them. Of what? 524 00:30:52,460 --> 00:30:58,580 In the knowledge of Him, God wants us to know Him. 525 00:31:00,660 --> 00:31:04,260 Isn't that reasonable for anyone to expect out of a relationship, 526 00:31:05,580 --> 00:31:08,220 to be known by the other person in the relationship? 527 00:31:08,940 --> 00:31:13,580 That's by wisdom, and not by what other people think, but by 528 00:31:13,580 --> 00:31:16,140 wisdom and what's right and revealed. 529 00:31:16,340 --> 00:31:18,220 When something is revealed, you don't reveal. 530 00:31:18,820 --> 00:31:20,060 It's not to reveal something, it's fake. 531 00:31:20,060 --> 00:31:22,900 It's to show what it truly is, to be opened up. 532 00:31:23,220 --> 00:31:28,020 God wants us to to see, opened up to us a true knowledge of 533 00:31:28,020 --> 00:31:34,100 Him. God wants us to know him. 534 00:31:35,380 --> 00:31:38,820 God wants us to understand him. And the great thing about a 535 00:31:38,820 --> 00:31:44,780 relationship with God, if I understand a friend of mine, we 536 00:31:44,780 --> 00:31:47,380 have a great relationship. It doesn't change my whole life. 537 00:31:49,130 --> 00:31:52,370 If I understand God, it changes everything. 538 00:31:53,970 --> 00:31:58,290 If I really understand God, it will change my whole life. 539 00:31:58,410 --> 00:31:59,850 It will change my whole perspective. 540 00:32:00,010 --> 00:32:02,330 It will change my motivations. It changes everything. 541 00:32:04,290 --> 00:32:08,290 Because when I understand someone, as long as they're 542 00:32:08,290 --> 00:32:12,850 good, I trust them. When I trust someone, they can 543 00:32:12,850 --> 00:32:16,260 provide for me. If I don't trust someone, they 544 00:32:16,260 --> 00:32:19,580 can't provide for me in any way. Tell you what I mean. 545 00:32:20,460 --> 00:32:23,860 I want my son. I want Charlie to know me well 546 00:32:24,420 --> 00:32:28,340 because I'm hopeful that he'll see he can trust me for whatever 547 00:32:28,340 --> 00:32:30,740 his needs are. That I can take care of physical 548 00:32:30,740 --> 00:32:33,580 needs emotionally is, you know, whatever the list might be. 549 00:32:35,700 --> 00:32:39,340 I want him to be able to trust me because the more one trusts, 550 00:32:39,460 --> 00:32:45,420 the more 1 can be provided for. If you're in a relationship and 551 00:32:45,420 --> 00:32:48,740 you're not emotionally available, you can't be 552 00:32:48,740 --> 00:32:54,900 emotionally provided for. God wants us to know him so we 553 00:32:54,900 --> 00:32:58,180 can trust him and trust him so we can provide for us What a 554 00:32:58,180 --> 00:33:01,220 good father, what a good God we have. 555 00:33:04,580 --> 00:33:10,380 I hate misunderstanding when I read a book, when I used to read 556 00:33:10,380 --> 00:33:12,780 books, more when I was made to an AR programs. 557 00:33:13,460 --> 00:33:15,220 Or love a book. But then there was a point at 558 00:33:15,220 --> 00:33:18,540 which one of the characters or a group of the characters would 559 00:33:18,540 --> 00:33:20,740 misunderstand what's going on with the other good guys. 560 00:33:20,820 --> 00:33:22,420 Right there. There's a misunderstanding that 561 00:33:22,420 --> 00:33:24,180 creates tension and that's what the author wants. 562 00:33:24,180 --> 00:33:26,820 But I hate it because my mind was like, no, you need to know 563 00:33:26,820 --> 00:33:29,020 that everything's fine. You you agree everything's good. 564 00:33:30,380 --> 00:33:33,460 I hate misunderstanding. How do you think God feels? 565 00:33:34,620 --> 00:33:37,060 Taylor and I were just talking on the way to church about some 566 00:33:37,060 --> 00:33:40,380 of the She was watching a documentary about a cult 567 00:33:40,380 --> 00:33:42,940 situation, some of the claim to be Christian groups. 568 00:33:43,890 --> 00:33:46,530 And it was ended up being false advertising and all this 569 00:33:46,770 --> 00:33:50,090 hypocrisy. How do we think God feels being 570 00:33:50,090 --> 00:33:54,130 misrepresented all the time, being mistrusted and 571 00:33:54,130 --> 00:34:00,610 misunderstood and even hated? God must hate that because it 572 00:34:00,610 --> 00:34:02,610 know how. He knows how it affects people 573 00:34:03,290 --> 00:34:05,970 and he is how and he knows how their their understanding is 574 00:34:05,970 --> 00:34:08,850 darkened and and their world gets darkened by that. 575 00:34:10,590 --> 00:34:13,710 Does does Paul pray that everyone who's going to teach 576 00:34:13,710 --> 00:34:17,790 someone a wrong knowledge of God be cut off and gone away? 577 00:34:18,830 --> 00:34:22,550 No. He writes to the person who has 578 00:34:22,550 --> 00:34:24,350 the only control over their mind. 579 00:34:24,870 --> 00:34:29,510 He writes to the only person he wants to pray for the person who 580 00:34:29,510 --> 00:34:32,030 is responsible for how their mind sees God. 581 00:34:33,270 --> 00:34:35,429 And that's me. That's you. 582 00:34:36,590 --> 00:34:40,330 We are the only person. Who is responsible for how we 583 00:34:40,330 --> 00:34:43,570 see God? He wants us to have wisdom and 584 00:34:43,570 --> 00:34:47,210 to be revealed who God really is and we can't control everyone. 585 00:34:47,530 --> 00:34:51,650 I can't control how you see it. I can only have my mind changed 586 00:34:51,770 --> 00:34:54,290 to really understand God for who he is. 587 00:34:56,770 --> 00:35:02,090 Our own mind is the only one capable of seeing God the way he 588 00:35:02,090 --> 00:35:05,730 is to be seen like that song says. 589 00:35:06,580 --> 00:35:11,460 And I'll see him as he is, and I'll know him as I know that's 590 00:35:11,460 --> 00:35:15,820 the goal. The eyes of your understanding, 591 00:35:15,820 --> 00:35:19,260 Being enlightened, he says. Enlightened is not some 592 00:35:20,060 --> 00:35:24,260 mysterious mythical thing. It's it's to be shown, shown 593 00:35:24,260 --> 00:35:25,740 light upon. If something's in the dark and 594 00:35:25,740 --> 00:35:27,540 you want to see what it really is, you shine light on it. 595 00:35:27,940 --> 00:35:30,100 You can't see something for what it is until it's been 596 00:35:30,180 --> 00:35:35,600 enlightened or clarified. If I see a flower or something 597 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:39,320 beautiful or good in the dark, I can't really appreciate it for 598 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:41,400 what it really is. All the beauty that has. 599 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:45,640 I can't see evil and things that are ugly for what their true 600 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,120 ugliness and evil is unless it is enlightened. 601 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,360 Enlightenment just provides clarity for what's reality. 602 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:57,320 God wants us to have eyes of understanding that are shown for 603 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,040 what they really that shows things for what they really are. 604 00:36:00,890 --> 00:36:03,810 Why? So that you may know what is the 605 00:36:03,810 --> 00:36:08,330 hope of his calling. Hope itself is one of the 606 00:36:08,330 --> 00:36:14,370 greatest things in life. Secular literate writers always 607 00:36:14,370 --> 00:36:16,970 use hope as a main theme because it's it's one of the most 608 00:36:16,970 --> 00:36:19,730 powerful things in life. The Bible says faith, hope and 609 00:36:19,730 --> 00:36:22,210 love. And the greatest of these is 610 00:36:22,210 --> 00:36:26,890 love. And I have hope in my calling 611 00:36:27,530 --> 00:36:30,250 and the calling from God, the calling to God. 612 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:35,480 That God has the best life possible for me to live now and 613 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:37,720 forever. I have hope that God will give 614 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:40,400 me wisdom and in the way God calls me. 615 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:43,000 I have hope that God will give me wisdom, that He will teach my 616 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:47,800 immaturities, my selfishness and my pride, and humble me before 617 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:53,520 him and others. I have hope for the good that 618 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:57,000 God can do through me. I have hope that I can do good 619 00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:02,930 for others and to others. God threw me the hope of the 620 00:37:02,930 --> 00:37:06,410 calling of God through me provides hope in that way, and I 621 00:37:06,410 --> 00:37:08,770 hope God will give me a better life after this one. 622 00:37:09,130 --> 00:37:12,050 Every bit of God's plan gives me hope in His calling. 623 00:37:14,770 --> 00:37:16,610 He says that the eyes of your understanding, being 624 00:37:16,610 --> 00:37:19,130 enlightened, that you may know is the hope of this calling, 625 00:37:19,450 --> 00:37:23,210 that you may know where the riches of his glory, of his 626 00:37:23,210 --> 00:37:26,140 inheritance. And the Saints, I always read 627 00:37:26,140 --> 00:37:28,100 this verse, and I'm sorry if this coloring makes it 628 00:37:28,100 --> 00:37:29,580 distracting for you to try to understand. 629 00:37:29,580 --> 00:37:31,620 I was just trying to highlight certain things. 630 00:37:32,420 --> 00:37:36,580 I'd always read this like it was the glory of our inheritance. 631 00:37:37,700 --> 00:37:40,980 And I just noticed it's so cool that it's the glory of his 632 00:37:40,980 --> 00:37:45,620 inheritance. We are the glorious inheritance 633 00:37:45,620 --> 00:37:49,980 of God, he kept saying by his will, by his predetermined 634 00:37:49,980 --> 00:37:52,220 purpose, by His this, by His desire. 635 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:58,280 Is that we are His glorious inheritance, the glory of his 636 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,800 inheritance. And who and the Saints. 637 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,440 That's a wonderful thought. It brings it kind of full 638 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:06,920 circle. Yes, we have the inheritance 639 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:11,040 from God, as he's going to say in a minute, but we are his. 640 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,840 What he's looking forward to, We are his posterity. 641 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,700 We are his generation. The flip side of that, like I 642 00:38:17,700 --> 00:38:21,260 just said, and what? And also what is the exceeding 643 00:38:21,260 --> 00:38:24,500 greatness of his power toward us who believe. 644 00:38:25,100 --> 00:38:30,260 So we've got there His inheritance and us bringing us 645 00:38:30,260 --> 00:38:34,940 to him is good for him. And we also see the greatness of 646 00:38:34,940 --> 00:38:41,220 his power toward us who believe now he's no longer saying we as 647 00:38:41,220 --> 00:38:44,980 Jews or you as Gentiles. He's saying us together who 648 00:38:44,980 --> 00:38:48,030 believe. According to the working of his 649 00:38:48,030 --> 00:38:54,390 mighty power, which he worked in Christ, Christ without Christ, 650 00:38:54,390 --> 00:38:57,030 none of this happens. When he raised him from the 651 00:38:57,030 --> 00:39:01,110 dead, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly 652 00:39:01,110 --> 00:39:05,230 places, there it is again the heavenlies far above all 653 00:39:05,230 --> 00:39:08,390 principality, and power, and might and dominion, and every 654 00:39:08,390 --> 00:39:12,030 name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which 655 00:39:12,030 --> 00:39:15,880 is to come. And he put all things under his 656 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,160 feet. God put all things under Jesus's 657 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:23,160 feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 658 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:27,280 which is his body. The body of Jesus is the church, 659 00:39:27,720 --> 00:39:32,120 the fullness of him who fills all and all. 660 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,680 And that's the end of our chapter, that we as the church, 661 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,920 we're not perfect, but the institution of the church, the 662 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:42,360 goal of the church, we are to be the embodiment. 663 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:46,320 Or if Christ was here, the church should be what Christ 664 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:48,040 would be doing if Christ were here. 665 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:53,640 That's us. We are the church, the fullness 666 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:58,480 of Him who feels All in all. And I pray today that we will 667 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:04,000 walk away with a prayer for our own individual lives and a 668 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,760 prayer for our congregation together that we would. 669 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:18,360 Have a spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of 670 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:24,360 Him, that we would together have eyes that are enlightened in our 671 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:29,960 understanding to truly know the hope of His calling and the 672 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:36,120 riches of His glory, and us as the inheritance and 673 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:40,740 understanding. All how his power works toward 674 00:40:40,740 --> 00:40:43,180 us who believe. May that be our prayer. 675 00:40:43,180 --> 00:40:47,140 Because it's Paul's prayer that can only be worked on us 676 00:40:48,660 --> 00:40:51,180 individually. My heart cannot be changed. 677 00:40:51,180 --> 00:40:53,100 If yours does alone. I have to do. 678 00:40:53,540 --> 00:40:55,620 My heart has to be changed. Your heart has to be changed. 679 00:40:55,980 --> 00:40:59,580 May this all change us today. I recommend it. 680 00:40:59,580 --> 00:41:03,220 I'm going to try to do that too. Pray this section of verses that 681 00:41:03,220 --> 00:41:07,380 we will grow as Paul one of the. Church of the Ephesus and 682 00:41:07,380 --> 00:41:10,540 wherever else this letter was spread to go and that's our 683 00:41:10,540 --> 00:41:13,060 study today. If you have not been added to 684 00:41:13,060 --> 00:41:15,820 the Christ, if you're not, if you're not a faithful in Christ 685 00:41:15,860 --> 00:41:19,660 Jesus that he started addressing this letter to, we got to get 686 00:41:19,660 --> 00:41:22,060 there 1st and it's a wonderful plan. 687 00:41:22,260 --> 00:41:25,700 He wants you to hear his plan which is from the Holy Spirit, 688 00:41:26,060 --> 00:41:31,980 God teaching us His word. We need to believe that word and 689 00:41:32,300 --> 00:41:35,180 and repent of our past life change and go from my way to 690 00:41:35,180 --> 00:41:37,800 God's way. We need to confess that Jesus 691 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:42,080 Christ is the Son of God. There's no name under heaven by 692 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:44,360 which men may be saved, but through Jesus Christ. 693 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,560 Then he's the Son of God. We'd be baptized for the 694 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:50,440 remission of our sins. It's not a work for you to be 695 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:53,520 baptized to save yourself. That's not a work you are 696 00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:56,840 literally submitting. Somebody else is down there to 697 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,880 assist you in baptism. You're submitting your life to 698 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:02,840 God, to the watery grave of baptism where you access the 699 00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:05,680 blood of Jesus, we're told in Romans, and you can. 700 00:42:06,190 --> 00:42:08,750 Begin that walk with Christ And if you need support, if you need 701 00:42:08,750 --> 00:42:11,510 prayers of any kind, we're happy to provide that now, while we 702 00:42:11,510 --> 00:42:15,070 stand and while we see. We thank you for listening to 703 00:42:15,070 --> 00:42:20,470 our podcast put on by the Church of Christ at 2215 Plans Rd. in 704 00:42:20,470 --> 00:42:23,430 Bakersfield. If you would like any additional 705 00:42:23,430 --> 00:42:26,710 information or you would like to receive a free Bible 706 00:42:26,710 --> 00:42:30,590 correspondence course by mail, please e-mail us at 707 00:42:30,630 --> 00:42:37,100 info@churchofchristbakersfield.com. Our service times are Sundays at 708 00:42:37,100 --> 00:42:42,540 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM and Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. 709 00:42:43,220 --> 00:42:46,740 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 710 00:42:46,740 --> 00:42:47,580 honored guest.