https://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/trust-part-one

Praise God for His spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14)

Sunday, July 9, 2017

During WWI German U-boats were sinking as many as 50 ships a week. So, something had to be done. You could not camouflage a ship because the background is always changing. So instead, they tried to make the ship stand out in a confusing way. They would make it so you could not tell which side was the bow vs the stern. They call this Dazzle Camouflage. This is the Zebra idea. The torpedoes took as long as 3 minutes to get to their target and this messed up their aim as much as 60 degrees.

The point is sometimes you just have to think creatively out of a problem. God had a plan for our salvation. God had a creative plan and the devil could not figure it out or thwart it.

As we look at the next eleven verses in Ephesians we see Paul praising God for our awesome salvation.

My theme today is: In Ephesians 1:3-14 we see Paul praising the Lord for our great and awesome salvation.

My application is: Pray like Paul and Jesus, Pray with praise, Praise God!

Let’s open our Bibles and read: Ephesians 1:3-14:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

1. Paul starts with blessings we have from the Father (3-6)
   1. As I look at this passage it is difficult to think of what not to explain. Explaining this text could take weeks and weeks. So, I will focus more on applying.
   2. I would explain that verse 3 says it all. That is the summary. Verse 3 says Blessed bethe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. The rest is explanation and detail.
   3. I would explain that this is all one sentence in the Greek.
   4. I would explain that this is a doxology and a Psalm.
   5. I would explain that chapters 1-3 may all be a prayer.
   6. It is as if Paul cannot contain Himself.
   7. These are often called a doxology
   8. This is Paul reciting what God has done and is an expression of worship and honor to Him
   9. Starts with blessings we have from the Father (3-6) then that come through the Son (7-12) then the Holy Spirit (13-14)
   10. Jewish people used the word bless to express God’s kindness to us and our thanks and praise to Him
   11. Heavenly realms 5x’s in Ephesians: things that are happening are in those realms
   12. Christians have already been made beneficiaries of every Spiritual blessing that belongs to and comes from the Heavenly realms
   13. Verse 4: chose: divine election a constant theme in Paul’s letters
       1. He chose us
       2. He predestined us to adoption. We are part of the family of God.

• We were also chosen

1. Having been predestined before the creation of the world: holy and blameless
2. Holiness the result not the requirement

1. We could go deeper into predestination, God’s choosing and election. Scholars have debated how this works for centuries. What is clear is that we have a great and awesome and sovereign God who is in charge. He is so great that He can give us some element of freewill, yet still be in control. Some say that this is referring to God’s corporate election, that election is not about individuals but about the church. Another view is that God has elected certain people to witness to others. This is like Israel was elected, chosen and predestined but they were expected to evangelize. That is what Jonah is about.

1. In verses 7-12 Paul praises God for the blessings through the Son (7-12)
   1. I would love to particularize these and I will more in the application part of this message.
   2. I will say that we have redemption.
   3. The redemption comes through His blood.
   4. When they thought of redemption they would think of buying back a slave. There was a price in redemption.
   5. There was a price in our redemption. Our redemption came at a high cost which was from Jesus.
   6. We have forgiveness.
   7. This is all from grace.
   8. Praise God.
   9. He made known to us the mystery of His will.
   10. That is amazing in itself.
   11. We have an inheritance in Christ. This goes along with adoption.

• Then Paul praises God for the Holy Spirit (13-14)
  1. I was with Baptist churches and there are unfortunate Jokes about Baptist Churches and their lack of focus on the Holy Spirit. One such joke came out recently: the Holy Spirit is asked to leave.

CEDAR HILL, AL—The Holy Spirit arrived in power at Hope Baptist Church Sunday morning, but was asked to sit in the overflow room as He was making many church members milling about before the service uncomfortable, sources confirmed.

The church immediately activated its contingency plan, designed to cover unexpected appearances of the Holy Spirit.

As the third Person of the Trinity arrived in the foyer, ushers took a strong defensive formation, redirecting Him from the main service into the side overflow room, where He was handed a program and welcomed to watch the service on the wall-mounted TV.

“We have nothing against the Holy Spirit, as long as His arrival is submitted to the church secretary for inclusion on the bulletin by Wednesday at 3 p.m.,” head usher Gary Wall told reporters during the after-service coffee fellowship. “But He can’t just waltz on in here and expect to be given a prime spot in the back row or something. That would be chaos!”

After confining the Spirit in the room, the Baptist church reportedly posted ushers on either side to ensure He didn’t try any “funny business” at any point during the service (http://babylonbee.com/news/holy-spirit-appears-baptist-service-asked-sit-overflow-room/).

That is meant in humor, but there is a sad reality of a tacit way of denying the Holy Spirit. Francis Chan’s book Forgotten God addresses this.

1. What we see in this passage is that the Holy Spirit secures our salvation.
2. The Holy Spirit is given to us as a pledge of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is like earnest money in buying a house.
3. When I asked Meagan to marry me we went to a park and I pulled out a ring and asked her to marry me. I gave her the ring as a promise of my faithfulness.
4. The Holy Spirit given to us is like an engagement ring.

1. Some applications under the overall application of praising God.
   1. This is a prayer. We must pray like Paul.
   2. We must pray with praise. Our Father who is in Heaven, holy is His Name. His will be done, His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.
   3. We must praise God for He chose us before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless (verse 4).
   4. We must praise God that He included us (verse 4).
   5. We must praise God that He predestined us for adoption (verse 5 and 1 John 3:1).
   6. We must praise God for His love (verse 4).
   7. We must praise God for His sovereign will (verse 5).
   8. We must praise God for His grace (verse 6).
   9. We must praise God for His forgiveness and redemption in grace (verse 7).

• We must praise God for grace as His forgiveness, redemption, adoption, love, predestination, election, choosing are all free. We are not given a bill.
• We must praise God for making known to us the mystery of His will (verse 9).
• We must praise God for the inheritance (verse 11).
• We must praise God for the sealing of the Holy Spirit (verse 13-14).
• We must trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.
• We must trust that Jesus has given us an embarrassment of riches in Christ.

The German U-boats missed these camouflaged boats and Germany eventually lost the war. The devil will also miss us. The God of the universe is so much more awesome and great and wise and powerful than the devil. God created the devil. God cast the devil to earth like lightning (Luke 10:18). The devil could not figure God’s plan. God loves us and saves us. Worship Him.

Do you know how much God loves you? Do you realize how awesome His love is for you? Do you realize because of His love for you how rich you are in the Spiritual realm? Do you realize that because of God’s great love for you, you are saved or can be saved for absolutely free? You are all eligible for this free gift of salvation. Saved from what? The Bible doesn’t beat around the bush, we are saved from the eternal damnation in hell. Hell is a punishment for our sins. Beyond that God has abundantly blessed us with spiritual blessings. We have spiritual blessings such as adoption, prayer, knowledge, and many others.

My theme today is: In Ephesians 1:3-14 we see Paul praising the Lord for our great and awesome salvation.

My application is: Pray like Paul and Jesus, Pray with praise, Praise God!

Do you know Jesus? Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

This devotion from Swindoll is really good:

http://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/hope-for-survival1?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ifldailydevo&utm_campaign=daily-devotional&goal=0_daec2b65fd-11adf55a98-105519477

This Desiring God article about crying and emotions is really good as well:

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/big-kids-should-cry-more?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Email%20762017&utm_content=Daily%20Email%20762017+CID_aeb44f1bd7264aa6d038cb6165e79d43&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Read%20the%20article%20by%20medical%20doctor%20Kathryn%20Butler

Enjoy and God bless, 

Pastor Steve

An Introduction to Ephesians, God’s Letter of Encouragement in our Salvation in Christ (Ephesians 1:1-2)

Prepared and preached by Rev. Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Evangelical Friends Church in Poland, OH

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Introduction:

It is good to be here. It is wonderful to begin my pastorate with you on this day. Pastor Bobby has served faithfully as your pastor for twenty-nine years, wow! He was about my age when he was called as your pastor, maybe a couple years older than me. When I retire as your pastor I will be about his age as well. I hope to serve as your pastor a long time. I praise God for Pastor Bobby’s many years of service. To put it in perspective I think I was seven years old when Pastor Bobby was called as your pastor. I look forward to serving the Lord alongside Pastor Bobby and building a close relationship with him. I look forward to serving the Lord alongside all of you.

Today, I wish to introduce Ephesians to you.

Think about the freedoms we have.

In the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA, there’s a special display for a rickety, home-made aluminum kayak. This tiny, makeshift boat seems oddly out of place in the midst of displays for impressive Navy vessels and artifacts from significant battles on the sea. But a bronze plaque tells museum visitors the story behind this kayak’s heroic makers. In 1966, an auto mechanic named Laureano and his wife, Consuelo, decided that they could no longer live under the oppression of Cuba’s totalitarian regime. After spending months collecting scrap metal, they pieced together a boat just barely big enough for two small people. Then Laureano jury-rigged a small lawn mower engine on the back of the kayak. After months of planning and on a moonless night, they set out into the treacherous straits of Florida with only their swimsuits on. They had enough food and water for two days. After 70 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued the couple just south of the Florida Keys. Was it worth the risk? Laureano said, “When one has grown up in liberty, you realize how important it is to have freedom. We live in the enormous prison which is Cuba, where one’s life is not worth one crumb. Where one goes out into the street and does not know whether or not one will return because the political police can arrest you without any warning and put you in prison. Before this could happen to us, we thought that going into the ocean and risking death or being eaten by sharks, is a million times better than to stay suffering under political oppression.”

The Los Angeles Times reported several years ago the story of a man and wife who died in their fifties and they found them dead in their apartment and the autopsy revealed they both died of malnutrition. What was interesting was that when the police found their bodies, which had already begun to decay by the time they were discovered, they searched the apartment and found in the closet a whole pile of little paper bags and they opened the little paper bags and found a total of $40,000. It’s a little ridiculous to die of malnutrition, and have $40,000 in paper bags in your closet.

Understand that you are all spiritually rich. You are wealthy in Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Savior and He has blessed us with spiritual wealth. Ephesians teaches us of our awesome salvation in Christ.

 My theme today: Paul writes Ephesians and encourages us about our rich salvation.

I have an application for you: Be encouraged by your salvation, surrender to the Lord and share Jesus with others.

Read with me Ephesians 1:1-2:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Let’s talk about the passage.
   1. The passage begins with “Paul.” Paul is the sender. He is the author. Some more recently have challenged his authorship for various reasons, though they do not hold any water. It is very clear by Biblical Scholars that Paul wrote this letter inspired by the Spirit. Some people say that Paul did not write this letter because he does not talk about specific people and issues. Some say he did not write this letter because he acts like he does not know them.
      1. One of my sources addressed that:
      2. The Gospel spread so he would not have known everything about the groups it spread to in modern day Turkey. The question of Paul’s apparent unfamiliarity with his readers can easily be explained. The ESV Study Bible says: Ancient archaeological evidence has shown that Ephesus controlled a large network of outlying villages and rural areas up to 30 miles (48 km) from the city. Also, Acts 19:10 reveals that reports of Paul’s preaching during his stay at Ephesus had radiated out to “all the residents of Asia.” Hence, Paul would not have been personally acquainted with newer pockets of believers in the Ephesian villages and rural farms that had sprung up since his stay in the city a few years before the writing of this letter.

• Moreover, many have suggested that Ephesians in its present form stems from the Ephesus copy of a circular letter to several Asian churches that Tychicus was delivering in the course of his journey to Colossae, along with the letter to the Colossians (Col. 4:7–9). Therefore, the absence of personal greetings is no cause for surprise.

1. The passage continues, “Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus…”
   1. As an application Paul was an Apostle of Christ Jesus (verse 1), this means we must take this letter seriously.
   2. Paul was an Apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will (verse 1), this means that he writes with authority over the church.
      1. As an apostle, which means “one who is sent,” this can mean that one is sent in a general sense, like a missionary. This can also mean, and in this case it does, that one, Paul, is sent in an authoritative position over the church.
      2. This behooves us to listen to these words.

• Verse 1 also means that God has a will.
  1. This verse combats deists and open-theism. Open theism teaches that God does not know the future.
  2. Deists believe that God set up the world like a watchmaker who winds a clock and lets it go. The Bible teaches the opposite. God has a will. God is intimately involved in His creation.
  3. If God has a will then we must seek Him and seek His will.

1. The passage continues: To the saints who are at Ephesus and who arefaithful in Christ Jesus: Paul wrote this letter to saints. It is encouraging to know that we are saints in Christ Jesus.
   1. In the New Testament we are always called Saints, not sinners, after salvation. As Christians, or, as I prefer to say, Christ-followers, our trajectory is towards Jesus, not sin. We are called to follow Jesus. We will miss up, but hopefully we are growing in Christ Jesus. Hopefully, the pattern is towards Jesus.
   2. How is that working out, let’s help each other out.
2. Paul calls them faithful. You know as I read that and I think about an application, I hope I can be faithful in Christ Jesus. I will pursue faithfulness.
   1. Notice, we must be faithful to Christ Jesus. Faithfulness to family, to work, to our spouse, to our neighbor all fall under faithfulness in Christ. Jesus is our most important relationship. We must not make an idol of our job. We must not make our spouse our idol. We can do that. Jesus wants us to be faithful to our spouse, but He is first and most important.
3. The passage continues: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
   1. Paul gives them grace and peace. This is from God, who is our Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ. We are in a father-son, father-daughter, relationship with God, that is encouraging. We are family. Jesus is our Lord, this means surrender.
   2. We are so loved by God that He invites us into his family. This is called “adoption.” We have privileges of family. See 1 John 3:1).
   3. How awesome is it to be saved. As we get into Ephesians we see that the first few chapters are all about our salvation. Ephesians is rich in what is called “soteriology.” This means the study of salvation. Don’t miss this. We make many errors in Theology, like heresy errors, because we do not care to understand our salvation.
      1. I know, sure, some would say, “I don’t care how I am saved, as long as I am saved.” I can understand some truth to that. But, then how do we know we are saved?
         1. How do we know how to lead others to salvation?
         2. Do we know if we have to do anything to saved?

• Do we have to do anything to stay saved?

1. Do we have to be concerned of losing our salvation?
2. What are we saved unto?
3. What is our relationship with our Savior?

1. Ephesians gets into these topics, not completely, but in many ways. The first three chapters of Ephesians are ripe with wonderful, glorious Theology. They are ripe, like a beautiful garden with our salvation.
   1. You know what it is like when everything is dead in the winter, no life in the trees, or the grass, yet no snow either. But then comes spring, everything is green and blooming and colorful and vivacious. That is Ephesians. Ephesians is blooming with salvation which means it is blooming with life.
   2. How many of you have seen the Sound of Music? Remember the beginning when it shows all these beautiful images of The Swiss Alps? That is Ephesians, it is rich, beautiful, wonderful!
2. Mercedes, my five, almost six-year old daughter was with me looking at a newly paved parking lot and she said, “This parking lot is beautiful.” She had seen the old terrible parking lot at Wal-Mart and now she saw the new, fresh parking lot and just thought it was beautiful. Ephesians is beautifully written about our new life in Christ.
3. We learn about our free gift of salvation.
4. We learn that this gift is opened to everyone.

4. Grace is a gift. Ephesians chapters 1-3 are all about our gift of salvation in Christ. By God’s mercy we are saved. We must share this salvation and we must also be encouraged to live for Christ.

1. Let’s talk briefly about the location:
   1. The date: Because Paul mentions his imprisonment (3:1; 4:1; 6:20), this letter should be dated to c. a.d. 62 when Paul was held in Rome (Acts 28)

• Let’s talk briefly about the overview of the book/letter
  1. Chapters 1-3 are Theology
  2. Chapters 4-6 are practical church matters encouraging unity and godly living and unity
  3. Constable writes: Norman B. Harrison considered Ephesians, Philippians, and Colosians as written to the spiritual man, 1 and 2 Corinthians and Galatians as written to the carnal man, and Romans as written to the natural man
  4. There are many themes but I wish to name a few: One scholar in Christ shares: For example, chapter 1 verse 7 talks about the riches of His grace, at the end of the verse. Chapter 3 verse 8 talks about the unsearchable riches of Christ. Chapter 3 verse 16 – the riches of His glory. So you have the riches of His grace, the riches of His glory and the riches of His Son. In other words, God is unloading all of His riches in the book of Ephesians. The word grace is used 12 times. And the word grace means God’s unmerited, undeserved kind­ness and favor. Grace is behind all of this lavishness that God pours out. So the word grace is used 12 times.
  5. The word glory is used 8 times. The word inheritance is used 4 times. The word riches is used 5 times. The words fullness and filled are used 7 times. And the key to everything is the phrase “in Christ” which is used 27 times. It is because we are in Christ that all of the fullness of all the riches of the inheritance of the glory of His grace is ours. Do you see? Because we are one with Christ in His church, because we are redeemed, this incredible fullness is ours. Maybe the sum of it all is in chapter 3 verse 20 – “That you might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Close:

There was a lady known in American history known as Hetty Green. Hetty Green was called “America’s Greatest Miser.” When she died in 1916, this is a long time ago, when she died in 1916 she left an estate value at $100 million. That’s a lot of money in 1916. But Hetty Green was so miserly that she said she ate cold oatmeal because it was too expensive to heat the water to warm it. Her son had a severe leg injury and it was so severe that she was delaying trying to find a free clinic where it could be treated and she delayed so long it had to be amputated. In fact she got apoplexy one time and hastened her own death by arguing the merits of skim milk because it was cheaper than whole milk. Now that’s a strange lady, folks. To die with $100 million in your estate and your son loses his leg and you actually encourage your own death and eat cold oatmeal all your life – that’s really not understanding how to use your resources.

Remember in Jesus you are rich. Understand and be encouraged by your great and awesome wealth in Christ.

But, don’t forget your first love. The church at Ephesus forgot their first love: listen:

Rev. 2:1-7:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

 How are you doing with Scripture memory? I propose we memorize this short letter together. Between now and the end of October I think we can do it.

Let’s learn Ephesians 1:1-2 in the next week.

Do you know Jesus? Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

http://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/the-fine-art-of-blowing-it

I just read this and it is really good: 

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-most-important-text-on-marriage?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Email%206282017&utm_content=Daily%20Email%206282017+CID_004df66151014362c50918f82f10a360&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Continue%20reading%20this%20important%20truth%20to%20help%20foster%20a%20healthy%20marriage

I have been delaying writing this for some time, but I believe the time has come. Last month I accepted the position as Senior Pastor of Bethel Friend Church in Poland, Ohio. On Memorial Day weekend I announced my resignation from First Baptist Church in Alliance, Ohio. Currently, I am sitting at my desk in the First Baptist office and it is like a home when all the children have been raised and are out of the house. Sure, the child care is active, so there is the normal activity in the building. But my office of six years and almost two months is empty of the books and items that made it personal to me. This is my final office day at First Baptist.

This transition is bitter and sweet. I am comfortable here. I know the names of everyone. I know the community. I know the building. I know the church. Both our children have attended child care here. Mercedes went through preschool here at First Baptist.  First Baptist has been like a family to us. They have all been supportive of our family. They have been supportive of me with Meagan’s disability. They have been supportive of our children. Yet, for various reasons we believed God was leading us out to Poland, Ohio.

On Saturday morning I will drive to Poland and begin putting my books on the shelves there. I will begin making the pastor’s study personal to me over there. On Sunday I will preach on Ephesians 1:1-2 there at Poland. On Sunday or Monday I will post that sermon to this blog. I will continue posting the sermons only they will be from my pastorate at Poland.

My prayers will remain with First Baptist and Alliance, OH.

2 Cor. 13:14:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

My love to all of you,

Pastor Steve

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/love-suffers-long?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Email%206252017&utm_content=Daily%20Email%206252017+CID_b76df911bf20d35f2a847ca0fe2f27ca&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Read%20the%20latest%20from%20Jon%20Bloom

I found this as a Great article by one of Ravi Zacherias’ team: 

http://rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/everyone-believes-in-a-virgin-birth/