Counting Our Blessings Series

Count Your Many Blessings Eph. 1:1-6

· Begin a study on the Book of Ephesians this morning. It is about knowing what you have in the bank, heaven’s bank!

1) I am amazed at how much time is spent by Paul

and other NT writers to remind us of all that is

ours in Christ!

2) I am afraid that in our day as what must have been

true in Paul’s day as well is that so many Christians are not living out of the resources that are rightfully theirs through their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Probably never heard of Hetty Green. She died in 1916 and left an estate with an estimated value of $100 Million Dollars(not pesos and not 1960 but 1916).

Hetty regularly ate cold oatmeal because it cost too much to heat it.

Her son had his leg amputated because she took so long to get him adequate care because she was looking for a free clinic.

Hetty died in the midst of an argument over milk, she argued that skim was best because it was the cheapest.

She was wealthy but she lived like a PAUPER. She never enjoyed nor benefited from the riches that were hers.

A second person I heard about lived on the West Coast of America living in poverty until one day he found out that he was the only living heir to a British Nobleman. What do you think this guy did when he found out? Went to the clothing store and bought the best suit he could find, bought a 1st class ticket to London and returned to England in style!

HE BELIEVED WHAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD WAS TRUE AND HE BEGAN TO ACT UPON IT!!!

Which illustration best describes your spiritual life?

· Paul gives a long list of blessings which are our in Christ in the book of Ephesians and encourages us to walk in them and not live in the poverty of this world.

· Three areas I want us to look at in these verse. First is to look at the EXAMPLE OF PAUL’S LIFE

THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL’S LIFE (1) Paul, an apostle of Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus;

· Amazing when you stop and remember who Paul actually was when we first met him in the pages of the Bible. He was named Saul and was an antagonist to the Church of Jesus Christ. His life is an amazing example of the power of God’s grace to change even the most aggressive foe of the gospel.

· PAUL KNEW OF CHRIST’S RICHES and HIS LIFE WAS THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF THEIR BEING SPENT

1. PAUL KNEW WHO HE WAS IN GOD’S PLAN: 1) Paul, an apostle of Christ by the will of God,

a. The problem most believers have is that they don’t know who they are in God’s plan, how they fit into all that God is doing in the world. They go through the motions of church life but never really live out any calling in their lives.

Now suppose you were writing this epistle. Take out the name Paul, and insert your name. Jim, an engineer by the will of God. John, a technitian by the will of God. We may not all be called to be an Apostle like Paul but we all do have some calling and you can’t live it until you know it!!!

b. Who are you by the will of God? That is one of the most important questions we must answer in life. God does not hide His will but makes it freely known to a surrendered heart.

John 7:17 “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.

2. PAUL KNEW WHO HE WAS CALLED TO MINISTER TO to the saints who are at Ephesus

a. Part of every Christian’s life is the element of reaching out for the sake of the gospel into the life of someone else. Paul knew he was called to build churches and encourage believers.

b. Who are you called to reach? Ministry to children, Women’s ministry, men’s, witnessing to lost people, teenagers? Encouraging believers through musical talents? Drama? Paul’s life was an example in that he knew who he was called to reach.

3. PAUL KNEW WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE LIVES HE MINISTERED TO who are faithful in Christ Jesus

a. He knew what really meant his ministry was having an impact. Didn’t say anything about numbers or money or building programs but simply faithfulness to Christ. The TRUE TEST of any ministry.

b. Various Scriptures you see Paul’s heart that believers become more and more like Jesus Christ.