"Knowing The Hope Of His Calling" Series

“Knowing The Hope Of His Calling”

Pastor Gary L. Smith

Text: Eph. 1:15 - 23

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Introduction:

Here the Apostle Paul writing to the Church at Ephesus says; I am praying for you that; “…the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:..”

“I pray that God may give you his Holy Spirit, by whom His will is revealed to men, that he may teach and make you wise unto salvation, that you may continue to acknowledge him, Christ Jesus, as your only Lord and Savior.”

Verse 18 is my main text this morning:

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[A] The oldest manuscripts read "heart."

Translate, "Having the eyes of your heart enlightened"

(1) The heart is the very core of life and it is from our heart that

our thoughts flow.

“Inward Vision”

(2) The eye is symbolic of intelligence.

(3) Why we need the eyes of our heart enlightened by His Word;

Prov 4:23 (KJV) 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out

of it are the issues of life.

We are commanded to guard our heart lest our affections

go astray.

Tim LaHaye says “Ignorance has never been a virtue”

[B] Paul wanted his readers to understand the things of God.

(1) He wanted his readers and all that he preached and testified to,

to know the Hope or “Confidence” of salvation and life after

death.

I. We Can Know What Lies Ahead

[A] I want to take a look at what is waiting for us in Heaven.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (KJV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

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[A] “An inheritance incorruptible”

(1) It is called an inheritance because it belongs to the children of

God.

(2) Eternal life cannot be a gift to anyone except the children of

God.

(3) In Heaven, the lot is dealt out according to law: if children, then

heirs; if not children, then not heirs.

[B] Incorruptible -- Our inheritance will never decay, never dissolve,

never fade, never rust, never give way to the

elements.

(1) The splendor and the luster of Heaven will never fade away.

(2) The passing of time means nothing.

(3) There is no sun to bleach away the luster.

(4) Jesus is the light of Heaven, a light that will never go out.

(5) No night fall over there. Darkness represents evil.

(6) No evil over there.

[C] We as Christians have a glorious future ahead of us!

(1) You can know a little about that future by studying the Prophetic

Scriptures.

(2) If you don’t study them for yourself, if you never hear them

preached on or taught on, you will never know for certain.

(3) Being sure of our future helps us hold on today!!

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II. There Will Be A Separation Of The Good From The Evil.

Matt 13:36-43 (KJV)

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;