How God Sees Us Series

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SLIDEHow G Sees Us

August 17, 2014

Ephesians 1:7-9

It always amazes me how we view people. Sometimes we don’t give people very much credit. We don’t see who they really are, we don’t look deep enough, we don’t see their potential. Too often we give up on people who have amazing potential, and sadly they listen . . . and they give up.

I was reading about some famous people who were rejected, who were told they weren’t good enough, but they had enough drive and determination not to listen.

One person was rejected as too awkward and clumsy to be a ball boy in a tennis match. Yet, Stan Smith went on to become the number one ranked tennis player in the world (1972-1973).

Louis L’Amour, author of over 100 western novels – received over 300 rejections before publishing his first book.

Ray Bradbury, author of over 100 science fiction novels, received around 800 rejections before selling his first story.

A rejection slip for Dr. Seuss said ~ “Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.”

‘Balding, skinny, can dance a little,’ they said of Fred Astaire at his first audition.

Beethoven’s music teacher declared him ‘hopeless’ at composing.

Albert Einstein’s parents feared he was sub-normal.

A missionary’s daughter battled an uncontrollable urge to run out of a revival. It wasn’t conviction that made her squirm. It was her response to what she considered appalling preaching. She later married the man, Billy Graham.

“I think I may say without contradiction that when the Paris Exhibition closes, electric light will close with it, and no more will be heard of it.” -Professor Erasmus Wilson of Oxford University

Walt Disney was fired for ‘lacking ideas’. Adapted from http://net-burst.net/hot/cope.htm

My point — — the world has one view of us, but God has a totally different view of us. God looks at us with such a powerful love, grace and hope. It’s so powerful and filled with strength that we should be super strong if we would realize how much He can do for us and wants to do for us. But too often we sit back and don’t believe this.

Last week we were looking at Ephesians 1, and I want to look at verses 7-10. The apostle Paul wrote ~

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 upon us, in all wisdom and insight

9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ

10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. — Ephesians 1:3-10

A little bit ago we heard the song — “The Longer I Serve Him the Sweeter He Grows.” So, what does that mean in light of these words from Paul? Is it even true? In spite of the hardships, the troubles of life, the disappointments, the grief, the sadness . . . is it true, that the longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows?

Some of our senior saints have been through lots of life, and they don’t have a doubt that Christ has gotten them through the storms. I love the angle Gene Bogue took as he said this ~

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Isn’t that great? How many of us have wondered if we were being blessed by an angel of God. Remember what the writer of Hebrews 13:2 said ~ Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Ah, you see, Gene knows Christ has made a difference in his life. He knows Christ has never left him, and his faith is strong, and Gene knows that because of who Jesus is in his life, Gene helps others. He helps people he does not know. Why? Because he believes if God has richly blessed him, then he should richly bless others. And you never know . . . you just might be entertaining an angel without knowing it.

You see, Paul told us 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,

I want you to understand this. In who? In Christ and through Christ we have been redeemed. We have redemption. It means we have been ransomed from our captivity to sin. You see, Jesus paid for our freedom from bondage. He paid for it with the shedding of His blood on the cross.

It was the righteous One, the One without sin, the One who was perfect and pure — he had to become the sacrifice so we could find freedom from sin and have the entrance to eternal life (today and tomorrow). Without that sacrifice we are stuck. We would never realize the blessings we have in store for us. You see, verse 3 tells us we have received every spiritual blessing. So think of it this way, the spiritual blessings flow to us through the blood of Christ. It’s like a river which is flowing, never to be backed up or clogged. It’s those blessings which are always open to us. They will never fail us, they will never disappear unless we reject them.