Sermon: There is a Call For You!
Jesus Christ our All In ALL
A bank in Binghamton, New York sent a floral arrangement to a business that had recently moved into a new building. There was a mix up at the florist, and the card sent with the arrangement read, “With our deepest sympathy.” The florist apologized, but became even more embarrassed when he learned that the floral arrangement sent to a funeral home read, “Congratulations on your new location.”
For many of us, who are Christian anyway, we look forward to heaven, we look forward to our new location.
Ask any little boy or girl who has lost a mom or a dad in death and they will tell you that their mom or dad is waiting for them in heaven.
Ask any elderly gentleman or lady who has lost their lifetime spouse and they will say they cant wait to be reunited in heaven.
Heaven holds for us all the things earth does not. It holds a chance, it holds a possiblility that maybe this life is not all there is.
Thank goodness that this(pointing to grave) is not all there is. Thank goodness we can go on and we are not limited to this life or in the case of Brians dad, not this death.
We have been given a shot at that heavenly eternal life by means of Christ Jesus. He has made it possible for us to receive the heavenly gift.
Now its all good and well to say that heaven is ours if we are little boys and girls. I mean haven’t we been taught from the time we could reason our way out a hiding that if you are good you go to heaven and if you are naughty you go to hell.
But what does that do for us right now God? What does that do for us while we are down here slogging away at trying to be good, doing our utmost to figure out a good way to live lif and it seems sometimes that all we get is the bum deal.
Whether you are Christian or not, you have to admit that for a bunch of people who are loved by God as much as he loves us, we do sometimes come off second best.
Oh we can walk around and whine about how difficult life is, we can walk around complaining and speaking more depression and woe is me into your life, or we can stand up and start living our lives like we are going to heaven.
If you are invited out to a very larny place or dinner. Black tie is required. During the day and while you are getting ready for to go, you get ready to go don’t you. You purchase new clothing, you prepare things, you get dressed in your best, and you live life like you are going somewhere special.
Well if we are going to heaven, start living your life like you are going somewhere special.
Lets be honest here.
We have already come along way in Christ. Turn to your neighbour, pat them on the back and say “You have come along way in Christ.”
I mean lets look at where we would be without the belief of Jesus. We would be sinners without any possibility of bettering ourselves. Improving who we are...
But we had to do die to that old life. We died and repented from the old way of life.
And then through the resuurection of Jesus, we were able to be resuurected or born again to a new way. A new set of ways of doing things.
So we have died, we have risen.
And thats where many of us stay. We are Christian. We believe in Jesus Christ and we have become better people. Well let me tell you, if thats all there was, I would be climbing off the Christian bus right now. Thank you God that repentance is an on going journey. Thank you Lord I am working every day at things to improve, be better, try harder and conquer more.
But there is more. You see if we are truly modelling our lives after Christ, then yes we died with him, yes we rose with him, But according to Eph 2:6, we have also ascended with him to heaven.
So we don’t have to wait for the walker to need oil, the walking stick to go for a service or the ventilator to pack up for us to meet our God. Because of what Christ has done by takng us with him when he acended, we can start right now with a relationship with God, that is so direct, so personal that the conversation Brian had with God can be yours.
We need to start living a life not like we have so much to do still before we can have a relationship with God, but we need to start living a life knowing that we are already there.
Knowing that, will changehow you life your life.
It will turn you into more than just a recycled Christian, it will take you as a believer from having died and been resuurected and it will make you start living an ascended life. You will be not a born again Christian, but n ascended Christian.
Say it I am an ascended Christian.
The fact that we have already ascended is one of the things that the church and scripture has defined as one of the mysteries f he Christ.
Its a mystery not because no one knows about it, but its a mystery as to why it would be done for us. Why God would think so much of us that he would want to make a way to have a personal relationhip with us.
Why do we cower so much from that personal one on one relationship with God. We do we feel so ashamed of ourselves so much. I mean thats fundamentally what we do and its that which takes us from liveing life like we are already ascended.
Its the first thing Adam and Eve did once they had sinned. They became ashamed. They hid from God. God was still very keen to have a relationship with them. He went looking for them and calling out for them in the Garden. It was not a hunt looking for the two he had to take care of because of sin. His grace then was exactly the same as it is now. Yes his means of relating to them would have to change, but he still wanted to have this relationship with them.
Today he wants the same. He so wants to have a one on one relationship with you that he did not just send Christ to die. He did not just send Christ to be resurrected, but he sent Christ to ascend too. And bring us with Christ in a sense that we can now lean over Christs and whisper in the fathers ear.
This mystery, this thing that Christ did for us without earning it, this heavenly relationship made possible with God despite us being here on earth, is all decribed for us in the book of Ephesians.
Its an incredible book and I encourage you to read it and make it your own.
But today I would like to unpack a little three primary things.
1. We are accepted through grace
2. We have risen with Christ to a heavenly relationship with God
3. How that should impact our lives
In the first 3 chapters of Ephesians, you can not but read them and feel special:
It tells us that we have/are:
Saints in Christ
Chosen by Christ
Blessed in Christ
Adopted by Christ
Lavished with love in Christ
Reeemed and forgiven in Christ
Centered in Christ
Partiipants in Gods plans through Christ
Glorified in Christ
Sealed in Christ
Heirs in Christ
Faith in Christ
Wisdom in Christ
Hope in Christ
Power in Christ
Made alive in Christ
Created in Christ
Brought near to God through Christ
Growing in Christ
Built in Christ
Shares of Gods promise through Christ
Freedom in Christ
Confidence in Christ.
Now thats Grace..... Grace because we can have all that while we are yet sinners. We can be part and parcel of God if we simply excercise faith in Christ.
Gods desire for you to live an ascended life was planned ages ago. It tells us in Eph 1:4 that it was planned before the founding of the world. God never wanted you to remain as her were, he does not want us to be constantly dying or simple living the life of resurrection, he always wanted us to ascend to have a close relationship with him. This world is dying... He wants you to live.
This decision by God to accept us and make the necessary plans for us to be able to be with Him through Christ is called redemption. Its grace on offer!
Eph 2:8
Romans 10:17
We have to take hold of that grace and be redeemed to God and them constantly be applying that grace in our lives. That will then result in us leading an ascended life. A life where God is just a call away. Leading that life is manifestation of our faith.
You think i am making this all up...Look at Eph 1:18-21
If thats the promise, We best start living teh life of thos called to heaven.
Eph 4:1
Ephesians gives us some insight as to have we can live life with our heavenly calling in mind.
It tells us that life is walk or a journey. Ephesians goes on to show that it is a conduct, attitude, consecration. In short “it is our journey before men”
This walk in Ephesians 4:1-3 tells us this walk should be humbly, lovingly and peacefully
Humbly – “Be completely humble and gentle”
Lovingly – “Be patient bearing one another in love”
Peacefully – “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Understanding the revelation of the ascended Christ will be a revelation. It will mean that we need to reveal more of ourselves to God. Eph 5:8 “Walk in the light”
Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us that we need to walk in love.
But Eph unpacks some practicalities of our walk by showing us how we can walk carefully.
You going to have to change the way you think. Eph4:23-24
This book then goes on to let us know about the nitty gritty’s of how we can change. How we can live the life of ascension.
It speaks of how you dealk with Taxis drivers in Eph 4:26
It shows us how we should behave in the pub, how we should speak, that swearing is not a trait of someone in heaven. Of someone who has a dad.
It tells us about our marriages, being parents and how we should be amongst friends.
Armour of God
You have a Dad in heaven
You can have a relationship with Him
Live your life according to your calling.
