INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• We all need a reason to wake up in the morning. We need something to get our heart pumping.
• I know when I get up to go riding on the bicycle I need something to get me out of the bed to go workout.
• We need purpose!
• We need a reason for our heart to beat when we wake up each day. Life can be tough as well as a joy.
• When we have purpose in life, life takes on new meaning. Over the next few weeks I hope I can give you some reasons for your heart to beat.
• The reasons we will explore can add passion to our sometimes listless faith. The reasons we will examine together can give depth and purpose to our faith as well as the resolve to stand strong in the face of adversity.
• Today we will see our first reason for our heart to beat each day! TO PRAISE HIS GLORY!
• Today I want to share four reasons we can live to PRAISE HIS GLORY. In Christ God has given us many things and these blessings can make life full of meaning and purpose.
• Let us begin in Ephesians 1:3.
• SLIDE #2
• Ephesians 1:3 (HCSB) Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. In Jesus you have every spiritual blessing.
• As Paul is writing this letter to the church at Ephesus, he begins with a list of reasons to praise God.
• It is so easy to lose sight of who should get the glory in life. When we just live for our own glory, life starts to get empty and at some point void of meaning.
• Well Paul reminds the readers of a great reason to Praise God’s glory!
• The word “blessed” comes from the verb meaning “to speak well of.”
• To say "blessed" be God, we are "blessing" God by recognizing and attributing worth to him. It is a word of praise and reverence.
• When we are BLESSED by God is means that God has done something for our benefit, to help us to prosper, to give us contentment.
• We have people in life that we love and want to see be blessed. God loves you and wants to see you be blessed also.
• What we find here are a couple of things. First our SPIRITUAL blessings by God come through Jesus. In other words without Jesus we are not blessed by God, that only happens through Jesus.
• Second, how many blessings do those who are in Christ receive? EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING!
• What does this mean, what does it mean to have every spiritual blessing? Mainly it means that since we know God, we have everything we need in order to grow spiritually!
• WE do not have to ask for these blessings, God lavishes every spiritual blessing upon us in Christ!
• The blessings spoken of here are not physical nor the blessings given by the Spirit, but rather word SPIRITUAL denotes the quality of the blessings as eternal and imperishable.
• God will not withhold from those obediently in Christ!
• SLIDE #4
• Romans 8:32 (HCSB) He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?
• These blessing from God do not refer to a FUTURE blessing but rather a current reality.
• We do not have to wait until the return of the Lord to receive our spiritual blessings, they all come now!
• God gives you all you need in order foster a healthy, growing, fulfilling relationship with Him!
• Let’s look at verses 4-6.
• SLIDE #5
• Ephesians 1:4–6 (HCSB) 4 For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.
• SLIDE #6
II. In Jesus you have been adopted into God’s family.
• This is a great thought to contemplate. Before the foundation of the world, God decided that whoever would believe in Jesus would have the privilege of being adopted into God’s family.
• Without getting too deep into the predestination issue, biblically what we are told here is that God predestined the plan by which those of their own free will would be able to be a part of God’s family; they would be saved by accepting Jesus of their own free-will.
• God did not pick people individually to be saved; He derived the plan by which folks could be saved.
• Notice verse 5 reminds us that in LOVE HE predestined us (those who accept Jesus) to be adopted through Jesus Christ Himself!
• Another reason by the way that we cannot save ourselves.
• You cannot adopt yourself into someone’s family, you have to be ADOPTED!
• It would be nice to be able to adopt yourself into someone’s family. I tease Lil that she needs to adopt me.
• Many think they can just tell God, I am in your family now, but without being immersed into Christ, that will not happen.
• SLIDE #7
• Romans 6:3–4 (HCSB) Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.
• SLIDE #8
• Galatians 3:27 (HCSB) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment.
• Now here is something we need to realize concerning being adopted into God’s family.
• When you go back to verse 4 it reminds us, 4 For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight
• We are called to reflect the God we serve in the life we live. WE will not be sinless perfect, but we need to strive to be holy and blameless in our actions and attitudes.
• A healthy family will have standards by which they expect members of the family to live by.
• When we are adopted into God’s family it happens through God’s grace He has given us through Jesus!
• In Christ, you have a family to spend eternity with!
• Let’s turn to verses 7-8 for a third reason to Praise His Glory!
• SLIDE #9
• Ephesians 1:7–8 (HCSB) 7 We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
• SLIDE #10
III. In Jesus you have received redemption and forgiveness.
• How many lives have been wrought with guilt and shame? I bet all of us or most of us have unresolved guilt over something in life.
• When you are riddled with guilt, it is hard to enjoy life. Being dogged by guilt will just make life sad and miserable.
• Also being enslaved to sin will make life rough. Sin seems fun for a season but there is always a price to pay. Sin enslaves us, BUT in Christ all that changes!
• WE are told we have REDEMPTION in Jesus, through His blood!
• Redemption means to be bought back with a price.
• There were 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire, and often they were bought and sold like pieces of furniture. But a man could purchase a slave and set him free, and this is what Jesus did for us. Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament - The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 2.
• In Christ you are FREE!
• SLIDE #11
• Romans 6:17–18 (HCSB) But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
• Being freed from the bondage of sin is reason to celebrate, but there is more!
• FORGIVENESS!
• I bet we all have someone in life who has not forgiven us, and we feel the sting, we feel the pain and hurt.
• Well in Jesus we are forgiven!
• SLIDE #12
• Acts 2:38 (HCSB) “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• When you are forgiven, God does not hold your past sins over your head, they are washed away!
• But still, many people feel so guilty about their sin they feel they cannot serve God
• Well that is not what God wants for you!
• SLIDE #13
• Romans 8:1 (HCSB) Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,
• What other reason could we have to Praise God’s Glory?
• Reason 4! Turn to verses 9-10
• SLIDE #14
• Ephesians 1:9–10 (HCSB) 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him 10 for the administration of the days of fulfillment —to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him.
• SLIDE #15
IV. In Jesus God has revealed His will to you.
• People are searching for spiritual answers to an often times confusing world. People are looking for answers, but many are looking in the wrong places.
• People will spend a lifetime looking for what is missing in life, trying to fill the opening with everything imaginable.
• When we are in Christ, God reveals to us the plan, in Christ everything will be brought together in Christ!
• The word “mystery” in the Bible does not mean something that is complicated, obscure, and difficult to understand. It means something that was kept secret until God chose to reveal it.
• No man could have guessed in advance that God would save the world by the death of his Son, but once God announced it, it was plain and marvelously simple.College Press NIV Commentary, The - The College Press NIV Commentary – Galatians & Ephesians.
• Since the fall of man, we have had a separation from God. In Jesus we know we will not be separated from God!
• In the New Testament we have God’s plan laid out before us, and we know we need to be ready for the return of Jesus at any minute!
• This gives us focus and purpose!
• Verse 10 reminds us that God’s master plan was going to go into effect on God’s timetable.
• WE can be a part of making the return of the Lord a wonderful time for all the folks we help win to Jesus!
CONCLUSION
• We have many reasons to wake up each day and Praise God’s glory!
• He has done so much for you, give Him praise, the ultimate praise you can give Him is to give Him your life!
• Are you ready?
