LIFE AS YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED
Ephesians 1:15-23
S: Resurrection Power
Th: Seeing the Unseen Christ: How His Presence
Transforms Life.
Pr: WE CAN LIVE GOD’S GIFT OF LIFE AT ITS BEST.
?: How?
KW: Discoveries
TS: We will find in Ephesians 1:15-23 three discoveries that help us to live life at its best.
The _____ discovery that helps us to live life at its best is the…
I. PERSON OF GOD (15-17)
II. PROMISE OF GOD (18)
III. POWER OF GOD (19-23)
RMBC 4/15/01 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Life (Facts of Life—selected)
There are certain facts of life to which one must pay attention to. For example…
1. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
2. Psychiatrists say that 1 of 4 people are mentally ill. Check 3 friends. If they’re OK, you’re it.
3. It has recently been discovered that research causes cancer in rats.
4. Always remember to pillage BEFORE you burn.
5. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
Have you ever wondered…
1. Why is there so much skepticism about life?
(Yes, I spelled there wrong—the spellchecker’s fault…)
After reading a list like that you may think the skepticism is warranted.
But, as a pastor, as I have watched people be born and grow and die, I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people don’t know how to live.
There is a bumper sticker that says, “He who has the most toys at the end, wins.”
Do they?
Do they really?
Is that life at its best?
DRAMA: “Behind the Scenes”
This drama, this morning has challenged us about life.
What is life really about?
Is it about fun and pleasure?
Or is it about pretend that everything is okay and perfect?
What about your life?
2. What do people think about the life you live?
Is it real, or is it something pretend?
TRANSITION:
1. Today is Day 50 of our 50-day adventure called, Seeing the Unseen Christ: How His Presence Transforms Life.
It has been our desire during this adventure to understand the difference our lives will have when we are aware of Christ’s Presence.
When we see the unseen Christ, we…
1.1 Worship with genuine enthusiasm.
To worship means to attribute worth, so when we realize that Jesus is here, we sing songs of praise with great feeling.
After all, we are singing them to Someone!
You know, if Jesus were to walk down here, many of us would bow, we might even stretch out prostrate, the body language of worship.
We would be filled with awe—in the fullest sense of the word.
We would also…
1.2 Lavish His love on one another.
Our Lord is incredibly loving, and if He was here, He would tell us how important it is to love each other.
And He would point to His own example, the demonstration of His own life.
His example would cause us to find a whole new dimension of love, that is, we would want to demonstrate love to others in a way that Christ received the credit.
Next, we would…
1.3 Embrace righteousness and renounce evil.
If Jesus were here, he would show us a holiness, a wholeness, a wholesomeness that we would want to emulate.
This means our shortcomings would come clearly into focus for what they were.
We would become gravely concerned about our own self-destructive patterns for we would see our sins for what they were, an offense to God.
And as a result, tears would flow freely as we recognized the awfulness of our sin.
Then we would…
1.4 Eagerly serve Christ.
We would be grateful for the opportunity.
Because He always acts with righteousness and truth, we would be glad to take any assignment.
Along with that we would want to do what He wants.
This means we would…
1.5 Surrender to the truth of God’s Word.
In the realization that His yoke is easy and His burden light, we would desire to be obedient, surrendering to His authority and demands.
We would know that doing His bidding is a wise response.
Being aware of His Presence also means we would…
1.6 Experience the privilege of authentic prayer.
We can talk to Him about our needs and we can take the concerns of loved ones to Him.
We know that He positively affects our lives.
So, in the process, we learn to make requests that are fitting His attention.
Finally, we…
1.7 Delight in introducing Him to others.
If during the last seven weeks, Jesus had been physically present, I believe you would have invited someone by now.
You would have them meet this unique person whose Presence has transformed your life.
Well, that all being said, let us understand on this last day of the adventure the difference the Presence of Jesus makes in our midst.
And it is this…
2. WE CAN LIVE GOD’S GIFT OF LIFE AT ITS BEST.
We can celebrate God’s gift of life at its best.
We can enjoy life.
We can discover that there’s really no better way to live.
But how does this happen?
ILL Johnny Lingo
Johnny Lingo was a handsome bachelor in a village where the custom was that a man would pay a dowry to the father in order to be granted permission to marry the daughter. The average dowry price for a maiden was three cows, although an exceptionally beautiful girl might go for as high as five cows.
One day, Johnny Lingo went to the father of Sarita to negotiate a dowry. Tongues immediately began to wag, for it was well known that Sarita was not very pretty. In fact, she was considered to be rather plain. On the other hand, Johnny Lingo was known for being such a sharp negotiator that some speculated that he might be able to obtain Sarita for as low as one cow.
However, Johnny Lingo did nothing of the sort. He marched up to Sarita’s father and offered eight cows for her hand in marriage. Eight cows! It was unheard of! No one had ever paid such a high price for a bride. And for such a plain woman as Sarita!
But after the wedding, a strange thing happened. Sarita began to take on a noble bearing. Her head was held high. Her eyes sparkled. She beamed with an inner glow. And in the years that followed, she became known as the most beautiful woman in the entire village. People would come from afar to see her, as her radiant grace became almost legendary.
One day, Johnny Lingo was asked why he had paid such an exorbitant price for a wife. He replied, “I really loved Sarita and wanted to express the high value of our marriage. Her self-esteem has been greatly elevated as she realizes that her dowry price was higher than any other woman in the village.” Then with a grin, he added, "But the other reason I had was that I wanted to marry an eight-cow wife."
God paid the highest possible price for you.
Not merely in cows, but in His one and only Son.
That makes you a prized possession of inestimable value.
3. You are special to God.
No one loves you more.
No one—no one—has made more of an investment in you than God.
With that in mind…
4. We will find in Ephesians 1:15-23 three discoveries that help us to live life at its best.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first discovery that helps us to live life at its best is the PERSON OF GOD (15-17).
(15) For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, (16) I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (17) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
ILL Notebook: Knowledge (H20)
A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” And for plenty of good reasons, since:
1. It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting.
2. It is a major component in acid rain.
3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state.
4. Accidental inhalation can kill you.
5. It contributes to erosion.
6. It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
7. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
The freshman asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical. Forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and the last one? Well, only one knew that the chemical, dihydrogen monoxide, was water (H2O).
You know, there is always room to grow.
And when it comes to knowledge, there is room to grow.
When it comes to relationships, there is room to grow.
The promise of Scripture is helpful here, for it says that when you draw near to God, He draws near to you.
We can know God better.
I can really relate to Paul’s prayer.
I rejoice in the faith that I find here.
When I see people believing and acting on it, it brings tears to my eyes.
When I see the potential of disunity averted because the love for each other dominates, I get genuinely excited.
But I also know that we are never to settle.
I would be remiss as your shepherd if I let you settle.
The goal of our adventure is spiritual renewal, so don’t settle for where you are in your relationship with Jesus.
You can live life at its best when you are willing to know Him better.
II. The second discovery that helps us to live life at its best is the PROMISE OF GOD (18).
(18) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…
ILL Notebook: Confidence (old age)
In conversation, Mary Kline’s adult son, Larry, expressed concern about her future. Confident in her children’s love, she announced, “I’m not going to worry about old age. I have four kids, and I’ll just spend three months with each one.”
"Yes," Larry replied, "but what are you going to do the second year?"
Now, that hurt.
He was just kidding, I think.
But, you know, we can have real confidence.
We can know His hope.
1. Hope is confidence that life in the will of God is going somewhere.
When God is in our life, when we have His call, we find that life is worth living.
What we do here, we do because we are convinced that it makes a difference.
We acknowledge that there is a war going on—a spiritual war, and so…
2. We live with eternity in view.
We believe, unashamedly, that life and time are not an endless spiral.
Our world speaks of order, not chaos and chance.
We believe that the God we serve intervenes in human history and that He specifically came in Jesus.
Not only that, He comes into personal, individual lives.
This is our hope.
This is our confidence.
We live in this promise, and it is here we find life at its best.
III. The third discovery that helps us to live life at its best is the POWER OF GOD (19-23).
(19) …and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, (20) which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (21) far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (22) And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, (23) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
1. Consider the magnificence of Christ. He is…
1.1 Raised
We rightly focus on the cross.
We especially did that this past Friday evening at our Good Friday service.
For the cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love.
But you know what?
It is not the end of the story!
We also need to focus on the empty tomb and God’s power.
The cross was not the end.
We have hope and confidence because there is an empty tomb.
Death has a fatal flaw.
It has no hold on Jesus.
For now, He is…
1.2 Exalted
Jesus sits at the right hand of God.
He is above all other rule, authority, power, and dominion.
Nothing and no one can stand up to Him.
He is the name that is above very other name.
For, He is…
1.3 Lord
All things are in subjection to Him.
And He is our head, the head of the church, the head of this church.
ILL Niagara Falls
We know here the overwhelming beauty and power of Niagara Falls. It is truly one of the most spectacular displays of the force of nature. I don’t know if you have ever had this experience, but there is a visitors’ center located immediately beside the Falls. And one visitor one time went into the men’s room. And when he turned the faucet, only a trickle of water emerged. Imagine the irony of all that waterpow-er literally a few feet away, while inside the building there was not enough water pressure to wash hands!
In the same way…
2. There is all kind of power that is available to you and me, but we rely on our “little trickle” of human ability instead.
Christ is present with us in the person of the Holy Spirit, but he is also bodily present with us because we are his new body, the church.
This truth means that the power of the resurrected body resides in His new body—that’s you and me—us.
This means that we live with a new quality of life here and now.
It is not something that we wait for.
We have the power to forward the cause of Christ.
Did you hear that?
We are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.
ILL life of William Booth
When William Booth‘s father died, it led him to examine his life. And as a result, he received Christ and discovered the Wesleyan church. Salvation especially became real to him, he testified, when he returned a silver pencil box to a boy he had cheated. After a while Booth felt that the regular churches weren’t doing enough to change the world. So he set up his own army of soldiers for Christ. In sixty years of active ministry, he preached 60,000 sermons, traveled 60,000 miles, and went to 55 countries to recruit 2,000,000 soldiers for his army: “The Salvation Army.” Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity reads, "The Salvation Army was concerned about spiritual rather than material conditions. The first thing to be done to improve the condition of the wretched was to get at their hearts." At his funeral, a former prostitute, now saved, placed three beginning-to-fade carnations on the casket. They remained to the end of the service, the only flowers on it. Queen Mary was standing nearby, and when she turned to the girl, perhaps with an enquiring look, the girl said simply, "He cared for the likes of us."
What could the power of God do in your life?
Who will be changed for eternity because of you?
APPLICATION:
He is risen.
1. He is alive and He is here!
And because He is, you and I can live life at its best.
We have resurrection power.
I find that amazing.
But there is something even more amazing.
2. When we train ourselves to think corporately, rather than individually, we will see Jesus as bodily here among us.
We are His body.
If you have been looking for the Presence of Jesus, look no further.
He’s here—right here.
As a result, there are some things that we are able to do together that cannot be matched by doing them personally.
This is why I have invested my life in the church.
I believe in what we can do together.
But there is a Master Distracter about.
He would have us be distracted about style over substance.
He would have us forget the spiritual call of the church and be stuck on peripheral concerns.
And the more contentious we become, the more we miss life at its best.
There’s a reality as a church family we must face.
The church is trying to adjust a rapid changing culture with innovation, creativity, and flexibility without losing the absolute truths.
But it is impossible to navigate through the waters of cultural changes without the help of Christ.
This is why we must seek His living Presence in our lives and in our church.
ILL sprinklers
There is a saying in the fire service that states the buildings God didn’t want to burn were sprinklered. One of the most tragic fires in this country took place in the town of Itasca, Texas where a fire in an unsprinklered school took the lives of 263 children. There was scarcely a family in town which was not touched by this horrifying tragedy. The town went a number of years without school facilities, but as it began to grow and expand, a new school was built with a brand new sprinkler system. Civic pride ran high. Honor students were selected to guide citizens and visitors on tours of the new facilities to show them the finest, the most advanced sprinkler system technology could supply and money could buy. Never again would Itasca be visited by such a tragedy. As the town continued to grow, it was necessary to enlarge the school and in adding the new wing it was discovered that the sprinkler system had never been connected.
In the same way, we need to be connected.
We need to be connected to our power source.
And when we are—watch out!
Will you welcome Jesus?
Will you make this your prayer with me?
3. Welcome Jesus! Come and be the active head of my life and your body!
Bring glory to yourself through us.
And may we know even more about your gift of life at its very best.
Amen.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Live life at its best by knowing God better; don’t settle for where you are; always look to grow the relationship.
Live life at its best by living with confidence in the promise of God—our hope is not wishful thinking—it is confidence that God is who He says and will do what He says; this means we are a people with eternity in view and we live that way.
Live life at its best by experiencing the power of the resurrection—get connected with the power source and watch the difference His Presence makes in us.
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
