Godly Purpose
Ephesians 1:9-12
* He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
* with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
* also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
* to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
Is There A Purpose In The Universe?
Do the events of history make sense?
Shakespeare referring to life in Hamlet said: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signify nothing”
“You give the criminal calendar of Europe to your children under the name of history.” Oscar Wilde
“There is no secret and no plan in history to be discovered. I do not believe that any future consummation could make any sense of all the irrationalities of preceding ages. If it could not explain them, still less could it justify them.” (G.N. Clark, Inaugural lecture as president of Cambridge University.)
“The universe is indifferent. Who created it? Why are we here upon this puny mud heap, spinning in infinite space? I have not the slightest idea, and I am quite convinced that no one else has an idea. (Andre Maurois)
Paul’s Response Thus Far
* The Father:
– Choose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
– Destined us to be His son’s and daughter’s.
* The Son:
– He answers the problem of our guilt, self-hatred & sin.
– We have redemption & forgiveness by the blood.
Life’s Question
Is There A Purpose In The Universe?
Ephesians 1:9-12
* He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
* with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
* also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
* to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
Four Divisions
* The mystery of His will.
* The manifestation of the mystery.
* The time of the full manifestation of the mystery.
* The part we play in accomplishing this mystery
The Mystery
* …the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him (10)
* God is working to unite all things in Christ.
* Does history actually look like that is being accomplished?
* It looks like the opposite is occurring that things are falling apart.
* Notice it says “All Things”, “things in heaven and things on earth.”
– The good, bad and ugly.
– ALL THINGS!
* All these things shall cease and be united together.
* The Greek word for unite means.
– “To Head Up”
– Christ is going to be the director, the supreme operator, of all things, both in heaven and on earth.
– All things will be united in Christ.
– Phil. 2:9-11 (Things are moving to this ultimate reality)
* It does not look that way does it?
* We are out of step with nature.
* We are out of step with each other.
* We are out of step with ourselves
* Jesus has come to stop all that and to bring everything into unity with him as the Head
The Manifestation
* He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him. (9)
* You will never understand the purpose unless you understand the way it was made known.
* IN CHRIST
* We can understand the events of the day if we understand the mystery and it’s manifestation.
* How does the war in Iraq fit into what God is doing?
– What part does it play.
– How do you understand it?
– Where does it fit?
* “In all wisdom and insight”
* Sophia = Wisdom
– This is the passion of the philosophers who try to find the secrets of life and to seek after wisdom.
* Phronesis = Insight
– Common sense, the practical application of the wisdom to the problems of life.
* This mystery of God’s will came to us through wisdom and insight made known, or set forth, in Jesus Christ.
* It is in Christ that we see how all these things work.
* In him and no one or thing else.
* When Jesus came He:
– He began to heal.
– He opened blind eyes.
– Touched the lame.
– He mastered nature.
– Stilled the storm.
– Raised the dead.
– Walked on water.
This was just the visible demonstration that the end result of His work, which he began then, would finally and ultimately be seen everywhere.
In the gospels, we have declared to us radical approaches to life, revolutionary principles, which will produce a new creation, and producing it right in the midst of destruction. That is part of this great mystery.
* Jesus’ words:
– “Happy are the poor in spirit.”
• “Happy are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
• At this point you are finally ready to receive the riches from a different place in a different perspective from God himself.
* “Happy are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
– Are you or I happy when you are sad.
– So why does Jesus say you are happy when you are mourning.
• Because you can then learn about a source of comfort that can come from no other source but HIM.
* Jesus came to bring peace, to heal, to save, to liberate.
* Jesus also says he came to bring something else:
– Matt 10:34-36
* At the beginning he seems to make things worse before they will get better.
All the seasons of history are working toward the goal of …”summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him.”
God is slowly destroying the old and bringing in the new.
The Time
* “The fullness of the times”
* This is when all of the seasons of history and the seasons of our lives will be ended.
* Then we will know that God has succeeded in tearing down the old creation, destroying it utterly, and at the same time bring in the new creation.
Our Part
* also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
* to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
* We have received an inheritance.
* “We are the praise of His Glory.”
* In essence we not only have received an inheritance we are His inheritance also.
* What does that mean practically?
* Complaining about what life hands us is not an option.
It is the Father who has made the choice. He has adopted us as His children predestined us for His glory. God does not make junk. He redeems what was once useless for Him and makes it useful again. He liberates us for His glory.
