HOW TO RECOGNIZE GOD’S BLESSINGS
Ephesians 1:3
INTRO:
We all like blessings don’t we? And, certainly, we are a blessed people!
But, we often view them in the wrong way. Physical and Material in nature.
-Money in the bank and Bills are paid
-Living in a nice home and driving a nice car
However,
-What happens when a loved one is stricken with a dread disease?
-What happens when we drive junk cars and our house is falling apart?
-What happens when there is no money and we can’t pay the bills?
-Does that mean that somehow the Lord has stopped blessing us? NO!
The problem is that we tend to look at blessings in regard to how they benefit us materially.
What we fail to remember is that these kinds of blessings are temporary at best!
-That car will die one day.
-The money will find a place to be spent.
-That home will rot and decay.
-Your health will eventually decline.
The real blessings of the Lord are not material or physical, they are spiritual in nature, and these spiritual blessings will never be taken away from us!
Now, by way of introduction, notice how the book of Ephesians begins.
-It begins with a note of praise for the Lord!
-Paul exalts the Lord for his greatness.
Well, if we have these great blessings, let¡¦s learn more about them.
I. THE QUANTITY OF THESE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
A. They can be summed up in one little word found in verse 3. It is the word "ALL".
- That word tells us that in the Lord ,we find every single thing we need to live the Christian life.
B. God holds nothing back from His children. When He saved us, He gave us everything we needed to serve Him.
- We have everything we need right now to be content, to be successful, to be obedient, to be useful to the Kingdom and to be happy in Jesus!
C. When you and I got saved, we got everything Jesus had to offer us!
II. THE QUALITY OF THESE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
Paul describes these things as "blessings in heavenly places", not earthly places.
- In the most literal sense, they are "Heavenly Things!"
- Verses 4-14, tell us about this Heavenly Things.
A. He Speaks Of Foreknowledge (Verse 4)
- This verse deals with the matter of election.
- God, in His wisdom, chose me before the world was formed.
o He knew me before He formed me in my mother’s womb
- One of the greatest spiritual blessings we enjoy as saved people is the fact that we were chosen in Christ by the grace of God,
o He loved me even though He knew all about me. What a blessing!
B. He Speaks Of Family (Verse 5)
- This verse tells us that we were adopted into the family of God at the moment of salvation.
- We are His sons and daughters with all the rights and privileges that come to any child born in to the family
o The Father brought me into His family and made me His child. What a blessing!
C. He Speaks of Favor (Verse 6)
- This verse reminds us that we are "accepted" by the Father and reconciled to the Lord!
- There was a time when we were all outcasts and aliens, but now, in Jesus, we are approved by the Father!
o The Father is pleased with me, because I wear the righteousness of Christ. What a blessing!
D. He Speaks of Freedom (Verse 7a)
- This verse tells us that we have been "redeemed".
- There are three Greek words in the New Testament that are translated "redeemed." This particular one means to "release a captive after the payment of a ransom price."
- This is what Jesus did for us! He paid the price
o Jesus died for me, saved me by His grace and delivered me from the captivity of sin. What a blessing!
E. He Speaks of Forgiveness (Verse 7b)
- This verse goes on to tell us that we have received forgiveness of our sins, past, present and future
o We have been forgiven of all our sins! What a blessing!
F. He Speaks of the Future (Verses 11-14)
- Verse 11-14 speak of three more spiritual blessings that manifest themselves as we go through life
1. Our Destination (Verse 11)
„X This verse speaks of our heavenly home!
„X Every child of God has a home awaiting them in Heaven
2. Our Consecration (Verse 12)
„X This verse refers to the new manner in which we are to live our lives after we come to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior
„X The fact is, we are changed by salvation, both inwardly and outwardly
„X Once saved, He begins the process of making us more like Him!
3. Our Preservation (Verse 13-14)
„X These verses remind us that when we were saved, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit
„X The Holy Spirit is the Lord’s promise that what He began at the moment of salvation, He will continue until we are home in Heaven,
III. THE QUALIFICATION FOR THESE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
A. The last two words of verse 3 tell us what a person must do to enjoy all of these spiritual blessings. "In Christ"!
B. The only way for anyone to enjoy the spiritual blessings of the Lord is for that person to be saved by the grace of God.
C. Are you in Jesus this evening and enjoying His blessings? If not, you can be saved by coming to Jesus by faith and by receiving Him into your heart and life. Then, you can begin to enjoy all the Lord has to offer.
CONCLUSION:
I think we would all have to say this evening that we are indeed blessed! God has provided us with blessings that are beyond description and beyond measure as to their value. I think we just need to learn to praise the Lord for His blessings.
