Blessing in Christ: Praise of his Glorious Grace (2019-1113 message)
12-13
Jan 2019, Christ Mountain Top
Jan 2019, Christ Mountain Top
Praying
the Psalm, Psalm 147
the Psalm, Psalm 147
Children,
John 1.10-18 (God in disguise in Jesus the Word)
John 1.10-18 (God in disguise in Jesus the Word)
Message,
Ephesians 1.1-14
Ephesians 1.1-14
Theme:
Visiting
at mom and dad’s. Dad introducing me to his friends. Oh, Doctor to be! My dad’s
chest swells a couple sizes when I’m around.
at mom and dad’s. Dad introducing me to his friends. Oh, Doctor to be! My dad’s
chest swells a couple sizes when I’m around.
Message:
Ephesians
begins with the wonder of Christ Jesus, beyond imagination, “all in all,” our
fullness and our destiny. It continues with practical direction on being in Christ. For eight weeks, we are
going to study this short letter. One of its marvelous features is its prayers.
Repeatedly, Paul offers his prayers for the readers of this letter – prayers for us – and he closes asking for our
prayer for him. One of those prayers will be our theme Scripture as a church
for 2019:
begins with the wonder of Christ Jesus, beyond imagination, “all in all,” our
fullness and our destiny. It continues with practical direction on being in Christ. For eight weeks, we are
going to study this short letter. One of its marvelous features is its prayers.
Repeatedly, Paul offers his prayers for the readers of this letter – prayers for us – and he closes asking for our
prayer for him. One of those prayers will be our theme Scripture as a church
for 2019:
Ephesians
3:18-21 I pray that you may
have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and
length and height and depth, 19
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God. 20
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly
far more than all we can ask or imagine,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations, forever and ever. Amen.
3:18-21 I pray that you may
have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and
length and height and depth, 19
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God. 20
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly
far more than all we can ask or imagine,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Baptized into Christ
(his story becomes our story)
(his story becomes our story)
Youth and children’s ministry
Repeated vocabulary:
Bless:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 1.3. Bless
(lit): speak well.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 1.3. Bless
(lit): speak well.
Inheritance:
In Christ we have obtained an inheritance,
1.11
1.11
Holy Spirit … is the pledge of our
inheritance, 1.13-14
inheritance, 1.13-14
Grace/glory:
Grace
to you, 1.2
to you, 1.2
Praise
of his glorious grace, 1.6
of his glorious grace, 1.6
Riches
of his grace, 1.7
of his grace, 1.7
Praise
of his glory, 1.12
of his glory, 1.12
Praise
of his glory, 1.14
of his glory, 1.14
Mysteries
of God’s will, God’s good pleasure, God’s plan for the fullness of time: “to
gather up all things in him, things in heaven things on earth” (1.10)
of God’s will, God’s good pleasure, God’s plan for the fullness of time: “to
gather up all things in him, things in heaven things on earth” (1.10)
Unhappy and angry woman,
happy people
happy people
The problem isn’t the anger, it is the
cutting off
cutting off
The blessing of God is not an absence of
problems
problems
The heavenly realm is here and now
The earthly realm is also here and
now
now
Prosperity theology
– name/claim
– name/claim
Streets of heaven are paved with gold
In the heavenly realm, we are rich!
If we are not rich, healthy, happy,
something is wrong
something is wrong
Wrong conclusion: earthly wealth
God prefers the poor & oppressed
Streets paved with gold? Then gold
is of no value.
is of no value.
To the praise of his glory
… walking with your woman
… walking with your woman
Every
spiritual blessing – All the blessing language features FAMILY themes
spiritual blessing – All the blessing language features FAMILY themes
Adoption
Sister is the asylum seeker from Honduran
Brother is in prison
Sister is sex trafficked
LGBTQ & Traditionalists
My family
Like any family, this can be awkward
This is a BLESSING
Inheritance
It is ours NOW
Given upon the death of the giver
Mom and Dad, stick tags on
their stuff
their stuff
God died on the cross, and willed it
all to us
all to us
This is God’s will: God dies and we get everything
The pledge, the down payment, is the
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
The remainder is in trust
Chosen
To be holy and blameless
To live for the praise of his glory
My dad’s chest size; walking
with your woman
with your woman
Adoption in our family, the “chosen
ones”
ones”
Eugene Peterson – makes us
consequential (not superior)
consequential (not superior)
Redemption – what you do for family fallen
on hard times
on hard times
Forgiveness; Grace lavished on us
Dad who pays off the debt of a child
Mysteries
of God’s will, God’s good pleasure, God’s plan for the fullness of time: “to
gather up all things in him, things in heaven things on earth” (1.10)
of God’s will, God’s good pleasure, God’s plan for the fullness of time: “to
gather up all things in him, things in heaven things on earth” (1.10)
RECAPITULATION