GOD'S STORY. GOD'S GLORY.

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Matthew 5:9-11 ESV

2 And he [Jesus] opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Hebrews 10:35-39 ESV

35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV

3 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,

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and blameless [before him in love,

5 having predestined us] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,

according to the purpose of his will,

6 to the praise of his glorious grace,

with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us,

in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will,

according to his purpose,

which he set forth in Christ[d] 10 as a plan for the fullness of time,

to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance,

having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him,

were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

14 who is the guarantee[e] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[f]

to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

3 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,

This is a benediction

Paul is blessing God.

Paul is worshiping

Verses 3–14 is one sentence in the Greek

202 Greek words

Paul is worshipping, teaching, & reminding the Ephesians of truth

Spiritual blessings…in the heavenly places

What else really matters?

What will be important to you on that Day when you stand before your creator?

We don’t like to think about death

It makes us uncomfortable

This life will be best lived when we live life looking forward to that last day

Psalm 90:12 ESV

12 So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Having an awareness of death & eternity leads to wisdom & gives us hope

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

3 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,

EVERY spiritual blessing in eternity is ours because of what God has done through the person & work of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

This has always been God’s way

God chooses who will be the people of God

Abraham

Israel

Moses

Samuel

David

Jesus chose the 12 disciples

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Jesus chose Peter

Jesus chose Paul

God chose to save every Christians before Genesis 1:1

But, this is not just about us

This is about God

God chose to send Jesus to save us

In eternity past, in their infinite existence…

God the Father & God the Son decided…

The best story to tell is the story where Jesus dies for the sins of humanity

God knew we would sin, & yet He chose to create all of this so that Jesus could save us

Does God choose who He is going to save?

Or do we choose to repent & believe & follow Jesus?

Yes.

God is sovereign.

Man is responsible.

Why doesn’t God just choose everyone?

How can a loving God choose some & not choose others?

Why does God get to do what He wants to do with His creation?

God is sovereign.

Man is responsible.

John 3:16-20 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

God is sovereign.

Man is responsible.

Why doesn’t God choose everyone?

Acts 17:30-31 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

God’s desire is that everyone everywhere would repent

1 Timothy 2:4 ESV

4 who [God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Blessed be God!

Ephesians 1:4 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and blameless [before him in love…]

God wants us to be with Him where He is

The only way that can happen is if we are holy as He is holy

How could this be possible?

Only because of Jesus

Jesus was holy

Jesus was blameless

Jesus was spotless

Jesus was perfectly loving

He lived the life that we could never live

He died the death that we deserve

He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserve

He did this to make it possible for us to be with God where He is

He did this so that we can be holy blameless before God in love

Jesus prayed the night before He was crucified →

John 17:24 ESV

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus died so that we might be with Him

& so that we would see His glory

God’s story is about God’s glory

Ephesians 1:4 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and blameless [before him in love…]

Ephesians 1:5 ESV

[...5 having predestined us] for adoption to himself as sons

through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

God predecided to create for Himself a family

To adopt His own creatures & make them sons & daughters through Jesus Christ

This is the purpose of creation

This is His will

Paul says it this way in Romans:

Romans 8:29-30 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Why would this be His purpose & plan & will?

Ephesians 1:6 ESV

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

God’s story is about God’s glory

God’s plan is to fill heaven with sons & daughters so that we might give Him glory & honor & praise

God’s story is about God’s glory

Ephesians 1:7 ESV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of his grace,

God has also redeemed us through Jesus

His blood was the price paid so that we could be set free

Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.

Adopted

Redeemed

Forgiven

According to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 1:8-10 ESV

8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will,

according to his purpose,

which he set forth in Christ[d]

10 as a plan for the fullness of time,

to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.

God has lavished His grace upon us

His will

His purposes

His plan

His story

God’s story is about God’s glory

God’s glory is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:11-12 ESV

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance,

having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Through Jesus, we have also been given an inheritance

What will you do with your inheritance?

We have been blessed so that we might be a blessing

Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,

and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

14 who is the guarantee [down payment] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[f] to the praise of his glory.

God’s story is about God’s glory

His plan →

God puts His stamp of ownership on us

The Holy Spirit within us is the guarantee

Down payment

Good Deposit

God gives us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee to us that we are His

Because we are His…all that He has is ours

Our inheritance → Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

Assurance

Sometimes we doubt our inheritance

We may be quenching the Holy Spirit

God’s story is about God’s glory

God is sovereign

Man is responsible.

How will you respond to Jesus?