1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:02,000 Hi there Mars Hill Church 2 00:00:02,083 --> 00:00:05,042 and the extended family of Mars Hill Global. 3 00:00:05,125 --> 00:00:08,333 I'm pastor Sutton Turner here in Dilla, Ethiopia 4 00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:10,292 and I wanted to take a moment and explain 5 00:00:10,333 --> 00:00:14,333 what the extended family of Mars Hill Global is. 6 00:00:14,375 --> 00:00:18,333 I was a podcaster when I was living in the Middle East 7 00:00:18,375 --> 00:00:22,167 and consuming those podcasts every week, 8 00:00:22,208 --> 00:00:26,167 participating, really one way, from Mars Hill Church. 9 00:00:26,208 --> 00:00:27,958 I was really a consumer. 10 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,500 So what we're doing is setting up 11 00:00:29,542 --> 00:00:33,167 the extended family of Mars Hill Global and saying, 12 00:00:33,250 --> 00:00:39,042 "Come, be a part of what Jesus Christ is doing in and through our church." 13 00:00:39,125 --> 00:00:40,917 So what does Mars Hill Global do? 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,167 Well, Mars Hill Global is doing and participating in church planting 15 00:00:46,208 --> 00:00:48,458 here in Ethiopia and also in India. 16 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:51,375 Also, we're doing church planting in the United States as well. 17 00:00:51,458 --> 00:00:53,583 We're doing all of that because in Mars Hill Church 18 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,417 we believe that Jesus has called us to make disciples and plant churches. 19 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:02,375 So I want to ask you to be a part. I want to as you to be a part 20 00:01:02,458 --> 00:01:04,208 of the extended family of Mars Hill Global. 21 00:01:04,292 --> 00:01:05,542 Sign up today. 22 00:01:05,625 --> 00:01:08,333 Become a member of the extended family, 23 00:01:08,375 --> 00:01:10,958 start participating online with us, 24 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,500 and let's see what Jesus Christ is going to do, 25 00:01:13,542 --> 00:01:16,500 not only in the United States, but to the ends of the Earth. 26 00:01:17,208 --> 00:01:30,083 [music] 27 00:01:35,792 --> 00:01:37,708 [laughing] 28 00:01:37,792 --> 00:01:39,125 Hi, I'm Holly. 29 00:01:39,167 --> 00:01:40,500 I'm Caleb. Joshua. 30 00:01:40,583 --> 00:01:42,500 I decided to open up my own agency. 31 00:01:42,583 --> 00:01:43,917 I'm a lawyer. 32 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:45,667 I'm a colorist in the fashion industry. 33 00:01:45,708 --> 00:01:47,833 Some days I help out in our lumber mill. 34 00:01:47,917 --> 00:01:49,250 I'm a professional boy wrangler. 35 00:01:49,333 --> 00:01:50,750 I work in commercial real estate. 36 00:01:50,833 --> 00:01:52,917 I'm a seasoned human resources professional. 37 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,458 Yeah, I am a baseball fan. 38 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:58,125 And I lost the house that I cherished. 39 00:01:58,167 --> 00:02:00,667 A typical day is waking up next to my wife. 40 00:02:00,750 --> 00:02:02,375 Couldn't get her out of my head. 41 00:02:02,458 --> 00:02:03,792 [laughing] 42 00:02:03,833 --> 00:02:05,625 I'm the tallest person in my family. 43 00:02:05,667 --> 00:02:08,000 I like to make comic books. 44 00:02:08,042 --> 00:02:09,833 I got a tattoo of a tree. 45 00:02:09,875 --> 00:02:11,208 I love--I love that. 46 00:02:11,292 --> 00:02:13,000 Yeah, so that's all I think about. 47 00:02:13,042 --> 00:02:15,542 Who do you think-- Who do you think you are? 48 00:02:17,125 --> 00:02:19,958 So, I usually carry some extra money in my wallet 49 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,458 because I like to give. 50 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:23,958 So, don't hit me up. 51 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,667 That's not the point of the story. 52 00:02:25,708 --> 00:02:27,417 But I like to carry extra money, 53 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:28,917 and then if somebody needs something, 54 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,667 I like to give it to them. 55 00:02:30,708 --> 00:02:33,375 And we've sort of learned this in our family: always carry 56 00:02:33,458 --> 00:02:35,792 a little extra on you in case somebody needs something 57 00:02:35,833 --> 00:02:38,292 and then you can be generous, or help, or give, 58 00:02:38,333 --> 00:02:40,792 and it's something we like to do as a family. 59 00:02:40,833 --> 00:02:43,000 And I was talking to somebody recently, a guy, 60 00:02:43,042 --> 00:02:45,167 and he needed money for something, and I said, 61 00:02:45,250 --> 00:02:48,167 "Well, I carry extra money and I'm gonna give it to you." 62 00:02:48,250 --> 00:02:50,583 He literally backed away like I was trying to hand 63 00:02:50,667 --> 00:02:52,000 Superman kryptonite. 64 00:02:52,042 --> 00:02:54,000 He didn't want anything to do with it. 65 00:02:54,042 --> 00:02:55,667 He's like, "No, I didn't earn it." 66 00:02:55,750 --> 00:02:58,667 I said, "No, I know. I'm not going to say you did. 67 00:02:58,750 --> 00:03:00,750 "I just want to give you some money. 68 00:03:00,833 --> 00:03:03,958 You said you need money and I'm going to give you some money." 69 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:05,333 He was a non-Christian guy. 70 00:03:05,417 --> 00:03:07,750 And I said, "So here, let me help you out." 71 00:03:07,833 --> 00:03:10,167 He said, "No, I don't want to owe anybody anything." 72 00:03:10,208 --> 00:03:12,667 I said, "Oh, you don't have to owe me anything." 73 00:03:12,708 --> 00:03:14,667 He said, "No, I know how it works. 74 00:03:14,708 --> 00:03:16,833 "You give me money and then I owe you. 75 00:03:16,917 --> 00:03:18,542 "I've got to do something for you, 76 00:03:18,625 --> 00:03:21,958 I've got to do a favor for you, I've got to pay you back." 77 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,958 I said, "No, that's not how it works." 78 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,167 I said, "That's not how it works at all." 79 00:03:26,208 --> 00:03:27,542 He was a non-Christian. 80 00:03:27,625 --> 00:03:30,333 It gave me an opportunity to talk to him about Jesus, 81 00:03:30,375 --> 00:03:32,500 and what the Bible says, and in the Bible, 82 00:03:32,542 --> 00:03:35,000 it refutes something insofar as we experience in the world, 83 00:03:35,042 --> 00:03:36,375 and that's a worker's ethic, 84 00:03:36,458 --> 00:03:38,167 that you only get what you deserve. 85 00:03:38,208 --> 00:03:40,875 You know, in sports, you only get the points you make; 86 00:03:40,958 --> 00:03:43,292 in school, you only get the grade point you earn; 87 00:03:43,333 --> 00:03:46,792 in work, you only make as much money as you have coming. 88 00:03:46,833 --> 00:03:49,292 Or a debtor's ethic: if you're to get anything, 89 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:50,792 then you've got to give something, 90 00:03:50,833 --> 00:03:53,167 you've got to pay back, you've got to earn it, 91 00:03:53,250 --> 00:03:54,667 you've got to make it even. 92 00:03:54,750 --> 00:03:57,458 And the Bible talks about that with this word called "wage," 93 00:03:57,500 --> 00:04:00,833 and Jesus uses that word a lot in a lot of his parables. 94 00:04:00,917 --> 00:04:03,458 The opposite of that is blessing. 95 00:04:03,500 --> 00:04:05,458 It's the opposite of the worker's ethic; 96 00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:07,167 you get something you didn't work for. 97 00:04:07,208 --> 00:04:08,958 It's the opposite of the debtor's ethic; 98 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,958 you get something you don't have to pay back. 99 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,750 And so when we come to the Bible and we hear that God blesses us, 100 00:04:15,833 --> 00:04:19,750 it runs counter to the way we live the rest of our life. 101 00:04:19,833 --> 00:04:22,167 It simply runs counter to the way we live 102 00:04:22,208 --> 00:04:24,042 the rest of our life. 103 00:04:24,125 --> 00:04:26,625 And when it works itself out spiritually in our life, 104 00:04:26,667 --> 00:04:29,542 I think what oftentimes happens is we come to God, 105 00:04:29,625 --> 00:04:32,500 either with a worker's ethic or a debtor's ethic. 106 00:04:32,542 --> 00:04:36,500 We assume that God doesn't want to bless us, or if he does, 107 00:04:36,542 --> 00:04:38,500 we're going to have to pay him back. 108 00:04:38,542 --> 00:04:40,500 And so what we end up doing, then, 109 00:04:40,542 --> 00:04:43,500 is trying to manipulate God, trying to get God to be good 110 00:04:43,542 --> 00:04:46,875 to us, to bless us, to be kind to us, to give to us, 111 00:04:46,958 --> 00:04:50,167 to do something for us, and that's what leads to religion, 112 00:04:50,250 --> 00:04:54,167 it's what leads to spirituality, it's what leads to superstition. 113 00:04:54,250 --> 00:04:57,167 And so what we see as we open the book of Ephesians 114 00:04:57,250 --> 00:04:59,667 and we look at the fact that I am blessed 115 00:04:59,750 --> 00:05:04,833 in Ephesians 1:3-14. 116 00:05:04,917 --> 00:05:06,833 He's writing to the church at Ephesus, 117 00:05:06,875 --> 00:05:09,458 and Ephesus was a city of about a quarter million people, 118 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:11,042 highly spiritual. 119 00:05:11,125 --> 00:05:13,458 There were literally dozens of gods and goddesses 120 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:14,833 that were worshiped there. 121 00:05:14,917 --> 00:05:17,625 People would come in for enormous holidays and events 122 00:05:17,667 --> 00:05:19,333 around the Temple of Artemis, 123 00:05:19,375 --> 00:05:21,625 one of the seven great wonders of the world. 124 00:05:21,667 --> 00:05:24,042 And this was a highly religious, highly spiritual area, 125 00:05:24,125 --> 00:05:27,167 and when Paul first pulled into town and he preached the gospel, 126 00:05:27,208 --> 00:05:31,292 people got rid of all of their witchcraft, sorcery, divination, 127 00:05:31,333 --> 00:05:35,292 and they burned the equivalent of 50,000 days' wages 128 00:05:35,333 --> 00:05:38,083 of various pagan things. 129 00:05:38,167 --> 00:05:40,792 And all of those things had this one thing in common: 130 00:05:40,833 --> 00:05:44,792 they were an effort to get God to bless them. 131 00:05:44,833 --> 00:05:48,000 And we might look like C. S. Lewis says, 132 00:05:48,042 --> 00:05:50,750 with chronological snobbery and look back and say, 133 00:05:50,833 --> 00:05:52,542 "What primitive people who thought that they 134 00:05:52,625 --> 00:05:54,583 "needed to manipulate the gods, or the goddesses, 135 00:05:54,667 --> 00:05:58,500 or God to bless them," but we do the same thing. 136 00:05:58,542 --> 00:06:00,167 We do the same thing. 137 00:06:00,208 --> 00:06:02,250 Sometime we'll call it karma, 138 00:06:02,333 --> 00:06:04,625 which is basically the worker's ethic. 139 00:06:04,667 --> 00:06:06,958 You get what you deserve. 140 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,542 Or we'll call it feng shui. 141 00:06:08,625 --> 00:06:10,042 I probably pronounced it wrong, 142 00:06:10,125 --> 00:06:12,750 but it's trying to get all of the energy lined up 143 00:06:12,833 --> 00:06:15,167 in your house so that blessing will come to you 144 00:06:15,208 --> 00:06:17,042 through the organization of physical items 145 00:06:17,125 --> 00:06:18,625 in your home. 146 00:06:18,667 --> 00:06:20,250 Some athletes are highly superstitious. 147 00:06:20,333 --> 00:06:23,333 Some of you are very superstitious. 148 00:06:23,417 --> 00:06:25,250 It works itself out with religion. 149 00:06:25,333 --> 00:06:27,958 "If I suffer, then God will bless me; if I give, 150 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,167 "then God will bless me; if I have a quiet time every morning, 151 00:06:31,208 --> 00:06:32,542 "then God will bless me. 152 00:06:32,625 --> 00:06:34,500 What can I do to make God good?" 153 00:06:34,542 --> 00:06:37,292 Here's the good news: God's good, amen? 154 00:06:37,333 --> 00:06:38,750 God's good. 155 00:06:38,833 --> 00:06:41,833 You don't have to make God bless you, God blesses people. 156 00:06:41,917 --> 00:06:44,292 One of the first things we learned about God in 157 00:06:44,333 --> 00:06:46,750 Genesis 1:8, after he makes the man and the woman, 158 00:06:46,833 --> 00:06:49,500 before sin enters the world, it says, "And God blessed them." 159 00:06:49,542 --> 00:06:51,500 That's what it says in Genesis 1. 160 00:06:51,542 --> 00:06:53,542 God is a God who likes to bless. 161 00:06:53,625 --> 00:06:56,250 God is a God who delights in blessing. 162 00:06:56,333 --> 00:06:59,083 God is a Father who doesn't withhold good gifts 163 00:06:59,167 --> 00:07:00,625 from his children. 164 00:07:00,667 --> 00:07:04,042 He loves and cares for them and he's generous toward them. 165 00:07:04,125 --> 00:07:06,208 So, that's the big idea. 166 00:07:06,292 --> 00:07:08,958 God likes to bless his people. 167 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,042 Now, as we enter into Ephesians 1:3-14, 168 00:07:12,125 --> 00:07:15,333 we are going to unpack the densest verse 169 00:07:15,417 --> 00:07:16,833 in the whole Bible. 170 00:07:16,917 --> 00:07:19,000 In the original Greek text that it was written, 171 00:07:19,083 --> 00:07:20,417 this is one sentence. 172 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:24,542 So, all of you English majors, just calm down. 173 00:07:24,625 --> 00:07:28,625 It's one sentence in the Greek text. 174 00:07:28,667 --> 00:07:34,750 And it's an amazing explosion of joy is what it is. 175 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,292 It's 202 words, 1 sentence, 176 00:07:39,333 --> 00:07:41,750 and the big idea that holds it all together 177 00:07:41,833 --> 00:07:43,167 is that we are blessed. 178 00:07:43,250 --> 00:07:46,375 And he starts by telling us that we're blessed in Christ. 179 00:07:46,458 --> 00:07:48,000 So, Ephesians 1:3: 180 00:07:48,042 --> 00:07:50,750 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 181 00:07:50,833 --> 00:07:52,667 who has blessed us in Christ." 182 00:07:52,708 --> 00:07:54,167 There's our identity. 183 00:07:54,250 --> 00:07:55,792 "In Christ." 184 00:07:55,833 --> 00:07:57,292 For those who are in Christ. 185 00:07:57,333 --> 00:08:01,958 Blessing is in Christ and it is for those who are in Christ. 186 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,542 "With every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." 187 00:08:04,625 --> 00:08:06,750 First he's going to talk about the Trinity. 188 00:08:06,833 --> 00:08:10,125 He says, "Father, Son," and then at the very end, 189 00:08:10,167 --> 00:08:13,458 verse 13--this is all, again, one section of Scripture. 190 00:08:13,500 --> 00:08:17,250 Verses 13-14, at the end, he talks about the Holy Spirit. 191 00:08:17,333 --> 00:08:19,333 So, we're blessed from God the Father, 192 00:08:19,417 --> 00:08:21,125 through God the Son, 193 00:08:21,167 --> 00:08:23,208 by God the Holy Spirit. 194 00:08:23,292 --> 00:08:25,958 Number two, he's going to talk about Jesus a lot. 195 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,250 In the first 14 verses, he talks about Jesus 14 times, 196 00:08:30,333 --> 00:08:35,292 and so it's all about Jesus, and our blessing is in Christ. 197 00:08:35,333 --> 00:08:37,750 He's also going to talk about us being in Christ 198 00:08:37,833 --> 00:08:40,792 11 times in the first 14 verses. 199 00:08:40,833 --> 00:08:43,083 As you're reading and studying Ephesians for yourself, 200 00:08:43,167 --> 00:08:45,583 and we spend some months examining it together, 201 00:08:45,667 --> 00:08:47,875 just continually make note in your Bible, 202 00:08:47,958 --> 00:08:49,667 "in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, 203 00:08:49,750 --> 00:08:51,167 in him, in the Beloved." 204 00:08:51,250 --> 00:08:53,083 He's starting really strong right out 205 00:08:53,167 --> 00:08:54,750 of the beginning of the letter. 206 00:08:54,833 --> 00:08:56,250 It's all about Jesus. 207 00:08:56,333 --> 00:08:57,875 Are you in Christ? 208 00:08:57,958 --> 00:09:02,042 Then you assume, in the grace of God, the position of Christ. 209 00:09:02,125 --> 00:09:04,042 And this is where the cross gets important. 210 00:09:04,125 --> 00:09:06,667 Jesus goes to the cross, takes our place, 211 00:09:06,708 --> 00:09:09,167 so that we could take his place. 212 00:09:09,208 --> 00:09:12,250 And we're blessed in Christ, because if we have faith 213 00:09:12,333 --> 00:09:14,833 in Christ, we have salvation in Christ, 214 00:09:14,917 --> 00:09:18,333 we have new life in Christ, we stand in the position of Christ, 215 00:09:18,417 --> 00:09:22,458 and we receive the blessings of Christ. 216 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:27,542 As well, he tells us that God has given us God. 217 00:09:27,625 --> 00:09:30,792 He says, "Blessed be the God who has given himself to us." 218 00:09:30,833 --> 00:09:34,458 God has given himself to us, and I can't overstate this. 219 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:36,583 I know sometimes when we come to God, we're like, 220 00:09:36,667 --> 00:09:39,500 "I want a car that runs. I want a spouse that doesn't. 221 00:09:39,542 --> 00:09:42,292 "God, here are all the things that I want from you. 222 00:09:42,333 --> 00:09:44,500 I want all these blessings from you." 223 00:09:44,542 --> 00:09:47,250 A car is great, a spouse is great, health is great, 224 00:09:47,333 --> 00:09:49,583 a job is great, but here's the greatest gift 225 00:09:49,667 --> 00:09:51,292 that's ever been given. 226 00:09:51,333 --> 00:09:53,333 What's the greatest gift you could give someone? 227 00:09:53,417 --> 00:09:57,042 Yourself, your love, your life, your heart, your devotion, 228 00:09:57,125 --> 00:09:58,667 your commitment, your affection. 229 00:09:58,750 --> 00:10:01,167 To give yourself. 230 00:10:01,250 --> 00:10:03,375 It's why at a wedding, you know what happens? 231 00:10:03,458 --> 00:10:05,875 A husband and a wife, a bride and a groom, 232 00:10:05,958 --> 00:10:07,542 they'll come together on an altar. 233 00:10:07,625 --> 00:10:09,792 Everyone brings gifts except for the bride and groom. 234 00:10:09,833 --> 00:10:13,292 They don't bring gifts because they are the gift. 235 00:10:13,333 --> 00:10:15,458 A man is giving himself to a woman. 236 00:10:15,500 --> 00:10:17,375 A woman is giving herself to the man. 237 00:10:17,458 --> 00:10:20,167 The greatest gift we have to give is ourselves. 238 00:10:20,208 --> 00:10:22,292 God gave us God! 239 00:10:22,333 --> 00:10:23,833 That's amazing. 240 00:10:23,917 --> 00:10:25,667 A car's great; God's better. 241 00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:27,875 Health is great; God is better. 242 00:10:27,958 --> 00:10:29,875 Friends are great; God is better. 243 00:10:29,958 --> 00:10:34,125 A job is great, but God is better, and God gives us God. 244 00:10:34,167 --> 00:10:39,333 And this is where Paul gets so excited--so excited. 245 00:10:39,375 --> 00:10:42,208 He said, "Let's bless the God who's blessed us." 246 00:10:42,292 --> 00:10:43,667 You get that? 247 00:10:43,750 --> 00:10:45,875 "Let's bless the God who's blessed us. 248 00:10:45,958 --> 00:10:50,333 The God who's given us himself, let's give ourselves to him." 249 00:10:50,375 --> 00:10:53,625 And this is the explosion of joy that he begins with. 250 00:10:53,667 --> 00:10:57,000 Now some of you say, "I have not seen this blessing of which you 251 00:10:57,042 --> 00:11:01,375 "speak at the unemployment office, my dumpy condo, 252 00:11:01,458 --> 00:11:02,958 "and on the bus. 253 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,667 "I even looked under the seat, I found gum, not blessing. 254 00:11:05,708 --> 00:11:07,833 I don't see the blessing of which you speak." 255 00:11:07,917 --> 00:11:10,292 He says that the blessing is in the heavenly places. 256 00:11:10,333 --> 00:11:12,750 Some of the blessing comes here in this life, 257 00:11:12,833 --> 00:11:15,667 and there is blessing, to be sure, from God in this life, 258 00:11:15,750 --> 00:11:19,292 but much of it is stored up in heavenly places. 259 00:11:19,333 --> 00:11:22,083 And it's not because God is withholding it from us; 260 00:11:22,167 --> 00:11:24,042 he wants us to enjoy the blessings 261 00:11:24,125 --> 00:11:26,542 he has for us forever. 262 00:11:26,625 --> 00:11:29,000 So, for the believer, this is as close to hell 263 00:11:29,042 --> 00:11:30,667 as you'll ever get. 264 00:11:30,750 --> 00:11:33,000 For the unbeliever, this is as close to heaven 265 00:11:33,042 --> 00:11:34,500 as you'll ever get. 266 00:11:34,542 --> 00:11:39,000 For the believer, your blessing awaits you forever, 267 00:11:39,042 --> 00:11:41,542 and for the unbeliever, there is no blessing awaiting 268 00:11:41,625 --> 00:11:44,167 you forever. 269 00:11:44,250 --> 00:11:48,375 In addition, this is written by Paul--and Mars Hill, 270 00:11:48,458 --> 00:11:51,333 where's he at when he writes this letter? 271 00:11:51,417 --> 00:11:53,375 Prison. 272 00:11:53,458 --> 00:11:58,000 I would not write a letter from prison starting off very excited 273 00:11:58,042 --> 00:12:00,708 about all of my blessing, would you? 274 00:12:00,792 --> 00:12:03,000 "Day one sucks. Day two, guess what? 275 00:12:03,083 --> 00:12:04,542 "Still sucks. 276 00:12:04,625 --> 00:12:08,667 Day three, never guess what. Still sucks." 277 00:12:08,708 --> 00:12:11,833 That's how we tend to see our life on the earth. 278 00:12:11,875 --> 00:12:15,000 How many of you in prison would get excited and say, 279 00:12:15,083 --> 00:12:18,958 "I want us all to bless the God who's blessed us"? 280 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,125 Now, what's happening is the church is hearing this read 281 00:12:22,167 --> 00:12:27,167 by one of their pastors as their lead pastor is in jail. 282 00:12:27,208 --> 00:12:29,333 And I'm sure the people sitting in the congregation, 283 00:12:29,417 --> 00:12:31,875 like you and I, some are sick, some are poor, 284 00:12:31,958 --> 00:12:33,667 some are suffering, some are unemployed, 285 00:12:33,750 --> 00:12:35,292 some have a relationship complexity, 286 00:12:35,333 --> 00:12:37,375 some of them their life is falling apart, 287 00:12:37,458 --> 00:12:39,792 and they're wondering, "Man, does God love me? 288 00:12:39,833 --> 00:12:41,292 Is God blessing me?" 289 00:12:41,333 --> 00:12:44,000 And then they get a letter from a guy in prison 290 00:12:44,042 --> 00:12:46,292 who's really excited about all of his blessing. 291 00:12:46,333 --> 00:12:49,583 You see what you're looking for. 292 00:12:49,667 --> 00:12:51,333 Have you noticed this? 293 00:12:51,417 --> 00:12:53,875 How many of you are married? 294 00:12:53,958 --> 00:12:56,542 If you want to see your spouse's love for you, 295 00:12:56,625 --> 00:12:59,000 and you're looking for it, you'll see it. 296 00:12:59,042 --> 00:13:01,708 If you want to find reasons to be angry at them 297 00:13:01,792 --> 00:13:05,667 or bitter against them, you'll find what you're looking for. 298 00:13:05,708 --> 00:13:08,167 So it is in our relationship with God. 299 00:13:08,208 --> 00:13:10,333 You will see what you're looking for. 300 00:13:10,417 --> 00:13:13,333 If you take God at his word that he has blessed you, 301 00:13:13,375 --> 00:13:16,208 and then you start looking for the ways that he has blessed 302 00:13:16,292 --> 00:13:19,417 you, you will see ways that he has blessed you. 303 00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:22,833 And what I would encourage you to do is then take an account of 304 00:13:22,917 --> 00:13:26,250 them and write them down so that you can remind yourself 305 00:13:26,333 --> 00:13:28,667 and you can remind others of the blessings of God 306 00:13:28,708 --> 00:13:30,042 in your life. 307 00:13:30,125 --> 00:13:31,792 And that's exactly what Paul is doing. 308 00:13:31,833 --> 00:13:33,167 He's recording it, 309 00:13:33,250 --> 00:13:35,667 and that's how we get the letter to the Ephesians 310 00:13:35,708 --> 00:13:39,292 from a man in prison, so excited about God's blessing 311 00:13:39,333 --> 00:13:43,167 on his life that he doesn't even have time for punctuation. 312 00:13:43,208 --> 00:13:45,542 That's how excited he is. 313 00:13:45,625 --> 00:13:48,167 So, we are blessed in Christ. 314 00:13:48,208 --> 00:13:50,375 And then he's going to unpack various blessings 315 00:13:50,458 --> 00:13:52,875 that come to us in Christ. 316 00:13:52,958 --> 00:13:56,000 The blessing of holiness, Ephesians 1:4. 317 00:13:56,042 --> 00:13:59,000 "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of 318 00:13:59,042 --> 00:14:05,625 the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." 319 00:14:05,667 --> 00:14:07,042 This is important. 320 00:14:07,125 --> 00:14:10,917 "Holy and blameless before him." 321 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,125 Ultimately, the world may not understand you as a Christian. 322 00:14:15,167 --> 00:14:17,208 Your unbelieving family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, 323 00:14:17,292 --> 00:14:20,833 they may not praise you, they may criticize you. 324 00:14:20,875 --> 00:14:24,708 They may not see you as living a life that is holy and good, 325 00:14:24,792 --> 00:14:28,333 but ultimately, we live for an audience of one. 326 00:14:28,417 --> 00:14:30,333 We need to take counsel from godly people, 327 00:14:30,417 --> 00:14:33,083 but at the end of the day, we should be holy 328 00:14:33,167 --> 00:14:35,292 and blameless before him. 329 00:14:35,333 --> 00:14:37,250 It is ultimately what the Lord Jesus 330 00:14:37,333 --> 00:14:40,083 says regarding our life at the end that utterly matters, 331 00:14:40,167 --> 00:14:42,500 and everything else is insignificant 332 00:14:42,542 --> 00:14:44,500 and pales in comparison. 333 00:14:44,542 --> 00:14:47,583 But, Jesus is holy, he is without sin. 334 00:14:47,667 --> 00:14:50,167 God becomes a man, lives without any sin. 335 00:14:50,250 --> 00:14:53,375 And we are unholy, and Jesus goes to the cross and he dies 336 00:14:53,458 --> 00:14:56,875 in our place for our sin, and he trades places with us so that 337 00:14:56,958 --> 00:14:58,792 he has condemnation, we have salvation. 338 00:14:58,833 --> 00:15:02,542 He takes upon himself all of our unholiness and he places upon us 339 00:15:02,625 --> 00:15:04,667 all of his holiness. 340 00:15:04,708 --> 00:15:07,250 Here's what this means: you don't need to be perfect, 341 00:15:07,333 --> 00:15:09,917 Christ is your perfection. 342 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,958 You don't need to live a perfect life, 343 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,333 Christ already has in your place. 344 00:15:14,375 --> 00:15:17,250 And you are now in Christ, if you are a Christian, 345 00:15:17,333 --> 00:15:19,167 positionally holy. 346 00:15:19,208 --> 00:15:21,833 God sees you in the place of Christ, 347 00:15:21,875 --> 00:15:24,167 and out of your positional holiness, 348 00:15:24,208 --> 00:15:26,667 you can live practical holiness. 349 00:15:26,708 --> 00:15:29,833 Because you are holy, you can live holy. 350 00:15:29,917 --> 00:15:32,167 Because Christ has made you holy, 351 00:15:32,250 --> 00:15:34,667 you can live holy like Christ. 352 00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:37,542 And I'm not saying that we're perfect and we'll never sin, 353 00:15:37,625 --> 00:15:40,333 and I'm not saying that this is something that we 354 00:15:40,417 --> 00:15:42,667 will ultimately perfect in this life, 355 00:15:42,750 --> 00:15:46,792 but it's something we can make progress in in this life. 356 00:15:46,833 --> 00:15:51,500 Christ is your holiness and he makes you holy. 357 00:15:51,542 --> 00:15:55,583 And here's how this changes everything: if your identity is 358 00:15:55,667 --> 00:15:58,167 in Christ and that he has made you holy, 359 00:15:58,250 --> 00:16:00,500 that changes your activity and the decisions you make 360 00:16:00,583 --> 00:16:02,000 in your life. 361 00:16:02,083 --> 00:16:03,833 So, let's say you are a teenager, 362 00:16:03,917 --> 00:16:05,333 and if your identity is teenager, 363 00:16:05,417 --> 00:16:07,750 you're probably going to rebel against your parents because 364 00:16:07,833 --> 00:16:09,167 that's what teenagers do. 365 00:16:09,208 --> 00:16:11,625 But if you're a teenager in Christ, 366 00:16:11,667 --> 00:16:15,750 Christ has made you holy, you should be one who is compelled 367 00:16:15,833 --> 00:16:18,917 by the love of God to act in a way that is holy. 368 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,542 Let's say you are one who is a college student. 369 00:16:21,625 --> 00:16:24,333 If your identity is in, "I'm a college student," well then, 370 00:16:24,417 --> 00:16:26,333 you're going to get drunk, and break commandments, 371 00:16:26,417 --> 00:16:28,667 and act foolishly, because that's what college kids do. 372 00:16:28,708 --> 00:16:31,583 They all minor in folly. 373 00:16:31,667 --> 00:16:34,875 But if you say, "No, I'm a college student in Christ, 374 00:16:34,958 --> 00:16:36,792 "and Christ has made me holy, 375 00:16:36,833 --> 00:16:39,167 and I love him and want to live holy," 376 00:16:39,250 --> 00:16:41,667 then out of that positional holiness will come 377 00:16:41,750 --> 00:16:44,000 practical holiness. 378 00:16:44,042 --> 00:16:47,000 Because of who you are, that changes what you do. 379 00:16:47,042 --> 00:16:49,042 Similarly, if you're someone who's single, 380 00:16:49,125 --> 00:16:51,083 if your identity is "I'm single," 381 00:16:51,167 --> 00:16:53,833 you're probably going to fornicate, and cohabitate, 382 00:16:53,917 --> 00:16:55,583 and all kinds of other 'ates. 383 00:16:55,667 --> 00:16:58,375 You're going to do things you shouldn't do. 384 00:16:58,458 --> 00:17:01,250 But if you say, "No, I'm a single person in Christ. 385 00:17:01,333 --> 00:17:03,167 "And Christ was single, and I'm single, 386 00:17:03,208 --> 00:17:05,833 "and he's made me positionally holy, 387 00:17:05,875 --> 00:17:08,708 and I want to live in a way that is practically holy," 388 00:17:08,792 --> 00:17:12,250 that identity will change your activity. 389 00:17:12,333 --> 00:17:15,958 Similarly, you're someone who is married but you reach your 390 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,333 midlife and you get a free midlife--say the word--crisis. 391 00:17:20,417 --> 00:17:22,458 We've even made this up. 392 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:23,958 "Oh yeah, I'm freaking out. 393 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,833 "I'm going to go get a car and a couple of boyfriends, 394 00:17:26,917 --> 00:17:29,250 "girlfriends, or maybe a combination thereof, 395 00:17:29,333 --> 00:17:32,000 "and I'm just going to live a very foolish, rebellious, 396 00:17:32,042 --> 00:17:33,792 youthful life." 397 00:17:33,833 --> 00:17:35,375 Why? 398 00:17:35,458 --> 00:17:36,958 "It's a midlife crisis. 399 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,583 It's midlife--it's a thing. We have a word for it." 400 00:17:39,667 --> 00:17:43,500 If your identity is in midlife instead of Christ, 401 00:17:43,542 --> 00:17:45,958 you're going to give yourself permission to commit 402 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,500 all kinds of sins. 403 00:17:47,542 --> 00:17:49,542 But if you realize, "My identity's in Christ, 404 00:17:49,625 --> 00:17:51,500 "not my age. 405 00:17:51,542 --> 00:17:53,292 "I'm positionally holy in Christ, 406 00:17:53,333 --> 00:17:55,875 "this means I can be practically holy in Christ. 407 00:17:55,958 --> 00:17:59,458 "I will not do what others do because I'm not who others are. 408 00:17:59,500 --> 00:18:01,125 I'm Christ's." 409 00:18:01,167 --> 00:18:02,958 Does this make sense? 410 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,625 So oftentimes our identity is in, "Am I a student? 411 00:18:05,667 --> 00:18:07,333 "Am I in college? Am I single? 412 00:18:07,417 --> 00:18:09,333 "Am I married? Am I divorced? 413 00:18:09,417 --> 00:18:12,667 Am I widowed? Am I middle-aged?" 414 00:18:12,708 --> 00:18:15,708 Identity is in Christ, and that identity carries us 415 00:18:15,792 --> 00:18:17,750 through all the seasons in life, 416 00:18:17,833 --> 00:18:19,833 and because Christ has made us holy, 417 00:18:19,917 --> 00:18:23,333 those who are in Christ want to live holy lives 418 00:18:23,417 --> 00:18:25,417 out of love for him. 419 00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:27,750 What change has Jesus made in your life? 420 00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:30,792 What things you used to enjoy that now you're ashamed of? 421 00:18:30,833 --> 00:18:33,667 What sinful activities you used to live for 422 00:18:33,708 --> 00:18:36,500 and now you mourn over? 423 00:18:36,542 --> 00:18:39,167 In Christ, you're holy. 424 00:18:39,250 --> 00:18:41,375 He goes on to say-- 425 00:18:41,458 --> 00:18:44,667 this is going to be fun, at least for me. 426 00:18:44,708 --> 00:18:46,583 The blessing of predestination. 427 00:18:46,667 --> 00:18:48,542 I said the "p" word. 428 00:18:48,625 --> 00:18:50,667 Ephesians 1:4-5. 429 00:18:50,708 --> 00:18:53,333 "In love he predestined us." 430 00:18:53,417 --> 00:18:56,583 Now, oftentimes when it comes to this issue of election, 431 00:18:56,667 --> 00:19:00,167 choosing, predestination, the Bible uses a number of words 432 00:19:00,208 --> 00:19:02,458 to explain God picking us. 433 00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:04,458 Sometimes people think this is like God playing 434 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:06,333 "Duck, duck, damned." 435 00:19:06,417 --> 00:19:08,458 You know, like friend, friend, kindling, kindling, friend, 436 00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:10,042 friend, kindling, kindling. 437 00:19:10,125 --> 00:19:12,917 It can sound kind of capricious, and mean, and cruel. 438 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,333 But here, it says he predestined us in what? 439 00:19:17,375 --> 00:19:18,958 Love. 440 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,333 So, whatever you do, connect predestination and love, 441 00:19:23,417 --> 00:19:27,000 and don't let it go into a wrong view of a capricious God 442 00:19:27,083 --> 00:19:30,042 who's unloving, and cold-hearted, and cruel. 443 00:19:30,125 --> 00:19:33,167 "In love he predestined us." 444 00:19:33,250 --> 00:19:35,875 Now, what we're getting into here is a huge debate on 445 00:19:35,958 --> 00:19:39,375 theology, and there are some who are called--we'll call 446 00:19:39,458 --> 00:19:42,875 them Calvinists, and they believe that God chooses us. 447 00:19:42,958 --> 00:19:44,667 There are those who are Arminians-- 448 00:19:44,708 --> 00:19:46,750 I know I'm simplifying this-- 449 00:19:46,833 --> 00:19:51,792 and they would say, "No, we choose God." 450 00:19:51,833 --> 00:19:54,458 He predestined us. 451 00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:57,833 It said previously, "before the foundation of the world." 452 00:19:57,917 --> 00:20:00,458 Some would say, "Well, he picked us because he saw 453 00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:02,000 we were trying hard." 454 00:20:02,042 --> 00:20:03,667 Nope, no one seeks God. 455 00:20:03,708 --> 00:20:05,500 That's what it says. 456 00:20:05,542 --> 00:20:07,333 Before we did anything good or evil, 457 00:20:07,417 --> 00:20:09,000 before the foundation of the world, 458 00:20:09,042 --> 00:20:11,875 before a star got hung in the sky, 459 00:20:11,958 --> 00:20:18,667 God chose those who are his to be his. 460 00:20:18,750 --> 00:20:20,875 That's predestination. 461 00:20:20,958 --> 00:20:24,292 What that means is that your destiny is predetermined 462 00:20:24,333 --> 00:20:26,667 in love. 463 00:20:26,750 --> 00:20:29,083 You chose hell, God chose heaven. 464 00:20:29,167 --> 00:20:31,500 You chose damnation, God chose salvation. 465 00:20:31,583 --> 00:20:35,500 You chose to run from God, and God chose to run after you, 466 00:20:35,583 --> 00:20:38,625 so he came as Jesus Christ. 467 00:20:38,667 --> 00:20:42,000 In love he predestined us. 468 00:20:42,083 --> 00:20:44,917 At Mars Hill we have a variance of opinion on this. 469 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,833 We hold the Reformed position and that is this: 470 00:20:47,875 --> 00:20:53,208 God chooses us first and then we choose God second, 471 00:20:53,292 --> 00:20:57,125 that God puts the Holy Spirit in us and then the Holy Spirit 472 00:20:57,167 --> 00:21:03,583 gives us the faith to cry out to God. 473 00:21:03,667 --> 00:21:06,375 Rather than debate this, how about we celebrate this? 474 00:21:06,458 --> 00:21:08,500 Look back on your own life. 475 00:21:08,542 --> 00:21:10,583 Would you tell the story of your salvation, 476 00:21:10,667 --> 00:21:13,333 if you are a Christian, "Here's how I was seeking God, 477 00:21:13,417 --> 00:21:15,833 "and pursuing God, and finally after all of my efforts, 478 00:21:15,917 --> 00:21:17,500 I found him"? 479 00:21:17,542 --> 00:21:19,083 Paul would not say that. 480 00:21:19,167 --> 00:21:20,500 Paul, who was writing this, 481 00:21:20,542 --> 00:21:23,500 was a man who hated Christians and was participating 482 00:21:23,542 --> 00:21:25,583 in the murder of one named Steven 483 00:21:25,667 --> 00:21:27,375 early in the book of Acts. 484 00:21:27,458 --> 00:21:30,042 Steven prayed and God later answered his prayers because 485 00:21:30,125 --> 00:21:32,792 Jesus himself came down from heaven, blinded Paul, 486 00:21:32,833 --> 00:21:34,875 knocked him off a horse, and converted him. 487 00:21:34,958 --> 00:21:37,167 That's election, okay? 488 00:21:37,250 --> 00:21:39,458 Like, if Jesus comes down from heaven, blinds you, 489 00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:43,000 knocks you off a horse, you're predestined, okay? 490 00:21:43,042 --> 00:21:45,833 Look back at your own story. 491 00:21:45,917 --> 00:21:49,792 My story is I was religious, moral, not a Christian, 492 00:21:49,833 --> 00:21:53,000 I got a Bible from the pastor's daughter that I was dating 493 00:21:53,042 --> 00:21:55,292 and shouldn't have been. 494 00:21:55,333 --> 00:21:58,500 I finally started reading it for some reason in college, 495 00:21:58,542 --> 00:22:01,042 and I'm reading Romans 1, and it says, 496 00:22:01,125 --> 00:22:03,833 "And you are called to belong to Jesus Christ." 497 00:22:03,917 --> 00:22:06,458 Calling, election, predestination, 498 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:11,958 all language of God reaching down to save us, and boom, 499 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,833 it's like a switch flipped in my soul. 500 00:22:14,917 --> 00:22:20,250 "Oh, I'm called to belong to Jesus," and I'm in. 501 00:22:20,333 --> 00:22:23,667 I've been in every day since. 502 00:22:23,708 --> 00:22:25,750 I was thinking about it this week. 503 00:22:25,833 --> 00:22:29,458 When I hear people's testimony of how Jesus saved them, 504 00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:33,792 it always sounds like God's the one who did the work 505 00:22:33,833 --> 00:22:36,667 if they tell the story right. 506 00:22:36,708 --> 00:22:38,875 It dawned on me this week--Pastor Bubba 507 00:22:38,958 --> 00:22:41,833 down at Mars Hill Federal Way, he said, 508 00:22:41,917 --> 00:22:45,292 "Yeah, we've got a deacon in our church who got saved when you 509 00:22:45,333 --> 00:22:50,167 were preaching Genesis 19 on circumcision." 510 00:22:50,250 --> 00:22:53,583 I know Billy Graham has preached a ton of sermons and a ton of 511 00:22:53,667 --> 00:22:56,167 people have gotten saved, but he never went with 512 00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:59,542 the circumcision/altar call sermon, okay? 513 00:22:59,625 --> 00:23:01,542 Just never did. 514 00:23:01,625 --> 00:23:04,417 That's not the go-to conversion text. 515 00:23:04,500 --> 00:23:08,458 Like, apparently the guy woke up drunk, rolled into church, 516 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:10,750 heard the circumcision sermon, gave his life to Christ, 517 00:23:10,833 --> 00:23:12,417 now he's a deacon, right? 518 00:23:12,500 --> 00:23:15,042 If you get saved hungover on the circumcision sermon, 519 00:23:15,125 --> 00:23:17,333 you are predestined. 520 00:23:17,375 --> 00:23:19,333 You are predestined. 521 00:23:19,417 --> 00:23:22,833 You're predestined, okay? 522 00:23:22,917 --> 00:23:25,833 So, I posted it online and I asked for people's stories, 523 00:23:25,917 --> 00:23:28,833 and I'll share a few with you. 524 00:23:28,917 --> 00:23:31,375 This could be sort of like the redneck comedy tour. 525 00:23:31,458 --> 00:23:33,167 "You might be a redneck if," right? 526 00:23:33,250 --> 00:23:34,667 This will be our version, alright? 527 00:23:34,750 --> 00:23:36,167 "You might be predestined if." 528 00:23:36,250 --> 00:23:37,833 This will be our version. 529 00:23:37,917 --> 00:23:40,792 So, Russell says, "I was busted with a shank in prison." 530 00:23:40,833 --> 00:23:46,167 If you just start there, you know you're not a good person 531 00:23:46,208 --> 00:23:49,083 on a spiritual quest to find the Lord. 532 00:23:49,167 --> 00:23:51,667 "I was busted with a shank in prison. 533 00:23:51,750 --> 00:23:54,292 "In lockdown, I was given a bedroll and my choice of 534 00:23:54,333 --> 00:23:55,667 "religious literature. 535 00:23:55,750 --> 00:23:59,083 "I didn't believe in any of them, but I asked for a Bible. 536 00:23:59,167 --> 00:24:01,042 "Within the next year in the hole, 537 00:24:01,125 --> 00:24:03,667 "God revealed himself to me and broke my heart. 538 00:24:03,708 --> 00:24:07,208 "I was prison gang related, and through me renouncing 539 00:24:07,292 --> 00:24:10,250 "that part of my life, Jesus was faithful to keep me safe 540 00:24:10,333 --> 00:24:11,667 "until my release. 541 00:24:11,708 --> 00:24:13,333 I'm sitting at Re:Train now." 542 00:24:13,375 --> 00:24:18,917 This guy's in our school, hopefully without the shank. 543 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:20,667 "God is amazing. 544 00:24:20,708 --> 00:24:23,625 "That he chose me first is so amazing to think about 545 00:24:23,667 --> 00:24:25,167 and rejoice in." 546 00:24:25,208 --> 00:24:26,833 I love that line. 547 00:24:26,917 --> 00:24:29,667 I think that predestination is something that we should not 548 00:24:29,708 --> 00:24:32,167 necessarily argue with non-Christians about, 549 00:24:32,250 --> 00:24:34,500 but we should celebrate as Christians. 550 00:24:34,542 --> 00:24:36,792 We should share the gospel of Jesus Christ with 551 00:24:36,833 --> 00:24:39,167 non-Christians, but when we share our testimony with 552 00:24:39,250 --> 00:24:41,792 one another, we should make sure that we're telling it 553 00:24:41,833 --> 00:24:44,792 in such a way that we're not the hero of the story 554 00:24:44,833 --> 00:24:48,500 and we're not the savior of our soul. 555 00:24:48,542 --> 00:24:51,375 Manvere: "I grew up in a Sikh home and was Sikh. 556 00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:55,000 "When I was 14, I was in bed and saw five demons 557 00:24:55,042 --> 00:24:59,083 "running around my bed, so I prayed and nothing happened. 558 00:24:59,167 --> 00:25:01,458 I then called out to Buddha and nothing happened," 559 00:25:01,500 --> 00:25:03,708 because he's dead. 560 00:25:03,792 --> 00:25:06,708 "Then I tried Allah and nothing happened," 561 00:25:06,792 --> 00:25:09,125 because he's a demon god. 562 00:25:09,167 --> 00:25:12,750 "And then I heard a still, calm voice in the back of my head 563 00:25:12,833 --> 00:25:15,833 "whisper, 'Jesus Christ,' so I said aloud, 'Jesus save me,' 564 00:25:15,917 --> 00:25:18,250 and the demons were instantly gone." 565 00:25:18,333 --> 00:25:20,833 Predestined. 566 00:25:20,917 --> 00:25:23,667 I mean, he's running through his options. 567 00:25:23,708 --> 00:25:26,042 "Hello, Mohammed? No. 568 00:25:26,125 --> 00:25:27,833 "Hello, Buddha? Jesus? 569 00:25:27,917 --> 00:25:29,958 Hey, that one worked. I'll go with that." 570 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,583 How about this one? 571 00:25:31,667 --> 00:25:36,667 Jen: "I was an atheist at 10, started doing drugs at 12, 572 00:25:36,750 --> 00:25:39,375 "perfected the 'good girls secretly gone bad' pretty early. 573 00:25:39,458 --> 00:25:42,000 "I dabbled in the occult and I overdosed, 574 00:25:42,042 --> 00:25:44,750 "and God audibly--yes audibly, pretty terrifying for 575 00:25:44,833 --> 00:25:47,375 an atheist--called me." 576 00:25:47,458 --> 00:25:50,750 Let me say, if you are a high atheist who doesn't believe in 577 00:25:50,833 --> 00:25:54,583 God until he talks to you, you're predestined. 578 00:25:54,667 --> 00:25:56,083 Yeah. 579 00:25:56,167 --> 00:25:57,500 How about this one? 580 00:25:57,542 --> 00:25:59,500 David: "My wife and I were having scary, 581 00:25:59,542 --> 00:26:01,042 "crazy stuff happening at our house 582 00:26:01,125 --> 00:26:02,458 "through dabbling in the occult. 583 00:26:02,500 --> 00:26:05,667 "One night, a book flew off my bookshelf and landed in front of 584 00:26:05,708 --> 00:26:07,458 my wife late during the night." 585 00:26:07,500 --> 00:26:10,250 Anyone else freaked out? 586 00:26:10,333 --> 00:26:12,708 "In the morning, she tells me what happens and says, 587 00:26:12,792 --> 00:26:15,958 "'It opened on this page. Read it.' 588 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,333 I read, 'Arm yourselves with the armor of God.'" 589 00:26:18,417 --> 00:26:20,125 Ephesians. 590 00:26:20,167 --> 00:26:22,125 It was a Bible. 591 00:26:22,167 --> 00:26:23,500 If you're in the occult, 592 00:26:23,583 --> 00:26:25,250 and demons are running around your house, 593 00:26:25,333 --> 00:26:27,667 and the Bible flies off the shelf and opens to 594 00:26:27,708 --> 00:26:30,250 Ephesians, you are predestined. 595 00:26:30,333 --> 00:26:32,667 Even the Arminians are like, "I'll give you that one. 596 00:26:32,750 --> 00:26:34,083 "I'll give you that one. 597 00:26:34,167 --> 00:26:36,583 You can have that one." 598 00:26:36,667 --> 00:26:38,333 "'Wow,' I said. 599 00:26:38,417 --> 00:26:40,500 "'This is telling us how to defend ourselves. 600 00:26:40,542 --> 00:26:43,167 "'We need to become Christians.' 601 00:26:43,250 --> 00:26:46,250 "My wife agreed, then she said, 'Is this your Bible?' 602 00:26:46,333 --> 00:26:49,833 "I said, 'Yes, I got it 9 years before when I moved out of my 603 00:26:49,917 --> 00:26:52,583 "'previous flat and the landlord told me to throw out his 604 00:26:52,667 --> 00:26:55,292 "'ex-wife's stuff, but I didn't have the heart to throw out 605 00:26:55,333 --> 00:26:56,667 the old Bible.'" 606 00:26:56,750 --> 00:26:59,167 This thing had been on the shelf for 9 years, 607 00:26:59,208 --> 00:27:01,208 and he stole it from some guy, 608 00:27:01,292 --> 00:27:03,667 and it flew off the shelf and opened to Ephesians. 609 00:27:03,708 --> 00:27:06,333 "My wife then showed me the first page of the Bible, 610 00:27:06,375 --> 00:27:07,958 "read out the inscription. 611 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,708 "It was her grandparents' names with the date 1961 612 00:27:10,792 --> 00:27:12,333 "and a Scripture. 613 00:27:12,375 --> 00:27:14,708 "'Wow,' I said. 'That's the Scripture.' 614 00:27:14,792 --> 00:27:17,708 "I asked--thumbing through it, it was Ephesians 6:12. 615 00:27:17,792 --> 00:27:20,000 "I read, 'Arm yourselves with the armor of God.' 616 00:27:20,083 --> 00:27:21,833 Our whole house got saved. Praise God." 617 00:27:21,917 --> 00:27:24,833 Let me just say this: if you're worshiping demons and the Bible 618 00:27:24,875 --> 00:27:27,500 flies off the shelf that you took from somebody 9 years 619 00:27:27,583 --> 00:27:29,833 earlier and it opens to the book of Ephesians, 620 00:27:29,917 --> 00:27:33,333 and then you open to the very front and it has the exact same 621 00:27:33,417 --> 00:27:36,375 verse listed, you are predestined, yeah. 622 00:27:36,458 --> 00:27:37,875 Okay, one more. 623 00:27:37,958 --> 00:27:39,667 This one's fun. 624 00:27:39,750 --> 00:27:41,250 "I hated God." 625 00:27:41,333 --> 00:27:43,792 You know this guy's predestined. 626 00:27:43,833 --> 00:27:46,083 Tell me about your-- "I hated God." 627 00:27:46,167 --> 00:27:47,792 Oh. 628 00:27:47,833 --> 00:27:51,750 "I have 666 tattooed on my butt." 629 00:28:04,125 --> 00:28:06,750 "The Virgin Mary with devil horns--" 630 00:28:06,833 --> 00:28:08,333 He has a tattoo of 631 00:28:08,417 --> 00:28:09,917 the Virgin Mary with devil horns. 632 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,667 Alright, if you are saved, that's weird. 633 00:28:11,708 --> 00:28:14,333 You go to Jesus, you're like, "Hey, good to see you." 634 00:28:14,417 --> 00:28:17,542 "What about that thing with my mom?" 635 00:28:17,625 --> 00:28:19,333 Mary's sitting there shaking her head like, 636 00:28:19,417 --> 00:28:22,667 "That was uncalled for." 637 00:28:22,708 --> 00:28:25,667 "--a goatee and a tail on my leg, 638 00:28:25,708 --> 00:28:31,167 "and an angel hanging herself on my arm. 639 00:28:31,208 --> 00:28:34,500 "One night, just me and my girlfriend were hanging out, 640 00:28:34,542 --> 00:28:36,000 "drunk of course. 641 00:28:36,042 --> 00:28:37,583 "We got bored. 642 00:28:37,667 --> 00:28:39,500 "Well, when she moved into my house, 643 00:28:39,542 --> 00:28:42,167 "I made her throw out all of her God stuff 644 00:28:42,250 --> 00:28:43,583 unless it was Mormon-bashing." 645 00:28:43,667 --> 00:28:46,000 So, the only religious stuff he would allow was Mormon-bashing. 646 00:28:46,042 --> 00:28:49,167 "Anyway, we were so bored I told her to put in one of 647 00:28:49,250 --> 00:28:50,583 "the anti-Mormon movies. 648 00:28:50,667 --> 00:28:52,583 "She did and my life was changed forever. 649 00:28:52,667 --> 00:28:55,000 "I found out that Jesus was a real historical figure 650 00:28:55,042 --> 00:28:57,875 "and not just the main character for the world's oldest novel. 651 00:28:57,958 --> 00:28:59,292 "I picked up the Bible. 652 00:28:59,333 --> 00:29:02,750 "I was going to read it so I could tell people why I hated 653 00:29:02,833 --> 00:29:04,250 "God and how stupid it was. 654 00:29:04,333 --> 00:29:06,750 "Before I got done with Matthew, I was a believer, 655 00:29:06,833 --> 00:29:08,458 started going to church, and was saved." 656 00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:10,667 Like, if you have 666 tattooed onto your butt, 657 00:29:10,708 --> 00:29:13,417 if you have a tattoo of the Virgin Mary with horns, 658 00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:16,167 and an angel hanging themself tattooed on your body, 659 00:29:16,208 --> 00:29:19,458 and you get saved, you are predestined, okay? 660 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:22,333 Let me say this: predestined is a wonderful doctrine. 661 00:29:22,375 --> 00:29:25,042 What it means is it doesn't matter how bad you are, 662 00:29:25,125 --> 00:29:26,542 God could save you. 663 00:29:26,625 --> 00:29:29,042 It doesn't matter where you live, God could save you. 664 00:29:29,125 --> 00:29:31,500 It doesn't matter who you are, or what you've done, 665 00:29:31,542 --> 00:29:33,000 or what you've failed to do. 666 00:29:33,042 --> 00:29:35,958 It doesn't matter how rebellious you are, how religious you are, 667 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:37,375 how ridiculous you are. 668 00:29:37,458 --> 00:29:40,500 God could love you, save you, pick you, bless you in Christ. 669 00:29:40,542 --> 00:29:42,167 Amen? That's good news. 670 00:29:42,208 --> 00:29:45,208 That's good news. 671 00:29:47,708 --> 00:29:50,583 He goes on to say that we have the blessing of adoption. 672 00:29:50,667 --> 00:29:52,583 Ephesians 1:4-5. 673 00:29:52,667 --> 00:29:56,500 "In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through 674 00:29:56,542 --> 00:30:00,083 Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will." 675 00:30:00,167 --> 00:30:01,875 He's saying that God has adopted us, 676 00:30:01,958 --> 00:30:04,042 and the language here is really important. 677 00:30:04,125 --> 00:30:06,667 Forty percent of kids tonight go to bed without a father. 678 00:30:06,750 --> 00:30:08,792 For the first time in the nation's history, 679 00:30:08,833 --> 00:30:11,583 the majority of children born to women ages 30 and under 680 00:30:11,667 --> 00:30:13,167 are born out of wedlock. 681 00:30:13,208 --> 00:30:14,792 Kids never have a dad. 682 00:30:14,833 --> 00:30:16,375 Kids never have a dad. 683 00:30:16,458 --> 00:30:19,542 And some of you had a dad, but he was a horrible dad, 684 00:30:19,625 --> 00:30:23,042 and he was a man who abused you, he's a mad who abandoned you. 685 00:30:23,125 --> 00:30:25,750 This whole concept of God being a Father is 686 00:30:25,833 --> 00:30:27,667 incredibly important. 687 00:30:27,750 --> 00:30:29,667 About 14 times in the Old Testament, 688 00:30:29,750 --> 00:30:32,583 God is referred to as a Father, but it's always nationally. 689 00:30:32,667 --> 00:30:35,000 It's never individually, it's never personally. 690 00:30:35,083 --> 00:30:37,000 Everything changes when Jesus comes along, 691 00:30:37,042 --> 00:30:40,000 and Jesus starts teaching us how to pray. 692 00:30:40,083 --> 00:30:42,833 And he says, "When you pray, pray like this: 'Our Father.'" 693 00:30:42,875 --> 00:30:44,833 What? 694 00:30:44,875 --> 00:30:47,625 This sort of intimate, personal, affectionate language 695 00:30:47,667 --> 00:30:49,167 for a relationship with God. 696 00:30:49,250 --> 00:30:51,833 He's like a Dad who loves us? 697 00:30:51,875 --> 00:30:53,917 My kids call me Papa Daddy. 698 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:55,500 It's like that. 699 00:30:55,583 --> 00:30:57,875 Abba Father is like Papa Daddy. 700 00:30:57,958 --> 00:31:01,000 That's how Jesus tells us-- tells us, rather, to pray. 701 00:31:01,042 --> 00:31:03,458 And more than 60 times in the New Testament, 702 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:06,667 Jesus refers to God as "Father" and teaches us to refer to God 703 00:31:06,708 --> 00:31:09,000 as "Father." 704 00:31:09,042 --> 00:31:12,458 Some of you've wrongly been told, because of spirituality, 705 00:31:12,500 --> 00:31:14,042 that God is a force. 706 00:31:14,125 --> 00:31:16,292 God's not a force, God's a Father. 707 00:31:16,333 --> 00:31:18,500 He's not impersonal, he's personal. 708 00:31:18,542 --> 00:31:23,833 He doesn't just give you power, he gives you himself. 709 00:31:23,917 --> 00:31:27,583 And the language here is that Jesus is like a big brother, 710 00:31:27,667 --> 00:31:31,542 and that God adopts us into his family. 711 00:31:31,625 --> 00:31:34,333 So, to become a Christian is to have a new Father-- 712 00:31:34,417 --> 00:31:36,667 God's your Father-- and to have a new family-- 713 00:31:36,708 --> 00:31:38,792 Christians are family. 714 00:31:38,833 --> 00:31:41,500 This is incredibly important. 715 00:31:41,542 --> 00:31:44,167 Some of you don't have family. 716 00:31:44,208 --> 00:31:48,792 We want church to be your family. 717 00:31:48,833 --> 00:31:50,583 Some of you don't have a father. 718 00:31:50,667 --> 00:31:53,667 We want God to be your Father. 719 00:31:53,750 --> 00:31:58,500 Some of you, your birth and the family you were born into, 720 00:31:58,542 --> 00:32:00,750 it's discouraging. 721 00:32:00,833 --> 00:32:04,042 We want you to be born again into the family of God. 722 00:32:04,125 --> 00:32:06,542 This language is incredibly personal and it changes 723 00:32:06,625 --> 00:32:08,542 the way we pray. 724 00:32:08,625 --> 00:32:11,750 That's why Jesus often teaches us that God is Father 725 00:32:11,833 --> 00:32:14,000 in the context of prayer. 726 00:32:14,083 --> 00:32:17,333 If you know who your Father is, you're going to talk to him. 727 00:32:17,417 --> 00:32:19,500 If you know how much he loves you, 728 00:32:19,583 --> 00:32:21,250 you're going to talk to him. 729 00:32:21,333 --> 00:32:23,542 If you know how gracious he is toward you, 730 00:32:23,625 --> 00:32:25,333 you're going to talk to him. 731 00:32:25,375 --> 00:32:27,958 So he talks about this great blessing of being adopted. 732 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,333 You ever seen a kid get adopted? 733 00:32:30,375 --> 00:32:32,583 Doesn't something just ring true in your soul like, 734 00:32:32,667 --> 00:32:34,167 "That's beautiful. 735 00:32:34,208 --> 00:32:36,875 "That kid didn't have a family, now they have a family. 736 00:32:36,958 --> 00:32:39,083 "Didn't have a father, now they have a father. 737 00:32:39,167 --> 00:32:40,500 "Nobody was looking after them, 738 00:32:40,542 --> 00:32:42,000 "now somebody is looking after them. 739 00:32:42,042 --> 00:32:44,167 Nobody was loving them, now somebody is loving them." 740 00:32:44,250 --> 00:32:45,583 That's beautiful, amen? 741 00:32:45,667 --> 00:32:48,000 That's why Christians have always had a heart for adoption. 742 00:32:48,042 --> 00:32:50,667 In the early church, oftentimes children were literally 743 00:32:50,708 --> 00:32:52,083 thrown out with the trash 744 00:32:52,167 --> 00:32:54,292 and they'd be picked up, the boys would be, 745 00:32:54,333 --> 00:32:57,292 to become slaves or gladiators, and the girls would be picked up 746 00:32:57,333 --> 00:32:58,667 to be servants or prostitutes. 747 00:32:58,750 --> 00:33:00,750 And the Christians went out and picked up 748 00:33:00,833 --> 00:33:02,250 the abandoned children and adopted them 749 00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:05,917 because it's a picture of the gospel of Jesus. 750 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,833 All who are in Christ are adopted in Christ, 751 00:33:08,917 --> 00:33:11,750 and when we adopt and we love children that are not 752 00:33:11,833 --> 00:33:14,333 our biological children, but we treat them with 753 00:33:14,375 --> 00:33:16,333 the same affection, and the same inheritance, 754 00:33:16,417 --> 00:33:18,958 and the same blessing, we're showing something of the heart 755 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,833 of the Father and the truth of the gospel by welcoming them 756 00:33:21,917 --> 00:33:24,458 into the family. 757 00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:27,667 "In love he predestined us for adoption as sons." 758 00:33:27,708 --> 00:33:29,250 And that language there of "sons," 759 00:33:29,333 --> 00:33:30,792 it includes sons and daughters, 760 00:33:30,833 --> 00:33:33,292 but in that day the family line, and the inheritance, 761 00:33:33,333 --> 00:33:36,542 and all the blessing, it came through the male line, 762 00:33:36,625 --> 00:33:39,667 and so men and women are in that position as sons, 763 00:33:39,750 --> 00:33:43,667 full rights of inheritance, full family blessing. 764 00:33:43,708 --> 00:33:47,375 "Through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will." 765 00:33:47,458 --> 00:33:50,792 Let me say this: you're adopted. 766 00:33:50,833 --> 00:33:53,000 If you're in Christ, you're adopted. 767 00:33:53,042 --> 00:33:56,833 You have a Father named God who loves you. 768 00:33:56,917 --> 00:33:59,333 You have a Father named God who listens to you. 769 00:33:59,417 --> 00:34:02,167 You have a Father named God who blesses you. 770 00:34:02,208 --> 00:34:04,833 And I want you to relate to him in that way. 771 00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:06,833 That's why he starts off Ephesians talking about 772 00:34:06,917 --> 00:34:08,250 God our Father, 773 00:34:08,333 --> 00:34:11,333 and then here he talks about this blessing of adoption. 774 00:34:11,417 --> 00:34:13,250 He then proceeds forward to talk about 775 00:34:13,333 --> 00:34:15,000 the blessing of redemption. 776 00:34:15,083 --> 00:34:16,958 And again, when he talks about blessing, 777 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:18,750 it's just one thing after another. 778 00:34:18,833 --> 00:34:20,333 It just keeps exploding. 779 00:34:20,375 --> 00:34:22,250 It's almost like a great fireworks display. 780 00:34:22,333 --> 00:34:26,750 It just gets bigger, and more glorious, and just continues. 781 00:34:26,833 --> 00:34:28,750 And here, he adds the blessing of redemption. 782 00:34:28,833 --> 00:34:30,167 Ephesians 1:7: 783 00:34:30,208 --> 00:34:32,375 "In him we have redemption through his blood." 784 00:34:32,458 --> 00:34:35,583 Now, in our culture, we use the language of addiction. 785 00:34:35,667 --> 00:34:40,000 In the Bible, it uses the language of slavery, 786 00:34:40,042 --> 00:34:44,167 that something has mastered us, enslaved us, 787 00:34:44,208 --> 00:34:47,667 is harming us and destroying us, and we need redemption. 788 00:34:47,750 --> 00:34:51,333 We need to be freed, delivered, released. 789 00:34:51,417 --> 00:34:53,792 And the language, if you look at redemption, redeeming, 790 00:34:53,833 --> 00:34:55,833 and all the derivatives thereof--I've studied it. 791 00:34:55,917 --> 00:34:57,875 It appears hundreds of times in the Bible. 792 00:34:57,958 --> 00:35:01,542 It traces all the way back to the Exodus. 793 00:35:01,625 --> 00:35:05,042 And in the Exodus, God's people were in Egypt, 794 00:35:05,125 --> 00:35:07,042 and they were ruled over by a pharaoh, 795 00:35:07,125 --> 00:35:08,750 and he was a mean, cruel man. 796 00:35:08,833 --> 00:35:11,750 He thought he was God and wanted to be worshiped as God, 797 00:35:11,833 --> 00:35:13,625 and he really harmed God's people. 798 00:35:13,667 --> 00:35:15,250 He mistreated and abused God's people. 799 00:35:15,333 --> 00:35:18,625 He enslaved them and he made their life very difficult. 800 00:35:18,667 --> 00:35:20,500 God came, through Moses, 801 00:35:20,583 --> 00:35:23,833 and spoke to the pharaoh telling him to repent 802 00:35:23,917 --> 00:35:26,833 and let the people go so they might be free to worship 803 00:35:26,917 --> 00:35:32,292 him, otherwise there would be consequences, judgments. 804 00:35:32,333 --> 00:35:35,667 And what happened was these various judgments came 805 00:35:35,750 --> 00:35:37,667 in the form of plagues. 806 00:35:37,750 --> 00:35:42,875 And over, and over, and over, Pharaoh's heart was hardened. 807 00:35:42,958 --> 00:35:45,083 Sometimes it says that Pharaoh hardened his heart, 808 00:35:45,167 --> 00:35:47,750 other times it says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. 809 00:35:47,833 --> 00:35:50,667 God hardened Pharaoh's heart with grace. 810 00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:53,500 "Pharaoh, here's an opportunity to repent. 811 00:35:53,542 --> 00:35:55,792 "Here's an opportunity to stop pretending you're god. 812 00:35:55,833 --> 00:35:59,083 "The real God says you need to repent, 813 00:35:59,167 --> 00:36:01,167 "that you need to let his people go, 814 00:36:01,208 --> 00:36:03,667 "that you need to stop mistreating people 815 00:36:03,708 --> 00:36:05,125 "and acting like you're god. 816 00:36:05,167 --> 00:36:06,958 You're not." 817 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,458 The Puritans used to say, "The same sun that melts 818 00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:12,333 the ice hardens the clay." 819 00:36:12,375 --> 00:36:14,833 God was very gracious, very patient, 820 00:36:14,875 --> 00:36:17,333 very honest through Moses with Pharaoh, 821 00:36:17,417 --> 00:36:21,333 and his heart got harder, and harder, and harder, 822 00:36:21,417 --> 00:36:23,833 and he hardened his own heart. 823 00:36:23,917 --> 00:36:27,917 And the final conflict was the promise 824 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,583 that if you don't let God's people go, 825 00:36:30,667 --> 00:36:32,667 death will come to the firstborn son 826 00:36:32,750 --> 00:36:37,958 in every household that does not belong to the Lord. 827 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,333 And so death was promised to come to every house 828 00:36:41,417 --> 00:36:45,292 in the nation of Egypt, with the exception of those families 829 00:36:45,333 --> 00:36:50,875 that in faith took a lamb without spot or blemish, 830 00:36:50,958 --> 00:36:55,292 showing the sinlessness of that substitute, in faith, 831 00:36:55,333 --> 00:36:57,750 slaughtered the animal, took its blood, 832 00:36:57,833 --> 00:37:00,542 and used it to paint the doorpost of the home. 833 00:37:00,625 --> 00:37:02,625 So that when death came to the city, 834 00:37:02,667 --> 00:37:05,625 it would literally pass over every home that had faith 835 00:37:05,667 --> 00:37:09,333 in the blood of the lamb. 836 00:37:09,417 --> 00:37:12,625 This is all very much connected to Jesus. 837 00:37:12,667 --> 00:37:15,417 He shows up, John the Baptizer, his cousin, says, "Behold, 838 00:37:15,500 --> 00:37:18,458 the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." 839 00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:21,042 Paul tells the Corinthians, "Behold, our Christ, 840 00:37:21,125 --> 00:37:25,667 our Passover Lamb, has been slain." 841 00:37:25,708 --> 00:37:29,167 And so death came to every home with the exception of those 842 00:37:29,208 --> 00:37:31,500 who had faith in the blood of the lamb, 843 00:37:31,542 --> 00:37:34,167 a substitute to die in their place for their sins, 844 00:37:34,208 --> 00:37:37,292 so that the wrath of God and the death of a son 845 00:37:37,333 --> 00:37:39,583 would pass over them. 846 00:37:39,667 --> 00:37:43,333 And then God's people were given redemption. 847 00:37:43,417 --> 00:37:45,083 They were liberated, they were freed. 848 00:37:45,167 --> 00:37:49,667 They got to walk out of Egypt, and God went with them, 849 00:37:49,750 --> 00:37:53,500 and God parted the sea for them, and God provided for them, 850 00:37:53,542 --> 00:37:55,250 and blessed them in the wilderness 851 00:37:55,333 --> 00:37:57,792 despite their grumbling. 852 00:37:57,833 --> 00:38:00,500 Here's the big idea: when he says that we have redemption 853 00:38:00,583 --> 00:38:04,042 through his blood, that our faith is to be in the blood of 854 00:38:04,125 --> 00:38:06,250 the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, 855 00:38:06,333 --> 00:38:08,333 who takes away the sins of the world. 856 00:38:08,417 --> 00:38:12,708 And if we are in Christ and we have trusted in Christ's death 857 00:38:12,792 --> 00:38:16,833 in our place for our sins, the wrath of God passes over us, 858 00:38:16,917 --> 00:38:20,000 and we are redeemed from our addictions and slaveries 859 00:38:20,083 --> 00:38:24,250 to worship him in freedom with a new life. 860 00:38:24,333 --> 00:38:27,042 What this means is how we interact with our sin 861 00:38:27,125 --> 00:38:29,542 is very different. 862 00:38:29,625 --> 00:38:32,542 It means that we no longer have to accept certain sin 863 00:38:32,625 --> 00:38:36,167 in our life, that because Jesus has redeemed us, 864 00:38:36,208 --> 00:38:39,875 we can walk with him away from our slavery. 865 00:38:39,958 --> 00:38:42,500 And I don't know what it is that enslaves you. 866 00:38:42,542 --> 00:38:45,583 For some it's food, for some it's sex, for some it's money, 867 00:38:45,667 --> 00:38:48,542 for some it's fame, for some it's power, for some it's glory, 868 00:38:48,625 --> 00:38:51,250 for some it's control, for some it's possessions, 869 00:38:51,333 --> 00:38:52,875 for some it is comfort. 870 00:38:52,958 --> 00:38:57,167 I know not what your thing is, but whatever has mastered you, 871 00:38:57,250 --> 00:39:03,042 whatever rules over you, Jesus has come to free you, 872 00:39:03,125 --> 00:39:06,042 and by the grace of God, you can walk with him 873 00:39:06,125 --> 00:39:08,042 in a brand-new life. 874 00:39:08,125 --> 00:39:10,542 And that's the blessing of redemption. 875 00:39:10,625 --> 00:39:13,833 He goes on to speak about-- and let me say this too 876 00:39:13,917 --> 00:39:15,667 before I move on. 877 00:39:15,708 --> 00:39:17,917 We deal with this very concept in great detail 878 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,333 in something called Redemption Groups, 879 00:39:20,417 --> 00:39:22,333 and it's all based on the storyline 880 00:39:22,375 --> 00:39:25,458 of the Exodus, and it really works out the entirety of 881 00:39:25,500 --> 00:39:27,333 the blessing of redemption. 882 00:39:27,417 --> 00:39:30,167 It's for those who are struggling with sin that 883 00:39:30,208 --> 00:39:32,792 they've committed, or sin that's been committed against them, 884 00:39:32,833 --> 00:39:35,583 or suffering that has come upon them. 885 00:39:35,667 --> 00:39:37,667 And these intensive Redemption Groups 886 00:39:37,708 --> 00:39:39,792 go through a curriculum produced by 887 00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:41,667 Pastor Mike Wilkerson in his book, "Redemption," 888 00:39:41,750 --> 00:39:44,333 and it's our way of explaining to people the blessing 889 00:39:44,417 --> 00:39:47,792 of redemption and how to walk together as God's people 890 00:39:47,833 --> 00:39:49,500 in the blessing of redemption. 891 00:39:49,542 --> 00:39:51,458 And if you would like to consider that, 892 00:39:51,500 --> 00:39:54,333 we would like to invite you into a Redemption Group, 893 00:39:54,417 --> 00:39:57,167 and there's more information to be had regarding that. 894 00:39:57,208 --> 00:39:59,167 He then proceeds to the blessing of forgiveness. 895 00:39:59,250 --> 00:40:02,583 And I can feel it in the room; some of you are already tired. 896 00:40:02,667 --> 00:40:04,375 You're like, "Man, this is a lot." 897 00:40:04,458 --> 00:40:06,792 This is amazing, though. 898 00:40:06,833 --> 00:40:09,083 Blessing, blessing, blessing, blessing, blessing, blessing, 899 00:40:09,167 --> 00:40:12,083 blessing, blessing, blessing. 900 00:40:12,167 --> 00:40:15,292 And he's trying to unpack all of these blessings 901 00:40:15,333 --> 00:40:19,083 so that you and I would know how blessed we are, amen? 902 00:40:19,167 --> 00:40:20,875 So hang in there with me. 903 00:40:20,958 --> 00:40:23,458 The blessing of forgiveness, Ephesians 1:7. 904 00:40:23,500 --> 00:40:25,583 "In him we have redemption through his blood, 905 00:40:25,667 --> 00:40:27,875 the forgiveness of our trespasses." 906 00:40:27,958 --> 00:40:29,583 What haunts you? 907 00:40:29,667 --> 00:40:31,292 What do you regret? 908 00:40:31,333 --> 00:40:33,333 Looking back in your life, if I said, 909 00:40:33,375 --> 00:40:35,917 "One thing you could do over," what would it be? 910 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,417 Most of us know immediately, right? 911 00:40:38,500 --> 00:40:41,708 Because we feel that shame, we feel that condemnation. 912 00:40:41,792 --> 00:40:44,417 Maybe we're even still living in light 913 00:40:44,500 --> 00:40:46,333 of some of the implications and complications 914 00:40:46,375 --> 00:40:51,708 that came through that sin. 915 00:40:51,792 --> 00:40:54,875 If a biography was written of your entire life 916 00:40:54,958 --> 00:40:58,500 and it was told truthfully, you couldn't read it. 917 00:40:58,583 --> 00:41:01,167 I couldn't read mine. 918 00:41:08,208 --> 00:41:11,875 We need to be forgiven. 919 00:41:11,958 --> 00:41:15,583 It says that we're forgiven for our trespasses. 920 00:41:15,667 --> 00:41:18,167 It's talking there about our sin. 921 00:41:18,250 --> 00:41:22,375 When God draws a line and we step over it. 922 00:41:22,458 --> 00:41:26,500 When God says no and we do it. 923 00:41:26,542 --> 00:41:30,583 And sometimes we think that God is wrong, or God is withholding. 924 00:41:30,667 --> 00:41:33,792 And then when we sin, we realize that ours is a good Father, 925 00:41:33,833 --> 00:41:36,333 and when he tells us to do something, it's good, 926 00:41:36,417 --> 00:41:39,542 and when he tells us not to do something it's because it's bad. 927 00:41:39,625 --> 00:41:43,083 And then we regret being so foolish and rebellious. 928 00:41:43,167 --> 00:41:46,083 Now, here's what happens when you sin. 929 00:41:46,167 --> 00:41:48,292 You've got to decide what to do with it. 930 00:41:48,333 --> 00:41:49,750 I'll give you a couple options. 931 00:41:49,833 --> 00:41:51,667 You can deny it. "I didn't do it." 932 00:41:51,750 --> 00:41:54,792 You can blame somebody else. "It's their fault." 933 00:41:54,833 --> 00:41:56,375 You can excuse it. 934 00:41:56,458 --> 00:41:59,667 "Well, there are extenuating circumstances." 935 00:41:59,750 --> 00:42:01,167 You can diminish it. 936 00:42:01,208 --> 00:42:03,208 "Well, it's not that big of a deal. 937 00:42:03,292 --> 00:42:06,167 I know people that have done a lot worse than me." 938 00:42:06,208 --> 00:42:07,708 You can hide it. 939 00:42:07,792 --> 00:42:10,667 "Well, I hope I don't get caught." 940 00:42:10,708 --> 00:42:12,500 You can punish yourself. 941 00:42:12,583 --> 00:42:16,667 "I need to suffer and pay God back." 942 00:42:16,708 --> 00:42:20,750 Or, you could just be forgiven. 943 00:42:20,833 --> 00:42:22,958 One of Jesus' final words from the cross is, 944 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:26,333 "Father, forgive them." 945 00:42:26,375 --> 00:42:30,667 If you are in Christ, you're forgiven. 946 00:42:30,750 --> 00:42:33,292 You're forgiven. 947 00:42:33,333 --> 00:42:36,375 You're forgiven for everything you've done in your past, 948 00:42:36,458 --> 00:42:39,083 and you're forgiven for anything you'll do in your future. 949 00:42:39,167 --> 00:42:40,792 You're forgiven. 950 00:42:40,833 --> 00:42:45,250 You're forgiven. 951 00:42:45,333 --> 00:42:47,958 I want you to feel that. 952 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:53,167 I want the Holy Spirit to enable and empower you to feel that. 953 00:42:55,958 --> 00:42:59,083 Have you ever sinned against somebody? 954 00:42:59,167 --> 00:43:01,833 Met with them, looked them in the eye, said you're sorry, 955 00:43:01,917 --> 00:43:07,250 and they said, "I forgive you," and they meant it? 956 00:43:07,333 --> 00:43:10,042 See, today, the Lord Jesus wants you to know that 957 00:43:10,125 --> 00:43:13,333 he forgives you. 958 00:43:13,375 --> 00:43:15,458 He means it. 959 00:43:15,500 --> 00:43:18,167 You're forgiven. 960 00:43:18,208 --> 00:43:21,000 You're forgiven. 961 00:43:21,083 --> 00:43:25,667 It's a blessing, right? 962 00:43:25,708 --> 00:43:27,833 It means we don't need to pay God back. 963 00:43:27,917 --> 00:43:29,667 It means we don't need to suffer. 964 00:43:29,708 --> 00:43:33,375 It means we don't need to do anything because Christ 965 00:43:33,458 --> 00:43:36,167 has done everything. 966 00:43:36,250 --> 00:43:39,667 When he died on the cross, he paid the full debt for our sin. 967 00:43:39,708 --> 00:43:43,792 And when he says that we're forgiven, we're forgiven. 968 00:43:43,833 --> 00:43:47,583 You're forgiven. 969 00:43:47,667 --> 00:43:50,500 He goes on to talk about the blessing of grace, 970 00:43:50,542 --> 00:43:53,542 and in some ways, this could be an explanation 971 00:43:53,625 --> 00:43:56,083 of all of the blessings and their source. 972 00:43:56,167 --> 00:43:57,875 Ephesians 1:7-10: 973 00:43:57,958 --> 00:43:59,667 "According to the riches of his grace, 974 00:43:59,708 --> 00:44:01,750 which he lavished upon us." 975 00:44:01,833 --> 00:44:05,500 You ever been with somebody who's really generous? 976 00:44:05,583 --> 00:44:10,667 They give more than you even thought they would give. 977 00:44:10,708 --> 00:44:12,833 You know, you went out with your grandpa, 978 00:44:12,917 --> 00:44:16,167 he was the "fourth scoop of ice cream" grandpa. 979 00:44:16,208 --> 00:44:21,333 He's lavish, like grace upon grace. 980 00:44:21,375 --> 00:44:23,333 God's like that. 981 00:44:23,417 --> 00:44:25,208 God's lavish with his grace. 982 00:44:25,292 --> 00:44:27,458 God's not stingy with his grace. 983 00:44:27,500 --> 00:44:30,792 God's a giver, that's who he is. 984 00:44:30,833 --> 00:44:32,667 "According to the riches of his grace, 985 00:44:32,708 --> 00:44:34,042 "which he lavished upon us, 986 00:44:34,125 --> 00:44:36,333 "in all wisdom and insight making known to us 987 00:44:36,417 --> 00:44:38,667 "the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, 988 00:44:38,708 --> 00:44:40,750 which he set forth," what's it say? 989 00:44:40,833 --> 00:44:42,167 "In Christ." 990 00:44:42,250 --> 00:44:43,792 All of this is in Christ. 991 00:44:43,833 --> 00:44:46,333 If you are in Christ, you receive all the blessings. 992 00:44:46,417 --> 00:44:47,833 If you're not in Christ, 993 00:44:47,917 --> 00:44:51,667 you don't receive any of the blessings. 994 00:44:51,750 --> 00:44:56,083 He goes on to say, "As a plan for the fullness of time, 995 00:44:56,167 --> 00:44:57,833 "to unite all things in him, 996 00:44:57,917 --> 00:44:59,833 things in heaven and things on earth." 997 00:44:59,917 --> 00:45:02,542 Let me explain the grace of God to you. 998 00:45:02,625 --> 00:45:06,750 There is common grace, and this is God giving a measure of grace 999 00:45:06,833 --> 00:45:09,208 to everyone, believer and unbeliever. 1000 00:45:09,292 --> 00:45:12,333 The Bible says that the sun rises on the believer 1001 00:45:12,417 --> 00:45:15,000 and the unbeliever, that the crops grow to feed 1002 00:45:15,083 --> 00:45:16,708 the believer and the unbeliever. 1003 00:45:16,792 --> 00:45:18,333 Does God love the whole world? 1004 00:45:18,417 --> 00:45:19,750 Yes, he does. 1005 00:45:19,833 --> 00:45:21,917 Does God pour out love, unmerited favor, generosity, 1006 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:24,167 kindness, provision on all people? 1007 00:45:24,208 --> 00:45:25,750 Yes, he does. 1008 00:45:25,833 --> 00:45:27,458 Yes, he does. 1009 00:45:27,500 --> 00:45:29,833 And then there is a special grace, a unique grace, 1010 00:45:29,917 --> 00:45:33,250 a saving grace for God's people. 1011 00:45:33,333 --> 00:45:38,667 We get common grace and special grace. 1012 00:45:38,750 --> 00:45:43,958 Common grace helps in this life, but it's only special grace that 1013 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:46,583 is of any help after this life. 1014 00:45:46,667 --> 00:45:49,292 Common grace is for all people, but special grace is 1015 00:45:49,333 --> 00:45:52,958 exclusively for God's people. 1016 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:57,167 And so if you are in Christ, you are doubly blessed. 1017 00:45:57,250 --> 00:45:59,500 He's lavished grace upon grace on you. 1018 00:45:59,542 --> 00:46:03,417 He's lavished common grace and special grace upon you. 1019 00:46:03,500 --> 00:46:05,708 And I think sometimes in Christianity, 1020 00:46:05,792 --> 00:46:08,750 we become so familiar with words that we cease to be 1021 00:46:08,833 --> 00:46:14,542 astounded by them. 1022 00:46:14,625 --> 00:46:19,333 God isn't asking you to give to him. 1023 00:46:19,417 --> 00:46:22,458 He's asking you to receive him, 1024 00:46:22,500 --> 00:46:26,333 and he gives himself to you as a gift. 1025 00:46:26,375 --> 00:46:31,000 And then he takes up life in you, and he changes you, 1026 00:46:31,042 --> 00:46:34,667 and then his grace starts to come through you so that 1027 00:46:34,750 --> 00:46:38,792 his grace might be through you to others. 1028 00:46:38,833 --> 00:46:41,250 It's an amazing life. 1029 00:46:41,333 --> 00:46:44,792 It's a supernatural life. 1030 00:46:44,833 --> 00:46:47,250 See again, when we have a worker's ethic, 1031 00:46:47,333 --> 00:46:49,000 we only get what we deserve. 1032 00:46:49,042 --> 00:46:50,500 When we have a debtor's ethic, 1033 00:46:50,542 --> 00:46:53,000 we have to pay them back for what we receive. 1034 00:46:53,042 --> 00:46:55,667 Grace is different than that. 1035 00:46:55,708 --> 00:46:59,333 Grace is not just to those of us who are undeserving. 1036 00:46:59,417 --> 00:47:03,958 It's to those of us who are ill-deserving. 1037 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,917 Let me ask you this: where are the evidences of God's grace 1038 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:10,250 in your life? 1039 00:47:10,333 --> 00:47:12,167 How has God been gracious to you? 1040 00:47:12,208 --> 00:47:14,833 Where has God been gracious to you? 1041 00:47:14,917 --> 00:47:16,708 What things has he provided for you? 1042 00:47:16,792 --> 00:47:18,500 What things has he saved you from? 1043 00:47:18,583 --> 00:47:20,333 In what ways has he informed you? 1044 00:47:20,417 --> 00:47:23,708 And if you look at this: holiness, predestination, 1045 00:47:23,792 --> 00:47:27,333 adoption, redemption, forgiveness, it's all of what? 1046 00:47:27,417 --> 00:47:28,833 Grace. 1047 00:47:28,917 --> 00:47:31,375 And then there's this empowering grace that makes you strong 1048 00:47:31,458 --> 00:47:34,583 to live a new life like Christ, and with Christ, and for Christ, 1049 00:47:34,667 --> 00:47:37,375 and through Christ. 1050 00:47:37,458 --> 00:47:40,042 What this means is the way we treat one another 1051 00:47:40,125 --> 00:47:44,500 has to be seated, and sourced, and summed in grace. 1052 00:47:44,542 --> 00:47:47,333 In grace. 1053 00:47:47,417 --> 00:47:50,042 He continues. 1054 00:47:50,125 --> 00:47:54,375 It's quite a sentence, huh? 1055 00:47:54,458 --> 00:47:57,542 The blessing of being sealed, Ephesians 1:11-14. 1056 00:47:57,625 --> 00:47:59,750 "In him we have obtained an inheritance." 1057 00:47:59,833 --> 00:48:03,125 How many of you would like an inheritance? 1058 00:48:03,167 --> 00:48:04,833 See, God has an inheritance. 1059 00:48:04,917 --> 00:48:07,333 God's a Father, we're his children. 1060 00:48:07,417 --> 00:48:09,333 We've been adopted into his family, 1061 00:48:09,375 --> 00:48:10,833 he loves all of his kids, 1062 00:48:10,917 --> 00:48:13,208 and he gives them an inheritance. 1063 00:48:13,292 --> 00:48:15,625 "In him we have obtained an inheritance, 1064 00:48:15,667 --> 00:48:17,458 having been predestined," there's the word again, 1065 00:48:17,500 --> 00:48:20,208 "according to the purpose of him who works all things according 1066 00:48:20,292 --> 00:48:23,417 "to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first 1067 00:48:23,500 --> 00:48:26,417 "to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 1068 00:48:26,500 --> 00:48:29,167 "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, 1069 00:48:29,208 --> 00:48:32,083 "the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, 1070 00:48:32,167 --> 00:48:34,500 "were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 1071 00:48:34,542 --> 00:48:37,292 "who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire 1072 00:48:37,333 --> 00:48:39,958 possession of it, to the praise of his glory." 1073 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:42,292 He talks about the blessing of being sealed. 1074 00:48:42,333 --> 00:48:44,500 Now, in that day, if you had a possession, 1075 00:48:44,542 --> 00:48:46,458 you'd put your seal on it. 1076 00:48:46,500 --> 00:48:48,500 Some people still do this. 1077 00:48:48,542 --> 00:48:50,500 They'll put their name on something or they'll 1078 00:48:50,542 --> 00:48:54,458 tag something as identified with their possessions. 1079 00:48:54,500 --> 00:48:57,000 In that day, you would put your seal on something 1080 00:48:57,042 --> 00:49:00,667 and that was to denote, "That belongs to me." 1081 00:49:00,708 --> 00:49:02,458 What he says that, for the believer, 1082 00:49:02,500 --> 00:49:04,208 we're God's possession. 1083 00:49:04,292 --> 00:49:06,667 We belong to the Lord, we belong to God. 1084 00:49:06,708 --> 00:49:08,833 If you're a Christian, you belong to God. 1085 00:49:08,875 --> 00:49:10,542 Your life is not your own. 1086 00:49:10,625 --> 00:49:12,167 You've been bought with a price. 1087 00:49:12,208 --> 00:49:14,333 You belong to the Lord. 1088 00:49:14,417 --> 00:49:19,833 And that he has put his seal upon you as his possession, 1089 00:49:19,917 --> 00:49:23,333 and that seal is the Holy Spirit. 1090 00:49:23,375 --> 00:49:25,333 So, it starts with God the Father, 1091 00:49:25,375 --> 00:49:26,708 and then God the Son, 1092 00:49:26,792 --> 00:49:28,458 and here it's God the Holy Spirit. 1093 00:49:28,500 --> 00:49:29,833 The whole Trinity's involved. 1094 00:49:29,917 --> 00:49:32,458 So our blessing is from the Father, through the Son, 1095 00:49:32,500 --> 00:49:34,500 by the Spirit, and then the Holy Spirit, 1096 00:49:34,542 --> 00:49:40,083 he comes and he marks us as God's possession. 1097 00:49:40,167 --> 00:49:44,167 And what that is, that is a guarantee of our inheritance. 1098 00:49:44,250 --> 00:49:47,292 Now again, there is blessing in this life to be sure, 1099 00:49:47,333 --> 00:49:49,958 but much of our blessing is awaiting us 1100 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:51,333 in the kingdom of God. 1101 00:49:51,417 --> 00:49:54,750 And friends, God is not storing up our blessing there because 1102 00:49:54,833 --> 00:49:57,875 he is withholding from us, but because he wants us to enjoy 1103 00:49:57,958 --> 00:50:00,250 the blessing forever. 1104 00:50:00,333 --> 00:50:03,000 If God were to give us all of the blessing today, 1105 00:50:03,042 --> 00:50:04,833 it would only be for this life. 1106 00:50:04,917 --> 00:50:06,792 If we store it up for eternal life, 1107 00:50:06,833 --> 00:50:10,875 we enjoy it every day forevermore. 1108 00:50:10,958 --> 00:50:15,583 And the Holy Spirit is our blessing. 1109 00:50:15,667 --> 00:50:19,083 Now, let me ask you a question. 1110 00:50:19,167 --> 00:50:21,833 How many of you want to live for God? 1111 00:50:21,917 --> 00:50:24,167 How many of you want to live for God? 1112 00:50:24,250 --> 00:50:26,000 Don't. 1113 00:50:26,042 --> 00:50:29,042 All the hands went down fast. 1114 00:50:29,125 --> 00:50:30,708 "That sounded--he yelled. 1115 00:50:30,792 --> 00:50:36,125 It seemed like he was--but, hmm." 1116 00:50:36,167 --> 00:50:40,125 The Holy Spirit is God. 1117 00:50:40,167 --> 00:50:45,000 He empowered the earthly life of the Lord Jesus. 1118 00:50:45,083 --> 00:50:47,417 And before Jesus returned to heaven he said, 1119 00:50:47,500 --> 00:50:49,625 "I will not leave you as orphans. 1120 00:50:49,667 --> 00:50:51,833 I'll send the Holy Spirit." 1121 00:50:51,875 --> 00:50:54,500 When God's people gathered early in the book of Acts, 1122 00:50:54,542 --> 00:50:56,917 they were ready to go do ministry and Jesus said, 1123 00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:58,417 "Not yet. 1124 00:50:58,500 --> 00:51:01,375 The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you'll receive power," 1125 00:51:01,458 --> 00:51:05,292 and then the Holy Spirit came upon God's people to give them 1126 00:51:05,333 --> 00:51:10,167 the power of Jesus to live a life in Christ. 1127 00:51:10,250 --> 00:51:13,750 Here's what I want you to know about the Christian life: it's 1128 00:51:13,833 --> 00:51:17,750 not the life you live for God, it's the life of God 1129 00:51:17,833 --> 00:51:21,500 lived through you. 1130 00:51:21,542 --> 00:51:25,375 It's Jesus sending the Holy Spirit 1131 00:51:25,458 --> 00:51:30,500 to cause you to become a new person in Christ, 1132 00:51:30,542 --> 00:51:34,500 and to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1133 00:51:34,542 --> 00:51:37,500 That doesn't mean there won't be effort on your behalf, 1134 00:51:37,542 --> 00:51:42,333 but it's Holy Spirit-enabled, grace-empowered effort. 1135 00:51:42,417 --> 00:51:46,458 And it's God's life for you, it's God's life in you, 1136 00:51:46,500 --> 00:51:52,000 it's God's life through you by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1137 00:51:55,667 --> 00:51:58,833 Let me say this: this means that a Christian cannot lose 1138 00:51:58,917 --> 00:52:01,542 their salvation. 1139 00:52:01,625 --> 00:52:03,542 Some would ask, "Can you lose your salvation?" 1140 00:52:03,625 --> 00:52:04,958 No. 1141 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:06,458 That's the wrong question. 1142 00:52:06,500 --> 00:52:10,333 The question is, "Can Christ lose a Christian?" 1143 00:52:10,417 --> 00:52:12,917 It's not my salvation. 1144 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:15,042 The Bible says salvation is of the Lord. 1145 00:52:15,125 --> 00:52:18,125 I don't save myself, I can't unsave myself. 1146 00:52:18,167 --> 00:52:21,750 I didn't elect myself, I can't unelect myself. 1147 00:52:21,833 --> 00:52:24,667 I didn't adopt myself, I can't unadopt myself. 1148 00:52:24,708 --> 00:52:27,542 I didn't seal myself, I can't unseal myself. 1149 00:52:27,625 --> 00:52:30,833 And what he says here: "He is the guarantee 1150 00:52:30,917 --> 00:52:32,500 of our inheritance." 1151 00:52:32,542 --> 00:52:34,083 The what? 1152 00:52:34,167 --> 00:52:36,000 Guarantee. 1153 00:52:36,042 --> 00:52:38,667 "Until we acquire possession of it." 1154 00:52:38,708 --> 00:52:41,292 What he says is, once you receive the Holy Spirit, 1155 00:52:41,333 --> 00:52:44,167 you are marked and sealed as God's possession. 1156 00:52:44,250 --> 00:52:47,292 He causes you to be born again with a new nature, 1157 00:52:47,333 --> 00:52:50,167 as a new person, with a new heart, and a new mind, 1158 00:52:50,250 --> 00:52:52,583 and a new identity to live by a new power, 1159 00:52:52,667 --> 00:52:54,292 to live for a new Lord. 1160 00:52:54,333 --> 00:52:56,000 And that's only the beginning, 1161 00:52:56,042 --> 00:53:00,042 and he will keep you to the end. 1162 00:53:00,125 --> 00:53:02,958 A Christian does not lose their salvation because Christ 1163 00:53:03,000 --> 00:53:05,750 does not lose a Christian. 1164 00:53:05,833 --> 00:53:08,542 The Holy Spirit keeps you. 1165 00:53:08,625 --> 00:53:11,458 That's the blessing. 1166 00:53:11,500 --> 00:53:13,708 Lastly, he says why. 1167 00:53:13,792 --> 00:53:16,958 Now let me ask you, why would God do all of this? 1168 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:19,250 This is a lot of blessing. 1169 00:53:19,333 --> 00:53:22,542 Blessed in Christ with holiness, predestination, adoption, 1170 00:53:22,625 --> 00:53:26,458 redemption, forgiveness, grace, and sealed by the presence 1171 00:53:26,500 --> 00:53:29,042 and power of the person of the Holy Spirit. 1172 00:53:29,125 --> 00:53:32,000 Why would God do this? 1173 00:53:32,042 --> 00:53:34,083 He tells us three times. 1174 00:53:34,167 --> 00:53:36,333 "To the praise of his glory." 1175 00:53:36,417 --> 00:53:40,083 Ephesians 1:6, "To the praise of his glorious grace." 1176 00:53:40,167 --> 00:53:42,667 That we'd sing, and shout, and cheer. 1177 00:53:42,708 --> 00:53:44,875 We'd repent of being indie rockers 1178 00:53:44,958 --> 00:53:49,375 and having our hands in our pockets. 1179 00:53:49,458 --> 00:53:53,375 Ephesians 1:12 says, "To the praise of his glory." 1180 00:53:53,458 --> 00:53:56,750 Paul's really excited in prison praising God 1181 00:53:56,833 --> 00:53:59,000 for all of his blessing. 1182 00:53:59,042 --> 00:54:01,667 And he says in Ephesians 1:14 again, 1183 00:54:01,708 --> 00:54:04,458 "To the praise of his glory." 1184 00:54:04,500 --> 00:54:11,125 So, what we do is bless the God who's blessed us. 1185 00:54:11,167 --> 00:54:14,833 We bless the God who's blessed us. 1186 00:54:14,917 --> 00:54:18,333 Let me close with an illustration that I borrowed 1187 00:54:18,417 --> 00:54:23,042 from one of our residents here at the church. 1188 00:54:23,125 --> 00:54:27,250 All theology is cat theology or dog theology. 1189 00:54:27,333 --> 00:54:29,958 Let me make this simple for you, okay? 1190 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:32,583 Cat theology or dog theology. 1191 00:54:32,667 --> 00:54:35,792 Let's say there is a cat and let's say there's a dog, 1192 00:54:35,833 --> 00:54:38,042 and they both have the same owner, 1193 00:54:38,125 --> 00:54:41,792 and they have the best master ever. 1194 00:54:41,833 --> 00:54:46,167 They sleep in comfortable beds, they eat very good food, 1195 00:54:46,208 --> 00:54:51,250 they are groomed at the best vet or spa, they are petted, 1196 00:54:51,333 --> 00:54:54,333 they are spoken to, they are well-treated 1197 00:54:54,417 --> 00:54:56,375 and cared for in every way. 1198 00:54:56,458 --> 00:55:01,958 These are spoiled pets. 1199 00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:07,750 The cat thinks, "I must be an amazing and valuable cat." 1200 00:55:07,833 --> 00:55:13,500 The dog thinks, "I must have an amazing and valuable master." 1201 00:55:15,500 --> 00:55:19,542 Do you get the difference? 1202 00:55:19,625 --> 00:55:25,542 Mars Hill, we have dog theology. 1203 00:55:25,625 --> 00:55:29,542 And so oftentimes in our world, it's cat theology. 1204 00:55:29,625 --> 00:55:32,083 "God loves you, God died for you, God blessed you, 1205 00:55:32,167 --> 00:55:35,458 "God has eternity for you, God has a new nature for you, 1206 00:55:35,500 --> 00:55:38,167 "God has an eternal home for you. 1207 00:55:38,208 --> 00:55:39,875 "Look at how amazing you are! 1208 00:55:39,958 --> 00:55:41,667 "Look at how valuable you are! 1209 00:55:41,750 --> 00:55:43,292 Look at how important you are!" 1210 00:55:43,333 --> 00:55:49,458 Cat theology. 1211 00:55:49,500 --> 00:55:54,500 Look at how great God is. 1212 00:55:54,542 --> 00:55:56,667 Look at all that God has done. 1213 00:55:56,750 --> 00:56:02,167 Look at all that God still promises to do. 1214 00:56:02,208 --> 00:56:06,250 To live for the praise of his glorious grace is not to think 1215 00:56:06,333 --> 00:56:12,458 God does all of this so that people could see me as glorious. 1216 00:56:12,500 --> 00:56:16,417 God does all of this so that I might tell everyone how glorious 1217 00:56:16,500 --> 00:56:19,833 he is, how loving he is, how generous he is, 1218 00:56:19,917 --> 00:56:23,333 how compassionate he is, how merciful he is, how kind he is, 1219 00:56:23,417 --> 00:56:26,167 how long-suffering he is, how affectionate he is, 1220 00:56:26,208 --> 00:56:28,167 how wonderful my master is. 1221 00:56:28,208 --> 00:56:29,542 Amen? 1222 00:56:29,625 --> 00:56:32,583 And Mars Hill, just so you know, we put our service together 1223 00:56:32,667 --> 00:56:34,792 in an order for a reason. 1224 00:56:34,833 --> 00:56:38,292 I want you to hear about who God is and how he's blessed us, 1225 00:56:38,333 --> 00:56:41,167 and then we want you to respond by blessing the God 1226 00:56:41,250 --> 00:56:43,292 who has blessed you, by praising the God 1227 00:56:43,333 --> 00:56:45,667 who's worthy of being praised. 1228 00:56:45,750 --> 00:56:48,500 So Father God, as we transition now, 1229 00:56:48,542 --> 00:56:51,875 I pray for those who are not yet Christians. 1230 00:56:51,958 --> 00:56:55,500 They want blessings, but not Jesus. 1231 00:56:55,542 --> 00:56:58,333 And I pray that they would see that the greatest blessing 1232 00:56:58,417 --> 00:57:01,750 of all is Jesus, and all other blessings are found 1233 00:57:01,833 --> 00:57:05,542 exclusively in Christ. 1234 00:57:05,625 --> 00:57:09,000 God, I pray for those of us who are Christians, 1235 00:57:09,083 --> 00:57:14,708 that we would never cease to be astounded and amazed 1236 00:57:14,792 --> 00:57:20,958 at the blessings that we receive in Christ. 1237 00:57:21,000 --> 00:57:23,833 And I thank you, Lord God, that those blessings are not just 1238 00:57:23,917 --> 00:57:27,458 for this life but they're for eternal life. 1239 00:57:27,500 --> 00:57:30,250 I thank you, Lord God, that even when we find ourselves 1240 00:57:30,333 --> 00:57:32,458 in circumstances as the Apostle Paul did, 1241 00:57:32,500 --> 00:57:36,167 suffering, lonely, isolated, scared, 1242 00:57:36,250 --> 00:57:40,292 hurting, struggling, 1243 00:57:40,333 --> 00:57:43,083 we will see what we're looking for. 1244 00:57:43,167 --> 00:57:45,167 And if we take your Word as truth, 1245 00:57:45,250 --> 00:57:47,292 that you are a God who's blessed us, 1246 00:57:47,333 --> 00:57:50,083 and we start to recount the blessings in our life, 1247 00:57:50,167 --> 00:57:54,750 we will find our mourning turn into praising. 1248 00:57:54,833 --> 00:57:57,875 And Lord God, for some of us who are today feeling exceedingly 1249 00:57:57,958 --> 00:58:03,000 blessed, life is filled with obvious blessing, 1250 00:58:03,083 --> 00:58:06,125 I pray that we would know that it is for the praise 1251 00:58:06,167 --> 00:58:08,625 of his glorious grace. 1252 00:58:08,667 --> 00:58:11,167 It's so that we could tell others about how wonderful 1253 00:58:11,208 --> 00:58:13,667 our master is, and how loving he has been, 1254 00:58:13,708 --> 00:58:17,042 and how generous he has been, and how kind he has been, 1255 00:58:17,125 --> 00:58:18,750 and how he is not done, 1256 00:58:18,833 --> 00:58:21,042 and we'll be with him together forever. 1257 00:58:21,125 --> 00:58:23,750 And Lord Jesus, in closing, I thank you that it says 1258 00:58:23,833 --> 00:58:26,833 over and over here, 11 times in the first 14 verses, 1259 00:58:26,875 --> 00:58:29,917 all of this blessing is in Christ. 1260 00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:33,000 And so Christ, we thank you for being our blessing and we 1261 00:58:33,042 --> 00:58:35,667 thank you for being the source of all of our blessings. 1262 00:58:35,708 --> 00:58:38,042 And we thank you in Christ's name, amen. 1263 00:58:41,125 --> 00:58:44,000 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1264 00:58:44,083 --> 00:58:47,125 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1265 00:58:47,167 --> 00:58:49,708 This ministry is generously supported 1266 00:58:49,792 --> 00:58:52,375 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1267 00:58:52,458 --> 00:58:55,917 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1268 00:58:56,000 --> 00:58:58,917 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1269 00:58:59,000 --> 00:59:01,917 by visiting marshill.com/give.