Every Spiritual Blessing
July 13, 2003
Ephesians 1:3
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
larry@larryjameson.com
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Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Is it possible to be rich
and not even know it?
There is a true story that Bill Bright loves to tell
about a Texas rancher back in the depression.
Times were hard. No one was buying cattle.
He was about to lose his family farm.
Just before the land was sold,
a wildcat oil prospector knocked on the door.
The visitor asked for permission to explore for oil
on the ranch.
The result was the biggest, richest oil field in American history.
All that wealth,
had been there, underground, for generations.
It just took one man to tap into it.
Dear ones,
we are rich, and we don’t know it.
We have a resource that is being overlooked.
We have treasures in heaven
that are just waiting to be tapped into.
That’s what Ephesians 1:3 is saying.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms
with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
The title of my sermon is
“Every Spiritual Blessing”.
That’s a big claim, but it’s true.
There isn’t anything good that God is holding back from us.
In Matthew 6:19, Jesus said
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up
for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy,
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Is it possible, that we have a huge resource in heaven
that we are unaware of?
Can we bank on that resource,
here on earth, and put God’s wealth to work?
I believe we can.
Let’s take a closer look at Ephesians 1:3-14
and see what Paul refers to as “every spiritual blessing”.
Verse 4 says,
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
That is predestination, and it’s a good thing.
Before the universe was created,
God existed.
And in God’s mind, he thought about what he wanted to do.
God thought about you and me,
and he figured out how to
give us free will AND
save us from the sin we would fall into.
Let me say this clearly.
The fact that God chose us before the creation of the world,
the fact that God has a plan for our salvation,
that fact is an incredibly valuable resource.
It makes us stinking, filthy rich.
Can we turn that information into money and buy a loaf of bread?
No.
The value of this information is greater than that.
The value rests right here (point to my heart).
God, who created the sun, moon, and stars,
loves you so much
that he created the universe, just for you.
He sent his only son, to die on the cross, just for you.
Predestination isn’t just a philosophical conundrum.
It’s a teaching from God’s word
that’s intended to make you deeply happy.
When you know that God loves you;
when you know that God created the universe just for you;
when you know that Jesus died on the cross
and rose on the third day, just for you;
that makes you rich.
This information is a spiritual blessing.
This information is safe and sound,
tucked away in the heavenly realms
where no one can steal it or change it in any way.
Verse 5
he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ
Adopted.
That word is a spiritual blessing.
What does it mean?
Look at the opposite.
The opposite of adopted is orphaned.
An orphan has no family.
An orphan has no parents.
An orphan has no inheritance.
A son or daughter has all of these things.
A son or a daughter
is not a slave, or a hired worker, or just a friend.
A son or a daughter
is next of kin.
That’s the relationship God has given to us.
You and I were designed
to enjoy fellowship with God.
We are not his pets.
We are not his slaves.
We are his beloved children.
God designed us to be capable of
intimate, caring relationships.
We made ourselves orphans by sinful choices.
Jesus made our adoption possible, through his death and resurrection.
Can you take that information and buy a pickup truck?
No.
But this information is much more valuable
than a pickup truck.
The value is beyond Fort Knox.
Not only did God
choose us before time began,
he made us into his beloved daughters and sons.
This information is a spiritual blessing.
This information is safe and sound,
tucked away in the heavenly realms
where no one can steal it or change it in any way.
Verse 7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins
Redemption.
That word is a spiritual blessing.
What does it mean?
Look at the opposite.
The opposite of redemption is worthless.
Something that is not wanted,
something that has no value,
something that will be cast away,
is worthless.
That describes our situation
before we accepted Jesus Christ.
Because of our sin,
we were soiled and useless to God.
Isaiah 64:6 says
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
What price did God pay
to win us back?
His blood on the cross.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins
Can you walk into WalMart and buy a toaster with this information?
No.
The value of redemption is much greater than that.
This information goes down to the core of our personality,
down into our hidden thoughts, fears, and guilty feelings.
God does what psychiatrists are unable to do,
forgive, cleanse, and heal
our deepest sins.
God made you, and God understands what you need.
When you confess your sins,
ask God for forgiveness,
and invite Jesus Christ into your life
to become your Savior and Lord,
one of the gifts God gives you
is redemption.
Your stock value soars,
both with yourself, and with God himself.
This information is a spiritual blessing.
This information is safe and sound,
tucked away in the heavenly realms
where no one can steal it or change it in any way.
Verse 9
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure,
which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have
reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together
under one head, even Christ.
Have you ever heard of the “unified field theory”?
Here is a quote from a popular science web site:
Albert Einstein had three great theories.
His first theory of Special Relativity (1905) gave us E = mc²,
which led to the atomic bomb and unlocked the secret of the stars. His second
great theory was General Relativity (1915),
which gave us space warps, the Big Bang, and black holes.
But many don't realize that his greatest theory was never finished:
"a theory of everything". Einstein's crowning achievement was to have been the
unified field theory. end quote
http://www.firstscience.com/SITE/articles/kaku.asp
The unified field theory
is something that our greatest scientists
have been working on since 1915.
Wouldn’t be great if you could have a formula
that would connect all the different branches of science,
such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering,
astrophysics.
One formula would make sense of all the scientific
theories and principles we have.
That one statement would explain EVERYTHING.
That’s what Ephesians 1:9 is saying.
It’s the theory of everything.
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure,
which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have
reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together
under one head, even Christ.
God loves us so much,
he not only chose us before he created the universe,
he not only provided for our redemption and forgiveness,
he not only invited us to be his own children,
he also chose to take us into his confidence
about what he plans to do with the universe,
namely:
to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ
Can you use this information to get a free meal
on Tuesday night at the Granary?
Probably not.
But isn’t it great to know
that when you follow Jesus Christ
you are putting yourself in line
with God’s great and wonderful plans for the universe?
This information is a spiritual blessing.
This information is safe and sound,
tucked away in the heavenly realms
where no one can steal it or change it in any way.
Amen.