Joyful Orthodoxy

Sermon: "Our Dilemma, God's Solution" Ephesians 1:1-2

2010-09-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

“Passage: Ephesians 1:1-2
Date: September 1, 2010
By: Grant Sather

Ephesians 1:1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction:
Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul around 62 A.D. during his imprisonment in Rome. Paul had visited the church in Ephesus twice, and four years prior to writing Ephesians he had met with the elders of the Ephesian church 35 miles from Ephesus, he thought it would be his last time interacting with these people he loved so much – he delivered a remarkable farewell charge, as seen in Acts 20.18-35:
22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by [2] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.
In order for us to understand what Paul writes we must understand his audience and their context. Paul, as we see in verse 1, is writing to the saints who are in Ephesus – believers, those who have trusted in Jesus Christ.
The letter, although addressed to the church in Ephesus, is most likely intended for churches throughout the region surrounding and within Ephesus. At the time Paul wrote Ephesians, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the world. The city was known as the “first and greatest metropolis of Asia.” It contained many shrines and the massive Temple of Diana, as well as the largest theater in the world, capable of containing up to as much as 30-50,000 spectators.
Ephesus was an extremely difficult place to be a Christian, and Paul faced immense challenges in his ministry. The culture was extremely opposed to God, especially opposed to the God of grace – whom Paul represented. But, we will talk more about this later…
[[Let’s Pray]]
Ephesians 1:1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul: Apostleship Dilemma
Paul, for those who don’t know wasn’t always Jesus’ child prodigy. In fact quite the opposite, Acts 7:54-8:3 shows us:
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together2 at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, z“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison

How can Paul, who approved the stoning of another man for the sole reason that he believed in Jesus, now speak for Jesus? Paul is an apostle, in other words an “appointed messenger.” This means that Paul not only belongs to Christ, but represents Him so definitely that Paul’s very message is Christ’s own message. Paul speaks, Christ speaks.
This has to bring some cause for questioning to our minds. How can a holy perfect God, who loves his people choose a man to speak for him who has murdered and abused his people for years?
Ephesians: Sainthood Dilemma
As I started to explain in the beginning, Ephesus was an extremely difficult place to be a Christian.
An example of this opposition was the Greek goddess Diana, worshipped throughout the nations around the Roman Empire. Ephesus was home to Diana’s most noted temple – it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It took 220 years to build, supported by 100 massive columns and within it was a shrine to the ancient goddess. Daughter to Zeus, she is the mistress and protectress of wild life. This cult was a massive operation, had their own priests and was very much tied into the economics of the region. Any sort of ‘gospel’ message, speaking of one true God becoming man to be killed for the sins of the world would have been an absolute affront to the whole political system.
Paul doing ministry in Ephesus could be equated to Pastor Randy working for MTV, or taking a field trip as a youth group to Iran so that we can pass out Jesus suckers to little kids – most likely a very dangerous idea. Massive opposition from the Roman emperors, whose powers were often equated with that of a god. The culture was sexually perverse – still to this day, you could walk out onto the docks by the great port at the Aegean Sea and see signs directing you to brothels (houses full of women continually prostituting their bodies for sex).
John writes in Revelation about the church in Ephesus, mostly positive – but as we come to the close of his remarks chills should go from our head to our toes:
Revelation 2:3-5 (ESV)
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
On what grounds can Paul, speak for Jesus, call the Ephesian believer’s saints and faithful when we see them steeped and surrounded by such a wicked and cruel culture? We will see later in the book that Paul warns the Ephesians against sexual impurity, crude joking, bitterness, anger and slander. Obviously there is massive problems, however, Paul calls them Saints!
If we take a look further down in this same chapter, we see a good description of what it means to be a saint, Ephesians 1:4 says:
“4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
How do we know this helps us define what it means to be a saint? The Greek word for saint in verse 1, is hagios (hag-ee-os) appears 229 times in all – 61 of those occurrences its translated as ‘saints’, BUT it’s actually also translated as ‘holy’ 161 times – so, to say from verse 4: “…that we should be holy…” could also be said: “…so that we should be saints…” or if you take it back to verse 1: “…to the saints…” could also be read as: “to the holy…”
WHOA! How can he call these people holy? Set apart? The radiance of the glory of God?
You and Me: Sainthood Dilemma
From Paul to the Ephesians, it’s only natural to think of ourselves. Paul idolized power and control which brought him to afflict the church: throwing Christians into jail and stoning them to death, and the Ephesians worshipped man-made idols, such as Diana. They also worshipped sexual pleasure, and enlightenment of the mind.
Where are your idols? Are you really any different then Paul or the Ephesians? Be very careful how you answer this question!
What do you fantasize about? Getting that girl/guy? Winning the lottery and becoming a millionaire? Succeeding academically to please your parents? What do you give your time, money and energy towards? Football? Cheerleading? Working out to look good? Playing a guitar to be cool? Sometimes even good things can become idols: for example, maybe you read your bible or do bible quizzing in order to know more then everyone? You think it makes you better somehow? Maybe you raise your hands in worship because you think it makes you look more spiritual? Or… maybe you don’t move in worship or express any emotion, because you care too much about peoples opinion? Maybe your entire life is run based upon managing how others view you? Saying the right things, doing the right things, having the right clothes, hanging with the right friends, etc? Maybe you spend more time in front of the television then Jesus? What does your life look like when you’re alone? Answer that question, and I will tell you what you really worship! You may sit here and say you worship Jesus – but the moment you’re behind closed doors the things which you do and think about is what you worship – no question. Maybe all you do is workout, look at porn or read romance novels or flirt through texting, maybe you’re a glutton and you sit and eat and eat – or maybe you’re a control freak and worship yourself and your ability to control your own life and your destiny.
The reality is, I am not any different than Paul – the murderer of Christians, or the Ephesians – the idolatrous and sexually immoral. The hard truth is that you are not any different either. Those of you who as you hear that think in your heart – “oh no Grant… really – I promise, that’s not me… I mean I know I’m not perfect, but look at my life…” Those who feel that way, WATCH OUT! Satan loves to hear those words of self-reliance, words that communicate little to no trust in the cross. How can any of us have any hope at all of being in right standing with a holy God?
The Outrageous Grace of God is our only Solution
Ephesians 1:1-2
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We see here, in verse 2, the solution to our dilemma!
The outrageous, extravagant, lavish, free, unmerited GRACE OF GOD
Romans 3:24-25 says:
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

[[improv via the Spirit]]
This grace that has come to us through Jesus’ death on the cross has brought with it amazing, unending, divine PEACE.
Ephesians 2:15-19 says:
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
[[improv via the Spirit]]

Notes on Ephesians: Context, Author, Audience

2010-09-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Introduction & Context[1]

Context
· Paul is the author, as we see in Ephesians 1:1 and again in 3:1
· Paul, the first time he visited, sailed from Corinth to Ephesus with Prisca and Aquila. His first trip lasted only 3 short months. In Paul’s second visit to the church in Ephesus he remained there for three years. On Paul’s last journey to Jerusalem he landed at Miletus and brought together the elders from Ephesus and delivered to them his remarkable farewell charge in Acts 20:18-35
o 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by [2] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.
Four years after Paul gave them this charge and ended up in jail for the first time he wrote this letter to the Ephesians, around 62 A.D.
Audience
· The Saints, the faithful, those who are in Christ – we see here that Paul is addressing all of those who believe in Jesus.

Ephesus
· Port City of Western Asia Minor, located on the Aegean Sea
· The church was founded by Paul
· Ephesians was written to a group of churches in the area surrounding Ephesus
· It was known as “the first and greatest metropolis of Asia.”
· Ephesus contained the massive Temple of Diana, containing her chief shrine
· Ephesus contained the largest theater in the world, capable of containing 50,000 spectators
· Paul saw Ephesus as strategic – he spoke of his opportunity to do ministry in Ephesus as having been the opening of “a great door and effectual.” Paul was correct, the gospel spread abroad from Ephesus almost to all of Asia.
· A part of the site of this once famous city is now occupied by a small Turkish village, Ayasaluk – the corruption of two Greek words meaning “the holy divine”

Themes
· It doesn’t seem to be written against a specific sin or problem within the churches, but simply out of Paul’s love for the church.
· The letter differs slightly from his letter to the Romans in how he describes the gospel. In Romans he speaks much of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ, in Ephesians however he writes specifically about the union to Jesus.
· One commentary said this of Ephesians, “this perhaps the profoundest book in existence.” It is a book “which sounds the lowest depths of Christian doctrine, and scales the loftiest heights of Christian experience”
· This epistle is referenced as key for establishing the truth of God’s complete sovereignty in our personal salvation[2]

Notes on Bryan Chapell, “Our Calling” – Ephesians 1:1-2, pp. 3-16

The Source of Strength
· Paul faces immense challenges: if being a chosen messenger isn’t difficult enough, the culture surrounding Ephesus is historically opposed to the message of God’s covenantal love, but the covenantal people who are there (the Jews) are opposed to the Gentiles receiving “their” message.
· Cultural, historical and racial differences confront the apostle – and what can he do? He’s in prison – quitting would be understandable, but he recognizes that his strength to face the obstacles lies in provisions beyond him: God’s Word and God’s will.

God’s Word (1:1)
· Apostle – “appointed messenger” – Paul has been called by Jesus to speak! Not noly that Paul belongs to Christ Jesus, but also that Paul represents Christ so definitely that Paul’s message is Christ’s own message. Paul speaks, Christ speaks.
o Opposition, affliction, imprisonment? What do these matter, HE SPEAKS FOR GOD!
· How does this help us? We have this inspired message from Paul/Jesus –therefore, when we speak faithfully the truths contained in this book – we speak for God. Rely upon the Word of God! His word is our source of strength.
God’s Will (1:1a)
· Paul’s confidence, his offense and his defense is found in that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus by “the will of God.”
· Remember this is the man who killed and tortured those who professed the name of Christ! How can he defend his right to speak? What right does he have? NONE! But Paul is not an apostle because of his merit, he is an apostle because of Christ’s redemption – Jesus corrected, claimed and commissioned him. He could speak for God, because it was God’s will.
o This should bring us great comfort – for what right do we have to speak for God? None, were my speaking based on my merit, I would be mute – BUT, JESUS! But, Jesus. Because God wants me and calls me to speak, I have right to speak.
· Paul could not only say he can speak, because God wants him to – he can say “and you must listen..” Not because of his own authority, but because of God’s.
· What effect should believing that God’s people are chosen for a divine purpose by the will of God? Confidence! Confidence that God has called for a purpose.
Acknowledge the Strength of Your Opposition (1:1b-c)
· Common day readers miss what Paul is saying, when he states the letter is “…to the saints who are in Ephesus…” This would be similar to saying his letter was to the Christians in Iran or the conservative evangelical working at MTV .
· Ephesus must have been an overwhelming city to minister in – fourth or fifth largest city in the world. Not merely because of size, however:
o Massive opposition from the Roman emperor cult: Still to this day, as you walk into Ephesus you can see the remnants of a great statue to the Roman emperor Trajan – who ruled after Paul’s time, but the statue still demonstrates the attitude of the Roman rulers Paul faced. The statue had Trajan with his foot upon the globe, equating his authority to that of a God.
o Sexual sin: Still to this day, one can make their way to the docks by the great port at the sea and a sign will emerge directing sailors to a brothel.
§ Ancient accounts demonstrates that the economy and culture of the entire region was lathered in materialism, sensuality, and idolatrous diversions as any modern city.
o Not more wicked than other cities, there were traces of desperate searching for the divine
§ Ephesus today, the most imposing building is the city’s library – representing the journey towards true enlightenment
o To call a “pagan-born” hearer a name such as “saint” (phrase of jewish origins: ‘set apart’ or ‘consecrated ones’) would have been unthinkable-even offensive- to the Jews of that time, it was a term reserved for special servants of God in Israel.
The Opposition Can Be Overcome (1:1c)
· Paul states both the physical and spiritual location of these saints:
o Physical: Ephesus/surrounding area
o Spiritual: in Christ Jesus
· When the culture surrounding us is full of sin and rebellion, we prevail not by our might but by virtue of the consecrating power of God that is ours by faith alone.
Recognize the Strength of Your Message (1:2)
· The salutation in verse 2 gives the reader the message Paul wishes to impart throughout the rest of the book: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” How can such hope be offered in the midst of such difficulty (sin culture in Ephesus)
o The Power of Grace (1:2a)
§ Grace is not of human origin, but from God – therefore has no limitations.
o The Power of Peace (1:2a)
§ The divine grace Paul received on the road to Damascus and the grace which he preaches to the Ephesians isn’t simply to produce hope – but peace, that God is no longer holding their sins against them. Amen! Peace!

“Peace is the evidence and expression of God’s power. Nothing in this world is more powerful than the peace that is the power of the gospel to them that believe. With such peace the gospel conquers challenges greater than we, and grants us the confidence and compassion to face them in Christ’s name and with his blessing.” –Bryan Chapell

Notes on John Stott, “Introduction to the Letter” – Ephesians 1:1-2, pp. 15-28

· John Calvin’s favorite letter…crown of St. Paul’s writings…the divinest composition of man…doctrine set to music

Message
· Letter focuses on what God did through the historical work of Jesus Christ and does through his Spirit today, in order to build his new society.
· Salutation: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”
o Grace & Peace– God’s free, saving initiative and ‘peace’ what he has taken the intiative to do: reconcile sinners to himself and to each other in his new community.
· v 15 – Jesus made peace by the blood of his cross.

“For Paul the author is ‘an apostle of Christ Jesus’, the readers themselves in Christ Jesus, and the blessing comes to both them from God our Father and from… the Lord Jesus Christ... Thus the Lord Jesus Christ dominates Paul’s mind and fills his vision. He seems compelled to bring Jesus Christ into every sentence he writes…” –Stott, pp. 28

Grant’s Notes on Ephesians 1:1-2

Who is writing? Paul
Why is he writing? He is an apostle
An apostle of whom? of Christ Jesus
How can a man be God’s messenger? By the will of God

Who is Paul writing to? To those who are in Ephesus
Which people in Ephesus?
the saints
the Faithful
those in Christ Jesus:

Salutation:
What does Paul intend to demonstrate/communicate to the Ephesians?
‘The Free, initiating, new life producing…’ Grace
‘Which brings about, through the blood of the cross’ peace
‘Where does this grace and peace originate?
From God our Father
And the Lord Jesus Christ

V1 – The Letter opens with Paul identifying himself as the author, and as an apostle of Jesus Christ – not by his own doing, but by the will of God. He is writing to the saints, the faithful and those who are in Christ Jesus in Ephesus.
V2 – He greets them, and lays out the central theme for not only this book/text, but his life: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace? I know grace is unmerited favor, not only not receiving what one deserves but receiving good/blessing upon good/blessing.

According to, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, “Grace is the favor God is able to show to men because Christ died for them; ‘we are saved by grace.”

“an action which is beyond the ordinary course of what is expected, and is therefore commendable.”[3]

“By grace we are to understand the free and undeserved love and favour of God, and those graces of the Spirit which proceed from it; by peace all other blessings, spiritual and temporal, the fruits and product of the former. No peace without grace. No peace, nor grace, but from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ”.[4]

[1] Introduction and Context adapted from Easton’s Bible Dictionary all information taken from “Ephesus” and “Ephesians” sections unless otherwise noted.
[2] Chapell, Bryan. “Ephesians” page xvi.
[3]Wuest, Kenneth S.: Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English Reader. Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1997, c1984, S. Jud 17
[4]Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Eph 1:1

God: Purpose, Passion, Plan and Power

2010-08-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Throughout the rest of the month of August we are focusing on evangelism! We will be examining the roles played by God - our Master, God's people -the Messengers, and the our audience - the Masses.

Last night at Coram Deo we inspected the role of God in evangelism. Why? We want to have a God-centered philosophy of life, death, fun, school, ministry, work, etc. - So, we begin with God! Specifically we talked about orchestrating our affections and actions around God's: Purpose, Passion, Plan and Power.

The Purpose of God

Luke 17 - High Priestly Prayer:
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

We see God's purpose in accomplishing eternal life is to glorify Himself. Christ received from God the power to forgive sin, and in forgiving sin - God is glorified. Ephesians chapter 1 talks specifically about God's purpose from before time began: "to the praise of the glory of His grace." God has done all things to glorify Himself, especially/specifically in redeeming sinners. When we bring the message of the cross to the world.

So, we must join in with Jesus Christ in his global Purpose: To Glorify God.

The Passion of God

Matthew 9:35-38
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Jesus reacts to the multitudes of lost people with compassion! He sees them as harassed and helpless – he wholeheartedly proclaims: “the harvest is plentiful, look at all these people! They need to know, they need to know my purpose and my love for them otherwise things will end very poorly, therefore pray and pray and pray – pray that more than just us here take up the call and go into the harvest as laborers –ministers of the gospel!”

So, we must join in with God and his Passion: Love/Compassion for the lost.

The Plan of God

Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As we do evangelism we have the authority of the God of the universe behind us! Jesus said that ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and on earth has been given to me. An example of this that makes sense to me. Imagine the principle at your school comes to you and says “ya know I’m in charge of the whole school, what I say goes – so I want you to go and tell every person in the school about this huge party were throwing later – get them all ready to go for the party, fired up about all of it, etc. – ya know what in fact I’ll just come with you, everywhere you go – how does that sound?

Pretty easy to consider sharing the gospel when we consider the implications of what Christ is saying compared to the principle. The Principle’s authority over the school should be enough – but infact he sends himself or his right hand man along with just to ensure you’re effectiveness. The same is true of us! God has sent us, on his FULL AUTHORITY to go tell a message – that’s the plan, tell a message and teach those you tell that message to everything that I’ve commanded you to – go teach, tell, preach, model – do whatever it takes… ya know what I’m coming with too!

We so often consider ourselves alone in evangelism with the whole world to win. Well we do have the whole world to win, but we’re definitely not alone –even if its just you. Hopefully we can rally around one another, but ultimately God has promised to be with us for the rest of eternity. But how?

The Power of God

Acts 1:6-9
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

The Spirit supplies the Power: to increase boldness, love and courage in our hearts - as well as receptiveness and transformation in the hearts of those to whom we witness.

When God is supreme in our evangelism... we have the glory of God above us, the love of God within us, the authority of the Almighty God behind us, the plan of God before us, the Presence of God with us, and the Power of God working in and through us! It begins and ends with God.

To God be the glory,
Grant

Christ: Heir - Creator - Glory - Sovereign

2010-07-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

"1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Hebrews 1:1-4

What a passion producing text! God has finally and ultimately spoken to us in the person of Jesus Christ. We learn a few amazing things about Christ here:

He has been appointed heir of all things! This is great news, for through Christ I inherit all things. This marvelous truth puts an end to the idolatry of success and wealth. One may have nothing this world deems valuable, but through Christ I already have EVERYTHING. What silly games I play when I attempt to accumulate.
He is the Creator-God. In Driscoll's book: Doctrine, he tells us about how ancient Jewish Rabbi's used the Hebrew word for "beginning" (re'shit) synonymously with the Hebrew word for "firstborn" (bekor). This is exciting, for what we read here in Hebrews 1 is actually explicit in Genesis 1 with this interpretive translation, because in early aramaic texts it would read like this: "In the beginning, by the firstborn, God created..." Who is the "firstborn?" Christ! Jesus' role in the creation of the world is not just a New Testament conception.
He is the brightness of the glory of God. Want to see the glory of God? Examine the person and work of Jesus Christ.
He upholds all things by the word of His power. This is not "Buddy Jesus," this is the all-powerful King of the universe.

Seeking to live: coram deo - honestly in the "presence of the Father!"

Grant

What Does “coram Deo” Mean? - RC Sproul

2010-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

I remember Mama standing in front of me, her hands poised on her hips, her eyes glaring with hot coals of fire and saying in stentorian tones, “Just what is the big idea, young man?”

Instinctively I knew my mother was not asking me an abstract question about theory. Her question was not a question at all—it was a thinly veiled accusation. Her words were easily translated to mean, “Why are you doing what you are doing?” She was challenging me to justify my behavior with a valid idea. I had none.

Recently a friend asked me in all earnestness the same question. He asked, “What’s the big idea of the Christian life?” He was interested in the overarching, ultimate goal of the Christian life.
To answer his question, I fell back on the theologian’s prerogative and gave him a Latin term. I said, “The big idea of the Christian life is coram Deo. Coram Deo captures the essence of the Christian life.”

This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.

To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze.

To be aware of the presence of God is also to be acutely aware of His sovereignty. The uniform experience of the saints is to recognize that if God is God, then He is indeed sovereign. When Saul was confronted by the refulgent glory of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, his immediate question was, “Who is it, Lord?” He wasn’t sure who was speaking to him, but he knew that whomever it was, was certainly sovereign over him.

Living under divine sovereignty involves more than a reluctant submission to sheer sovereignty that is motivated out of a fear of punishment. It involves recognizing that there is no higher goal than offering honor to God. Our lives are to be living sacrifices, oblations offered in a spirit of adoration and gratitude.

To live all of life coram Deo is to live a life of integrity. It is a life of wholeness that finds its unity and coherency in the majesty of God. A fragmented life is a life of disintegration. It is marked by inconsistency, disharmony, confusion, conflict, contradiction, and chaos.

The Christian who compartmentalizes his or her life into two sections of the religious and the nonreligious has failed to grasp the big idea. The big idea is that all of life is religious or none of life is religious. To divide life between the religious and the nonreligious is itself a sacrilege.

This means that if a person fulfills his or her vocation as a steelmaker, attorney, or homemaker coram Deo, then that person is acting every bit as religiously as a soul-winning evangelist who fulfills his vocation. It means that David was as religious when he obeyed God’s call to be a shepherd as he was when he was anointed with the special grace of kingship. It means that Jesus was every bit as religious when He worked in His father’s carpenter shop as He was in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Integrity is found where men and women live their lives in a pattern of consistency. It is a pattern that functions the same basic way in church and out of church. It is a life that is open before God. It is a life in which all that is done is done as to the Lord. It is a life lived by principle, not expediency; by humility before God, not defiance. It is a life lived under the tutelage of conscience that is held captive by the Word of God.

Coram Deo … before the face of God. That’s the big idea. Next to this idea our other goals and ambitions become mere trifles.

Two Ways to Reject God!

2010-07-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

Jesus, as he often did, told a story –it went something like this: (GSV – Grant Sather Version)

Two people, both men actually, started walking into a church. They were both going in to pray, but for very different reasons. One of the men was a religious teacher and the other a tax collector (known for his greed and lavish lifestyle). The religious teacher stood off to the side by himself and prayed this: “God, I thank you that I’m not like other men. I thank you that I’m not an adulterer, I don’t misuse my power to gain wealth, I’m not unjust or an adulterer – or even like this tax collector. I demonstrate self control by fasting two times per week; I give my tithes… thank you God that I’m obedient.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me, a sinner! Don’t give me what I deserve!

Jesus continued, saying: “I tell you this man –the tax collector, went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself with be exalted.

We see here something very scary. Two people, both have rejected God – but in their own way. The most obvious rejection of God can be seen in the Tax Collector – tax collectors were despised, often took more money than was owed – saving the extra for themselves. He was probably an adulterer. Needless to say, he rejected God in the way we all are accustomed to thinking about rejecting God. He lived his life without regard to the law of God. He didn’t care about bringing glory and honor to God, nor did he consider living a good moral life to be a profitable thing. He lived his life the way HE wanted; it was all about HIS OWN desires.

We have all heard “for the wages of sin is death…” God repays lawlessness with death, sin is like flipping God the cosmic finger, it’s like spitting in his face – sin is any action, thought or attitude that is contrary to the nature of God. God sees everything, says in his word that God sees the secrets of men. Every thought or emotion you’ve ever had has been seen by God. He burns with anger towards sin, this anger is known as wrath. If you are living your life how you want now, don’t worry that will change – either in this life (when you repent) or the next (when the wrath of God burns against you for all eternity). We will call rejecting God by running your own life: irreligion.

So, both men in this story have rejected God, but if we take a closer look at the religious teacher we will be shocked to see what we find. There are four things and four words which should freak us out in this passage – I’m talking, literally cause us to shake in our boots.

1. The religious teacher believes in God. In his prayer, the teacher acknowledges the existence and authority of God. He realizes that God is real, and that he answers to Him in some way.
2. The religious teacher believes that sin is wrong. He is grateful to God that he hasn’t fallen in to sin, because he doesn’t want to!
3. The religious teacher believes that God helped him to not sin. He gives God the credit for his morality by thanking him for it, in doing so he recognizes God as the worker of his personal righteousness.
4. The religious teacher was a good person. Jesus never says that the religious teacher was mistaken when he was thanking God for keeping him from being an extortioner, etc. In fact, beyond being a good person if you examined this man’s life you would be impressed: he fasted twice a week and always gave tithes. Jesus didn’t say he did these things, but there weren’t really good things. We can assume that the teacher’s analysis of his own character was fair an honest, a noble quality in and of itself!

However, the four words Jesus uses to describe the eternal destiny of the tax collector and religious teacher are the four scariest words in the entire bible, in my opinion. Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified…” He proclaims good news on behalf of the tax collector who was heartbroken and repentant over his sin. Howerever, Christ’s next four words: “rather than the other…” tell a different story for the religious teacher. He wasn’t saved, he wasn’t justified in God’s eyes – if he were to die with nothing changing this man would spend the rest of eternity in hell. Prior to faith we know that we can do nothing to honor the Lord, despite all this man’s work for the Lord he had gotten nowhere.

Peace!
Grant

Vision for First Free Youth Group

2010-07-07T10:21:00.001-07:00

We desire to KNOW and MAKE KNOWN the cosmic King of the universe! What does this look like? Let's take a look at an early church transformational community as seen in Acts 2.42-47:

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came
upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the
apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in
common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and
distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day,
attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they
received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by
day those who were being saved.

Seeing this Transformational Community should awaken an excitement within our soul for seeing the Spirit of God work in our midst. There are nine observations I have taken from this passage, that I have turned into "Ministry Aims," which should guide our youth ministry:

We will seek to know God through gospel-saturated expository teaching (v42)
We will seek to cultivate hearts broken and dependent upon the Lord through prayer (v42)
We will seek to grow in authentic fellowship: grace and truth filled relationships (v44, 46)
We will seek to worship God with our whole selves: heart, soul, mind, affections and actions (v43)
We will seek to unify under the banner of Christ crucified: committed to dissolve disunity preemptively (v44)
We will seek to serve one another, the church and our world in the name of Christ (v45)
We will seek to engage one another consistently and faithfully (v46)
We will seek to build life-long firendships outside of "church" activities (v46)
We will seek to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost (v47)

It may have crossed your mind that all this seems quite impossible, for truly it is! Without the grace of God to extend and infuse the work of the Spirit into our weekly rituals nothing we do will be of any good! Join me in pleading with the Father to do a mighty work for His glory and renown.

For Christ's Renown,

Grant Sather