Obtained an Inheritance

Good morning, welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bible to Ephesians 1.

Psalm 122:1- I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”

Throughout the Psalms- shout for joy to God, make music, let your heart overflow into your words.

Read Ephesians 1:11-12- In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Pray.

5 words of encouragement, straight from our text.

Let’s see what all we can get through this morning.

1. We have obtained an inheritance.

Text could be understood in two major ways.

We now have an inheritance in our possession, we have gained something.

1 Peter 1:3-5- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We were made an inheritance.

Harold Hoehner- “in whom also we were made a heritage…”

We have obtained an inheritance meaning that we have received the status of being an inheritance, or a heritage.

Seen this way, we have become the possession of God, in a brand new way.

Haven’t we always been the possession of God?

Psalm 24:1-2- The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

In some way, the church, made up of believers, is in a different sort of relationship with God than is the rest of creation.

OT concept with Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:6- “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Notice what is said- chosen from among the people of the earth.

Deuteronomy 9:26- And I prayed to the LORD, ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Again, notice what is being communicated- Your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed.

In the same way, believers of Jesus Christ, who have put their faith, hope, trust in Jesus alone, have been redeemed by Jesus’ blood.

In being redeemed, we have become the possession of our Father.

This idea could bring great joy and peace, or it could bring great fear. Likely depends on how you treat your own possessions.

Coffee Maker. Filing cabinet.

We project ourselves onto God. Am I slipping through His fingers?

Treasured possession- segullah

Word of Encouragement Number 1- You are God’s treasured possession. In all of creation, He values His people above all else. If you belong to God, you are in His perfect care.

2. Works all things.

Life seems random. Or better yet, life often seems to be working against us.

The rule of threes.

Here we are reminded that God is working, and that all things, but salvation in particular, are happening according to the design and plans of God.

This is why it is so important to know God, to know even the intricacies of who God is.

God is perfectly good, all-knowing, unchanging, all powerful.

Those four attributes of God beckon our trust in God.

He is working His purposes (all things) according to the counsel of His will.

Bryan Chapell- “Even when we have failed, even when our sin is apparent like that of the stiff-necked people of Israel, the purposes of God do not go away.”

Parents tell their children that they will get through the difficulties of life.

God saying- “You will get through this.”

Our purpose in life- Westminster Shorter Catechism- “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

God promises to give us what is necessary for us to accomplish such a life.

Word of Encouragement Number 2- God perfectly knows the end, and perfectly accomplishes His will. He loves you and you can trust His promises.

3. Hope in Christ.

Here we discover what is the vehicle by which God makes us His inheritance.

What happens in our lives for us to belong to God?

Hope. Specifically hope in Jesus.

How might we define hope here? Eyes opened to the glory of God.

Ephesians 5:13-14- But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

The command to wake up is the command to faith in Jesus.

What are we praying for when we consider someone’s salvation- an awakening from the dead, eyes opened to the reality of who God is?

We become convinced that God is who He says He is.

This changes life completely.

Ian Hamilton- “Faith is more than assent to certain truths. It is acknowledging with the mind and embracing with the heart the truth and person of Christ. It is the self-renouncing trust in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.”

When faith has taken root in our lives, our very existence becomes something else entirely.

No longer mistaken hope in our own abilities, goodness, morality, strengths, all of which are fleeting.

Faith rests on the character of God entirely. He is our rock, He is our shelter, He is our shield, He is our refuge.

Word of Encouragement Number 3- God is worthy of your faith, and a new life is given once faith has been established.

4. To the praise of His glory.

What is the purpose of all of this? Becoming God’s possession, knowing that God fulfills His plans and promises, hoping in Jesus Christ alone.

What is God doing in us by making all of this known?

He is creating people who praise Him.

Kids praising their own accomplishments.

God is taking what is wrong in us and making it right- moving our praise from the less worthy object to the only worthy object.

Word of Encouragement Number 4- Life is most satisfying when we are praising God.

5. Considering time.

We have seen so much mention of time throughout our text.

Even this morning, the mention of first brings the element of time into our minds.

The temptation always is to live completely in the present.

For many, we try to block out the past and the thought of the future gives at least a hint of anxiety.

This is not a view of how Paul views time, and likely not the way that God desires for us to consider time.

Think about what Paul has been communicating about time- chosen from eternity past, predestined for eternity future, living as currently redeemed.

All of time, past, present and future are there to build up the believer of Jesus.

Klyne Snodgrass- “Christians are people who live in the present, founded on the past, pulled by the future.”

Word of Encouragement Number 5- Your entire life, past, present and future, is a testimony of the work that God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.

Carolina Sandell- Day by day and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure; Gives unto each day what he deems best– Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest.