God's Inheritance

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Good morning, Orchard Vernon Hills!

It is a great privilege to be with you all this Sunday and next, as Pastor Tom serves overseas training pastors for ministry.

As [X] mentioned, my name is Tim - pastoral resident at Barrington campus, finishing the OSM this summer—along with Scoty, Brent, and Peiman— and hoping to continue to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations wherever God sends us.

I am married to Emily, my best friend and Valentine, whose love is such a precious gift of God to me!

I’ve been hearing wonderful things about what God is doing here at this campus,

and so I’m so glad to finally have a chance to come and worship here with you all.

Would you all pray with me before we begin?

Pray 1:15-19

A Wise King once said,

“Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,

but a wise wife is from the LORD.”

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,

but a wise wife—an insightful, prudent wife--is from the LORD.

I see this morning many young people - perhaps longing to have a Valentine who stays, who makes you smile with your heart, and who loves you unconditionally

2. If you want to know how to find and keep a faithful partner,

Look no further than this proverb of King Solomon, Proverbs 19:14.

This is its wisdom:

*(What they can and can’t)*

Mom and Dad may be able to leave you a fortune when they die—if you happen to be so fortunate,

Your folks may include you in their will,

as the HEIR to their car

to their savings

to their house,

But Mom and Dad CAN’T hand down to you your “Match-Made in Heaven”,

They CAN’T write the name of your “Prince Charming”

in their Last Will and Testament,

distinguishing what goes to who

when Mom and Dad pass away.

*Repetition*

3. If you find a faithful and understanding husband or wife, (as I by God’s grace have!)

it won’t be by family inheritance.

it won’t be through your birthright or heritage

No, every good spouse is a gift from God Himself!

And if you are married today to a spouse that knows God and walks in His ways,

It is because God in His great kindness and wisdom gave them to you.

Over the next 2 weeks we’re not going to talk about marriage, but we are going to talk about what we, and what God, INHERIT.

It is this theme of INHERITANCE that we will trace across the Scriptures, asking,

First, this morning,

What is GOD’S inheritance?

And second, next Sunday,

What is OUR inheritance? as believers of the Lord Jesus Christ

We will see that the Scriptures speak of both US and God inheriting

Receiving something as our rightful property and possession.

God has an inheritance.

And WE have an inheritance.

GOD has a HERITAGE,

and WE have a HERITAGE.

Heritage, here, not in the sense of culture or tradition acquired from our ancestors,

“I am proud of my Polish heritage!”

Or, “South Korea has a rich heritage of music and cuisine”

No, HERITAGE in the sense of owning and possessing something that CANNOT be permanently sold

In the Old Testament, often this refers to the property of LAND, inherited by descendents

The original word for HERITAGE is often used interchangeably with the word inheritance in the OT,

- And HERITAGE and INHERITANCE are often used alongside the words “Possession” and “Portion”.

INHERITANCE, HERITAGE, POSSESSION, PORTION.

The GOAL for us over the next two weeks is to grow in our understanding of both GOD’s and OUR inheritance,

- and GROW in Gratitude and AWE for the Portion allotted to us in Christ.

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The text read for us this morning was from Ephesians chapter 1.

So please, keep your Bibles open there.

Look with me at v11. SLIDE 1

“In him [that is Jesus Christ] we have obtained an inheritance” .

Now verse 11, 14, and 18, have had a GREAT amount of scholarly debate over interpretation and translation--

- Faithful, godly commentators disagree

But the two main perspectives offered are really beautifully complementary.

They are in wonderful harmony with each another.

The ESV translators take v.11 to say, “In Christ WE have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined...”

and v.14, “[you] were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until WE acquire possession of it..”

Other translators,

Take v.11 to say, “In him we have been MADE an inheritance,” or “In him we were chosen, CLAIMED as God’s Own Possession”.

And v.14 to say, “[you] were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the REDEMPTION of God’s possession”

—namely, unto the FINAL gathering, restoring, and glorifying God’s people, who ARE called God’s possession.

You may see a little footnote in your Bible that offers this alternative reading for v.14.

Are you tracking with me?

Some think the apostle Paul is emphasizing OUR inheritance: the future heaven and blessings of eternal life.

Others think he is emphasizing GOD’S inheritance: His people,

whom He seals with His Spirit UNTIL the full Church of God is redeemed-- set free from all sin.

Both perspectives have biblical backing for them.

(Whether its primarily God’s inheritance or OUR inheritance)

The reason why these differing perspectives don’t pose any problem for us,

is that they are both gloriously true and consistent with the testimony of Scripture.

Why are we considering all of this?

Well, for this reason.

It is CRUCIAL background knowledge to understand the wonder of v.18, which is our key verse and crown jewel today.

Verse 18 is part of a PRAYER of Paul, for the Ephesian Christians,

An expression of his unceasing request,

to GOD on their behalf.

What does the Spirit-inspired apostle ASK God for, on behalf of his spiritual kids?

v.17 “that the GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may GIVE you the SPIRIT of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of HIM.”

The presence and filling and instructing of the Holy Spirit,

for a deeper KNOWLEDGE of God.

Whenever you PRAY — don’t get sidetracked by secondary needs and desires.

Bring ALL your requests to God, small and big

He LOVES to hear His children pray with sincere, childlike hearts

But when you PRAY,

- MAKE SURE to prioritize the MOST important thing.

KNOWING God.

GROWING in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ!

So Paul prays that God would GIVE His Spirit to them,

that they might know God more and more,

AND,

that they might KNOW--EXPERIENTIALLY KNOW

the BLESSINGS that are theirs in Jesus.

In v.18-19, three particular blessings are highlighted,

Three BENEFITS purchased by Jesus Christ for you, brother and sister!

1) HOPE in God’s Calling

2) RICHES in God’s Inheritance

3) POWER in God’s Dominion

(X2)

Our focus will be on this second blessing.

the RICHES of God’s glorious inheritance!

It is GOD’s WILL for you, Christian

to KNOW

WHAT are the RICHES of HIS GLORIOUS inheritance,

His GLORIOUS inheritance

in. the. Saints.

Now what does that mean?

“God’s inheritance in the saints”?

Does it mean the inheritance that GOD is preparing for us in glory?

An inheritance that is already “in Christians”,

The Holy Spirit and new LIFE in us through faith,

Awaiting full realization when we receive glorified resurrection bodies!

Or does it mean, that WE, the saints of Jesus Christ, ARE God’s inheritance,

God’s GLORIOUS inheritance.

And He wants us to KNOW

what are the RICHES

—the treasures found in being a member of the body of Christ?

Similar to verses 11 and 14,

the meaning is debated.

What was the Holy Spirit intending to communicate,

and what was the apostle Paul intending to communicate, as he penned this prayer by the Spirit?

These are CRUCIAL questions to ask as you read your Bible.

What does my gracious and all-knowing Lord,

WANT me to takeaway from this text,

and what did His inspired prophets and apostles,

intend to communicate?

We know that verse 18,

is a blood-bought BLESSING that God wants us to KNOW more and more,

to increasingly see and savor as our Christian lives progress,

and as the Day of the Lord comes near.

Since BOTH meanings are biblically faithful and justified,

and Paul left a holy ambiguity,

I am inclined to argue that both the human and divine author want us

to hold BOTH meanings side by side,

like a glistening diamond, reflecting various colors from different sides.

So with that foundation laid,

let us consider the reality that the saints—the HOLY ones of Christ,

those who have been set apart from the world

Set apart by faith in Christ,

Are God’s glorious inheritance!

That you and I, who are in Christ,

together make up God’s Own Possession,

God’s Eternal Portion.

If you are in Christ,

you BELONG to God,

and you BELONG to a vast multitude of redeemed people,

from every tribe and tongue.

You are NOT your own,

You were BOUGHT with a price,

and as such, you are PRECIOUS to the Lord who made you and saved you.

The true and living God of the Bible is the Creator of ALL that exists,

There is not a square inch in the entire universe that God does not own and sustain.

And yet, from the beginning of creation,

God has set apart for Himself a special portion.

A treasured possession.

A heritage for His personal enjoyment.

Let us trace this history of redemption, in 7 scenes, following a cycle.

Scene 1: Inheritance Created

In Genesis,

After creating the heavens and earth,

vegetation and every creature,

God creates humanity.

A man named Adam,

and a woman named Eve.

Genesis 1:26, 28

God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion…”

Out of the happy communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

God fashions humankind in His image,

to reflect His qualities!

To enjoy God’s fellowship, and BE enjoyed by God,

To exercise God’s gracious rule over creation, and be ruled by God’s grace

And to spread God’s Kingdom—His Edenic Kingdom--to the ends of the world.

In Gen 3:8 we read that “[Adam and Eve] heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...”

We were made to DWELL with God,

in perfect harmony,

Flourishing as His beloved children,

His holy representatives,

Mirror images of His beauty and love!

This was God’s intention.

From the very beginning,

God CREATED US—humanity!—as the CROWN of His creation,

Privileged over every creature

God’s special portion

His inheritance!

But you know the tragic story...

In Gen chapter the cunning Serpent slithers into the scene,

- Casting doubt upon God’s good word

- and deceiving the woman.

Both Eve and Adam believe his lie, and SIN against God,

breaking the fellowship they shared with Him,

dooming their race to death.

SCHENE 2: Inheritance FORSAKEN

God said:

Genesis 3:19c, 23-24a

“For you are dust, and to dust you shall return…”

[And] the Lord God sent [the couple] out from the garden of Eden... He drove [them out] from [from His immediate presence].

Unending fellowship with our Father in a universe with no curse or stain of sin,

was lost.

The story of Genesis continues as a sad tale of evil’s ravaging effects on humanity and the earth,

God sends a great Flood to wipe out the wickedness of humanity

God confuses the languages of all the peoples on earth,

Scattering every tribe because of their united plot

to make a name for themselves,

and approach God on their own terms!

But then, in Gen. 12, there is a great BEAM of hope!

God calls a man: Abram, later renamed Abraham.

A man from a tribe of idolaters, worshipers of many gods.

Scene 3: Inheritance PROMISED

God sets him apart for Himself,

saying, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make YOUR name great!”

Abram would be the father of a nation, through which God would bless the world!

- God makes a covenant with Abram: a solemn agreement with promises and expectations.

- An eternal TREATY with Abram and his offspring after him—promising them land, blessing, honor;

- and best of all,

GOD Himself!

God said,

“I will establish my covenant b/w me and you and your offspring for an everlasting covenant, to be GOD to you and to your offspring after you.”

Though God is SOVEREIGN over all creation—including every nation,

There is a SPECIAL covenant he makes,

A unique contract with a specific people,

Who would be named “Israel”!

Hundreds of years later,

the offspring of Abraham, the Hebrew people

would be enslaved at the hands of the Egyptians,

brutally oppressed.

But God could not forget His promise!

He raises up another man,

whose name was Moses,

and by his leadership, delivers His chosen race.

- establishes His own nation.

Scene 4: Inheritance CREATED

God called Israel, his “first-born son”,

and said,

Exodus 19:4–6 (ESV) (Slide 8)

‘…You shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

Yahweh, the LORD,

Makes another covenant — with instructions for Israel’s life, government, and worship.

He organizes this multitude of ex-slaves,

- and fashions them into mighty nation

- a HOLY Nation for Himself.

She would be to Him a TREASURED possession,

A people for His own inheritance!

Deuteronomy 4:20 (ESV)

But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.

You may know the story,

Tragically, Israel fails time and time again to BE who she was:

God’s HOLY nation!

A Kingdom of Priests,

Serving God in faithfulness,

and Showing the surrounding nations the wonders of Yahweh’s love!

Israel SHIRKS her calling,

Abandons her purpose,

Abuses her privileged status, as a HOLY people, belonging to a HOLY God, in a HOLY land!

And so,

She falls under God’s righteous judgment.

Scene 5: Inheritance FORSAKEN

God says,

2 Kings 21:14

I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies...

God forsakes what was left of His heritage,

He surrendered His inheritance into the hand of their enemies,

He divorces His People and expels them from their Land.

(pause)...

But that is not the end of the story!

The many prophets of God---

Men like Isaiah, Jeremiah,

Hosea, Ezekiel,

prophesied HOPE in the midst of God’s wrath

Blessings in the midst of curses

SCENE 6: Inheritance PROMISED

Through their lips,

God said,

Hosea 2:23

I will sow her for myself in the land.

And I will have mercy on No Mercy,

and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;

and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

While God would desert His rebellious people for a moment,

disowning them,

and giving them into the hands of foreign empires,

He would preserve yet a remnant.

He would keep alive for fallen Israel a root,

a stump from the Tree that He had cut down in wrath.

and FROM this Tree Stump,

Would sprout a Branch,

a FRUITFUL branch, whose name would be called “Immanuel”,

which means, “God with us.”

This man would be appointed by God,

to GATHER His scattered people,

to raise up the dead bones of Israel,

by suffering for their sins

and rising from the dead.

More than that,

But God would appoint this man,

To be the HEIR of ALL things,

Not just renewed Israel,

But all of the nations,

and ALL the world!

This Anointed One—the Messiah—would restore not only the Jewish race,

But through His everlasting covenant,

The NEW covenant in His blood,

ALL of the nations would be brought into fellowship with God!

As it is written,

Isaiah

In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria: (Israel’s former enemies—together representing the whole world in Isaiah’s day)

[Israel, Egypt, Assyria will be] a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

This Messiah,

Would be called the Prince of Peace,

The King of kings,

Who would make peace between Jew and Gentile,

Slave and Free

Man and Woman,

Reconciling them through His cross.

God the Father would call Him His own Son,

Psalm 2:7–8 (Slide)

“You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.

Ask of me, (The Father would say)

and I will make the nations your heritage,

and the ends of the earth your possession.

“China and India,

Mexico and Canada,

Elect from every nation, shall be yours!

- Your heritage, your inheritance!”

All the ends of the earth shall be YOUR possession!

Which brings us to the New Testament.

The fullness of time had come,

History was RIPE for redemption.

It was TIME!

And so, the Father of Glory,

Sent forth His Son,

born of woman,

born under the Law,

to REDEEM those under the Law,

And to SET FREE those in prison,

In order that WE might receive adoption as sons.

Scene 7: Inheritance RECREATED

Whoever would RECEIVE this eternal Son from heaven,

and BELIEVE in His name,

would be given the RIGHT,

to become a child of God.

And if a child,

then an heir,

fellow heirs with this Christ,

heirs of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ,

was this prophesied Shepherd-King

Sent to Gather the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel

Not only of the house of Israel, however,

“I have sheep that are not of this fold,” He would say.

Sheep from other nations,

Sheep I must BRING into my Father’s Presence,

UNITING all into ONE flock, ONE family.

By His atoning death and Resurrection,

Enthronement and Outpouring of His Spirit,

—His New Creation was born, the Church!

A FAMILY of holy people across every class and ethnicity,

Indwelt with God’s Spirit,

Knowing God’s Favor,

Filled with His fullness.

And NOW, God calls US:

1 Peter 2:9 (Slide ?)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

WE have become God’s Portion, God’s Chosen race, a People for His own possession.

In Christ, God’s INHERITANCE is no longer isolated to one national group,

God’s HERITAGE is a multi-ethnic, global family

who are chosen,

forgiven,

lavished with His grace.

An assembly of sinners-made-righteous,

slaves-made-sons,

Who PARTAKE in the LOVE eternally shared between Father and Son,

Who are progressively made HOLY and blameless

Who are BUILT up into a TEMPLE for the Holy Spirit

and SHARE in the immeasurable greatness of God’s resurrection power.

Do you SEE the RICHES of HIS glorious inheritance in His saints?

Can you COMPREHEND the WEALTH of membership in the body of Christ?

Of your PARTICIPATION in the Church,

God’s Special Possession.

God’s Inheritance?

(pause)

The problem is,

With natural eyes, we cannot see it.

With natural minds, we cannot comprehend it.

And some of us today are FOGGY in the eyes of our hearts,

this world of sin and body of flesh can do that to us.

Some of you, are still BLIND altogether.

You have not had, in Paul’s language, the eyes of your hearts enlightened. (v.18)

You do not perceive,

Let alone experience what are the RICHES of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints.

Perhaps you even think or feel,

that God is ashamed of the Church,

Christ is embarrassed by His Bride,

like a man who does not unconditionally love and accept his wife,

and help her through her weaknesses,

but rather shames her and talks behind her back!

“Yeah… I know I saved them,

Yeah, She’s mine,

but she’s so flawed, and foolish, and annoying, and can’t get anything right...”

If this is how you think God views His Chosen People,

If this is how you think God views YOU, Christian,

- A partaker of the PROMISE,

- An Heir of the Kingdom of heaven,

You are DEAD wrong.

And the solution to CORRECT such thinking,

is written PLAINLY in our Ephesians passage.

WHAT is the KEY to KNOWING God,

and to KNOWING the riches of His inheritance, now and forevermore?

v.17 “[for] the GOD of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

[to] GIVE you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, [who enlightens the eyes of the heart!]”

We cannot KNOW the breathtaking reality

of our corporate identity,

apart from the Holy Spirit.

This morning, you may not be a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ,

You are NOT currently part of God’s beloved possession;

You belong to the world.

You are a child of darkness, a child of wrath.

You do not have the Holy Spirit within you,

You are darkened in your understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in you, due to your hardness of heart.

While every believer in Jesus Christ is destined for pleasures forevermore at God’s right hand,

You are destined for judgment, your portion NOT in the Kingdom of God,

But in the Lake of Fire.

Friend, why should you die with no hope? Why should you perish, forfeiting SUCH an inheritance?

Call on the name of the Lord Jesus,

ASK Him to have mercy on your soul,

To remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh

To shine His light of life into your being, scattering unbelief and competing gods

and to fill you with His Spirit of wisdom and revelation

(Pause)

Brothers and sisters,

Whether you feel like the eyes of your heart have been darkened by a season of struggle or backsliding,

Or feel like you are growing leaps and bounds, experiencing the riches of God’s inheritance,

Continually SEEK the Holy Spirit.

Be FILLED with the Spirit.

Like the apostle Paul,

PRAY to be given the Holy Spirit of wisdom and revelation as a daily prayer!

Yes, upon putting your faith in Christ,

God’s Spirit comes into you to stay,

making you a temple of His presence.

He SEALS you as a guarantee,

a pledge of your future resurrection,

preserving you until you reach it.

But there are always more degrees of knowing the Spirit’s movement and light,

the Spirit’s guiding and instructing

the Spirit’s convicting and empowering

So RECEIVE the HOLY SPIRIT,

as you treasure up His words in this book,

And you will GROW in AWE of who you are in Christ!

Heirs of a LIVING hope!

Recipients of an IMMEASURABLE Power!

Members of a GLORIOUSLY rich inheritance.

Would you pray with me?