SEATED

DAVID BE STILL

BE STILL

BE STILL

words?

WORSHIP EQUIP REACH // WHAT IS THE CHURCH? - what Rick said. Harden or receive.

HONOR

PRAY

Ephesus is on the SW corner of modern Turkey. It was a port city. A Major city. Lots of trade. Greek city. Wealthy.

The Temple of Diana was there. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It took 220 years to build.

Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV

18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

In the middle of the temple there was a statue that was carved out of a meteor that had apparently fallen out of the sky

And in ancient times what do you do when something falls out of the sky?? You worship it! “THE CLAWWWW”

Diana was called the goddess who had fallen from heaven

The city bank was behind the image of Diana and the temple — bank and temples were connected. So temple worship and city bank were basically one and the same

The temple was a huge tourist attraction. They would sell little Diana statues for people on ships passing through to buy

So pagan worship was connected to the finances. So becoming Christian — and now no longer worship pagan/false gods - This created problems!

You would be ostracized. You can’t do business here anymore!

The thought that would be in everyone’s mind when they hear “Ephesus” would be the temple.. It’s like saying New York and thinking the Empire State Building or something.

So Paul’s big idea - His great motif in the letter to the church in Ephesus is THE CHURCH

How the Church is built.

How the Church should be.

Ephesians is talked a lot with Identity and that is true! But not just anyone’s identity. The Church’s identity.

How - we - as those who have been born again - as confessing Christians - should be built, operate, and live.

Right at the beginning he opens with this incredible prayer …

Ephesians 1:17–23 (ESV)

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, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Paul is reminding them — your wealth is no in Diana. You are not hopeless. There is hope for you in Christ!

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

“SEATED”

Who knows — To know your purpose, you first have to know your position

Just like Ecc. with the seasons and priorities…

How can you know what to do if you don’t know where you’re supposed to be?

Football players. All have different roles OR POSITIONS …

Look at the position Christ is in …

He made Jesus to sit … I don’t know about you, but that seems like a weird position for Jesus to be in.

Here He is the savior of the world.. and He was made to sit?

God has Jesus sitting BECAUSE THE WORK IS DONE!

It. Is. Finished.

Here me - this is so important - God is not holding out on you. He is not behind. He is not in delay.

The work that was needed for your justification and for your debt of sins to be forgiven IS FINISHED.

This is why there is no condemnation for those in Christ …

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Why???

Because condemnation says - you’ve sinned and your stuck.

Those that die outside of Christ will be condemned to hell, meaning they will forever separated from God. They missed and have lost their chance for redemption

BUT FOR THOSE THAT ACCEPT CHRIST AS LORD AND HIS FINISHED WORK — there is no condemnation for us! Because we have an escape! We have a Savior who took our place on that cross!

The work is finished - Christ is seated!

This should change who you pray … “Oh God could you pretty please move in my life? If you got the time I’d apprecaite it. I’m just a little poo-poo head but maybe you could help me.”

STOP IT

I’m not praying to a God that HAS TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN

I’m praying to God who has ALREADY DONE EVERYTHING

21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

C’mon- He is building His Church! This is Christ’s church! He is the head! He is in charge! AND IT IS US, HIS CHURCH WHICH IS …

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God has Jesus sitting BECAUSE THE WORK IS DONE!

And He’s calling us to take a seat

Following Jesus doesn’t beginning with walking — It begins with sitting

It’s not about what WE DO, but what HE’S DONE

It’s not about accomplishing something, but accepting someOne.

Most Christians make the mistake of trying to WALK in order to SIT

We think - “If I don’t DO something, make sure I have everything perfect, do everything JUST RIGHT — AND THEN I can have right standing with God”

Don’t get your sanctification mixed up with your justification .... YOU ARE ALREADY JUSTIFIED …

That is why NOW - after being justified - You better study your word. You better pray. You better be in church.

We get it out of order.

And we feel forever stuck in our walk with God because we THINK WE ARE NEVER ENOUGH …

The Truth Is — YOU AREN’T ENOUGH AND YOU NEVER WILL BE.

This is why THROUGH CHRIST WE HAVE BEEN SEATED WITH CHRIST!!!

The way we rest in the natural - it’s the same in the Spiritual.

It’s this picture of rest — of being SEATED

When we “SIT” in the Spiritual — Which is to say that we’re not forcing something to happen on our own, it’s not about working our way to salvation

We feel that we have to earn our way to Jesus. Or EARN a closer walk with Him

We let shame and guilt come in and lie to us and say, “Oh great! Well, now you’re away from God and not going to get back!”

NO!

Salvation is the only thing in life that is attained without effort.

At risk of being graphic … did you help your mom birth you? No. She did all the work and your dad just watched.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It is through your faith — your belief, your trust, your life now being oriented by the Truth of God’s Word - AND THE GRACE OF GOD — That is how you are saved.

You are SEATED.

The Christian life from start to finish is based upon the principle of utter dependance upon JESUS.

IT’S HIS WORK!

The starting work is not ours at all, BUT HIS!

HE made us to sit!! It’s not taking a seat as much as recognize THAT WE ARE SEATED!

Let’s stand …

Story of Adam on HIS first day — it was a Sabbath

Our Christian life starts with the discovery that God has provided EVERYTHING

This picture of SITTING is a picture of REST

Josh Seca telling me … The only way to save a drowning person is to either knock them out

or wait for them to get tired so you can carry them and swim to shore

A surrendered person can’t drown

You don’t have to be perfect — You just have to be willing.

You just have to be willing to repent of your way and accept Christ’s.

ALTAR:

Trying to find REST IN SOMETHING OTHER THAN JESUS

Trying to earn your good standing with God

SALVATION