Missionary: The Body of Christ

Now, though the Lord had saved me and gave me eyes to see the glory of the gospel, I was only entering into the shallows of His mercy. When I was 7, I had so much ahead of me to learn about His grace, and at 38, that’s still true. With each year that passes He leads me further toward the deeps, and this is what sanctification is. I grow in my faith, and in my likeness of Christ, as I grow in my understanding of what He has done for me!

In other words, Sanctification is the continual awakening to the rich depths of the gospel. Not in the “abstract” but in terms of personal application, what has Christ done for me!

Paul seems to understand this full well:

In Colossians 1 Paul writes this to the church at Colossae:

Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel

which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,

Paul tell us in this text that the gospel is GROWING! The gospel is not merely a door we enter for salvation, but it is the means by which we are transformed each day after.

This seems to be why after Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, we don’t really see him again for 14 years! Paul himself needed time to soak in the deep goodness that he had experienced in Christ.

This is the heart behind Ephesians, and we saw that last week in verses 1-6.

Last week we read that God has predestined us to be adopted as His own. God, being totally sovereign over all things, was not caught off guard by man’s fall. Evil existed before man was created, and we talked about that last week, how satan was an angel with a significant position, in scripture he is called a “guardian cherubim.” But he became proud, and he placed himself in a position of rebellion against God, along with many others in the heavenly hosts, and God knew full well, that after creation, they would set out to deceive and defile the beloved children God created in His image. The enemy’s plan for victory, was to destroy God’s relationship with His most precious creation. Having been cast out himself, the enemy knew that if we too could become proud apart from God, we too would be cut-off from Him, for God is holy, and only that which is also holy can dwell in His presence.

However, what the enemy did not know, was that God had a plan to rescue us before the foundation of the world were even laid.

And that plan, was His only begotten Son.

This is where we pickup in verse 7, as we gaze at the magnificence of the:

The Son’s Work

Ephesians 1:7–10 (ESV)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Wow! Listen and receive this good news friends.

in him we have redemption through his blood

The term redemption in this context refers to “liberation from bondage or imprisonment.” This was the word used to describe what God had done for His people long before when He “redeemed” them from Egypt. Paul declares that He HAS REDEEMED, this is not a future event being spoken of, it’s past tense, already done!

Again, in the letter Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, it says:

Colossians 1:13–14 ESV

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Last we recounted the encounter in Job between God and Satan. In that encounter we see that Satan “post-fall” was allowed to walk the earth, there is a form of “dominion” he has amongst the world, in that many choose to follow his ways and to reject the kingdom for the comforts of Babylon. And God has allowed this, for a time, as part of His sovereign purposes.

But we, have been delivered from the domain of darkness, as those granted:

the forgiveness of our trespasses

When God sent Moses to Egypt, to demand the release of His people from Pharoah, that encounter was but a shadow of what was to come. We have been “redeemed” from bondage, because God has come to Babylon, defeated the ruler of Pharoah, and has delivered us to the promised land, that being the Kingdom of God.

Jesus is the better Moses! Moses could only pass on the message of God, He was a vessel of God’s glory and imperfect one to boot. But Christ is no vessel, He is the fullness of God’s glory revealed. And the deliverance He offers does not require forty years in the wilderness, it is immediate, the price already paid, the battle already won!

I love the ESV here, some translations use the term “forgiveness of our sins” but the term “trespasses” is more to the point. We are not guilty of minor shortcomings, but treason against a perfectly holy King! We are born cursed, but our guilt is not merely inherited, as soon as we are physically capable of rebelling against holiness we begin to do so.

BUT, here comes our Savior:

Revelation 1:5 ESV

and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Remember last week we read Ezekiel 28 and we saw that God addressed satan through addressing the king of Tyre, because satan was in fact the ruler of this earthly king. Yet, in Revelation these kinds of kings no longer exist, Jesus takes back all authority in the end. The enemy that He allows to roam will be squashed, and we will rejoice as those He has “freed from our sins, by His blood!”

Paul says, “You were bought at a price” (1 Cor 6:20).

In Mark Chapter 2 we see an incredible story of a man who was severely injured to the point of being paralyzed. And his friends wanted to help him, and they knew only one thing to do, get him to Jesus.

They get word that Jesus is teaching in a home and they go to the house and it’s so packed that they can’t get in. So these four men, climb upon the roof carrying their wounded friend, and they tear a hole in the roof in order to get Him to the Messiah.

And in Mark 2:5 we see Jesus say these precious words:

Mark 2:5 ESV

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Oh that the church would be filled with friends like these! I pray that Rooted would be a people, so desperate to bring sinners to the feet of Jesus, that we will tear the roof of the sanctuary in order to make it happen! (meeting this Thursday, scared to death to plant in Pittsburg, but we will tear the roof off to get people before Christ!).

What magnificent friends these were, to carry this man in his fragile state to the feet of the Savior. How often are we guilty of wanting to be Dr. Phil to those we love when they suffer, when what they really need is for us to drag them on a blanket to the feet of Christ.

And yet, some missed the beauty of this moment. The pharisees in the corner began to grumble saying among other things “only God can forgive sin” and on that point, Jesus did not argue.

For only God can forgive sin, and He has done so:

according to the riches of his grace

Those living under the curse before Christ did not have the view of God that we do. They knew God as just, and holy, and awesome, and these attributes of His are eternal. But in Christ, we have seen the depth of those attributes. God is just because He is love, and desires good for His people. He is holy in that there is not no act or thought of His that is not motivated by love. And He is awesome, that love radiates from Him and all authentic love flows from Him.

God is rich in grace. He is gentle and lowly in heart. The OT is not a story of an angry God, but a merciful one. The OT is the story of God’s patience over centuries, a patience that reveals an unending supply of mercy.

Our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and in no way is His wealth seen more fully than in His grace, and it is this treasure that:

he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight,

All throughout the OT, God displays His mercy in that He continually shows favor to an unworthy people. In Genesis 15:6 we are told that Abraham “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” This is similar to the terminology used for Noah who “found favor with God.”

Each of these men lacked the merit to be called righteous on their own.

In each OT hero we see clear brokenness:

Noah drunk and naked in the tent

Moses and the pride that keeps him out of the promised land

Abraham handing over his wife

David and Bathsheba

Over and over again, God counts these children as “righteous. In other words, in mercy, He credits them as righteous. They each owe an eternal debt, and they have nothing to pay, and God allows the put their payments on hold, promising that one day, a king would come to “redeem” them of their debt.

And after centuries of IOU’s, in Christ, God has backed up the BRINKS Truck!

No more credit, no more IOU’s, He has LAVISHED us with the riches of His mercy. We’re like Scrooge McDuck just doing backstrokes in the riches He has bestowed upon us in Christ. This whom He has:

made known the mystery of his will

They didn’t know. For centuries God’s people didn’t know what He was going to do. They knew the prophecies of a Messiah, but they didn’t know how He would save. Even the disciples were confused by this. They followed Jesus thinking that eventually, He would take His place as king, He would overthrow the government that had oppressed them, and they argued about who would get to sit at His right and left. Even John the Baptist, who so faithfully paved the way, was confused when he received word in prison that Jesus hadn’t taken the thrown, and was merely going around showing mercy, healing the wounded and forgiving sinners. From a prison cell he sends a disciple to go ask Jesus “are you the One to come, or should I look for another.”

All of these heroes in the faith, had no idea what was coming, but in Christ, God has made the mystery known to us! God will come to reclaim all things, but first, He would lay down His life for His friends. God’s plan to redeem, wasn’t a plan to redeem citizens from a corrupt king, but children from their corrupt hearts.

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

One of our flawed heroes, king David, sings of the source of this curse in Psalm 51:5:

Psalm 51:5 ESV

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We are a sick people, born with a terrible disease that lends itself to all forms of corruption.

Yet, God has offered us the cure through His very Self (the Gospel).

Only those who have been cured through this radical transmission of grace, can experience the radical repentance of King David.

The operation performed on this sick man was legendary. From an adulterer, murderer, failed father, to a man after God’s own heart.

This is the power of the gospel, and how much more awesome is this power for us to whom the Mystery has been revealed!

Rich Man Comes to the Jail Cell (how can this be!)

This is lavish grace, extravagant mercy! And unless we know that, and feel it down in our bones, we have nothing to offer a dying world.

In Luke 7, there is a story of a woman who came to Jesus, overwhelmed by gratitude and adoration. She brought with her an alabaster jar of expensive oil, and without hesitation, she poured it out to anoint Jesus. Her actions were a profound expression of love and thankfulness for the forgiveness she had received.

However, the Pharisees who witnessed this act were indignant. Their self-righteousness blinded them to their own need for forgiveness, and they grumbled among themselves, criticizing the woman and questioning Jesus' acceptance of her gesture.

Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus addressed them directly. He explained that the woman's lavish display of adoration stemmed from her deep awareness of the immense forgiveness she had received. Unlike the Pharisees, who saw no need for repentance, she understood the depth of her forgiven sins, and her love overflowed as a result.

Brothers, Sisters, this is the only posture from which one can be an effective missionary in a world filled with brokenness.

In our redemption, God has made known to us:

his purpose.

which he set forth in Christ.

for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him.

Yesterday evening, like many of you, I was absolutely floored by what I saw on the tv screen. Our world is so full of hate, so divided, that a man was willing to give his life in order to take the life of another. Think about that.

Obviously, we still no very little about the shooter, but we do know this…he knew nothing of hope, of purpose, or of faith. At least not in things that truly mattered.

Our world is a counterfeit kingdom. Filled with counterfeit gods and counterfeit rulers. We sell counterfeit gospels, and they are celebrated at counterfeit churches.

Would this not be so among us!

For the past year our elder team has often discussed our anticipation that this fall would be pretty crazy, but yesterday confirmed that we have no idea.

In 2020, we saw our country fractured like never before. And the great tragedy of that season, wasn’t that the country was fractured, that is to be expected this side of eternity, but the tragedy was that the church followed suit.

I knew a Pastor of a large church plant in NWA, and during that season he said this in an interview regarding why he left ministry in 2020.

“Up until 2020, we had a fantastic time,” But then the trifecta of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 election and the racial reckoning in response to the death of George Floyd hit like a ‘wrecking ball.’” “No matter what I did, someone was angry.”

I too in 2020 started talking to a counselor for the first time. I didn’t know what to do with what it was I was witnessing amongst the broader church. Sense then, I have come to realize that what seems to be a “new problem” is in fact an old one.

During Paul’s time, the church in Corinth was struggling mightily. They were completely divided, sin was abounding, and all this came to a head through their expressed devotion to different men. These believers were aligning themselves with various prominent figures like Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter).

God’s people were boasting not in the gospel, but in their affiliations. And Paul writes this to them in:

1 Corinthians 3:3–4 ESV

for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

Are you not....being merely human? - What a humbling question. Paul reminds the church that they are in fact NOT merely human...they are adopted sons and daughters, heirs to the kingdom, recipients of the riches of grace!

Oh how quickly forget who we are. And when we forget, we begin to act as the world does, and when we act as the world does, we cover up the light in the land of darkness, and darkness flourishes in the absence of light.

We desire to have all the right answers to complex issues....but scripture tells us that we are to live in accordance with His purpose.

We desire to have complete provision and to be safe...but scripture tells us that safety is found in another land.

We desire a King that is perfect. One who is worthy of our full, unquestioned allegiance...but scripture shows us that no such king will exist until the Son of Man, King Jesus, arrives on His White Horse.

What we really desire, is a return to the Garden, the very land we were designed to be in.

And in Ephesians 1:10 God promises that His plan is not fully finished, for one day, when the time is right, He will:

Ephesians 1:10 (ESV)

unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In Christ, we have received the riches of His mercy, and one day, we will realize that inheritance fully. That curtain which divides the earth, and the Heavenly Realms, will be torn like the curtain in the temple, and the glory of God will flood the earth.

And on that day, the feeling we will feel, in comparison to what we felt yesterday, will be like a candle compared to the Son.

This is true…and God desires that we know it, this is why He gave us His word. That we might be a people of hope in the country of death.

For:

Ephesians 1:11–14 (ESV)

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. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Closing

Ephesians 1:15–23 (ESV)

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 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, 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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The power that raised Christ from the dead is ours,

He is the head of our church (our king)

We are His body! Hands and Feet

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