Redemption
Notes
Transcript
Good Morning
I saw an ad in a shop window that said “ Television for Sale - $1 - Volume stuck on full”
I thought to myself “ I can’t turn that down”
It was really hard to focus on writing the sermon last night. My mind kept thinking about Larry. I didn’t know him as long as most of you did, but the short time I did know him, was good. He was a good man, a man who loved God. I wish I could have known him when he was younger. I wish I would have spent more time with him and gotten to know him even better. Our time here on earth is short, let’s make the best of it.
Men we are having our men’s breakfast this Saturday at 8.
We are going to hand out the Valentine’s notes that we made last Wednesday at the men’s breakfast. If you would like to help hand out the notes to the people that are on the members list but have not come in a while, be at the church around 9:15.
Today we are going to be in Ephesians 1:7-10.
Last week we talked about predestination and the fact that it says that it is a good thing. We saw that out of God’s love for us, he chose us before the foundation of the world. He elected us to be adopted sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. God does not adopt anyone who is out side of Christ. He only adopts those who are in Christ. It is only through repentance and belief in Jesus as God’s only son and our saviour that we can be adopted as sons and daughters. Predestination in Christ is done according to the purpose of His will. God chose to elect those who are in Christ to the praise of His glorious grace. It is because of the work that Jesus did, that we can be blessed by God to be chosen in His Son Jesus.
Today we are going to be looking at more blessings from God in Christ. Paul talks about being in Christ. When we are in Christ, it doesn’t describe a part of us, it is who we are. If people have to guess if we are a follower of Christ, then we are doing a lot wrong. We are going to look at the redemption that we have in Christ. We will talk about the mystery that is made known to us. Finally we will look at the completion of God’s plan.
Please stand as we prepare to hear God’s Word.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Pray
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Paul tells us that we have redemption in Him. Who is Him?
Sunday School answer Jesus
How do we have redemption according to Paul?
Through His blood. The power is not in the actual blood, Jesus’ blood represents His death as the sacrificial lamb of God. The perfect spotless lamb of God. The power is in Jesus giving up His life for our sins.
It is almost certain that some of Jesus’ blood would have gotten on the Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross. Also it would have gotten on the people who moved Jesus from the cross to the tomb. If the power was in the actual blood, we would have to have that blood today to sprinkle on people. All power and authority are given to Jesus.
There is a story that illustrates redemption well.
In a city on the shore of a great lake lived a small boy who loved the water and sailing. So deep was the fascination that he, with the help of his father, spent months making a beautiful model sail boat. When it was finally completed he had decided that he would test it out on the open water, close to where he lived.
The boy loved the boat. He was very proud of what he had built.
So, he went down to the water. First, he made sure that the sails were set just right. Then, he excitedly placed the boat into the water, with the greatest of anticipation. He gave it a gentile push, and it took off.
The wind caught the sails! The boat cut through the water much better than expected. What a sight! The boat skimmed along so smoothly.
But then, unexpectedly, before the boy realized what was happening, the sailboat just kept going.
It didn’t stop.
He hoped that the wind would shift. But, it didn’t. The sailboat started to rapidly go off into the distance. The boy quickly waded into the water after it with the hope of catching up to it, but it had gone out to far. The water was getting too deep. The boat faded off into the distance… and disappeared.
It was gone.
When he had gotten home, crying, his mother asked, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Didn’t it work?” The boy replied, “No, it actually worked to well… It sailed away.”
He went down to the lake day after day walking the shore in search of his treasure, but it was always in vain.
Sometime later, the boy was walking downtown. He passed a second hand store. And there, in the window, he saw the sailboat that he had labored to build. He went into the store, and went up to the sailboat. He picked it up and he said to the store owner, “This boat is mine!”
The owner, of course said, “Wait a minute now. It’s my boat! I paid someone for it.” The boy said, “No, no, no. It’s my boat, I made it! Look at the little scratches I did… Here’s my initials on the bottom.” The owner said, “I’m sorry, son. If you want it, you’re going to have to pay for it.”
The poor little guy didn’t have any money with him. So, he went home to see what odd jobs he could do in order to earn enough money to purchase back the sailboat.
The boy worked hard. He saved his pennies. And one day, he had enough money. The boy went back to the store and bought back his boat.
As he left the store, holding the sailboat close to his chest, the boy could be heard saying, “You’re my boat. You’re twice my boat. First, you’re my boat because I made you. Second, you’re my boat because I bought you.”
Redemption is the payment of a price or ransom. The price was Jesus’ own blood and the object was our souls. All humanity was in the slave market of sin and powerless to do anything about it. Christ purchased His Church with an infinite price. Just as the Scripture tell us.
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Our redemption cost Jesus His life! This is both a mystery and a cause for great celebration. It was a mystery that the prophets tried to understand and figure out and also that the angels long to fully understand what has been accomplished.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
We are God’s special creation. So special that He made us in His image! We broke that image with our rebellion and sin. God paid the price to restore the image and make us His again. The angels don’t understand this and the marvel about it.
What has redemption given us?
Forgiveness of our trespasses. We were once a slave to sin. Sin was our master and we did it dirty work. We severed our relationship with God, because we rejected him and chose sin. Jesus restored that relationship when he paid the ransom and redeemed us. Because of Christ’s work on the cross and the empty tomb, we are free from the shackles of sin and are now sons and daughters of the most High. We went from being enemies of God to being adopted into His family!!! That is truly praise worthy and exciting. That is why it is called the Good News!
Paul ends verse 7 telling us that our forgiveness according to the riches of His grace and into verse 8 which He lavished upon us.
Think about the richest person you have heard of. Who all has used Amazon. Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon has a net worth of around 224.4 Billion dollars. That is right billion with a b. If Bezos wanted to give of his riches there are two ways he could. He could give according to his riches or he could give from his riches.
If he chose to give from his riches, he could give random kids $20 dollar bills. His portfolio would never miss the money!
If he chose to give according to his riches, he would give a grand mansion nestled back in the woods on a 600 acre plot of forested land. He would have the garage filled with luxury cars.
Do you see the difference?
God’s redemption and forgiveness is lavished upon us. He doesn’t just give us tiny part of it, He gives us so much that we are almost overwhelmed with it. God’s grace is greater than any sin that we have done. We can never out sin God’s grace! He grace is new every morning.
Grace is unmerited favor.
Charles Hodge said it this way, “ God’s grace is an overflowing abundance of unmerited love, inexhaustible in God and freely accessible through Christ.”
When God gives us His grace, He doesn’t drip the faucet, He opens it all the way!!!
John Newton said it well in Amazing Grace
When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
With grace comes wisdom and insight. When God lavishes His grace on us He equips us with the spiritual discernment to face whatever comes in life.
Wisdom is the knowledge which sees to the heart of things, which knows them as they really are, understanding is that which leads to right action. Those so equipped can discern the spirit of the times and stand tall and confident.
God is not a God of fear or confusion. When we feel those things, we can be assured that they are not from God. When we are in Christ we will have discernment to know what is happening and the strength and courage to stand in it. We have to be in Christ for this to be true.
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Those who are in Christ know that a new order of things is coming. It was a mystery, a secret in the past, not because it was incomprehensible, but because it was undiscoverable by human reason. It could only be known by divine revelation. What is the mystery? Paul tells us in verse 10, the fullness of time. In other words, in the right time. When God is ready, He is going to unite all things in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on earth. In God’s timing, He is going to gather all His children into Christ and He will create a new Heavens and earth. The theme in these first 10 verses is in Christ. God is working all things through Christ Jesus. In Christ God created all things, In Christ God brought redemption to fallen man. In Christ God will bring about a new order of His creation. We need to make sure that we are in Christ.
It is in Christ that we receive the blessings of God. To be in Christ it is to live a life that is more and more like Christ every day. It is to live a life that is completely different than before we were in Christ.
As we have been looking at the blessing of being in Christ, do you see these blessings in your life?
If not, you may not be in Christ.
Christ requires us to surrender every part of our lives. He will not accept partial obedience. Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commands.
To be in Christ is to learn what His commands are and then to keep them. Our time here on earth is short, we don’t have much time to do good works for our king. We need to make sure that we are doing them, that we are in Him. That is where the blessings are.
I do not want to be separated from God’s blessings. When we are in Christ, we are loved by God like we are His children. He is the good father and He wants to lavish His blessings on us.
Liberty, lets make our focus to be in Christ. Let’s sharpen each other and help each other stay on the path.
Let’s go and show our community how great it is to be in our Lord.
Let’s pray
