The Cause
Notes
Transcript
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The Book of Ephesians
The Book of Ephesians
It is a vision of the impact of Christ
++On individuals
++On community life
Our Spiritual blessings in Christ encompass
++Predestination _Our calling of Christ_
++Adoption _Our acceptance through Christ_
++Redemption _Our value because of Christ_
++Forgiveness _Our new life in Christ_
Chapters 1 and 2 Declares Gods plan for us
++Our calling in Christ
++Our new identity because of Christ
Chapter 3 begins to frame God’s reason
Chapter 3 begins to frame God’s reason
Have you ever asked the question
“Why would God want Me?”
“Why would God want Me?”
Some may glorify themselves
++I am gifted
++I am a good person
++People like me
Others may minimize themselves
++Others do it better
++They are so Good
12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
We are not defined by our
++Weaknesses
++Strengths
++Victories
++Defeats
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
We are defined by our purpose
We are defined by our purpose
Purpose is a combination
++Information
++Revelation
++Response
Information tells us we have a purpose
Information tells us we have a purpose
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
We were created
++By God
++To have dominion authority in the earth
++In the image of God
Jesus came with purpose
Jesus came with purpose
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
The purpose of Christ was defined by God
++For redemption
++For adoption
++To break the stronghold of sin
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Purposes come with Resistance
Purposes come with Resistance
27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
Purpose enables us to stand strong
24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
We can chose how we finish
We can chose how we finish
If I stand firm I will finish with Joy
If I stand firm I will finish with Joy
++Not with anger
++Not with bitterness
++Not with sorrow
If I stand firm I will finish the ministry
If I stand firm I will finish the ministry
This ministry
++Is not our own
++I received from the Lord
++Is to testify of the grace of God
The Law of God
++Clarified the standards of God
++Defined the sinfulness of Man
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Revelation shows us why our purposes is important
Revelation shows us why our purposes is important
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
The Dispensation of Grace
++Was given by revelation
++Was given to Paul
++Was Given for us
The dispensation tells us we all have a purpose.
The dispensation tells us we all have a purpose.
Paul understood
++His Purpose
++His Message
++His Timing
Paul did not see grace
++As an emotion
++As a feeling
Grace was God’s empowerment
Grace was God’s empowerment
Grace did what the law could not do
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
The Law
++Could not fix what was broken
++Was not strong enough
++Was weak through through flesh
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Through Christ Alone
++We have grace
++We have truth
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Action- The Cause
Action- The Cause
29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”
A cause is because we
++Are Persuaded
++Know the reason
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
This reason would
++Guide his actions
++Strengthen his resolve
++Embolden his faith
That Christ May dwell in You
That Christ May dwell in You
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
That you may know God
That you may know God
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
To know
++Without limitation
++God In every dimensions
++His love is beyond knowledge
++The Fullness of God
