Untitled Sermon

Great Truths on Ephesians Part 4 - Dispensationalism and Predestination

I would like to continue today with a study i began months ago in Ephesians and continue examining this amazing book of the Bible that is so important to un in the church today.

Ephesians - the Church of the Living God

chapter 1 a body

Chapter 2 a temple

Chapter 3 a mystery

Chapter 4 a new man

Chapter 5 a bride

Chapter 6 a soldier

Who are the Epistles written to?

Yes, they are written to the church/believers in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, etc

They are also written to us (those who are in Christ)

1 Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”

1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

Ephesians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:”

So we see that these are not merely letters to these specific churches, but to us as well

Let no one deceive you that these important things brought to us in the epistles are not for us, that somehow there are subject covered that only apply to these specific churches and other subjects that are for us today.

That is a lie from the pit of hell “Did God really say?!”

We talked about verse 3 and we we bless God with our praise - like a eulogy - He gives us a blessing of increase with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places

There belong to us now, we posses them now!

V 4 - 5

He chose us before the foundation of the world

That we should be holy, without blame, before Him in love

Predestined to the adoption of children of God, by Jesus Christ to Himself according to His good pleasure

before the foundations of the world chosen

Chosen - G1586 ek-leg’-om-my - plucked out!

He did not chose for us, He plucks us out knowing that we will be of those who chose to follow Christ, place our faith in His finished work on the cross

Predestined - G4309 - Pra-reed’-zo - this really should be broken down into the root words

G4253 - Pro - Before

G3724 - Horizo’ - to mark a boundary

To se the boundary before hand - plan a trip that has a specific end

When the Bible was written this really is in the context of setting a destination of voyage before setting out on the voyage

It is a destination, not a forced path

God outside of time - or time traveler if you would llike to look at it that way

You can see the horizon, you know where it is, but the horizon does not force you to walk toward it

It is not about God forcing a person to believe against their will, but one who sits outside of time where He can see the entire map of history, marking a destiny for all those He see will place their faith in Him - set boundary of what a believers life will look like

Conforming to the image of His Son

Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

it defines the result, not the decision

not a puppet master pulling strings, but a master planner

He knows every free will decision you will ever make, and because He knows you will choose Him, He has already marked the boundaries of your life to ensure that your faith leads to your transformation

He is the Master Navigator, not the master puppeteer

Where calvinism says - God’s sovereign decree alone, foreknowledge - is God foreknowledge of your free will faith

Where calvinism says - says in our fallen nature God must act first - foreknowledge - is enabled by God’s grace the individual must respond to that grace

Where calvinism says - God does this to manifest His glory through mercy and judgement, foreknowledge says - He has invited all to salvation, while respecting the human capacity for choice

this is actually the doctrine of assurance

He is our GPS - He knows you will place your faith in Him - he sets your destiny

He knows where you are going

He knows the obstacles you will face

He will work all things together for your good

Not exclusion, but assurance!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 Timothy 2:3–6 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

Calvinism is a lie from the pit of hell - “did God really say?!”

V6 to the praise and glory of His grace we are now accepted in the beloved!

V7 The through His blood we have redemption and forgiveness

Not through His blood and communion

Not through His blood and baptism

Not through His blood and the pastor

Through His blood - there is no adder

According to the riches of His grace

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

Grace - God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense

They abound toward you, they are exceeding all need

V9 the mystery is that of us, the Church

This was not known previously in the OT, but is now being revealed to the believer here

Ephesians IS the revealing of the Church, the Bride of Christ!

This should be an important book to every believer!

V10 oh no a dirty word! dispensation!

Oh no! someone called me a dispensationalist!

GOOD!

Dispensations is how God deals with mankind!

You want to confuse the next person that says that to you?

on-kon-o-mee-ah ist

Does that sound familiar at all….?

Economy! Yes!

What is an economy? - a large interconnected system of producing, consuming, and “distributing” good, services, and resources in a society or home 1st century

God is the “householder” owner manager of earth

Mankind is the steward - the steward has specific responsibilities to manage creation

The rules of the house - each era has specific guidelines, revelations, and requirements for how mankind must relate to God

Dispensational or dispensationalism

they best way I can think to describe it

God is the housekeeper of the earth, the government

The housekeeper chooses how the economy should run in a dispensation or era of time

that time or era is not a set time period, but rather a way in which we interact with God

Adam and Eve did not interact with God the way we do now, why? Sin entered the world

God gives a new dispensation or order of how things will work after the fall of man

What are the dispensations?

Innocence - Adam and Eve - ate the fruit

Conscience - The fall to the Flood -wickedness and corruption

Human Government - Noah’s ark to the tower of Babel - mankind refused to scatter and fill the earth, but rather wanted to make a name for themselves

Promise - Abraham to Exodus - Jacob’s family left the land moving to Egypt and thus slavery

Law - Mount Sinai to The Cross of Christ - disobedience, idolatry, rejection of Christ

Grace or Church Age - Pentecost to the Rapture - the failure is and will be apostasy and rejection of the Gospel

Kingdom - the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth - the final rebellion of mankind - living in a perfect world with perfect justice, with Christ ruling and they still rebel against Christ

Dispensation is not a dirty word it is a way for God to show us the way we are to relate or interact with Him

and the era we are in now is coming to an end soon, you had better be ready!

Soon Christ will gather all that is His - His inheritance - in heaven and on earth - the rapture

V11 His inheritance - of whom we are partakers!!! AMEN!

Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

Predestined - remember the voyage aspect of this, the destination is set - are you on board?

V12 that we should be to the praise of His glory

That we, believers in Christ - our lives, character, choices, and destiny - serve as a living display that highlights God’s excellence, goodness, and grace!

Those who trusted in Christ!

That we are sealed with Spirit after hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ a responded

The Holy Spirit is the earnest of the promise!

Then Paul closes this chapter with a beautiful prayer

Hearing of their faith and love to all the saints

He gives thanks for them always - do you?

Praying that God gives them through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation the knowledge of Christ

That the Spirit gives their eyes (the 6th sense) understanding

That you may know the Hope (el-pece, confidence) of His calling for you - and what the riches and glory of His inheritance in us

WE the saints are His prized inheritance!

You are His immense and immeasurable treasure - His most valuable possession

Our inheritance is God’s kingdom, eternal life, and co-heir with Christ

God’s inheritance - is you! His glory on full display through His people

V19 - wow!

the intense greatness of His dunamis (root word for dynamite) power!

Where is the power focused, to usward! to those that believe!

According to His in-ear-gaya (Root word for energy) working of His mighty power (kratos, sovereignty and strength)

V20 which Christ brought about by His resurrection

You see “When He” who God!

All three of the trinity had a role in the resurrection!

Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”

John 10:18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

The Father - initiator

The Son - Self resurrector

The Holy Spirit - Life Giver

V21 and He is resurrected right now and sitting at the Father’s right hand - far above ALL principality, power, and dominion

all things past and all things future He is above

V22 He is the head of everything, and most importantly He is the head of the Church - of us that believe

V23 closing with the Church which is His body here on earth

They are the “fullness of Him who fills all in all” meaning we are how Christ expresses His presence and glory

while He holds all authority, He chooses to complete His work through the church