Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s Purpose and Blessings in Christ -

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"📷Single by Stevie Wonder from the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered B-side"I'm More Than Happy (I'm Satisfied)"Released June 3, 1970 Format Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM)Recorded 1970 Genre Soul Length 2:45 Label Tamla 54196 Songwriter(s)Stevie Wonder Lee Garrett Syreeta Wright Lula Mae Hardaway Producer(s)Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder singles chronology"Never Had a Dream Come True"

(1970)"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"

(1970)"Heaven Help Us All"

(1970)

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" is a soul single by American musician Stevie Wonder, recorded for Motown's Tamla label.

Released in June 1970, the song spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number three on the U.S. Pop chart.[1]

The catchy rhythm and repetitive lyrics make the song easy to remember.

Stevie wonder croons about “Like a fool I went and stayed too long

Now I'm wondering if your love's still strong

Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, I'm yours

Then that time I went and said goodbye

Now I'm back and not ashamed to cry

Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, I'm yours

Here I am baby

Oh, you've got the future in your hand

(signed, sealed delivered, I'm yours)

Here I am baby,

Read more: Stevie Wonder - Signed Sealed Delivered Lyrics | MetroLyrics

In the passage of scripture to be covered today the Apostle Paul wants to remind us whose we are and the blessings that accompany belonging to him.

The blessing of salvation, deliverance and a life full of glory.

Let’s look to the word of God.

How blessed is God!

And what a blessing he is!

He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him.

Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.

Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.

(What pleasure he took in planning this!)

He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

7–10  Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.

And not just barely free, either.

Abundantly free!

He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.

He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

11–12  It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.

Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

13–14  It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit.

This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

As we jump right into today's lesson text we see Apostle Paul addressing the church at Ephesus about the blessing that come with belonging to God.

Paul opens the chapter with a greeting then breaks the greeting by stating that God is to be blessed and praised.

The word praise is eulogētos, from a verb that means “to speak well of.”

It is very interesting that this word elogetos is only applied to God in the in the NT.

We find it used in , -

As we jump right into today's lesson text we see Apostle Paul stating that God is to be blessed and praised.

The word praise is eulogētos, from a verb that means “to speak well of.”

It is very interesting that this word elogetos is only applied to God in the in the NT.

We find it used in , -

68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited and redeemed His people,

Further research of the scripture says that the praise should be given to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

tells us that God is the Father of believers; and further adds to the connection in verse 3 by stating that God is the Father of Christ.

This passage of scripture starts to paint a clear picture of the Trinity.

The first person of the trinity belongs to the believers.

The word “our” signifies that we belong to God and He to the believer.

Vs. 3 goes on to use the pronoun “our” as well, showing that the believers also belong to Christ, which is the second Person in the Godhead.

It stands to reason that since He is the Son of God and believers are connected with Him, they are also related to the Father, right.

Connection with God the Father and God the Son affords us some inherent rewards.

Scripture says that God has mad us rich in Jesus Christ!

When you were born again into the Family of God, you were born rich.

Through Christ you share in the riches of God’s grace (; ), God Glory, God’s Mercy and the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Our heavenly Father is not poor; He is rich and He has made us rich in His Son.

Signed By the Blood

Because of Jesus Christs Sacrifice on the Cross something remarkable happened.

The Messiah willingly went to Cavalries cross for one reason redemption.

A. Literal Meaning: Sociolegal Redemption In sociolegal contexts, Redemption generally refers to the rescue of an individual from a difficult obligation by means of a monetary payment.

1. Land and Houses.

Physical property such as land and houses could also be reclaimed through monetary payment.

The Israelites were considered tenants on God’s land, with the right to produce.

Therefore, transfer of property always reverted to the original tenant or his heirs at the jubilee ().

If an impoverished Israelite (termed “brother” in ) was forced to sell his land to raise cash, his near redeemer (i.e., kinsman) was supposed to redeem it (v 25, Heb gʾl).

If the Israelite did not have a redeemer, but had subsequently gained enough wealth, then of course he himself could redeem it (vv 26–27); otherwise, the land would automatically return to him at the jubilee year (v 28).

In contrast, Eshnunna #39 states that a man only had the right to redeem his house when the purchaser wished AYBD

AYBD

Due to our sin nature we were in a state of slavery.

Jesus’ blood that was freely shed on the altar of the Cross, we received redemption from our sins.

Just like the blood was put on the door post so the death angel would pass over the children of Israel during the plagues of Egypt, Jesus the perfect lamb of God graciously, freely, voluntarily and loving presented himself as a ransom for you and for me.

We can’t earn salvation, nor do we deserve it.

No religious, intellectual or moral effort can gain salvation, because it comes only from God’s Mercy and love.

Without God’s grace, no person can be saved.

To receive it, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, that only God can save us, and that the only way to receive this loving favor is through Faith in Christ.

That’s we get Signed

Sealed by the Holy Spirit

If the Blood of Jesus signed for your freedom then how did you get sealed?

In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version.

(1989).

().

Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version.

(1989).

().

Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Paul wanted the Church at Ephesus to know that the Signing and the Sealing was not meant just or the elected Jews, but was for all who believed (the Gentiles also).

Paul wanted then to know without a shadow of a doubt that when they heard the truth of the gospel and believed, they were sealed immediately with the promised Holy Spirit.

Not only were they sealed with the Holy Spirit but as believers we are sealed in Christ.

The word sealed indicates security, authentication and approval, certification of genuineness and identification of ownership.

God is the One who seals, Christ is the sphere in which the seal is done and the Holy Spirit is the instrument of the seal.

The Holy Spirit who seals is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.

The “deposit” is more than a pledge which could be returned; it is a down payment with a guarantee of more to come.

It guarantees believers inheritance of salvation and heaven.

When the Holy Spirit is deposited into the believers lives we are filled with a little bit of heaven with the guarantee of much more to come.

Isn’t that good news.

Delivered, I’m Yours God

The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.

The new Testament word redemption literally means to buy or to purchase a slave out of the market.