Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Identity Revealed*

*Ephesians 1:3-6*

Andy Woodfield –24.03.07

Hickman Community Church

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

 

Building a room on Devaneys garage.

Need to know what this room is for, what is its purpose?

We need to identify what it will be.

There is a crisis of identity when it comes to the Church – What is it?

For many, the church is a building with stain-glassed windows and a steeple, which sits as an imposing structure of greatness, on a main street in the centre of town.

For others, the church is something you go to one day a week to fulfill your religious duty.

For others it is a place where you go for confession and cleansing at the hand of a priest or minister of religion.

It is the place where babies are christened, men and women get married and the dead are buried.

For others, the church is a mysterious thing, a mystical and religious entity that we should never try to understand.

We won’t find any of these definitions in the Bible.

Paul says the church was a mystery revealed:  Colossians 1:25-27*/"/**/Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,/**/ /**/that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,/**/ /**/to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory./**/"/*

So the church consists of those whom Christ dwells in – both Jews and Greeks.

/ /

The word *church* is used some 114 times in the NT and is always a translation of the Greek word /ekklesia.

Ekklesia/ is a compound word of /ek/, “out” and /kaleo/, “to call or summon,” which together mean “called out.”

This is a good start to defining the church.

*Walk with me through some Scriptures that speak of the called: *

 

/Romans 1:6-7 (Romans 8:28) (Romans 8:30)/ (Romans 9:24)

 

*/1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:9, /*/26/

/(Galatians 1:6)  (Galatians 1:15)  (Galatians 5:8) /

/(2 Thessalonians 2:14) /

/ (Hebrews 9:15) /

 

/ (1 Peter 2:9)  (1 Peter 3:9)/

/ /

So then as we consider how to identify the church from these verses alone we can see that the Church is people “the called” We are the Church.

Our very destiny is to be found in this community called the church.

We need to know who we are!

We need to see ourselves as God sees us not as we perceive we are.

It was the perceived reality and grandeur of the church that caused Paul to burst forth in praise to God – Paul understood what a glorious entity the church was and so was willing to endure prison and hardship for her sake .

How vital is the church in your life?

What vision of the church do you see?

What value does the church have to you?

* *

*Turn to Eph 1:3-5 -READ*

* *

*Context~/ Background:*

 

Title: Church in the city of Ephesus, capital of the Roman province of Asia (Asia Minor, modern Turkey).

Author and Date: Apostle Paul (1:1; 3:1).

The letter was written from prison in Rome (Acts 28:16–31) sometime between a.d.

60–62 and is, therefore, often referred to as a prison epistle (along with Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon).

Background and Setting: Ephesus Located at the mouth of the Cayster River, on the east side of the Aegean Sea.

Best known for its magnificent temple of Artemis, or Diana, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

It was also an important political, educational, and commercial center.

The fledgling church begun by Priscilla and Aquila was later firmly established by Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts 19) and was pastored by him for some 3 years.

After Paul left, Timothy pastored the congregation for perhaps a year and a half, primarily to counter the false teaching of a few influential men (such as Hymenaeus and Alexander), Thirty years or so later, Christ gave to the Apostle John a letter for this church indicating its people had left their first love for Him (Rev.

2:1–7).

* *

*Join me in Ephesian 1:3-5 where we will consider the God given identity of the Church.

We are going to see four (of eight) distinguishing marks of the church which define who and what we are to be.

Proposition: You are going to see “Three Distinguishing Marks” of the church which define who and what you are to be.

*

 

*The first distinctive mark of the church is that we are:*

 

*I.

**You are the Called to Blessing v. 3*

 IN this verse we see six aspects of blessing as Paul considers the awesome reality of the Church

a.

The blessed One: /The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – /Blessed – /eulogeo/ = a message of praise and commendation – declaration of goodness

b.

The blesser: /God­/ – every spiritual blessing (James 1:17)

c.

The ones blessed: /believers/

d.

The extent of the blessing – /Ever /– total, complete, of a spiritual source

e.

The location of the blessing: /heavenly places/

f.

The agent of the blessing: /Christ Jesus/

 

So you are truly the blessed – Your calling has bought you into the immeasurable blessings of God grace.

*The second distinctive mark of the church is that we are:*

 

*II.

**You are the Called before Time: Chosen by God before time began.

The elect v. 4a*

 

*The author of our choosing is God*:  It is not of accidental existence, nor of the will of man, but it is sovereignly planned and predetermined.

*The time of our choosing is *before the foundation of the world – literally “from *before time* began.”

*The nature of our choosing* is to be holy and blameless.

*/Ephesians 1:4b…that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

In love – NOTE: He did not choose us because we were holy…./*

Note: He did not call us because we were holy – He calls us to be holy…

Christians you have been called from the world to pursue holiness.

*Romans 12:2*

*/1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness./*

*/2 Timothy 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart./*

The bottom line for me is found in 1 John 2:15

God has called us to sanctification.

*/1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete,/**/ without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass./*

Do you know this divine calling of God in your life?

Are you able to identify with this truth of being divinely called before the world began?

If not you can have no confidence of being a part of God’s church.

*The third distinctive mark of the church is that we are:*

 

*III.

**You are Called to belong to God’s Family – The Adopted  v.

5*

 

*Predestined:* Set our destiny in accordance with His will – Predestined means to work out, appoint, or determine beforehand.

/ [Harrison and Abi Craig – twin boys safe because they were legally adopted]./

I am His and He is mine.

My desire is to walk worthy of the new name I have inherited.

I am no longer a child of the devil, but by adoption I am a child of my Heavenly Father.

Benefits of adoption \\ • Absolute unconditional acceptance Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6 \\ •Guaranteed likeness \\ 1 John 3:1 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, which we should be called children of God and WE ARE... We shall be like Him.” \\ •Inheritance Gal 4:7; Rom 8:16 “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

\\ •Effective Fatherly discipline Heb 12:9.

\\ •Future Glory Col 3:3; Rom 8:21 Hidden now, revealed latter.

Beloved your security and reality of your faith and standing before God rests ultimatey in His character and decision, not your character and decision.

Paul speaks of this awesome security when he says in Rom 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ….