Sermon Tone Analysis

So excited to preach this message this morning… Open with me to .

Holy Spirit has placed this on my heart in very real way!

So excited to preach this message this morning… Open with me to .

Paper on your pews… take one and pass it down… Please, please, please hear me and my heart here…

1st… scripture from the sermon… receive so many texts each week about “what scripture was that from Sunday?”

From now on… each scripture that i use, should say “that i plan to use” will be on that paper for you to take home.

Each week there will also be a “main point/challenge” on that paper… we will discuss what and why at the end.

Each week there will also be a “main point/challenge” on that paper… we will discuss what and why at the end.

So let’s get into it this morning....

Many of Paul’s letters are focused on church problems, controversy, leadership, leadership problems…

NOT ephesians… one of/maybe the most rich books of the Bible for spiritual truths, spiritual enlightenment.

So so so good.... Paul wrote this book from Prison to the church at Ephesus… but because of the deep spiritual truth’s and implications we know that Paul knew/meant for this book to be circulated for all believer to grab hold of and nourish themselves.

Church at Ephesus… relatively young church… hostile environment…

So what’s the purpose of the writing?

Encouragement, Growth, Insight

Should be what we want for our own spiritual life and the spiritual lives of those around us.

Important to go back and read VERSES 1-2

To the who??? SAINTS… believers… those in Christ.... the church…

Saying.... pray that you have your eyes opened, know him more, enlightened, know the hope, understand the power.

Church people… he’s saying “i thank God that you’re a believer, but there’s room for growth”

Can i tell you this morning, that i’m so thankful you are a part of the family of God, I’m so thankful that you’re part of the SFA family.... BUT… THERE.

IS.

ROOM.

FOR.

GROWTH..... AMEN???

Let’s go back now to verses 1-2, read them again, and add verses 3-5.

Verse 3....

Blessed us, IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS, with every spiritual blessing…

Verse 4

CHOSE US… Chose us…

Verse 5

Predestined… to be what… adopted????

Predestined…chosen… get into some real good theology here…

“destined”- to have a particular fate… “Hogs are destined to go 4-8”

“pre”- before

“predestined”- to decide beforehand.

Now… given this scripture… “chosen” & “predestined” along with the fact that we know God is OMNISCIENT… ALL KNOWING!

Group of people who have taken this and “determined” incorrectly… God chooses Heaven and Hell before you’re even born… before world was created… that he has determined who will spend eternity with him in his presence and who will be condemned and banished from his presence…

I want to show you what’s wrong with this belief and theology… for a reason… because the TRUE meaning behind this Word and scripture is so so so encouraging and powerful.

VERSE 4-5

“Predestined” means the outcome is determined in advance by divine will or decision.

PREDESTINED- outcome determined in advance by divine will… divine decision…

So look at these scriptures with me…

Will that NO ONE is Lost… but that EVERYONE is saved.

Romans 10:

1 timothy

So obvious that the blood of Jesus, death on the cross, sacrifice, love, mercy, grace, is for EVERYONE!!!!

Not just a chosen few…

But now let’s take it a step further…

so the Word of God is CRYSTAL CLEAR… that Jesus died for everyone… that the father desires for EVERYONE to come to him....

But… that in order to come to him… you must choose him… you must accept him.... serve him.

Free will since we were first created…

From DAY ONE… adam and eve had the choice… CHOOSE LIFE.... or CHOOSE DEATH… Word of God gave them the direction and guidance needed.

Today… we choose life or choose death… Word of God/Gospel/Message of salvation gives us the direction and guidance.

Why will we have to give an account??? because it’s OUR OWN CHOICE how we live, walk, talk… we must give an account because we have free will.

So… go back to our Verses in …

Verse 3-4

Chosen… who??? Saints...

Predestined… who??? Saints…

Lord “chooses” those who “choose” JESUS!!

Chosen and predestined here are two seperate thoughts and acts…

Those who are chosen… chosen by choosing Christ… are predestined to receive the spiritual blessings that God pours out.

God “predetermined” that whoever CHOSE his son would receive adoption, redemption, forgiveness, Grace, power, worth, authority.

Determined to Spiritually bless those who are chosen.

Now… LISTEN TO ME… PTL moment right here guys…

Before you were even formed in your mother’s womb… he knew you… chose you… and predestined you to walk in his Grace, power, authority, and blessings!

In spite of the failures he knew you would have… omniscient… ALL KNOWING… he knew you would rebel, he knew you would fail, he knew you would mess up, be dirty, say the wrong thing, think the wrong thing, act the wrong way…

In his love… he CHOSE you anyway… Predestined you ANYWAY!!

VERSE 7-11

VERSE 13-14

WOW!! Installment, deposit, guaranteeing what he’s promised!! Finished work!

He will finish what he starts!

Remember at the beginning… We discussed the why of this letter… be encouraged, grow, and gain insight.

WOW!!!

So after reminding the church people, saints, at Ephesus who they are… chosen, predestined, redeemed, forgiven, full of grace, marked with a seal, full of the Spirit…

he then says let me tell you what i’m praying for… even though you are the saints, church, believers, chosen, predestined… there is room for more.

“FOR THIS REASON.....”

pointing back… to what he’s said up to this point… pointing back to what God has done for us..

Now… praying that they would come to the realization of everything that’s available.

Prayer.... relying on the Lord to do something that you can’t do on your own.

Not praying for something that he or the people can do on their own… he’s calling out to God… praying for help from heaven in 4 different areas..

Verse 17

Wisdom and revelation… for what??? KNOW HIM BETTER.

Knowing God… word used here is “yadah” in the Hebrew… it actually stands for the intimacy between a husband and wife in marriage.

Wisdom and revelation that you’ll know about God… facts… what the Word says…

But also… know him on a personal, friendship, family, loving level.

Encounters…interactions…

We must know ABOUT God and we must KNOW God.

Know him better…

Revelation.... disclose something previously unknown…

Pray… for you.... you pray for me… we pray for each other… this church… that God/Holy Spirit will give us spiritual wisdom and revelation each day, each week, something we didn’t know… reveal something we weren’t sure of… with the purpose of knowing him more, better, more personal.

maybe this morning… the revelation for you is that God created you, chose you, predestined you to be in a personal saving relationship with him… someone this morning.

Verse 18

enlightened… opened… given light… to be able to see… see what??? HOPE!!!

enlightened… reveal… give light… put light in…

enlightened means to place light where there was darkness so that you can see…

even in the midst of a dark world… even in the pressures of life… when life is hard… when life is tough… MAY WE BE ABLE TO SEE… SPIRITUAL EYES… SEE THE HOPE OF JESUS… WHAT HE HAS DONE… WHAT HE HAS PROMISED.

Biblical Hope isn’t a wish.. it’s something we know… truth that we stand on.

Hope.. eyes.. fixed on Jesus…

Working for the good of those who love him.