Knowing What You've Got

EPHESIANS 1:1-4 YOU MAY HAVE HEARD •OF THE FAMOUS OIL FIELD CALLED YATES POOL: •DURING THE DEPRESSION THIS FIELD WAS •A SHEEP RANCH OWNED BY A MAN NAMED YATES. •MR. YATES WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE ENOUGH ↓ ON HIS RANCHING OPERATION •TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON THE MORTGAGE, •SO HE WAS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS RANCH. •WITH LITTLE MONEY FOR CLOTHES OR FOOD, •HIS FAMILY HAD TO LIVE ON GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. DAY AFTER DAY, AS HE GRAZED •HIS SHEEP OVER THOSE ROLLING WEST TEXAS HILLS, •HE WAS GREATLY TROUBLED ABOUT HOW HE WOULD PAY HIS BILLS. •THEN A SEISMOGRAPHIC CREW FROM AN OIL COMPANY •CAME INTO THE AREA AND TOLD HIM THERE MIGHT BE OIL ON HIS LAND. THEY ASKED PERMISSION TO DRILL A •WILDCAT WELL, AND HE SIGNED A LEASE CONTRACT. •AT 1,115 FEET THEY STRUCK A HUGE OIL RESERVE. •THE FIRST WELL CAME IN AT 80,000 BARRELS A DAY. •SUBSEQUENT WELLS WERE MORE THAN TWICE AS LARGE. IN FACT, 30 YEARS AFTER THE •DISCOVERY, A GOVERNMENT TEST •OF ONE OF THE WELLS SHOWED IT STILL HAD •THE POTENTIAL FLOW OF 125,000 BARRELS OF OIL A DAY. •AND MR. YATES OWNED IT ALL. THE DAY HE PURCHASED THE LAND •HE HAD RECEIVED THE OIL AND MINERAL RIGHTS. •YET, HE'D BEEN LIVING ON RELIEF. •A MULTIMILLIONAIRE LIVING IN POVERTY. •THE PROBLEM? HE DIDN'T KNOW THE OIL WAS THERE EVEN THOUGH HE OWNED IT. MANY CHRISTIANS LIVE IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY •THEY ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHO HAVE •RECEIVED BLESSINGS FROM THEIR FATHER •AND YET THEY LIVE LIKE SPIRITUAL BEGGARS •NOT AWARE OF THE RICHES THAT ARE THEIRS IN CHRIST IN THIS LIFE IT IS VITAL TO KNOW •WHO YOU ARE. TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU SERVE •TO BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE TRUSTING IN •TO KNOW WHOSE CHILD, YOU ARE AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO KNOW •ABOUT THE BLESSINGS GOD THE FATHER HAS GIVEN US •WE NEED TO KNOW WHY WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THESE BLESSINGS •WE NEED TO KNOW THE NATURE OF THESE BLESSINGS •HOW CAN WE LIVE IN THESE BLESSINGS↓ IF WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT THESE •BLESSINGS… THE WOMAN STRUGGLING WITH THE •PROBLEMS OF LIFE… JUST BARELY MAKING IT… •CAN ONLY LEAN ON GOD WHEN SHE •KNOWS THE BLESSINGS SHE HAS RECEIVED FROM GOD. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN •A STUDY IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS •THIS LETTER WAS A CIRCULAR LETTER •THAT MEANS IT WAS NOT JUST READ IN EPHESUS. •CIRCULAR LETTERS WENT FROM CHURCH TO CHURCH THIS MEANS THE CONTENTS OF •THE LETTER DID NOT JUST APPLY TO •THE PEOPLE OF EPHESUS, THEY APPLY TO ALL CHRISTIANS •PAUL IS NOT ANSWERING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS •ABOUT PEOPLE IN EPHESUS, HE IS TALKING TO ALL OF US… TURN TO EPHESIANS 1:1 •PAUL WAS A PRISONER WHEN HE WROTE THIS LETTER •HE MAY HAVE BEEN IN CAESAREA OR IN ROME.. •THIS LETTER, MORE THAN ANY OTHER LETTER PAUL WROTE •FOCUSES ON LOVE… AND OUR POSITION IN CHRIST EPHESIANS 1:1–2 PAUL, AN APOSTLE OF CHRIST JESUS BY THE WILL OF GOD, TO THE SAINTS WHO ARE AT EPHESUS AND WHO ARE FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS: GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WE GOTTA KNOW WHO WE SERVE •PAUL STARTS BY STATING HIS •NAME AND OFFICIAL TITLE •PAUL, AN APOSTLE OF CHRIST JESUS •WHO HE IS AND WHO HE SERVES… THE WORD APOSTLE MEANS •SOMEONE SENT TO DO SOMETHING •BUT PAUL IS USING THIS WORD AS AN OFFICIAL TITLE.. •THE OFFICIAL TITLE APOSTLE MEANS SOMETHING LIKE •AMBASSADOR... AND NOTICE WHO PAUL IS AN AMBASSADOR OF ↓ PAUL IS AN AMBASSADOR OF •CHRIST JESUS… HE SERVES JESUS •HE IS AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK FOR CHRIST…. •CHRIST IS THE SOURCE OF PAUL’S AUTHORITY… •THE WORDS IN THIS LETTER HAVE •THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST BEHIND THEM.. SEE..PAUL KNOWS WHO HE SERVES •IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHO WE SERVE… •DO WE SERVE CHRIST… OR OURSELVES? •DO WE SERVE MONEY… PLEASURE… •POWER… OTHER PEOPLE… OR GOD? •IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO YOU TRUST •PAUL.. SAID WHO THE LETTER WAS FROM •NOW HE IS GONNA SAY WHO THE LETTER IS TO… •AND I JUST LOVE THE WAY HE DESCRIBES THEM •TO THE SAINTS WHO ARE AT EPHESUS AND WHO ARE FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS: THAT WORD SAINTS MEANS… •THOSE WHO ARE SET APART FOR GOD’S USE. •AND IT IS A NOT CLEAR IN OUR TRANSLATION •BUT THAT PART WHO ARE FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS •IS A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SAINT ONE WAY TO TRANSLATE IT IS… •TO THE SAINTS, THE ONES WITH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS •SEE… WHEN WE TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST… •THAT HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS PAID FOR OUR SINS… •THEN WE ARE SAINTS… SET APART FOR GOD’S USE. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT IF WE •HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST… WE ARE SAINTS… •WE HAVE BEEN SET APART FROM THE WORLD.. •FOR GOD’S USE… AND WE NEED TO LIVE THAT WAY… •NOT FOR OUR OWN USE… BUT FOR GOD’S USE. WE GOTTA KNOW WHO WE BELONG TO •PAUL CONCLUDES THE GREETING WITH A BLESSING… •PAUL SAYS: GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. •THIS IS A PHENOMENAL BLESSING… GRACE IS GETTING BETTER THAN •YOU CAN EARN.. WHICH IS WHAT WE ALL NEED… •AND PEACE FROM GOD IS ONE OF THE GREATEST •EXAMPLES OF GRACE…. •BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER “EARN” PEACE… BUT I REALLY WANT US TO FOCUS •ON ONE LITTLE WORD IN PAUL’S BLESSING •THAT WORD IS OUR … PAUL SAYS; •GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER •PAUL SAYS THE SOURCE OF THE GRACE AND PEACE IS GOD OUR FATHER… THIS IS HUGE •IF WE HAVE FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS •WE HAVE BEEN SET APART FOR GOD’S SERVICE •AND WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD… •GOD IS OUR FATHER.. WE BELONG TO GOD…. WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THIS ONE •LITTLE WORD… OUR … THAT GOD IS OUR FATHER •THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD •THAT WE BELONG TO GOD… •THAT WE WHEN WE TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST WE ARE SET APART TO SERVE GOD... •IT WILL CHANGE HOW WE VIEW EVERYTHING ELSE. •IT WILL CHANGE HOW WE VIEW THE WORLD •IT WILL CHANGE HOW WE LIVE… WHAT WE WANT OUT OF LIFE •IT WILL CHANGE THE KIND OF BLESSINGS WE SEEK. EPHESIANS 1:3–4 BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST, JUST AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, THAT WE WOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM. THE FATHER IS THE SOURCE •OF OUR BLESSINGS.. WHEN PAUL SAYS.. •BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, •THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE NEED TO NOTICE.. •FIRST IS THAT WORD BLESSED… NOW •THREE DIFFERENT WORDS IN GREEK GET TRANSLATED BLESSED PAUL DOES NOT USE THE WORD •BLESSED AS IN RECEIVING SOME BENEFIT… •CAUSE GOD CANNOT RECEIVE ANY BENEFIT. •PAUL DOES NOT USE THE WORD THAT MEANS BLESSED THAT MEANS HAPPY.. •PAUL USES A WORD BLESSED THAT MEANS… TO GIVE PRAISE TO… THIS BLESSED •MEANS TO CRY OUT…. OR PROCLAIM LOUDLY •A PRAISE OF SOMEONE WORTHY OF BEING PRAISED… •AND GOD IS CERTAINLY WORTHY OF PRAISE.. •NEXT PAUL TELLS US ONE OF THE REASONS •WHY GOD IS WORTHY TO BE BLESSED.. HE IS WORTHY OF BEING BLESSED •IN PRAISE… BECAUSE HE IS •THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, •THIS TITLE FOR GOD IS FOCUSED ON HIS ACT OF SALVATION… •GOD THE FATHER IS WORTHY OF OUR PRAISE FOR MANY REASONS.. BUT HERE PAUL IS FOCUSED ON •GOD THE FATHER’S PROVISION OF OUR SAVOIR •JESUS CHRIST… WE SHOULD BLESS GOD •BY PRAISING HIM FOR GIVING US HIS SON •WHO DIED ON A CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS… •MAYBE PAUL WAS THINKING ABOUT… JOHN 3:16 “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND •THE RICHES WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN… WE NEED TO •START RIGHT HERE… GOD THE FATHER GAVE HIS SON •SO THAT WE COULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. •UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND THAT •WE WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WE HAVE.. AND THIS GIFT ALONE SHOULD •DRIVE US TO BLESS HIM WITH OUR PRAISE… •OUR WORSHIP... OUR ADORATION… •BUT PAUL IS NOT DONE WITH WHY •WE SHOULD BLESS GOD WITH PRAISE.. •TO FULLY PRAISE GOD WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED •EVERY POSSIBLE SPIRITUAL BLESSING •PAUL TELLS HIS READERS THAT GOD HAS •BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING •WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT US… MEANS ALL OF US… NOT JUST SOME… •THE REALLY CHRISTIAN… CHRISTIANS... •NOT JUST THE ONES WHO SHOW UP EVERY SUNDAY •NOT JUST THE ONES WHO TEACH A BIBLE STUDY •PAUL SAID… THE SAINTS ARE THOSE WHO TRUST IN CHRIST… SO IF YOU HAVE TRUSTED IN CHRIST… •THEN… THIS US MEANS YOU… AND YOU HAVE •BEEN BLESSED WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING… •DID YOU NOTICE IT DID NOT SAY… WILL BE BLESSED •IT SAID… WHO HAS BLESSED US PAST TENSE AS IN… A DONE DEAL.. COMPLETED… •AS IN WE ALREADY HAVE THESE BLESSINGS.. •THESE BLESSINGS INCLUDE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING •WE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE… •EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD… NOW… I AM NOT GONNA TRY •TO LIST ALL THESE BLESSINGS.. •I AM NOT EVEN SURE IF WE ACTUALLY KNOW…. •WHAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE BLESSINGS IS.. •BUT FOR SURE… WE HAVE RECEIVED •PEACE WITH GOD.. INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ILLUMINATION OF GOD’S WORD… •AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER… •FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS… •ADOPTION AS CHILDREN OF GOD.. •RESURRECTION TO NEW LIFE… •AND I COULD GO ON AN ON… IF WE ARE GOING TO LIVE LIKE •WHO WE REALLY ARE… WE NEED TO KNOW •WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED EVERYTHING •WE WILL EVER NEED FOR OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD •WE ARE NOT LACKING ANY SPIRITUAL BLESSING... AND SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS ARE THE •BEST KIND OF BLESSINGS TO HAVE… •PAUL WANTS TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND •WHAT KIND OF BLESSINGS HE IS TALKING ABOUT •SO, FIRST HE SAYS WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING •AND THEN HE TELLS US THESE BLESSINGS •ARE IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST •NOW… OUR TRANSLATION ADDS THAT WORD PLACES… •THE GREEK TEXT JUST SAYS… IN THE HEAVENLIES. PAUL IS GONNA USE THIS PHRASE •IN THE HEAVENLIES 5 TIMES IN THIS BOOK… •SO, WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE MEANS BY IT… •FOR SOMETHING TO BE IN THE HEAVENLIES •MEANS THAT IT SPIRITUAL… NOT PHYSICAL IT IS NOT OF THIS WORLD… IT IS OF •HEAVEN… IT HAS TO DO WITH SPIRITUAL THINGS… •IT IS NOT ABOUT THE LOCATION.. HEAVEN.. •IT IS ABOUT REALM OF SPIRITUAL MATTERS... •WHEN PAUL SAYS OUR BLESSINGS ARE IN HEAVENLY PLACES… HE MEANS •OUR BLESSINGS ARE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS… •IN CONTRAST TO OUR BLESSINGS BEING MATERIAL… EARTHLY… •THIS IS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.. •FOR US TO KNOW WHO WE ARE WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE •NATURE OF OUR BLESSINGS… WE HAVE RECEIVED •EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING… NOT EVERY MATERIAL BLESSING… •DOES THIS MEAN GOD DOES NOT BLESS US MATERIALLY? •NO… OF COURSE GOD BLESSES US MATERIALLY.. EVERY MATERIAL THING WE HAVE •IS A BLESSING FROM GOD… BUT… •I DON’T KNOW IF YOU HAVE NOTICED THIS OR NOT •BUT… SOME OF US ARE MORE •MATERIALLY BLESSED THAN OTHERS… •AND THAT IS TOTALLY OK… BECAUSE… SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS •ARE WAY… WAY… BETTER THAN MATERIAL BLESSINGS… •SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS ARE ETERNAL… •MATERIAL BLESSINGS ARE TEMPORARY… •SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS DRAW YOU CLOSER TO GOD MATERIAL BLESSINGS… CAN IN SOME •CASES… PULL YOU FURTHER FROM GOD… •NOW.. THIS IS HARD FOR US TO DEAL WITH SOMETIMES… •ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CAN’T PAY THE RENT •OR THE CAR JUST BROKE DOWN AGAIN.. OR WE LOOK AT OTHER PEOPLE •WHO HAVE MORE STUFF THAN WE HAVE… •AND WE START WISHING MAYBE WE HAD A FEW MORE •MATERIAL BLESSINGS AND A FEW LESS SPIRITUAL ONES.. •BUT WE ARE NOW CHILDREN OF GOD OUR HOME IS IN HEAVEN… AND •OUR BLESSINGS ARE EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING… •WHICH ARE FAR GREATER… MUCH… •MORE OF A BLESSING THAN ANY MATERIAL BLESSING •AND WE HAVE THESE BLESSINGS BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHRIST WE GOTTA KNOW THAT WE RECEIVE •THESE BLESSINGS BECAUSE THE FATHER •CHOSE US BEFORE TIME BEGAN •OUR TRANSLATION SAYS; •“JUST AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD,” PAUL USES A VERY SPECIFIC WORD •TO CONNECT OUR BLESSINGS TO GOD CHOOSING US… •BY USING THIS WORD PAUL TELLS US THAT WE RECEIVE EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING… •BECAUSE GOD CHOOSE US… AND THAT MAKES SENSE IF YOU •THINK ABOUT IT… WE RECEIVE THESE •SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHRIST.. •WE ARE ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD •WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN… •BUT FOR US TO BECOME THESE THINGS GOD THE FATHER HAD TO CHOOSE US •BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD. •THE PROPER NAME FOR THIS IS “ELECTION” •NOW, I KNOW THAT THIS IDEA MAKES SOME •PEOPLE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE… WE MAY NOT LIKE THE IDEA THAT •GOD DECIDED WHO WOULD BE SAVED •BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN •BUT OUR BIBLES ARE FULL OF VERSES •THAT DISCUSS THIS IDEA… ROMANS 8:29 FOR THOSE WHOM HE FOREKNEW, HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BECOME CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, MARK 13:20 “UNLESS THE LORD HAD SHORTENED THOSE DAYS, NO LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN SAVED; BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE ELECT, WHOM HE CHOSE, HE SHORTENED THE DAYS. MANY FOLKS HAVE BEEN TAUGHT •THAT GOD LOOKED DOWN THROUGH TIME •AND SAW EVERYONE WHO WOULD TRUST •IN CHRIST JESUS FOR SALVATION… •AND HE CHOSE •THEM BASED ON THIS FOREKNOWLEDGE THIS IS CERTAINLY A POSSIBLE •EXPLANATION OF HOW ELECTION MIGHT WORK… •IF SOMEONE IS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT •UNDERSTANDING… I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM •WITH THAT… BUT… TO BE HONEST •THAT EXPLANATION OF ELECTION MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS… •I AM JUST NOT COMFORTABLE WITH •GOD BASING HIS DECISION ON MY ACTIONS… •NEXT WEEK I AM GOING TO TRY TO EXPLAIN •A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW ELECTION WORKS… FOR RIGHT NOW… THE KEY THING •WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT GOD •DID CHOSE US… BEFORE THE FOUNDATIONS •OF THE WORLD.. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND •THAT HIM CHOOSING US IS WHY WE RECEIVE↓ EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE •HEAVENLIES... WE DID NOT EARN THEM •WE ARE NOT OWED THEM… WE DON’T DESERVE THESE BLESSINGS… •WE ONLY RECEIVE THEM BECAUSE GOD •CHOSE US TO BECOME HIS ADOPTED CHILDREN… THIS SHOULD REALLY CHANGE HOW •WE VIEW THESE BLESSINGS… THEY ARE GIVEN •TO US BY GOD’S GRACE… HIS UNEARNED FAVOR… •WE SHOULD CHERISH THEM… HOLD THEM DEAR… •BUT MOSTLY WE SHOULD LIVE IN THEM… •AND NOT REJECT GOD’S GIFTS TO US… WE SHOULD TRY TO LIVE IN HIS •PEACE… HIS GRACE… HIS MERCY.. •WE SHOULD YIELD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT •WE SHOULD COME TO GOD IN WORSHIP AND PRAYER •WE SHOULD LIVE IN THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED. AND WE SHOULD KNOW THE FINAL •GOAL OF GOD CHOOSING US…. •PAUL ACTUALLY TELLS US WHAT THIS FINAL GOAL IS… •THAT WE WOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM. •THE FINAL GOAL OF GOD CHOOSING US↓ IS THAT WE WOULD COME BEFORE •HIM AND BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS… •THESE ARE PRETTY IMPORTANT WORDS •HOLY MEANS… MORALLY SUPERIOR... •PURE… SET APART… •AND BLAMELESS↓ MEANS TO BE WITHOUT FAULT… •TO BE PERFECT… I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU •BUT, IF I AM HONEST, I SURE DON’T FEEL •HOLY AND BLAMELESS. •BUT WE DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD’S GOAL IN CHOOSING US↓ IS THAT AT SOME POINT WE WILL BE •HOLY AND BLAMELESS. •WE WILL BE PURE SET APART, WITHOUT FAULT… PERFECT. •I AM NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN IN THIS LIFE TIME… •SEE I THINK THIS IS TALKING ABOUT OUR GLORIFICATION. ROMANS 8:30 AND THESE WHOM HE PREDESTINED, HE ALSO CALLED; AND THESE WHOM HE CALLED, HE ALSO JUSTIFIED; AND THESE WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, HE ALSO GLORIFIED. GOD CHOSE US BEFORE TIME BEGAN •AND WHEN WE TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST •WE ARE SAVED… THAT IS JUSTIFIED… •AND WHEN WE LEAVE THIS WORLD •AND ENTER THE NEXT WE WILL ALL BE GLORIFIED… •AND AT THAT POINT WE WILL BE↓ HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE •GOD THE FATHER… •AND THAT WAS HIS GOAL THAT WAS HIS FINAL PURPOSE IN CHOOSING US… •AND TO PREPARE US FOR THAT TIME •THAT WE WILL BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS •BEFORE THE FATHER… HE HAS GIVEN US↓ EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE •HEAVENLIES… BUT IF WE ARE GONNA LIVE IN THESE BLESSINGS WE HAVE TO KNOW WE HAVE THEM… •WE CAN’T ENJOY SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WE HAVE… •WE CAN’T LIVE IN BLESSINGS THAT WE ARE UNAWARE OF… WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST, •THE GREAT PUBLISHER, READ ABOUT A PAINTING AND BECAME GREATLY INTERESTED IN IT. •DESPERATELY DESIRING TO OWN THIS PAINTING, •HE SENT HIS PEOPLE ALL OVER TO TRY TO LOCATE THIS PAINTING BUT THEY COULDN’T FIND IT •ANYWHERE… A YEAR LATER, •OUT OF THE BLUE, ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES •CAME TO HIM AND TOLD HIM THAT THE PAINTING •HAD AT LAST BEEN FOUND. HEARST, EXCITED ABOUT THE DISCOVERY, ASKED WHERE IT HAD BEEN •ALL THIS TIME. HIS EMPLOYEE SAID, “IT WAS IN YOUR BASEMENT. •YOU’VE OWNED IT ALL THE TIME.” •MR. HEARST HAD NEVER READ THE LEDGER THAT •HAD RECORD OF EVERYTHING HE OWNED. HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND •THE WEALTH THAT HE ALREADY POSSESSED… •MANY BELIEVERS OPERATE THEIR LIVES NEVER •FULLY UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THE BLESSINGS •THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN CHRIST. MANY CHRISTIANS LIVE IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY. •THEY ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHO HAVE •RECEIVED BLESSINGS FROM THEIR FATHER •AND YET THEY LIVE LIKE SPIRITUAL BEGGARS •NOT AWARE OF THE RICHES THAT ARE THEIRS IN CHRIST IN THIS LIFE IT IS VITAL TO KNOW •WHO YOU ARE. TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU SERVE •TO BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE TRUSTING IN •TO KNOW WHOSE CHILD, YOU ARE AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO KNOW •ABOUT THE BLESSINGS GOD THE FATHER HAS GIVEN US •WE NEED TO KNOW WHY WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THESE BLESSINGS •WE NEED TO KNOW THE NATURE OF THESE BLESSINGS IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL, WE CAN •END UP LIKE THAT WEST TEXAS RANCHER… YATES •LIVING WITH VAST RICHES AT OUR FEET •BUT NOT KNOWING THEY ARE THERE… •WHEN WE KNOW WE ARE SERVANTS OF CHRIST↓ BY THE WILL OF GOD, THE FATHER •SET APART FOR SERVICE TO GOD BECAUSE •WE HAVE FAITH IN CHRIST… •THAT WE ARE BLESSED BY GOD •THE FATHER WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY REALM BECAUSE THE FATHER CHOSE US •BEFORE THE WORLD WAS FORMED •AND THAT THE FINAL GOAL OF THE FATHER CHOOSING •US IS FOR US TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE THE FATHER… •THEN AND ONLY THEN… WE CAN LIVE IN THESE BLESSINGS •WE CAN SERVE GOD… AND WE CAN •PROCLAIM HIS GOSPEL MESSAGE TO THE WORLD… •THE GOSPEL MESSAGE THAT SAYS; •“THERE IS A GOD WHO LOVES US AND WANTS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US….