God's Redemption Plan

Good morning. I am Thomas Hamilton. I am the lead Pastor hear Journey Church, and we want to welcome you again. If this is your first Sunday with us, we won't let you know that you have chosen a perfect Sunday to join us for the first time. We are kicking off our new series. We're going to be studying through the book of Ephesians and will be starting that this morning will be in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1 through 14. And so if you have a Bible you can open it up and turn their if you don't have a Bible we have some Bibles here and if you would like one you could just raise your hand and we have a few men that are in the back of it all all three of our elders are saved back in the back corner. Do you need a Bible don't we love to give you one today? Just raise your hand. I'll bring you one. You can also follow on your smartphone your tablet as well. We'll be in Ephesians chapter 1 as you guys looked around this morning. I don't know if you've noticed but we are getting pretty fool here in this room.

There are 72 seats in this room. Okay, I'll just going to give you guys some perspective. All right, but we hear the feeder have access to other rooms and other theaters is well and feed her number 5 which is the next theater up threw up. The hallway has 140 seats in it. And so we can move their when we're ready to so I want you guys to know like I know sometimes I can be a little cramped and uncomfortable but know that we can move any time that we need to and we can move up as soon as as we get to that that point as well. So I just want to keep that you guys to have that in your mind and keep that in your mind as we are moving for today. August said we're going to start our study of the book of Ephesians. It will be in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1 through 14 before we dive right into the message. I don't want us to go together in prayer once again. Father we we thank you. I thank you that your people are here and we are gathered this new year. And we get to Common to study your word together and we get to sing the songs of praise because God you're worthy. Not just of our our words and are singing but you are worthy of every part of our Lives because you have worked your Plan of Redemption perfectly. To bring us who are far from you back to you. You deserve all of our praise all of our Glory everything that we are. I think you've it. I get to share that with with these people they're here in this room this morning. Do we get to live life together and we get to encourage each other and strengthen each other and study together and grow together as your people and we get to carry out your mission together. on this journey that we're on Father I thank you for this beautiful letter that Paul panned. Do we still have recorded for us today?

And the lessons in the insight. DePaul gives us here.

The father's we dive into.

This message of Ephesians father open our hearts or Minds. To what you have us do.

The work that you called us to hear now father help us to get a glimpse. how We work into your huge Cosmic Plan of Redemption. I think you that you've chosen to use us. I thank you for your son. Jesus to ask all of this in his name. I love the book of Ephesians and I hope that over the next couple weeks. You'll come to to love it as at least as part as much as I do and we're going to see here in the book of Ephesians is God's plan for us his church and how we are to live that plan out here and now in our lives and in our community and in our families and our workplaces, we're going to see that it's by God's grace alone through our faith in his son Jesus that we are even able to live out God's plan for us and it's all to please God and God Alone. This is Ephesians. I don't know about you but I struggle sometimes to follow the plan anybody else struggling to follow directions follow plans to Susanna on my wife and our son Camden. We just got back this past week from Kansas and we went there to spend time with us his hands family and we had had a wonderful time there over Christmas and New Year's and Suzanne's brother my brother-in-law when he always gets Camden a gift for Christmas that me and him have to put together. Okay, and this year was no exception been got Camden this this little robot Hedgehog and it's really cool base your commands. Are you turn the thing on you begin to clap and it's supposed to roll over so after hours and hours of following Step by step directions, right? I thought that I had everything put together and thankfully for me these directions were written for kids. And so I I was able to somewhat follow along there's a lot of pictures and I was thankful I was thankful for that. But I thought that I had followed all of the stuff. I thought that I had put everything step by step in the right order. So we turn this Hedgehog on and we begin to clap and it starts moving back and forth. But as you clap it supposed to roll over but it wasn't it was only moving back and forth. I had missed something. I had messed up these plans. I had missed something. I did something wrong. I done something backwards and actually wasn't until we got back home in North Carolina that I found it. I just tighten the screw just a little too tight and it kept this thing from working properly. I don't know about you, but when I try to follow my own plans or what when I try to follow my own design, it doesn't turn out too. Well, and even when I try to follow the step-by-step directions I tend to mess things up. Mike Tyson is famous for saying everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. You see from the very beginning. God had a plan to bring us back to him. This wasn't his back-up plan. This wasn't his plan B. This is his one and only plan and even when it looks like God was punched in the mouth. God still carried out his plan to bring us sinful broken people. Back to him to redeem him and this plan has been played out and recorded for us in his word the Bible and it starts in the very beginning in the Book of Genesis, which is the first book of the Old Testament first book of the Bible where we sieved the least two people Adam and Eve and they talked with God and they walk with God in the head this face-to-face relationship with God. You see this is how God intended all of this to be he has created you and me for relationships for relationships with one another and four relationship with him and from the very beginning we messed that up and even when we mess up that relationship God went to work to fix it. To bring Shalom, which is a Hebrew word. That means complete whole piece. Where we have caused war God has work to bring Unity where we have caused disunity got his work to redeem a people in a creation to himself to adopt us who who are fatherless because we are sinful all throughout scripture all as read the Bible from the time of Adam and Eve does the time they brought into the world. God has been using ordinary simple broken people just like you and just like me to carry out his plan. He chose Abraham A-line doubting man to be the father of a Nation. Who would bring about a savior that would defeat sin and death once for all. To bring about Grace and to bring about his love to all creation to all people. His see sent his one and only son Jesus born of an ordinary woman. But what we see is that Mary and Joseph even though they were ordinary and broken sinful people just like Abraham were obedient to God's plan growing up. One of my favorite shows was the A-Team remember the 18 sweet? All right. So you younger people who don't remember the A-Team? Okay. Let me tell you a little bit about the A-Team it was the show of this crack Commando unit, right that was sent to prison by a military court for a crime. They didn't commit and I remember the intro to the show. Okay. Alright and these men all in three three sentences. They describe the whole show. It's amazing right these men probably escaped write this maximum-security stockade. The Los Angeles underground today where they still right or wanted by the government and they survive as Soldiers of Fortune. And if you have a problem and if no one else can help and if you can find them then maybe you can hire The A-Team by each week. It's the same plot over and over again. It was awesome. Okay, these this team right they would go and they would help somebody else that was facing a possible. Right and it would always come up with this crazy plan and it always work and no one died, right? It was is crazy. Right and at the end of each episode after they work this crazy plan John Hannibal Smith, you would always say the same as words. I love it when a plan comes together. Each week same thing. God has been planning from the very beginning to redeem us sinful people plan has come together and it's being carried out through us even today and this is the message of Ephesians God's mysterious plan revealed through us his church to all creation. So let's dig in Ephesians chapter 1 First one it says Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God to God's holy people in Ephesus the faithful in Christ, Jesus Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pause right there. The first two verses of Ephesians or free common to all of Paul's letters. If you have read any of the rest of Paul's letters, you'll maybe you've heard those same words in the same phrasing. This is is Paul's greeting. He introduces himself to his readers. He he says that I am an apostle and and Paul lays out that he's not an apostle because of anything that he's done, but it's only by God's work through Jesus and God's Eternal plan that he is an apostle. Paul is writing to a group of Believers the faithful in Christ Jesus. Now the earliest 3 transcripts or copies that we have of this letter of Ephesians actually doesn't have those words that we translate who are in Ephesus in them and most likely this because this letter was to be carried and given not just the Church of Ephesus but to all of the churches in Asia, this is why we find hardly any personal remarks in the book of Ephesians and letter profusions, which is very strange for Paul's writings. We see a lot of personal remarks in a lot of his other letters, especially because Paul spent almost three years in Ephesus think he would have known these people personally, so it'd be really strange for him not to have these personal remarks unless this was to be a more General letter. That was to be given out and sent copies. Copies of two other churches all over Asia. You see Ephesus was the chief Roman city in Asia that time and it may have been the place where this letter was sent out from this was most likely one of Paul's last letter that he wrote while he was in prison in Rome from us two years under house arrest Ephesians Colossians and Philemon. We're all carried by Takata switch. We we find out a little bit later in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 21 and most likely all three of these letters were probably written at about the same time which is why if you ever read three fijians in urethra Colossians, you'll see a lot of similarities send it kind of makes sense. Right Paul is as having all of these letters written at the same time. So a lot of the same things are on his mind and his heart and God is leading him in the same things to this is the backdrop up for Paul's message that he's getting ready to share with us. Now as we move into verse number 3 verses 3 through 14 in the Greek, which is the language that the New Testament was originally written in and we translate that over into English so that we can That understand that but in the Greek it's not a collection of a bunch of different sentences verses 3 through 14 is actually just one long sentence this one run on sentence. Right and if this wasn't a song that the early Christians were singing this may have been Paul's musical side coming out a little bit Samuel coolridge describe the book of Ephesians as the divinest composition of man here in these next twelve versus Paul is going to sing praises to God the Father God the son and God the holy spirit for their work in Redemption. And so he starts with God the Father looking first three with me. Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the Heavenly Realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love. He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and a will to the praise of his glorious Grace, which is been freely given to us in the one that he loves has no misunderstanding about where his hope comes from his hope comes from God the Father alone. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. And God has planned from the Play beginning to make you and I holy and blameless. We are not Gods second-string. We are not God's Back-up Plan he knew from the very beginning that he would offer you and I adoption through Jesus Christ as his children. He did he would freely give his grace through Jesus his son and God and God Alone deserves all of the praise and honor. Have a lot of friends for one reason or another. Have adopted children some of them because they were unable to have children on their own some of them because the the the child it just needed a a loving family. Maybe you know, somebody that has been adopted or maybe somebody who has adopted someone else what amazing beautiful thing adoption is children's it are unloved unwanted or maybe because their biological parents were unable to or because they were unwilling to care for them those children be welcomed with love into a family that is not their own to become their own. What a beautiful picture we have and what a beautiful picture Of what God has done for you. And for me he welcomes us who are far from him. Those who have even turn our backs on him what the prodigal son? He throws a celebration a party to welcome or return. The more than just to welcome us. He's chased us down. He has searched far and wide for us. He has called us by name. He has paid the ultimate price for our Redemption has this life of his son Jesus just so that you and I can be brought back to him. His love has been poured out his grace poured out so that we could be adopted as his children friends. I don't know if you've ever heard that before. I just want you to know this morning that God is calling you is calling you to come home. He's calling you by name and he has given his son Jesus so that you can be brought back to him. Jesus has died so that you can return back to the father. He wants to redeem you no matter how far you've gone. He has paid the price for your Redemption. Have you accepted his gift of Grace? What's keeping you from accepting it today?

Paul Praises God the Father for his work in Redemption, but then he Praises God the son Jesus for his working Redemption the next horse looking for 7 with me. In him, we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace. He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding he made known to us. The mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he poured out in Christ to put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment to bring Unity to all things in heaven and on Earth under Christ in him. We were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in Conformity with the purpose of his will in order. Did we who were first to put our Our Hope in Christ might be for the praise of his glory? God's Redemption plan has been carried out to perfection in Christ Jesus and this isn't just to bring Unity to us. And God know God's plan is much bigger than just you and me God's plan is Cosmic God wants to bring peace to bring that Shalom that complete whole piece unity to all things things in heaven and things on earth all creation brought back to God in Christ all things in and for Christ. You see when Adam and Eve went when they send It didn't just disrupt their Unity with God and themselves, but it disrupted Shalom. Peace with all creation. The Earth will produce thorns and thistles there would be pain and suffering and hardship and death. God's plan is to restore all that he has recreated to himself all things for and in Christ and here is what's amazing. He has planned from the beginning to use you and me as the first fruit are restored Unity. God has redeemed us to the blood of Jesus kissed forgiving our sins and his grace has been poured out on us and it's through that Grace and forgiveness and that Redemption that we have been reunited with God our heavenly father and God has made known to us and he has shown through us the mystery of his Cosmic plan to restore Shalom to all creation. We are the first fruits of that Redemption we the church or the example to the rest of notches Humanity, but the rest of creation and what God's will and his plan is so amazing that God would use us broken simple people to be his Messengers, you know, it's easy though for us to become small-minded in that. And to become self-centered in that thinking that it's all about us.

Friends is not the reality is the yes, Jesus brings you and me salvation, but he is working through you and me to show his grace and his mercy and his love to all creation. So that God and God Alone gets the praise and the glory the end result is that we the church or the first to Hope in Christ, then we will be example to the rest of creation that through our lives God Alone will be praised. God the Father God the son and God the Holy Spirit working in perfect Unity to bring peace and Redemption 2 you and me. Into all creation. Let's look at these last two verses in verses 13 and 14 Paul continues and says you also were included in Christ. When you heard the message of Truth The Gospel of your salvation when you believed you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the Redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of his glory. I don't know if you know what a king's seal is but it was a personalized design that would be used to produce a an impression on player wax in the most of time that clay or wax would be attached to a document or to a letter and that sealed it would Mark that that player that wax on that document would give ownership of the document. This document comes from the King. It would give authenticity to the words that were spoken in that document. It would give a 40 the king's Authority. It would say the King has said this it would show the ownership of that. If a document carry the king seal, it would have shown the authority and ownership of the king. It would have given Credence to the words that were spoken. Into the actions that were to be carried out this a piece of clay. The super happy to be here. This may be a little hard to see this was recovered in a Jerusalem dump and this is actually believed to be the first seal. There's ever been found like the oldest a sealed. It's been found used by a king and it's a king from King Hezekiah who is in the Old Testament and was asked of her. Like I said in the Jerusalem dump now this seal would have been so important and it would be hard to believe that anyone would have had permission to use this besides the king himself because this seal could could mean life and could mean death. the seal carried importance as so it is very easy to assume that King Hezekiah himself with his own Signet ring made this impression on this piece of clay himself showing his ownership over that that that he himself was the one that used that That Insignia and that seal the inscription that's up here. It's kind of hard to see but it's in Hebrew anyway, and based in Vice know Hebrew. I don't either so resources and tools to look those but but what it translates to is this belonging to Hezekiah son of ahaz King of Judah. Paul. Ephesians uses the same imagery to describe or Redemption God is the king of kings Lord of lords. He is the one that seals us Christ is the sphere with the seal is done. The holy spirit is the instrument of the seal. We when we accept God's Redemption plan for us when we accept his grace for us when we put our faith in his son Jesus when we die to ourselves, when we repent of our sins and dumbest things that have caused that separation between us and God and when we are joined with Jesus and baptism wash their sins away we are raised. To be Sons and Daughters of the king of kings and we are marked. We are sealed with the king's seal the Holy Spirit living in us. We now belong to the king helie or his we have been bought we have been paid for and now we live according to his plan alone and for his honor and Glory alone and will share with us in the rest of Ephesians what that looks like what that means for us to live sealed by the king. How do we do that here? And now as we wrap up this morning, I want to share with you three things that we can start doing and living this week. To share to Bear the fruit that we have been sealed by the king you see if we have been sealed by the king if we have the Holy Spirit living in us, then we will bear fruit. The first food that we see is the fruit of repentance. In Matthew chapter 3 verse a distance produce fruit in keeping with repentance. This is the message that John the Baptist have been preaching to prepare the way for Jesus is coming. He was pleading with people to flee from sin and produced the fruit of repentance you seen the fruit of repentance isn't just saying that I'm sorry for sin. But it's being changed is being transformed in Colossians. Paul tells us to put sin to death to act violently sin in our life. If we have been sealed by the King of Kings. We will bear the fruit of repentance friends. Are you being transformed? By the holy spirit is living in you. If you are you'll be able to see it. You'll be changed. It will not just be saying sorry every time you send but you'll be working to stop sinning. Not that we're going to be perfect here and now but that we are striving to follow the example of Jesus putting sin to death in our life working to not let sin rule us any longer. In Galatians chapter 5 maybe just a page back from where you're at and Ephesians chapter 1 Paul says this and verse 19 the acts of the flesh are obvious sexual immorality impurity debauchery on Dollar Tree in witchcraft hatred Discord jealousy fits of Rage selfish ambition Ascension factions in Indy. drunkenness orgies and the like Prince this is what sin Bears produces in our lives. This is the fruit of the flesh. These are the things that if we are sealed by the King of Kings, we will be putting to death in our life if we are sealed by the Kings of King. We will bear the fruit of repentance. Secondly will bear the fruit of the spirit in the very next versus India in Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 22. This is what Paul says about the fruit of the spirit is love joy, peace forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control friends. We could spend a whole series of sermons breaking down each of these things each of these fruits of the spirit, but I want you to look over that list again.

Does this characterize your life? If you've been sealed by the King of Kings, you will bear the fruit of the spirit your lives will be marked with love joy peace, patience kindness goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control. If you are sealed by the King of Kings, you will bear the fruit of repentance. You'll bear the fruit of the spirit and you will bear the fruit of disciples Jesus in his final words before sending to the father Matthew 28 verse 19 says therefore go and make disciples of all Nations and then he tells us how to do that baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey. everything that I have commanded you if you are sealed by the king of kings and you're going to carry out his marching orders for you. If we are sealed by the King of Kings, we are going to carry out his mission to go and to make disciples. Two friends, who are you making into a disciple of Jesus? Who are you sharing the gospel with who are you baptizing and teaching to a bay all the Jesus commanded? These are the marks. These are the Seals of the king of kings. These are fruit that we will bear if the holy spirit is living in us. We are Gods possession and we now live for his praise and His glory. This is God's plan for us his people the church. the question for us today Is whether or not we will choose God's plan. We will continue to choose our own.

Where has following your own plan? Got you? Do you like me in a mess? That's where? Yes.

God is playing from the very beginning to redeem you and me through his son. Jesus to heal you with the Holy Spirit, but you have to choose today. Will you accept his plan for you? Will you continue to follow your own? Let's pray together.

We thank you. Did you? A plan from the very beginning to restore us to you. Even when we are the ones that have mess this thing up because of our sin. You have come to the rescue. You have work your plan to perfection, even it when it look like your plan failed and your son died on the cross father. We thank you.

Did you raised him from the dead? He died to sin once for all.

And father we thank you. But you have chosen us.

to be your Witnesses to Bear the fruit of making disciples father give us the courage. Give us the strength. Give us the wisdom to bring you praise. I'm living up. To be seals these marks. But you've given us of your son. Father if there are those who are here today who are far from you? Father move them to you today. Holden to you today, for those of us to have father embolden us to carry the message of Hope. tour workplaces to our neighborhoods to our families help us to go and make disciples as you cause to. We thank you and praise you for the work that you the Son and the Holy Spirit have done to redeem us. We asked this all in your son Jesus name.