What's in your inheritance? Ephesians Series #06

for those who are able please stand in honor of God's word today's reading is from Ephesians 1 verses 11 to 14 in Jesus always we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will

but we do first trusted in Christ should be to the first Praise of his glory in him you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation and whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise who is the guarantee of our heritance until the Redemption of the purchase possession to the praise of his glory here ends the reading of God's word thanks be to God

Grace to You Shalom from God our Father from Jesus our Messiah and from the Holy Spirit who gives us faith.

There was a commercial many years ago that was about a credit card and it ended with a guy saying what's in your wallet. Maybe you remember that we seem to get imprinted by those things cuz we see him over and over again. So kind of bouncing off on that theme today. I'm going to say what's up. I forgot to put that up on the screen. What's in your inheritance? Do you have an inheritance is something coming your way? That's going to make a difference for your future? I had a rich uncle and he died pretty young. He was 54 when he died and he was estranged from his children. I was his favorite nephew. I'm not exaggerating just being honest here and I thought you know when to be awesome if if I got something if anything. nothing

So there went that one now my dad. He got married again. And now his wife has all that stuff that could have been in our inheritance and it's being used to care for him in his old age is 92 now, so I don't expect to see anything that way either. But you might have figured out that when we're talking about inheritance in this scripture passage from Ephesians 1. We're not talking about financial inheritance. That is not what it's about. Let's look again at verse 11 in him in Jesus. Also, we have obtained and inheritance being productive according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. I do remember was last week or the week before but got this image about what it means to be in him in Jesus this came from a friend of mine Pastor Joel Kerr pastors aflc Church way down in southern Minnesota. In fact, I think it's so far close to the Iowa border. You can throw a rock across and hit Iowa from from where is Church sits Mariah shaking her head. I've actually never been there. But I know it's close Mariah says she's been there so

Couple weeks ago or a week ago. I don't remember we said this he talked about being in Christ. He said imagine you're in a cave and and Christ is your rock you can you can reach out this way touch Rock reach out this way pet rock in touch Rock on the ceiling or sit sitting or standing on Rock. You're in Kim. You're in him. I think it's puts it this way in him. We live and move and have our being and he's used to rounding us all the time in him. Also, we have obtained an inheritance is what is what this versus is telling us. We've obtained his hair inherited. So what kind of inheritance do we get when we were in Jesus? Well, the first thing we get is life. It is it is the greatest gift we have this this life and life in eternity is even better. He's he's created all of this Forest the life. God created us to live the life were his unconditional love knows. No boundaries No Boundaries, you can't get away from it. No matter where you go. No matter who you are.

No matter what you've done. Now we can we can reject our we can say no to God his love is still there. If we humble ourselves and repent always right there can't get away from it. imagine if you could trust everyone. Do you think trust is an issue that do you ever get a phone call or an email or something comes in? The regular US mail you say this looks a little fishy text is not what the term they use now for those kind of emails there was a fishy they say fishing cuz I'm trying to hook you trying to get you to do something that you normally wouldn't do and that you shouldn't do everybody. No matter no matter that. You just met them learn their name don't know anything about them. You could fully and completely trust them. Perfect. Doesn't it? Well, that's the kind of like God designed before sin entered the world God designed that that we would unconditionally love and support one another as God unconditional love and support socks. It's a it's a great gift to the gift of life is but it's the way God designed it all to happen in the first place. this perfect life We would Delight in seeing someone else excel in the area where we are strongest we have our best gift we can do the most and yet we see somebody else to shoot right past and you go go for it. Go for it sister. That is awesome. I'm so glad to help. Hope your trip. Hope they make you look so good.

God didn't design it. That way. He designed it that we would be so happy for that person using their gifts that God has given them. And not wish any ill upon that is life that the life that God designed for us to live. Okay. Even though that's the life God designed for us to live and we'll have it one day again in heaven.

How much do I get? What's in it for me? Don't we all think like that? How am I going to benefit from this? I'm glad Jody. I'm glad you always got his and he's going for it. That's all wonderful and good when am I going to get? We talked about he's going to prepare a place for you and when he prepares a place where he's going to come and get you and take you to the place that he has prepared for you. Think about this for just a second. God created the world in six days of the universe everything that we know in six days. How long is he known you? Remember earlier in Ephesians 1. When did he choose you? Before creation so he's known about you a lot longer than 6 days. He's going to prepare a place for you. Do you think he knows your likes or dislikes your what what you do? Well with what what makes your heart sing. Do you think the place that he prepares for you is going to have any of those things. He loves you unconditionally. So that's going to be part of what we inherit. We all think like financially it's back to that. Can I measure it can I cannot way it can I hold it, you know, and if you were to go out to be anybody at the mall today, I don't know what they'll even the mall is open. I don't know what those kind of restrictions are anymore Let's Pretend. We're the good old days before you're at your camera on your phone. You say Miss. What's the most value?

What what do you think? They would say? Let's let's let's get some response. What do you think people would say to answer that question? gold anything else oil

Gold's what I was looking for

Land absolutely, but gold is seems to be that that thing that we can exchange and use and major supposedly are our monetary systems based on it. And so, how do you think

You heard the old the old story that somebody convinced Peter to allow him to bring his his bag to Golden into the into heaven. If you heard that story and Peterson. Okay, buddy. I don't know what you want to bring Pavement in here for You know this in in Revelation Revelation 21 verse 21, it says the 12 gates were 12 Pearl each individual date with one Pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass. Just want to bring pavement up here for the things that we think is awesome.

Pavement in heaven so gives us a different perspective.

Let me share another verse about inheritance. This is from Romans 8 verse 17 and if she'll during then heirs Heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ, if we indeed suffer with him that we may also be glorified together joint heirs with Jesus Jesus going to inherit. everything that means we are cool airs joint heirs with Jesus the kingdom of God, it's yours and and we sit here and worry about what's my magic in the look like it's going to have this or that

He's got everything. And he's got it for you. You will inherit with him. It says if we suffer with him, have you ever taken a stance on your faith and said something to somebody and they they they go after you I've done it. I've done it with the stance on abortion that it's wrong. It's a sin and that that life God created life from that moment of conception. And I've had people try to shout me down that I'm stupid. I'm crazy for believing those kind of things. That's not suffering like Jesus suffered, but it is a form of suffering. We we suffer consequences for taking a stand in our faith and the would the way the world's going today. It's see, it seems like almost anything you say you get shot down for so.

Let's go back to to Ephesians 1:11 in him in Jesus. Also, we have obtained and inheritance being predicted according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will being produced in and we talked about that before there's that word again. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows how it's all going to work out if he knows how his purpose and will according to this says according to the Council of his will his purpose in the works of all things are done according to his will Everything that God has for you is according to his will do you think God's will for you is something terrible something something awful. He may allow things to happen in your life. But there according to his will he allows them for a purpose help mold you and shape you in and get you to be the kind of person he wants you to be. Inner Crossways Bible study we spent a lot of time in the Book of Genesis were facts were just about to the end of Genesis. I keep thinking this week. We're going to make it, huh. I think this week we're going to make it but we looked at the at the call of Abraham and when Abraham was called he was Promised Land The Promise is the stars of Heaven sand of the end for the Fulfillment of this and any says Hey Lord it is this servant of mine going to come in here and everything you promised. I'd have all these descendants is so far. Nothing's happened. And God made a covenant with him and we learned that archaeologists have learned that this kind of Covenant feeling this Covenant deal was common during the time of Abraham would it would take animals cut them in half blood the blood pool down between the animal Haves and the person who is making the Covenant would walk between the animal have and that blood would Splash up on them and as they walk between these animal have they would say if I don't keep my part of this Covenant you can do to me what's been done to these animals. It's amazing. Amazing it is that the kind of promise that that is made here. And if you don't know the story Abraham is not the one who walked between those animal has God himself here going to look at Genesis 1570 got himself did it and it came to pass when the sun went down. It was dark that behold there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. How did God leave lead the Israelites later on under Moses through the Wilderness by a pillar of Fire by night and a pillar of cloud or smoke by day until you see here's the here's the presence of God passing between these Animal House. What does that mean? That means God is telling Abraham. If I don't keep my promise to you if this Covenant falls through I will cease to be I will cease to exist I will cease to be God. that's how certain God's promises are in fact I would say it's more certain that God will fulfill his promises in your life then you can be certain that you are sitting where you're sitting right this very second more certain than you are who you are are the certainties of God's promises that is something we can depend on. That is something life-altering life-changing that we know God will fulfill the promises

Let's go to verse 12. That we go first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. We're the ones are going to benefit from this inheritance, but it's still for Jesus prays in his glory. Remember this week. I sent out an email that my my daughter and written about about the birth of her son Charlie this this week my grandson and praising God for all that. He done how you had answered and you would answer the call to prayer you and prayed and how God and worked miracles in that situation. Okay. So let's let's look at this trusting Christ to the praise of his glory. Okay, when Charlie came through that and he did and I praise God for that. But when he came to that did I say Oh Praise Charlie Do we say that weird wouldn't it? What did he have to do with it? He was on the receiving and he's the one who benefited from it. So we don't praise him do what did I praise you for praying? I thanked you that's different old. You know, I thank you for taking the time to bring him to prayer. Who gets the praise? Goddess, and when that's the way it should always be when we steal his praise will say hey, I'm a pretty awesome. You know, you should be glad I'm here should be glad I'm in your life. I know he gets the praise he gets the glory we should be to the praise of his glory and that's how we live our lives people say, wow. That was amazing. I can't believe you did that. It was so awesome. And you say he's the one that gave me the idea. He's the one that empowered me to do these things. Give him the praise him the glory.

Here's a maybe a way to summarize it we get the benefits of Salvation or healing for eternal life. But God gets the praise in the glory. We have all of these things that's part of our inheritance, but he gets appraised because without him none of it would be possible. Okay, let's go on a look at verses 13 and 14 in him again in Jesus. You also trusted after you heard the word of Truth The Gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession again to the praise of his glory these two verses summarize everything that we need and need to know the truth of the gospel and salvation is simply this You know this you know this so, well, you could you could say this in your sleep so that when you get a chance to say it to somebody else there's the open door. There's the opportunity here are the words. I'm a sinner. There's nothing that I can do to deserve God's love is Mercy his grace checked. I deserve just the opposite but his love is so great that he willingly gave his life sacrificed his life for me for you. And when we simply acknowledge that we're Sinners, we need to repent we need that to say God forgive me. And trust him to be our personal Lord and savior. then Everything's changed. How do we know it's changed because he gave his life on the cross and the third day gloriously rose from the dead. Was always keep that sort of like the two sides of a coin the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I put his stamp on there and here here. He uses that word stamping a little bit different and inverse 13. You were sealed the promise of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit of Promise is how how it's worded in our verse That Mark of the Holy Spirit has been placed on you. Why why why is are we marked with the Holy Spirit? Look at verse 14 who's the guarantee of our inheritance? And the word guarantee right there could easily be translated as earnest. And not the name Ernest like like earnest money like a like when you're okay. We got a contract right now to buy a property in Williamsport as a congregation. We haven't done the deal is conditional on the congregational vote vote. Excuse me with hopefully will happen next week. But we had to show that we were Earnest about this contract. And so we had to give them earnest money to seal the deal on the contract that earnest money seals the deal. So it shows that we are we're up right we're going to do this or people of our word if it goes through like this and so we lay down that little bit of money it could it could also be used the word guarantee that aren't many to be the hold down payment. Of what is Yet to Come and so the Holy Spirit comes upon us. He gives us peace. He helps us know that we are forgiven. He helps us trust that Jesus really is our Lord and our savior that he has died for us. He has risen from the from the dead to conquer sin and death in the power of the devil and we can live live totally differently from now on through eternity. We don't have to wait till we're dead to get all of that. We've got the seal the guarantee of the Holy Spirit now, Restart living eternal life that moment we come to trust in Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior. It changes when we die. We're already in it. We're already a part of it. He says are in hair at the guarantee of our inheritance until when the Redemption of the purchased possession and that's when we get the full meal deal in eternity. That's when will no longer be jealous of one. Another will be will be so glad that you're using your gift. You're glorifying God even in eternity because that's how God designed us to live before Senator even entered the world. He wanted this world to be just like it is in heaven. Don't don't we say that in the Lord's Prayer? On Earth as it is in heaven. That's God's design. That's God's plan and he gives us you love the holy. The downpayment the earnest money if I can be so crass as to use that comparison. He gives that to us. And as you begin to read God's word study God's word live out God's plan in your life. You'll see it over and over and over again. God the holy spirit is the one who gives us that Faith to understand that peace that passes understanding we might be in the middle of a crisis and yet you know that you know that you know that he's there to carry you through, you know, you've been forgiven, you know, you've been set free all of that happens by the ceiling in the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Just like with Charlie we get all the benefits. God gets all the praise and so I want to ask the worship team to come back up. We're going to close this message by singing that great Kim to God be the glory and we'll have those those words up on the screen for you.

Praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord.

Oh, oh,

Please remain standing As we sing the benediction?