Destiny's Child

Family Values  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Intro

It means something to be a Johnston!
My cousin’s boyfriend
You mess with her, you mess with the whole family!
A family is meant to offer protection, love, encouragement, help...
Today we start a new series called “Family Values”
That’s why our series is called “Family Values”
We’re not talking about our earthly family (although we will in ch 5-6)
We’re talking about being part of God’s family
YouVersion: Destiny’s Child
We’re in Ephesians 1:1-15

Background

Acts 19 tells of Paul’s visit to Ephesus
He arrives and finds 12 disciples, baptized in the name of John
Acts 19:2 ESV
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So they are baptized in the name of Jesus, and get the Holy Spirit
They prophesy and speak in tongues
Teaches for 3 months, but then “the Way” is accused
(The Way is the name for early Christians)
Paul then teaches for 2 years in the hall of Tyrannus
Paul begins healing, and others begin healing in the name of Jesus
Acts 19:13 ESV
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”
Acts 19:15 ESV
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
Demon possessed guy leaps on them, overpowers all of them, rips off their clothes, beats the snot out of them, and they all go running out of the house in terror!
A bunch of dark magic people were scared and burned their books of magic
Worth 50,000 pieces of silver
Estimated between $1 to $5 million
THEN a guy named Demetrius comes in
He makes statues of the goddess Artemis and sells them
As Paul is leading people to Christ, they stop buying statues
Artemis AKA Diana was a BIG DEAL in Ephesus!
She was basically the goddess of sex
Her Temple was one of the 7 wonders
127 60-foot high pillars covered in statues
All around a black meteorite they carved into a woman covered in breasts
People flocked from all over and paid a lot of money for statues
Acts 19:25–27 ESV
25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
So a huge riot erupts and they grab 2 of Paul’s buddies
Finally the town clerk comes in and says “Look, if something is wrong, take them to court. Otherwise, you’ll be charged with rioting.”
So everyone went home
After this, Paul decided to head for Macedonia...
So then Paul writes back to this church later while he’s in prison
Some of Paul’s letters are for criticism, this one is for doctrine
It’s called the “Queen of the Epistles”

Context

Ephesians 1:1–2 ESV
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some manuscripts leave blank space for Ephesus
Some believe this was a circular or open letter
Others believe later cities inserted their own name
What makes most sense is Paul wanted this doctrine shared among churches
Ephesus likely recieved it first and was responsible for circulating
Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Explain Calvinism
T-U-L-I-P
Total Depravity
Our will is unable to seek goodness
Unconditional Election - this is the one we’re looking at
We have no part in God choosing us
Limited Atonement
Jesus only died for the elect, not everyone
Irresistible Grace
If God calls, you cannot say no
Perseverance of the Saints
You cannot lose your salvation
People use the word “predestination” to argue for unconditional election
But people argue, “If I’m predestined, aren’t I just a robot?”
If God is electing, why evangelize? Doesn’t God determine that?
I don’t want to jump into the controversies around this...
Instead, I want to present it this way
Predestination is a thing - the word is used right here!
The question is “What does that mean?”
Scripture is clear that there is some kind of predestining happening
Romans 8:29 ESV
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
So you have to do SOMETHING with this word predestined
It’s talking about a type of knowledge and ability that God has
Let me say this, If you think you can nail down how God’s mind and power works, you’re a lot better than me!
Here’s what I believe:
God is sovereign - in control
God is full of grace - there is nothing about you that gets you saved
God is omniscient - means He knows everything
You have free will - you are not a robot
Somehow, all of those things reconcile
Whether it’s that God knew what you would choose
Or He only determines some parts and not others
Or there’s some weird hypostatic union type of predestination...
I don’t know, but 2 things are true

2 Things are True:

1. God predestined the saved

2. You have free will

That’s all I’m going to say about it...
Here’s why, there’s something WAY MORE important in that sentence!
The important thing is that we become ADOPTED
RONNIE IS MY SON
Grocery store story
I’m not REALLY his dad...
Yes you are!
To a Roman, adopted sons get all the rights of the new
and lose the rights of the old
We actually get to become part of the family of God

1. We are family!

God’s family...
Andy Stanley: “The Church is a family expecting guests.”
Originally, God’s family was to consist of Israel
Part of God’s covenant with Abraham...
But now we are ALL part of God’s family!
Ephesians 1:7–8 ESV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
The word redemption is lootruo...
Means “to liberate on the receipt of ransom”
Movie Ransom with Mel Gibson
Give synopsis
Subtitle: Someone Will Pay...
That’s the truth of OUR ransom
Someone had to pay, and we couldn’t
We were kidnapped by our sin...
But Jesus gave His life, that would could finally live
It’s interesting, we think about Jesus perfect life, morality and love
But it was His death that set us free

2. Only Christ makes our adoption possible

Without that beautiful sacrifice, we could never be in God’s family
Ephesians 1:9–12 ESV
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Think about the Bible...
Thousands of years until we knew of our Savior
Christ was a mystery, and then He was revealed
Christ’s story is that everything went bad, and then He brought it all back!
There are lot’s of things that have been polluted
Dispensationalists talk about...
Innocence (Adam and Eve)
Conscience (Man’s own conscience - Cain and Abel)
Human Government (Descendants given responsibility - Noah)
Promise (Abraham)
Law (Moses and Israel)
Grace (Jesus)
Millennial Kingdom (Christ rules)
I’m not a staunch dispensationalist...
I do believe Israel as a nation still had a purpose in the future
But rather than changing economies, I think it’s all part of God’s story!
Kinda like Back to the Future...
We see chunks of the story in 1955, 1985, 2015 and 1855
Although they’re all different times with different components…
They all tell the story of Doc and Marty...
And how they try to put time back together
Adam and Eve, Moses and Paul are all different components, but it’s all God’s story
That’s what Jesus does
Every component of the story has been scattered
Some things for God, some things for evil
But the great mystery here is Christ who ties everything together

3. We are all a part of God’s story

The fall taught us about our distance from God
Our conscience teaches us that we are naturally sinful
Human government teaches us that we love ourselves
But then promise shows us that God follows through
The Law shows us that we cannot do it ourselves
And we needed Christ all along
And in the future He’s our only hope...
It all points to God’s great and mysterious plan
For His glory!
Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
So we’re sealed with the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is NOT God’s power!
Not like the force in Star Wars...
The Holy Spirit IS God...
Think of it like this...
There used to be a Temple where God dwelled on earth
You could visibly see God working
The Temple has changed...
1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
Just like God dwelled in the Temple on earth...
He now dwells in those who make up His church!
And you can visibly see His power going out!
This is how the world changes!!!!!!!

4. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee

We are SEALED by the Holy Spirit!
Fruit cup illustration
This seal keeps out air and things that encourage rot and mold
It proves to us that it is preserved and there is freshness inside
It lasts until you open it when it’s time to enjoy what’s inside
When the Holy Spirit works in us, it does the same thing!
The seal of the Holy Spirit preserves us by keeping out the effects of the world that cause us to rot
And it proves to us that God’s work in us remains fresh and working!
As believers, what’s inside will be enjoyed when we are in the presence of God!
We, in this room, are the dwelling places of God
And He chooses to work in us and through US!
Because we are His family!

5. As a believer, you belong with us

Woman shared a story:
"When I was a tiny little girl, my parents died and I was put in an orphanage. I was not pretty at all and no one seemed to want me. But I longed to be adopted and loved by a family as far back as I can remember. I thought about it day and night, but everything I did seemed to go wrong. I must have tried too hard to please the people who came to look me over and what I did was to drive them away.
"But then one day the head of the orphanage told me that a family was coming to take me home with them. I was so excited that I jumped up and down and cried like a little baby. The matron reminded me that I was on trial and this might not be a permanent arrangement, but I just knew that somehow it would work out.
"So I went with this family and started to school. I was the happiest little girl you can imagine, and life began to open up for me just a little. But then one day a few months later, I skipped home from school and ran into the front door of the big old house we lived in. No one was at home, but in the middle of the front hall was my battered suitcase with my little coat thrown across it. As I stood there it suddenly dawned on me what it meant---I didn’t belong there anymore."
We are the church. The greatest facet of humanity in history
How many people within our walls are hurting?
How many people do you sit next to without saying a word
How often do you have needs, and don’t lean on your brother or sister in Christ?
Nicky Gumbel: “Church is not an organization you join; it is a family where you belong, a home where you are loved and a hospital where you find healing.”
Guys, you belong here
As messed up, ugly and crusty as we can be, you belong here
Together in the family of God
There’s only one thing that makes our adoption possible: the blood of Christ

Communion

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