Open My Eyes Lord

Introduction

A hope you’ve been called to

The hope of the gospel is what we have been CALLED to (Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit---just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call---)The wisdom and revelation of KNOWING God enlightens our hearts to the wonder of what He did for us. The sweetness of the gospel comes directly from the knowledge of God and intimacy with God.

The hope that we have in the gospel and what Jesus accomplished on the cross is not some kind of wishful thinking that good is going to overcome evil…NO! It is ASSURED meaning it is going to happen and what Jesus did on the cross by taking our sin and sacrificing himself for it he gave us salvation, eternal reconciliation with the Father and Himself that starts at the moment you believe and put your trust in Him, and it is ASSURED by the right now possession of the Spirit as ‘the guarantee’ of what is to come. And because God is faithful by promising us our future inheritance.

So the call of God on your life isn’t just meant for the here and now but it gives a sure promise of life with him and his people forever. So the hope for later fuels us in the here and now! (Example: practice hard, play hard, gain the reward) (1 John 3:2-3 “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”)

A place to be blessed

Acts 20:32 “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” “The fellowship of Christians is the sphere in which the inheritance of God is found, just as it is true also that it is in and through his church that the truth of God’s purpose becomes known and declared. (Ephesians 3:9-11 “and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,”)

The church is essential to your growth, your understanding of the inheritance God gave us. It is the place that you belong even more so than anywhere else as a Christian. You must know that the body of believers is absolutely the most important place for you to be, belong, and abide in. What do I mean by that? The scripture I just read off and the one that we are focusing on today are extremely clear proof and examples that GOD WORKS THROUGH HIS CHURCH. God’s purposes that he desires to be fulfilled on this earth are accomplished through his church. He desires for the world to see his goodness, his love, his power, his grace, his mercy, his forgiveness, his justice through his people living their lives to the praise and glory of their Father in heaven. John 13:35 says that “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” God desires for His purposes on earth to be fleshed out by the way the body of Christ lives out their lives. You are essential to what God is doing here on earth because he wants you to be part of what he is doing here on earth.

God chose broken people restored to carry out his kingdom purpose: to see lives brought back to himself by the power of his Spirit through the actions of His Son. God is FOR HIS CHURCH. God is FOR YOU. God is FOR HIS GLORY. God works through us in our unity in Him. God works through us in our obedience to Him. God works through us in our thoughts, prayers, and actions towards others. You must know that their is a God-sized vision for the church. God built His church to be a POWERFUL FORCE storming against the gates of hell to win the souls of the lost out of the shackles and hands of the enemy for the glory of God. That’s the God sized vision. That requires the Holy Spirit’s power which God gives to us. (Share about Aslan in The Lion, the witch, the wardrobe)

A power to receive

God has shown his power in that He rose Jesus from the dead and seated Jesus at His right hand. Why is that such a big deal? Well God’s right hand doesn’t mean a specific place that Jesus dwells, but the power that God gave to Jesus to rule over everything and everyone. That means that the resurrection and Jesus’ ascension shows us the amount of the Father’s power that has been made available to us!!!!

Isn’t it crazy that God has made his power available to us through the Holy Spirit? The same power that raised Christ up from the grave has been made available to us. That’s not so that we can go out and do whatever we want to with the power of God…it isn’t some superpower that has no parameters. It is there to be used for the building up of God’s kingdom and giving him glory. Thank you Jesus!

The church has authority and power to overcome all opposition because her leader and head is Lord of all. Because because Jesus has all authority he passes it on to his disciples, as they go out in his name, in obedience to him, and doing his work.