Ephesians 1:7-10 (Scott Brockett) March 6 2022

Intro:

Good morning GracePointe. I am thankful to be coming to you today in God’s word as we set off on our series in Ephesians called Church Reimagined.

In this chapter, we see how the Apostle Paul is rejoicing that God, our heavenly father, has had a plan to save believers before the creation of the world. Michael outlined last week how that plan was formed from the very beginning. The good news has been planned before time.

With no credit on our behalf, no good works to earn favor and acceptance, the good news of salvation, of our adoption into the family of God is not dependent on what we do but rather on what God does in us.

This good news was appointed, planned and purposed by God. He chose to save sinners before they ever did anything bad or anything good either.

This good news was not only planned and purposed....it was accomplished through Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The verses we will be looking at today shed light on the work of Christ to provide salvation in Him.

In this we find that the church is reimagined when we toss aside that consumeristic approach to church and embrace what Jesus would have us do in response to what He has already done for us. US. Not just You. Not being hyper-individualistic but realizing that communities of faith, communities of adopted sons and daughters in Christ....the church is the chief instrument for displaying the amazing redemptive power of God. That is our aim and this letter helps give principles for the church to do just that.

So please open your bibles today to verses 7-10. This is a continuation and goes through verse 14 regarding this extremely long sentence that is a sweeping doxology of sorts....seeking to bless the Lord who blesses us. Who has given us gifts beyond what we could imagine. He demonstrated love in those gifts.

Many demonstrate love to one another by giving gifts. Some the exact gift is the point, this exact thing is perfect for my friend or loved one. Others, the action of giving anything is the point. I have no idea what is in this box but i took the time to buy it and I am giving it to you. For fun, I found a few worst gift giving stories -

Story 1: “Once I received a clock with a gigantic moose on it. I hate the woodsy theme and the worst part is every hour on the hour the moose makes a loud groan for (Groan) There is no way to shut it off. My mother in law bought it and since she is at my house to watch my kids every day I can’t put it away. Every time the moose groans (groan) she laughs and says that it was the best gift idea she ever had. I’ve tried to break it several times without luck.”

We have all been there right? This next one hits a little close to home with you DIY gift givers....

Story 2: “One year when I was about 12, my Granny gave me a piggy bank that she had made from a Clorox bottle. Complete with pipe cleaner tail! I have always been very crafty and enjoyed making things. I guess she thought I would like it because she had made it. Well, I kept it and began to fill it with loose change. What completed the experience was when she asked for it back about 6 months later. She wanted to use it in a display in her Sunday school class!”

That is not the point. Don’t take gifts back!! I hope that all of us will spend time thinking about the people we give gifts to. Find something that really.....annoys them. No! Find something that shouts out every time they see it or use it, “this person knows me and cares for me”

In Ephesians 1:7-10 we are seeing this continuation of the gifts God has given. He gives them because He knows us and cares for us. These gifts have nothing to do with us earning them.

Ephesians 1:7–10 NIV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In HIM (Christ)

To start, I want to reiterate something that Michael said last week. Starting in verse 7, we see “In Him”. Everything we are talking about today in verses 7-10 is found....in Christ. Not in your merit. Not in your intellect. Not in your good deeds. Not in your wisdom and preferences. It is found in Christ. It is found In Christ.

Our calling is universal....we are to follow Christ....that is at heart of all that we are. It is a call to a restored relationship with God and with others. That is our calling and it all begins , travels through and ends with Jesus. In Him....

What follows is blessings, life altering gifts of being in Christ. Good and perfect gifts from our heavenly father through Jesus Christ…in Him. We are going to look at 4 today. The first gift is that we have redemption.

Gift 1: Redemption

Redemption is not a common word used. It often gets confused with payback. (Basketball game last night) I think of the 2008 Olympic basketball team nicknamed the “Redeem Team” that was trying to make up for a loss in 2004. We put all of our best players out there to go back in 2008 and win the gold. Redemption.....cue music and commercial.

In the case of what we see written here, redemption had significantly different connotations than that. It isn’t getting even or payback.

Redemption implies a problem....If you don’t have a problem, you don’t need redemption.

In the Old Testament, Redemption is the way God describes saving Israel from captivity such as Egypt and Babylon. Captivity is the problem. Deuteronomy 7:8-9.

Deuteronomy 7:8–9 NIV

8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

God did this for Israel to redeem them out of captivity.

Here we see that a price is paid on their behalf so that they can be set free from the slavery they have entered into. It means to buy back a slave and grant them freedom. You might think to yourself I have never been a slave, I have never been a captive to someone else...

Every person here understands captivity in the spiritual sense. A political prisoner wrote “that the line separating good and evil passes not through states between classes or between political parties but right through every human heart” If you have struggled with this concept, you are not alone. Jews in the time of Jesus felt similar. Let’s read John 8:31-36

John 8:31–36 NIV

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The wags of sin are death as Romans tells us. There must be a death for the price of sin. So in Christ, He gave his life, he endured death on a cross to pay the price for sin so that we would be purchased and set free

Without Christ, we are in ruin. We are broken. We subject others to ruin and brokenness. We talk about freedoms. In our country we enjoy rights that are only in the dreams of others around the world. But as citizens of heaven, we must recognize that true freedom is only found in Christ. Jesus explains everyone who sins is a slave to sin…but the SON SETS YOU FREE…you are free indeed. Christ Redeems us. He buys us back from the slavery of sin and grants us freedom.

His son Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, past, present, and future sins…He died a sacrificial death to redeem you and me and any who would put their hope and trust in Him. He took our hell that we might have His heaven. That is what it means for us to be redeemed His sacrifice on the cross redeems us when we are In Him.

REACTION:

Through out this week as I prepared for this message i have been grieved by how often I have taken for granted the truth of the gospel message found in these verses. I am convicted by how cavalier I can be in regards to being obedient to Christ when HE PAID A PRICE TO RELEASE ME.

As I reflected on this, I was thinking of growing up. My brother and I had a great childhood filled with memories of laughter, fun, church, and music. In grade school I found that I liked music and so I tried out for choirs in school and at church. boys choir and church choir…rehearsals and performances all the time. I got to middle school and kept having success in music getting a solo to sing with the high school choir as a 7th grader. I then tried out for performing groups that were regional and so I performed around the midwest for a month in the summer. I tried out for a national drama musical competition and qualified so I competed in Lincoln Nebraska with some of the best in the country.

As I was thinking about these awesome accomplishments.....do you know who paid to drive me to all of those try outs. Who paid for my voice lessons when i couldn’t stay in the same key to save my life. Who paid to drive me an hour each way from out house to choir rehearsals. Who paid for all that? My parents. It makes me tear up to consider how many people were staying “hey great job...” and my dad is taking another job. My mom is taking a job so that the price can be paid and I can be free to do what was ahead of me. I am humbled because I wouldn’t be who i am today without them paying the price. I didn’t even have the foggiest clue all that was needed to be paid. But it got paid.

And Jesus paid that price so that you could be redeemed. Jesus is the spotless lamb sacrificed for the wrong we have done. He came to serve. The debt is not overlooked but rather it is paid in full and you and I are redeemed. But not just redeemed, but our sins our forgiven....that is …we are reconciled.

Gift 2: Reconciled, our sins our forgiven.

Ephesians 1:7–8 NIV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

God didn’t redeem us, didn’t buy us back from the slavery in Sin to hold our sins against us, to make us slaves again. He paid the price for our sins so that He could make us what we were always intended to be be…in right relationship with our Father. We are in right standing with God because there is nothing between us! This is so beautiful and critical to us understanding the gifts and blessings we have In Christ.

The word here for freedom is defined here as “the loosing of a person from that which binds”. If redeeming is paying the price for the debt owed, forgiving our sins is undoing the handcuffs. We are in right standing with God and His blood breaks the chains of sin that so easily entangles us.

Forgiveness of sins or violations of God’s law....He wipes sin from our account fully and permanently. From the cross, Jesus said “It is finished in John 19:30. No other sacrifice would ever be needed....All Sin past, present, and future was atoned for. And Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that not even the future cannot separate us from the love of God. Our sins are forgiven. and we are set free from Sin and our new master is Christ.

He forgives according to the riches of His Grace.

Notice how Paul doesn’t pull his punches here. The redemption and forgiveness…these gifts are not handed out every once in awhile. It’s like when you go to get food…and the plate comes down…and you think “well....16 bucks and I am gonna be done with this is 2.5 seconds and probably need to hit PDX sliders on the way home....” No Paul here is not saying that the gifts are stingy. They are LAVISHED. It isn’t just what we need…no there is more than we could possibly fathom.

Also, Paul reminds us that redemption and forgiveness are according to the riches, not from.

“If Elon Musk gave $100 to someone in need it would be a kind and gracious act. But it would be a gift from his riches. If, however, He gave $1 billion to someone in need, it would be a gift according to his riches. Do you see the difference?

In both cases the gift would be undeserved and therefore an act of grace. Yet, in the latter case, the grace would be lavish. It would be over the top. It would be costly to Elon. It would be so immensely above anything anyone could ask or think.

So it is with God’s gracious redemption and forgiveness of sins. According to the riches of the infinite worth and wealth of the glory of God’s Son that God has redeemed His people.

It is an amazing truth but it also begs the question...”what about the times I still sin? “ Here is the truth....when we are in Christ......our salvation is secure. When He said it was finished, it was done. End of story. we are new creations.

However, our sins after our acceptance of Christ damage our relationship with God and our relationships with other people. I feel like i willfully enter the prison again and put my shackles on. What do we do with that.

Christ said it was finished. We are part of the family of God. I think of the father in the prodigal son who when His son was a long way off he came running. his son didn’t believe he was part of the family but the father said oh yes you are. You were lost but now you are found. when we are truly in Christ, Gods Forgiveness is in helping to shape us to free us and make us more and more like Him. , a life of humility and repentance is not a bad thing.

lit is when we don’t have humility that we turn and live like as Dallas Willard puts it. Vampire Christians”.

“I’d like a little of your saving please. But I don’t care to be your student or have your character. I trust you to redeem but not enough to change. In fact, won’t you just excuse me while I get on with my life, and I’ll see you in heaven.”

The truth is that Jesus saved you before you knew Him. Now that you know Him, choose to obey Him.

Redemptive love results in redemptive living as we will see later in the letter Paul is writing. Your sins are forgiven…now go and sin no more. When you do, go to Christ. Seek to live out the fruit of the Holy Spirit alive in you. Choose Christ! Paul explains this in Phil 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13–14 NIV

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Our sins are forgiven....let us not be Christian Vampires who consume only but rather seek to live redemptively since we have been redeemed.

So we have the gift of redemption, we have the gift of reconciliation with Him as our sins our forgiven....and we also have the gift of revelation.

Gift 3: Revelation

Ephesians 1:9–10 NIV

9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Here paul explains that God has made known the mystery of his will. I know when I read something like that, my ears perk up. Oooh a mystery. A sense of intrigue. I know I am a sucker for a mystery. Tune in this week as an archeologist and plumber team up to find out the hidden secrets left by the first builders of indoor plumbing in the hit Netflix series “Flushed” haha that is not what this is referring to. ALthough most of us would probably watch the first episode of that show. Which is not real in case some of you are searching for it on your phones.

No, what is being conveyed here is that there is a truth previously unknown, that is now revealed by God at the right time. Through Christ, God has revealed His will to us, and given us a glimpse of what His ultimate plan is. This mystery carries with it the magnitude of being life-changing. Understanding this mystery should change our viewpoint and our behavior. How many times have you thought this to yourself or heard someone else say....I wish I knew what the Lord wants for me. Here Paul is saying that through out history, no one knew that throughout the Old Testament. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Israel, and the prophets were given a mystery. They weren't able to understand what God had in store for their descendants. Hebrews 1:1-3

Hebrews 1:1–3 NIV

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. He is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies and the one who reconciles us to God. And the us is both jew and gentile. Part of this mystery is that in Christ, all believers....not just the Jews but the gentiles as well are together in the family of God. This family of God…this is the church. This union of Jew and Gentile together with Christ would be incredibally intimate and widely publicized. This is the new reality fo God’s people. In that reality, in this mystery being revealed....it should change behavior.

Elsewhere Ephesians imparts this - believers should “submit to one another” (5:21) as we learn to submit ourselves to Christ in the church (Eph 5:22-24). Our spiritual reconciliation with Christ and with one another is displayed prominently and visibly in....the Church. .People who previously were not part of the family of God are now known and loved and reciprocating knowing and loving. The mystery that the church is the new vehicle to do what.....well Paul says in verse 10 and it points to our 4th gift ---the gift of reunion.

Ephesians 1:10 NIV

10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Gift 4: Reunion

Our 4th gift is Reunion. Reunion.

Growing up my extended family would meet up at Silver Creek Falls to have a family renuion. When you are a kid, family reunions can be fun and exciting or the most boring time on the planet. Sometimes in the same afternoon! The first few years…there was a lot of fun....but then we hit a wall. No one wanted to do anything but sit around and be grumpy. Everyone was trying there best curmudgeon impression. Lovely men and women who I had grown up with laughing…now seemed to have permanent frowns. Of course there was a few who were joyful and brought some cheer but in general it made the whole affair....boring for a kid.

I remember one year where things to a turn. My brother and I sat there wishing for the end of the world as we ate cold fried chicken and reesers potato salad with sour cream lays potato chips....because these were the official family reunion foods of that time.....when another family began setting up about 50 yars away from us in a field.

From the moment they got there, they were laughing. Not just kids but dads, grandpas and grandmas. Aunts and Uncle’s....everyone was hugging. Smiling, crying with happiness even. Soon the family was all set up and a volleyball net was thrown up and the family began playing a very competitve and yet silly game of volleyball. The look of envy on the face of my brother and I....we wanted what they had. This joy…this thrill of seeing people enjoying being together. Kids were loud....but Aunts and Uncles were louder as they told stories. My brother and i couldn’t take it anymore…we made our way over to the volleyball game and asked if we could play. They laughed and said of course. One of my favorite memories is playing volleyball with a family of complete strangers and laughing as if we new each other for years. When my brother and I went to go back to our family of scrooges....those strangers gave us hugs. One of the aunts gave us some food to take over to our families. She said that many of their family members had just arrived after being gone for a long time. She said it was so beautiful to see everyone together and that nothing was better than a reunion.

Paul is saying that the goal of the ultimate plan is this: a glorious reunion where all things are united…all things in heaven and on earth are under Christ. One glroious and eternal kingdom. It is interesting that Paul says things here. Not just people. It is not lost on us that since the fall of man....the echos of sin have been reverberating across time and space since the garden of eden. Sin has rippled out from and destroyed generation after generation. Not just people but things. Death and decay....withering. Jeremiah 12:4 “4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. The earth groans. God’s purpose of creation will culminate....we be completed in Christ! Everything will unite in Christ in heaven, never to be divided again. Never to wither. Never to perish. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more funerals. Only glorious reunions. Nothing is better than that reunion that is promised us in Christ.

Application

As we close today, my prayer for you today is this is. If you don’t know Christ, if you don’t trust in Him. Seek Him. Follow through with testing out what faith in Christ looks like. Look at the promises. The gifts that we talked about today are available to those who are In Christ. Look at the community that God offers. It is not perfect because people are involved…but it is beautiful and a glorious reunion awaits.

Perhaps you are here listening today and you have only thought of God in the legalistic view. You have been modeled transactional love. I love you…when you do something for me. You have been treated like a thing…only good when it serves a purpose. God does not do that. He loves you and died for you before you knew Him. He is our father…and he wants to redeem and forgive. A song lyric paints it this way...

I didn't know you were my father, I thought you were the hanging judge. And when I came into your courtroom, I thought you'd hold a grudge. I thought I was a lowly servant, I didn't know I was your son. And I didn't know you had forgiveness for anything I might have done.” Larry Norman, “Let the rain fall down”

Perhaps you have thought of God as just turning a blind eye to your sin. I would remind you that sin is slavery. It is choosing prison. It is choosing shackles. It is also choosing damage for those you know and don’t know because sin always leaves destruction whether you see it or not.

If you are listening today and you have hope in Christ... are you living in the reality of these gifts?

People who are redeemed live...redemptively. People who are forgiven exhaustively....they expend all of themselves to forgive. People who see that God’s ultimate plan is to reunite all things under the lordship of Jesus Christ…press on toward that goal in all that they say and do.

Let us pray

Benediction:

Please stand as we leave with a challenge and blessing as leave from this place. May we embrace the gifts we have been given through grace by faith in Christ. Paul says in Ephesians 3:16-21

Ephesians 3:16–21 NIV

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.