Sermon Transcript Tone Analysis

Thank you for your attendance today.

It is great to see you hear that is to see who I can see and that's always a difficult part.

Apparently this is going to take a minute to do to start up but you have on the screen in front of you fairly soon.

The same presentation that I have we're going to be talking about church membership for the next few Sundays.

We all start with Ephesians chapter 1, the openings versus but it's important to understand that when she just talks about.

People that go to church they don't God, doesn't necessarily mean only a local church such as Grace Church in Lockeford.

He's talking about those who are believers in the Lord.

Jesus Christ, most of you here today.

Thank the Lord have come to know him as personal savior.

I don't want to talk to you.

I want to help you get established in your faith over the next few weeks and give me about the word of God.

So that you may reach those who are need an infusion 1:7 and your Bibles, I believe her over to that.

I hope.

And if not why I turned it, if he's a chapter one, because we going to be in that chat for a little bit.

It says in ham.

In him, that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If he's in chapter 1, verses 22 and 23.

It says the church which is his body that is the Lord Jesus Christ again and then it says in Ephesians 1:13 in Christ.

Jesus, by the blood of Christ, do is review of accepted the gift of Salvation.

Have accepted the fact that God made the way for you.

We'll talk about that more as we go along, but I just wanted a size.

The fact that we're not talking about church membership here in Lockeford, we're talking about members of the body of Christ so it's important to know that.

Now, there are actually five major things about Ephesians that the are true of every member of the body of Christ, every church member.

And the first is the fact that we are in the world,

Fall starts out the letter by addressing it to those who are at Ephesus.

That's our state.

We are at Lockeford.

And Lockwood is in the state of California.

That's our state as well.

That is that's a geographical state but we are here.

God has placed us here and sometimes the situation here is not Pretty good.

The circumstances that befall us that state may not always be pleasant.

John 16:33 the Lords of talking.

It says the things.

Let's see this here.

These things have I spoken unto you that you might have.

Peace.

In the world.

You shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer.

I have overcome the world.

That's the Lord, Jesus talking.

He is Victorious over the world and God sees you complete, we'll talk about that in a moment or two, but our state is sometimes in a state of flux.

You know, things are not going well for us, evil is going all around us and we we tend to go to bed at night and it keeps us awake cuz we often worry about what what's going to happen.

Tomorrow, who knows?

Except God and like Tom said, God knows.

And Mary used to say that as well.

God knows the Lord knows what's happening and he is in control.

and that's important for us to know and realize we are in this state here, we are in Lockeford, but then the second thing we see is Or are we have to ask the question?

Where are we in?

God's perspective?

We are at Lockeford.

What it where are we in God's perspective?

Because that's who's important.

We are in Christ.

This letter is addressed to the Saints words.

Are at Ephesus to the faithful in Christ, Jesus and bless your hearts.

That's where we are as Believers in Christ.

Jesus.

That's where God sees us.

It's interesting that this is our standing as generally theologians call at the difference between our state and our standing, but it's also interesting that Saints wear called Saints in various places in the book if he's in 1:1 called the Saints and various places throughout Ephesians and other officials he's we're called Saints.

I don't know whether you realize this or not.

But Saints are not statues of the Roman Catholic church or any other Church.

Saints are holy ones.

Now, I look around here today.

I'm sorry, I should probably say this because you're on your best behavior today, but some of your probably not real.

Holy, I know I'm not continually mess things up.

And some of you may have that impression regarding my pastor together.

Well I'm not sure he knows what he's doing.

Well God knows and he considers me a Holy One.

That's what he is giving me as a result of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And you, as a Believer or holy, absolutely righteous before God.

Romans 3:24 talks about that.

It says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Being justified, that word means declared righteous or holy we are completely free of sin as far as God is concerned.

Now I'm going to mention this probably a couple of times today but noticed that these words are all in the past tense.

God is already done that work.

I don't understand that.

How God can know who I am before, the foundation of the world?

Is it says here and still have me saved.

And as far as he's concerned, he seen me that way and sees me now as in Christ, and the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the standing, but I have before God and the scripture says that the unrighteous will not stand in the judgement.

God is already giving me a standing.

I don't have to worry about that because I am in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am the Heavenly she says, First one in the heavenlies.

Most of you don't look very happy and lie to me.

And I sure don't look that way to you, but that's where God sees.

It's already in the heavenlies already and glorified body God has done the work and we ate when we accepted the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's where he, what position he gives us and where he places Us in the heavenlies.

So it's important to understand that.

Each one of us here who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God already sees us as the place that he has in mind for us.

We are in Christ but then there's something else and that is we are blessed.

Verse 3 says, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the Heavenly places again in Christ.

We are blessed as an unconditional.

Provision.

Of being Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to take a moment and just give you a little contrast and I'm not going to read the whole chapter of Deuteronomy 28, but I'm just going to know this to you that when you go to do Toronto me 28 you see God's blessing for Israel.

Well, I'm I'm here to tell you that you're not Israel.

Number one and you need to realize that you are part of the church which is Christ's body.

And when you read Deuteronomy 28 it starts out with if and God says, if you obey my voice Then I will do this.

I will bless your land.

I will bless your children.