Transformed By Ephesians - Part 2

Ephesians 1:4–6 NLT

4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

Pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

The Book of Ephesians deals with God's plan for the world,

Ephesians reminds us of the great blessings of God which He pours out upon those who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Now! As Believers we have been positioned in God’s unmerited favor or what we call Grace!

We are blessed in Jesus Christ with every spiritual blessing

Today I want to remind you and me of the spiritual blessings from God and how you and I have been transformed and are continuing our transformation as believers in this spiritual blessings

Ephesians 1:4 The Message

4 Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.

We were chosen by God to be Holy!

the first blessing—God has chosen us to be is holy

God chose you and God chose me to be "in Him," to Be in His Son, Jesus Christ.

God chose You and said that child of mine - I am separating to be "holy and without blame."

That's why the things of the world don’t appeal to you anymore or as much!

God chose you to live your life e "before Him in love"— forever and ever.

I remember as a kid, we would chose teams for basketball, or softball and even today if you go to open gym someone who has the next game has to choose his players!

Well most people look at the outside! example: If you’re playing basketball they look to see how tall you and will choose you based on outward appearances! If you don’t look a certain way you may not get chose!

But that’s not how God put together his team!

God doesn’t look at the outside,

God chose you even though to the world you look like a failure - God said I want him

God chose you even when people looked at you and said I don’t want you - God said I want her

God chose you when physically or mentally, the world deemed you as broken or unfit, or ugly, or too fat or too skinny, or too black, or too white, - God said I choose you

Let me tell you, this is an amazing thing, because if you have ever been rejected for any reason - God is telling you right now , I have chosen you to be with me .

God is telling you and I - I don’t want you separated from me! I want you right next to me - I want you with me, I want you near me!

God see’s past the outside! He sees the inside

Romans 11:16 The Message

16 Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there’s bound to be some holy fruit.

There is a root in you that God planted and the world cannot see! It is a root that God has been watering and feeding all along! God has been tending the root in your heart!

God calls you and me Holy

The word "holy" means to be set apart and consecrated to God.

God has set your life, your heart your desires apart for himself!

God loves us so much!

He does not want us separated from Him, gripped by sin and shame, full of sorrow and pain, headed to death and hell.

God wants us to live forever and ever with Him.

Here is what I love about God!

No amount of rebellion and rejection, cursing and denial of Him will stop His purpose and plan.

God will have a people who will live with Him, and He will continue to choose us until He has the number He has purposed.

So now the scripture in Romans and verse one makes more sense

Romans 12:1 NLT

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Because I am on his team! He choose me ! Just like any athlete we must train to become better! Athletes present their bodies to get stronger, or faster, or developed themselves to be the best to win!

Now that you are on the team Paul is telling us train to win!

Ephesians 4:24 NCV

24 to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy.

You are on God’s Team

1 Peter 1:15–16 NLT

15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

I have the amazing pleasure to be around all generations of people! Especially, those who attend UCF!

We have lawyers, doctors, nationally recognized educators, those who have been apart of the civil rights movement, entrepreneurs, social activist, business owners, moms, dad’s ! So I get to learn from both the young and the mature!

So one of our members led a bible study for athletes but it was applicable for everyone and open to everyone to join

She is a NCAA college coach for women’s basketball at Division one and Division 2 level! So I am listening to her facilitate the bible study lesson and in one section - she talks about pivoting in basketball and how important it is to pivot, How pivoting changes direction for the player in the game!

Mind blown - When you realize that you have been chosen by God, that you are now on his team it’s time to pivot

change directions....

Pivot

2 Peter 3:11 (NCV)

11 ... So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and serve God,

It’s time to Pivot

Ephesians 1:5 NCV

5 Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him,

Here another blessing - which will make your life make sense!

God decided to make us his own children through Jesus!

Now the text in Romans makes more sense, because God chose me to be his own

Romans 8:28–29 NIV

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

That’s why he moved me away from some folks and some folks away from me!

That’s why I didn’t get what I prayed for because it would have impacted his purpose

That’s why you have gone through some of the things you went through because he was shaping you, molding you, and preparing you for his purpose

Now it makes sense

You are where you are right now, because of his purpose!

1 Peter 1:2–5 NLT

2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

God kept you and me!

There is a song called never “Would have made it”

Never would have made it Never could have made it, without You I would have lost it all But now I see how You were there for me

I'm stronger, I'm wiser I'm better, much better When I look back over all You brought me through I can see that You were the one I held on to

I made it through my storm And my test because You were there To carry me through my mess

It was all according to His Purpose!

Now the scripture makes sense

John 3:16 NKJV

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

He has chose each one of us to be with him in Christ Jesus, but the reality is some won’t choose God!

He loves us all, but in order to be on the team, I have to say yes to him! He is not forcing anyone to be a part of his team, he is saying I choose you now will you choose me!

He loves each and every one of us! We never would have made it this far without him, but for some of us - it’s time to pivot, change directions and choose Jesus!