1 Corinthians 3:10-15 - According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
3 reasons to give priority to developing a lifestyle that worships our heavenly Father
“In the Greek, verses 3-14 comprise one sentence and encompass the past, present, and future of God’s eternal purpose for the church. It is Paul’s outline of God’s master plan for salvation. In 3-6a we are shown the past aspect, election; in 6b-11 we are shown the present aspect, redemption; and in 12-14 we are shown the future aspect, inheritance. Within God’s master plan of salvation is every believer who has or will ever trust in God and be saved. As it is sometimes expressed, history is simply the outworking of “His story,” which has already been planned and prewritten in eternity. This passage can also be divided into three sections, each of which focuses on a different Person of the Trinity. Verses 3-6a center on the Father, verses 6b-12 center on the Son, and verses 13-14 center on the Holy Spirit. Paul takes us to the very throne room of the Godhead to show the greatness and the vastness of the blessings and treasures that belong to those who are in Jesus Christ.” (John MacArthur, Ephesians, pp. 5-6)
“Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
“Such gracious truth is introduced appropriately by praise to the One who has made such provision: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. From eulogeō (blessed) we get eulogy, a message of praise and commendation, the declaration of a person’s goodness. Because no one is truly good but God (Matt. 19:17), our supreme eulogy, our supreme praise, is for Him alone. Goodness is God’s nature. God the Father not only does good things, He is good in a way and to a degree that no human being except His own incarnate Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, can be. Consequently from Genesis to Revelation, godly men, recognizing the surpassing and humanly unattainable goodness of God, have proclaimed blessing upon Him. Melchizedek declared, “Blessed be God Most High” (Gen. 14:20). In the last days, “every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them” will be “heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever’ ” (Rev. 5:13). Nothing is more appropriate for God’s people than to bless Him for His great goodness. In all things—whether pain, struggle, trials, frustration, opposition, or adversity – we are to praise God, because He is good in the midst of it all. For that we praise and bless Him.” (John MacArthur, Ephesians, p. 7)
Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I. Praise God because of the Immaterial Nature of Many of His Blessings to Us
v. 3 - “spiritual” blessings
A. We often overvalue material blessings and realities and organize our lives around them
1 Timothy 6:17 - Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
B. Followers of Jesus can/should learn to emphasize and prioritize the spiritual nature of our existence
1 Corinthians 2:14-15 - But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things…
Matthew 10:28 - Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
II. Praise God because of the Comprehensive Character of Many of His Blessings to Us
v. 3 - “Every” spiritual blessing
A. Our 60th anniversary provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our sufficiency in Christ
John 1:15-16 - John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
John 19:30 - Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Colossians 1:13-19 - For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him…
“As Christians, we live at a strata for which human wisdom cannot provide resources. Our ability to live the Christian life is from God alone. And when it comes to spiritual matters, all we need to know is revealed in God’s Word and ministered to us by His Spirit. We needn’t look elsewhere. One of the Old Testament names of God is El Shaddai, meaning “the All-Sufficient One.” It is a name rich with meaning. Those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth find Him adequate for every necessity of life. They do not need any supplementary experience, a stronger dose of His redemption, or any other spiritual or emotional accoutrements. God has given to every believer abundant grace that is utterly sufficient to fulfill our deepest longings, our most intense cravings, our most profound needs – every human requirement.” (John MacArthur, Our Sufficiency in Christ, p. 261)
B. Learn to rejoice in your spiritual blessings
1. A plan for us from eternity past
Romans 8:28-29 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren…
2. New life in Him
Romans 6:4 - Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
3. The indwelling Spirit of God
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
4. The privilege of prayer
John 16:23-24 - My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
5. Access to and ability to understand God’s Word
John 16:13-15 - But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
III. Praise God because of the Divine Location of Many of His Blessings to Us
v. 3 - in the heavenly places in Christ
A. This is why they have sustained our church family for 60 years
B. This is why our anniversary can remind us to set our minds on “things above” and therefore grow in personal and corporate holiness
Colossians 3:1-4, 15-17 - Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory…. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
- if you could choose someone who would bless you in some way, what kind of person would you want that to be?
- when you pause to think about it, there are a number of different ways to answer that…
1. For example, you might say – I would want it to be someone wiser than me…because I might ask for something that only provided short term gratification…
- but a wise person might have a better idea of what kind of blessing would be best for me long term…
- I think we could all agree to that one – if we were able to choose the person who would bless us…wisdom would be a key characteristic…
2. You could also answer – someone who knows me well…
- a well-intended gift that doesn’t truly meet a need wouldn’t be much of a blessing…
- a wise fisherman might think what you really need is an expensive rod and reel combination…because it will last you the rest of your life…
- and in your case, that might really be true because you don’t like fishing so you’ll never even take that blessing out of the package…
- you need someone who doesn’t just know life in general…but someone who knows you individually…so the blessing truly meets a need…
3. At some point we would also have to talk about resources…
- if a person came up to you and you knew they had very little financial wherewithal yet they wanted to provide some sort of material blessing to you…that would be kind…it would be a sweet thought…
- but you wouldn’t expect much because there just isn’t much capacity…
- on the other hand if Warren Buffet or Elon Musk contacted you and said they wanted to provide something for you…that might result in an entirely different level of blessing…
- so if the question is – if you could choose the kind of person who would bless you, what would characterize them…
- wisdom, and intimate knowledge, and capacity would rank fairly high on the list…
- the Word of God teaches that every follower of Jesus Christ has been blessed…
- that’s part of our identity…part of our existence as redeemed children…
- and who is it that’s doing the blessing?...
- God Himself…
- friend, if there has been a definite time in your life where you admitted your sin, and you came to God in repentance and faith and trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord…you are blessed…you are blessed by God Himself…
- with that in mind, please open your Bible this morning to Ephesians chapter 1…page 150 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- our church’s theme this year is Building on Our Heritage
- we’re celebrating our 60th anniversary…and in part thanking the Lord for the incredible ways that He has blessed and sustained us…along with thinking carefully about what it means to build on that foundation…so not just “our heritage”…or even “celebrating our heritage”, but building on our heritage…
- you know, God’s people have always been cautioned about how we build…
- one classic passage where Paul uses this metaphor is…
- 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 - According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
- we’re in a similar situation, in which the Lord has blessed our church family with a sixty year heritage that is quite remarkable…and a clear testimony of His sustaining grace…
- the question before the house now is – what does it look like to build on that heritage in a way that honors the Lord in the days ahead?...
- this year we’re working our way verse by verse through the great book of Ephesians…and in these early weeks, thinking about “Remembering Our Identity as One in Christ.”
- let’s read verses 1-14 and then focus in on the wonderful truth of verse 3
- read Ephesians 1:1-14
- this morning we’re talking about how You are Blessed…and with the time we have remaining, let’s zero in on verse 3 along with a number of parallel passages in God’s Word to find Three reasons to give priority to developing a lifestyle that worships our heavenly Father.
- now, that proposition probably needs some explanation…
- we’re embarking on a study of one of the longest, most beautiful, truth-packed sentences in the entire Bible…
- and we plan to go slowly because of the richness and importance of these concepts…
- John MacArthur explained it like this:
- In the Greek, verses 3–14 comprise one sentence and encompass the past, present, and future of God’s eternal purpose for the church. It is Paul’s outline of God’s master plan for salvation. In 3–6a we are shown the past aspect, election; in 6b–11 we are shown the present aspect, redemption; and in 12–14 we are shown the future aspect, inheritance. Within God’s master plan of salvation is every believer who has or will ever trust in God and be saved. As it is sometimes expressed, history is simply the outworking of “His story,” which has already been planned and prewritten in eternity.
- This passage can also be divided into three sections, each of which focuses on a different Person of the Trinity. Verses 3–6a center on the Father, verses 6b–12 center on the Son, and verses 13–14 center on the Holy Spirit. Paul takes us to the very throne room of the Godhead to show the greatness and the vastness of the blessings and treasures that belong to those who are in Jesus Christ (John MacArthur, Ephesians, pp. 5-6).
- so how does the sentence begin?...we had the important introductory issues in the first 2 verses…but then this long sentence stars with the words “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
- what does that mean, and how do people like you and me mirror that kind of thinking and behavior on a daily basis?...how do we “bless the Lord”?...
- MacArthur goes on to explain…
- Such gracious truth is introduced appropriately by praise to the One who has made such provision: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. From eulogeō (blessed) we get eulogy, a message of praise and commendation, the declaration of a person’s goodness. Because no one is truly good but God (Matt. 19:17), our supreme eulogy, our supreme praise, is for Him alone.
- Goodness is God’s nature. God the Father not only does good things, He is good in a way and to a degree that no human being except His own incarnate Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, can be. Consequently from Genesis to Revelation, godly men, recognizing the surpassing and humanly unattainable goodness of God, have proclaimed blessing upon Him. Melchizedek declared, “Blessed be God Most High” (Gen. 14:20). In the last days, “every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them” will be “heard saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever’ ” (Rev. 5:13).
- Nothing is more appropriate for God’s people than to bless Him for His great goodness. In all things—whether pain, struggle, trials, frustration, opposition, or adversity—we are to praise God, because He is good in the midst of it all. For that we praise and bless Him (John MacArthur, Ephesians, p. 7).
- so how does that work practically?...
- we think about what we worship…in the moments when we don’t have to be concentrating on something else, our minds gravitate to what’s most important…what we believe is truly good…you could consider those moments “mini-worship services”…we’re blessing something in our minds and hearts…
- we talk about what we worship…and I don’t mean in some sort of a hyper-pious way…but who/what we believe is supremely good is going to come out in our speech…we bless that person or object…and that makes sense because Scripture teaches us that our words proceed out of that which fills the heart…
- we organize our lives around what we worship…who/what we consider to be supremely good becomes a grid through which we arrange all our blessings and trials and everything in-between…
- here’s a concrete example…our Christian school’s sports programs have really been excelling…[and let me just pause there and say that I/we are also glad for all the good things happening in public schools and home schools…develop]
- but when we first started our school, it would have never dawned on any of us that we would eventually be part of the IHSAA, or that we would ever be competitive…
- it just goes to show that so often the Lord’s plans are so much richer, and fuller than you would have ever imagined…so now quite a few of our sports programs are doing quite well…
- including our wrestling team…so the newspaper did a feature article on them recently…[and let’s just pause also and be thankful for local media that has often treated us very fairly, and very well…]
- the article was excellent in many ways – and I really appreciate Coach Kuhn and Coach Olney and the tremendous job they are doing…but the quote that stood out to me was actually positioned very early in the story from one of our wrestlers – Ethan Seubring -- "(Kuhn) shows us that we are more than a team, we're a family here at Faith," junior Ethan Seubring said. "And that's to represent Christ the best we can through the abilities he has given us."
- what was Ethan doing in that moment?...he was giving a blessing…and he couldn’t have said it any better…and I’ve done enough media interviews to know it’s not always easy to get points like that made…
- but it was the embodiment of Matthew 5:16 - Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. [and again, let’s thank the Lord that our local secular newspaper would write, and print that…]
- but that’s what Paul is doing at the beginning of this wonderful sentence…
- and it begs a question for all of us…what do you tend to bless?...to worship?...to assign the value of supreme good?...
- verse 3 gives us Three reasons to give priority to developing a lifestyle that worships our heavenly Father.
I. Praise God because of the Immaterial Nature of Many of His Blessings to Us
- so you see the logic of the verse…one of the reasons it’s so easy for us to bless God…is because of all the ways He has chosen to…bless us…with endowments that are…
- v. 3 – “spiritual” blessings
- why is that so important and helpful for us?...because…
A. We often overvalue material blessings and realities and organize our lives around them
- now, I don’t want to state that too strongly…we’re not Greek dualists who believe that all matter is evil…
- God blesses us materially as well and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying and appreciating His physical blessings…
- when I get home this afternoon, we’ll have some kind of lunch and I’m really hoping that Kris doesn’t quote Jesus in John 4 when He is speaking with the woman at the well and the disciples return and encourage Jesus to eat – and He says…I have food to eat that you don’t know about…and when the disciples are looking at each other saying, who brought him a quarter pounder with cheese and fries…He said – My food is do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish Hid work…
- if Kris quotes that passage and suggests that we just don’t need to eat anymore…my response will eventually be something that’s probably not very spiritual…
- but Paul explained the balance to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17 - Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
- so we ought to enjoy all the material blessings we have in Christ…but we surely shouldn’t trust them, or worship them, or organize our lives around them…
- why?...because we have something far better than that…it is all the spiritual blessings we enjoy in Christ…
- so what do we do with that?...
B. Followers of Jesus can/should learn to emphasize and prioritize the spiritual nature of our existence
- Paul said it like this to the Corinthians…1 Corinthians 2:14–15 - But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things…
- that’s exactly what we’re trying to do this morning…
- you may remember that Jesus tried to help his disciples understand this balance early in their ministry in Matthew 10 when they were being sent out to preach the good news of the kingdom of God…and it was a very sobering discussion about how they would be mistreated in all sorts of ways because of their faith…
- but here’s what Jesus said…
- Matthew 10:28 - Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
- and that’s wise counsel for us as well…too often we get all concerned about what someone might be able to do to some material/physical aspect of our existence…all the while failing to worship God for the spiritual blessings we enjoy that can never be taken away…
- now you might say – what does this look like practically?...
- I’m certainly no expert…but here are a few ideas that might help us be more spiritually minded…
1. one of the most precious times for me personally is when I sit down in my leather chair next to our fireplace and read God’s Word and pray…it’s a wonderful opportunity to recount some of the spiritual blessings we enjoy in Christ…
- and to pray through the day, trying to anticipate what “walking in the Spirit” might look like practically, and asking the Lord to help me do that…and simultaneously avoiding “walking in the flesh”…as if these spiritual realities do not exist or are unimportant…
- if you don’t have a regular time in your schedule for that kind of activity, I would encourage you to get with your service pastor or deacon and develop that kind of spiritual discipline…
2. There’s also the issue of looking to take “mental breaks” throughout the day where you can “reset yourself spiritually…”
- [develop brief “prayer walks” around the walking track…also talk about walking around these buildings as they were being built – they were mini-worship services but also an opportunity to think/pray about the spiritual aspects of what would be occurring here]…
3. Building friendships with spiritual people…[develop some of the friends the Lord has given me over the years…]
4. Listening to spiritual music
5. Avoiding inputs and entertainment that lead to walking in the flesh…
- so why should we bless God?... [I. Praise God because of the Immaterial Nature of Many of His Blessings to Us]
- I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how when our church was being planted, the leaders of Kossuth Street emphasized the role of spiritual blessings when they launched Faith (at the risk of losing material blessings) – [Develop]…
- Here’s one practical way we could think about what you and I really value…if we had two doors on the platform today – one labeled material blessings and the other labeled spiritual blessings – and you could only walk through one, which would it be?
II. Praise God because of the Comprehensive Character of Many of His Blessings to Us
- “Every” spiritual blessing
- one of the things I love about this year is that…
A. Our 60th anniversary provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our sufficiency in Christ
- the reason that Kossuth Street could take such a huge step of faith was because they believed they already had everything they needed in Christ…
- and the reason those five families could step out in faith is because they too believed they already had everything they needed in Christ…
- this is a very important emphasis in Scripture…
- John 1:15–16 - John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
- John 19:30 - Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
- Colossians 1:13–19 - For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
- as I get older, I have an increasing number of people who ask for a list of books that have been especially helpful to me over the years…the challenge with that is – as I get older, the harder it is for me to remember what I had for breakfast this morning, much less a list of books I’ve read over the last 40 years…
- but one of those books for me would be Our Sufficiency in Christ by John MacArthur
- here’s a quote from the Epilogue:
- As Christians, we live at a strata for which human wisdom cannot provide resources. Our ability to live the Christian life is from God alone. And when it comes to spiritual matters, all we need to know is revealed in God’s Word and ministered to us by His Spirit. We needn’t look elsewhere.
- One of the Old Testament names of God is El Shaddai, meaning “the All-Sufficient One.” It is a name rich with meaning. Those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth find Him adequate for every necessity of life. They do not need any supplementary experience, a stronger dose of His redemption, or any other spiritual or emotional accoutrements. God has given to every believer abundant grace that is utterly sufficient to fulfill our deepest longings, our most intense cravings, our most profound needs – every human requirement (John MacArthur, Our Sufficiency in Christ, p. 261)
- when I went back to retrieve that quote, I was a little surprised to be reminded that this book was published in 1991…and there’s a sense in which these concepts have guided much of my thinking and decisions about ministry here…
- so Paul emphasis here is that we don’t just have a few spiritual blessings, or a fairly sizable number of spiritual blessings – but that we have every one that we need…
- so the upshot is…
B. Learn to rejoice in your spiritual blessings
- now you might say, what are they?...
- I’m purposely avoiding the clear list that is enumerated in this text because other pastors will be dealing with these specifics in subsequent Sundays…
- Having a preaching team of 12-14 pastors can be a great blessing but it only works if there is a clear agreement to “stay off one another’s real estate”…maybe that’s a bit territorial way for pastors to think, but it is the way it has to be for all of this to work well…
- but in general terms, what is Paul talking about?
1. A plan for us from eternity past
- I would encourage you not to think about your spiritual blessings simply in terms of what has occurred during your natural life…
- because this passage is going to place significant emphasis on the doctrine of election…which I realize can be very controversial in some places…
- a number of years ago I had a friend in another state who preached on Ephesians 1:4 on Sunday and was fired on Monday…
- but as our pastors will explain next week…there’s nothing here to be afraid of, or upset over…
- an important aspect of the story is that God entered into a loving relationship with you before the foundation of the world…that’s what the word “foreknowledge” means…not that God looked down the corridors of time to determine who would eventually choose to trust Christ as Savior and Lord…spiritually dead people don’t make wise choices like that…
- one of our bread and butter passages around here is - Romans 8:28–29 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
- please pause and ponder that blessing – that before the foundation of the world – the God of heaven and earth, fully aware of all your weaknesses and failures and sins past, present, and future – desired to have a personal relationship with you…
2. New life in Him
- Romans 6:4 - Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
- we’re not a perfect group of people by any stretch…but there are a lot of good people here…why?...because of the life-changing impact of the spiritual blessings we enjoy in Christ
3. The indwelling Spirit of God
- 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
4. The privilege of prayer
- John 15:8–9 - My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
- how did this campus come to be?...how did anything that we have come to be?...brothers and sisters walking into the throne room of God and asking for it…
5. Access to and ability to understand God’s Word
- while there may be some senses in which this passage had special application to the apostles, the general principles certainly apply to us…
- John 16:13–15 - But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
- is there any doubt in your mind that God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing?...
- [develop – the gospel]…
- is there any doubt in your mind that God has blessed this church with every spiritual blessing?...
- then, what kind of people should He and others find us to be?...
- men and women who are regularly blessing Him…
III. Praise God because of the Divine Location of Many of His Blessings to Us
- in the heavenly places in Christ
A. This is why they have sustained our church family for 60 years
- we’ve had to endure a few attacks over the years…
- not everyone in our town loves the fact that we are a Bible believing church…not that we have any desire to force/impose those beliefs on anyone else…but we’re certainly not ashamed of the gospel for the way we live and the message we proclaim…
- so there have been a few attacks…but that could never be successful, why?...
- because these blessings aren’t located on earth…they are locked away…secure in the heavenly places…and grounded in the Person and work of Christ…and Christ alone…
B. This is why our anniversary can remind us to set our minds on “things above” and therefore grow in personal and corporate holiness
- perhaps a good way to conclude what we’re studying in terms of additional practical application is to simply let Paul expand it like he did for the Colossians…
- Colossians 3:1–4, 15-17 - Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory…. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
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