WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:03.120 Well, we are in chapter three of Ephesians this morning. 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:06.719 We've been working our way, we're studying our way through the book of Ephesians. 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:15.839 And what I want us to remember is that the purpose of Ephesians that we've talked about, that it is about what we have in Christ before it is about what we do for Christ. 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:22.399 So it's about how we are loved fully and the sufficiency of Jesus, how lavish that is for us. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:28.480 Chapters 1, 2, and to 3, before we begin to get to what should I do? 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:30.399 How should I live for Him? 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:34.000 Which is amazing if you're weary at all. 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:43.200 Like if you're tired at all, tired of church, weary of the to-do list of being a Christian, maybe you're just drowning in children, maybe you're older and you're tired. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:47.840 Like if you're just tired, like I don't know if I can just I don't know if I can take another list. 00:00:48.159 --> 00:01:01.759 Um, then Paul is very strategically in all his books, we see it again in Ephesians, he is laying out a framework, not just of this letter, but how we should understand and live and walk with Jesus. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:11.760 That we never get to the end of Ephesians, what we should do without getting through the beginning of Ephesians, who we are and the lavishness of Jesus. 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:26.640 And so again this morning, he's just rooting us into this lavishness of the love and the provision, the forgiveness and the righteousness of Jesus, how unsearchable these riches are before he begins to get to later in Ephesians what you should do. 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:32.079 And this is why it's really important when you go to have your quiet time or devotional, and that devotional starts out in Ephesians 5. 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:36.879 So you have to remember Ephesians 5 came from somewhere or else you just become a legalist, right? 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:43.519 That's how we become legalists, is we think we're gonna live out the end of Ephesians without the beginning of Ephesians. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:44.480 And we can't do that. 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:55.200 We always live out being a Christian through the sufficiency, the fullness of Jesus, that we are already loved, even while we're not perfect of the whole end of Ephesians, right? 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:57.680 Like we don't perfectly live out the end of Ephesians. 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:01.840 It's okay because Jesus is sufficient. 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:03.599 Now let's remember where Paul is. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:04.799 Paul's in Rome. 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:06.079 He's in prison. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:14.240 He's in a house prison, which means during the day, he's walking around that house, he's writing his letters, he's thinking about different churches and people groups, and he's writing them. 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:19.280 And then at night he's chained to a soldier to sleep at night. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:22.560 But listen how he sees himself. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:23.280 Right? 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.719 He's a prisoner of Rome, but look how he sees himself. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:29.039 Ephesians 3, 1 and 2. 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:37.599 For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, which right there, that's a radical notion. 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:45.919 Because up until this point, until Jesus begins to love the outsider, uh, love of God was for the Jewish people. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:46.479 Right? 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:48.000 The law came to the Jewish people. 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:49.840 Jesus came through the Jewish people. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:03:00.000 And now Jesus began to love the outsider, the non-Jew, the Gentile, and Paul is extending that love, the righteousness, you too can be in the family. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:04.080 Like if you feel like an outsider, you too could be in the family. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:14.080 And so Paul's writing, on behalf of you, the outsider, the Gentile, verse 2, assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:20.319 He's saying, This is my purpose to tell all of you about this richness of the love of Jesus. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:26.000 So Paul's a prisoner in Rome, but he sees himself as a prisoner of Jesus. 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:31.439 So one thing's going on, yet deeper, something else is going on. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:35.840 And I bet, big hunch, big hunch, something's going on in your life. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:54.560 Like some stress or disappointment, you relational, you can't get along with your brother, something, I don't know what it is, something's going on, your family and your life, your health, your emotions, something, and something's going on, but deeper, something else, I promise you, something else is also going on. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:01.360 For five years, I worked for our family business while I was working my way through seminary. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:03.680 I go to seminary all day Mondays and in the evenings. 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:05.520 And Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:16.959 to 5 p.m., I drive 50 minutes each way, did the commute, did that, sat in an office, and I binded up engineering manuals and sent them to engineers. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:20.079 This is what I did with my life for five years. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:23.360 Is as some of you know, you're like, yeah, I think that's the job I have right now. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:30.079 Like it feels like I just go to an office, I put binders in a box, I tape them up, I print out the address, and I ship them out. 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:32.879 I did this for five years. 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:35.519 No internet, by the way, okay? 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:36.480 So imagine that. 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:38.800 Imagine being in an office without internet, right? 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:56.879 Like I had a radio on my desk, and it went from uh 99X, morning X to anybody in their 40s, morning X, uh, and then it went Charles, no, it went Chuck Swindall, Charles Stanley, Michael Yousse, Lunch, Clark Howard. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:58.160 Anyone else in their 40s? 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.160 And you're like, I remember that rhythm. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:01.120 Like I did that. 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:02.560 That was the rhythm before podcasts. 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:03.759 That's what we all did. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:04.959 That was my life. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.959 So one thing was going on, and yet something else was going on. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:10.959 I was incredibly unhappy. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:13.759 And I was resistant to this whole situation. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:18.959 I was kind of bitter about it, but something else was going on. 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:19.839 I see it now. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:24.000 It's hard to see at the time, but something deeper was going on. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:28.319 Like how to show up and work hard. 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:38.160 And you just do it the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and you show up the next day, and you work hard, and you show up the next day, and you work hard, and you show up the next day, and you work hard, and you just keep doing it. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:50.319 And I was learning what it means to be faithful over time in one place while you wait. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:52.879 And I wonder, right? 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:53.920 That that was my story. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:55.360 One thing going on, another thing going on. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.920 Still happens today, one thing going on, something else going on. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:59.360 There's something going on right now. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.920 This is swirling, but something else is going on. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:09.279 That's what's going on with Paul in prison in Rome, house, and yet something else is going on. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:14.480 In the midst of the most difficult circumstances, Paul sees who he really is. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.360 All right, prisoner of Rome, really I'm a prisoner of Jesus. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:19.920 There's one thing that's going on, but that's circumstantial. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.519 There's something else going on. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:23.519 Verse 6. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:28.720 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, the outsiders. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:36.639 They're part of the family, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:43.600 And of this gospel, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:49.120 Point number one is this we are our race, and we are one in Jesus. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:57.519 Meaning you're white or black or Asian or Latino or Ethiopian, or maybe you're a mix of different things, but you're Christian. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:02.959 In the Old Testament, God spoke through the Jewish people, the law. 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:09.120 Jesus comes to the Jewish people, and then Jesus goes and upsets the whole system because he starts to love everybody. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:22.800 And then Paul gives this mission to extend that gospel that the Christian family is open to anybody, Gentile and Jew, no difference, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, whatever. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:31.519 Heaven will not just be a bunch of Russes and my Peter Millar quarters up with my Topacino. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:34.160 And you know, did you watch the Rider Cup yesterday? 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.399 I watched the Ryder Cup and 38 Beautiful. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:37.120 It's so beautiful. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:37.600 I love it. 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:39.439 Like, like I that's me. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:40.720 That's me. 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.199 Like, I just nailed myself, like that's me. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:44.800 Love the quarters up. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.199 Love the Topocino, right? 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:48.480 Like, that is me. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:50.079 Incredibly, incredibly white. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:52.240 More white than I want to admit. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:53.920 Unbelievably white. 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:57.839 And heaven is gonna be so much more beautiful than that. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.000 It's gonna be so much more diverse. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:03.600 It's gonna be a tapestry of humanity. 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:09.920 It's gonna be so much more beautiful than just my little stuff and the things I like and how I am. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:13.199 My mentor, Scottie Smith, he wrote this prayer. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:17.519 Lord Jesus, thank you for making peace between God and us. 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:25.439 Through your finished work, we have become objects of his affection and ambassadors of reconciliation. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:33.519 Thank you for tearing down the dividing wall between Gentiles and Jews and other people groups as well. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.919 Only you can replace hostility with hospitality. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:42.399 That's our prayer for us toward other people. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:51.759 Replace our hostility with hospitality, meanness with kindness, and peace breaking with peacemaking. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.159 You fulfilled the demands of the law for us. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.399 Now fulfill the beauty of the gospel in us. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:08:58.320 On to verse 7. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:00.879 Paul uses this word minister in verse 7. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.679 The word minister is the image of serving tables. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:04.799 That's how he views himself. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:07.120 A prisoner of Jesus and a servant. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:18.080 Serving tables is in the ancient Greek literature, this word minister was used as somebody, a table waiter who was always at the bidding of the table. 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.960 Point number two is this we will all serve someone or something. 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:27.279 We will all serve someone or something. 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:30.399 We're all we're all gonna serve someone or something. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:43.360 Last week I was at dinner with a few friends, and our waitress, her name was Katie, and Katie had just graduated college, and she was trying to figure out what she was gonna do with her life, like we were all doing when we were 21 or 22, and so she was taking some time off to figure this out. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.320 And Katie was smart, and then Katie was capable. 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:55.200 Katie was really quite amazing, but that night, positionally, she was the waitress, and we were the diners at the table. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:59.200 So she served us all night, over and over and over. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:02.399 She'd go into the kitchen, get the food, come out and serve it. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:04.639 She'd riffle our water, she'd get us a drink. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:05.679 Over and over. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:07.039 She served us. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:09.200 Paul is saying, that's what I'm doing. 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:16.480 I'm going into the kitchen, and I'm coming out to serve you with truth and grace. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:20.159 We're all servants. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:25.840 Paul's using this word because he's definitely remembering he used to serve something else. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:26.480 Right? 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:31.759 He used to be a religious scorekeeping, legalistic moralist. 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:34.799 And he served that. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:38.639 Like, if I'm good enough, then I will be loved by God. 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:40.159 Anybody do that for a while in their life? 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:42.159 Or maybe you're doing it now, you're incredibly weary. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:43.279 I promise it. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:44.960 Or you're incredibly prideful. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:47.600 You go kind of back and forth when you do that. 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:49.279 That's what Paul did. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:55.200 He was a performative religious person, always scorpion himself, judgmental toward others. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.720 He belittled and imprisoned people that were different than him. 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:02.240 He lived by the religious trying to earn God's love by his performance. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:05.360 He was a servant to his performance. 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:11.360 And now he says, now I'm a servant to God's love and to other people. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:13.600 See, none of us get to be autonomous. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:14.799 We're all bound. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:17.200 We will all serve something or someone. 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:26.320 You remember in Lord of the Rings, Gullum, who who he was once that just hobbit-like creature, but he finds the ring, he ends up looking like this. 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.000 Is this what he ends up looking like? 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:28.559 I don't know. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:29.600 We've all felt like that. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:31.200 I mean, very few of us look like that. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:33.120 We've all felt like that, right? 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:41.200 Like when when that very thing, the evil we shouldn't love, right, takes hostage of us. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.919 Or the good thing we love too much. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:47.759 He didn't start out looking like this, but that ring captivated him. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:48.559 It consumed. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:53.120 Over the years, his body begins to twist and turn inward. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:54.639 He begins to argue with himself. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:05.360 In fact, this part of him, this former part, this schmeagel wants freedom, but then this new part that's enslaved to the ring, Gollum, Gollum wants this ring. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:07.519 He calls it his precious. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:12.240 And the point is that Gollum thinks he has the best thing. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:13.679 He really does. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:15.679 And look at him. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:17.200 Like, what? 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:21.679 But he he he thinks he has the best thing. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.480 But he is actually in service to it. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.600 It has him hostage. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:26.720 He's not free at all. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:30.399 See, we all serve something or someone. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:35.200 I mean, it was very clear to me last night at about 11:30 p.m. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.360 I mean, the Alabama quarterback tore us up. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.000 Good job. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:43.440 And then we got some, yeah, like great, great job. 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:44.480 Oh. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:49.840 And my precious Georgia football. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:50.720 Five years. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:52.080 We haven't lost at home. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.000 Like, precious, precious. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:55.120 Like my precious. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:56.240 Like what? 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:58.080 Like, I'm like, no, like, let's fire him. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:59.679 And like, or why can't we recruit more? 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:00.480 Let's raise more money. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:01.120 Let's pay more. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:02.240 Like, what do we need to do? 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:03.600 Like, I'm so upset. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:04.159 I'm mad. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:04.879 I'm devastated. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:05.759 I don't know if I can go to sleep. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:09.279 I'm gonna watch like five Seinfelds to get myself calmed down from this. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:11.039 Right? 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:15.919 Like, very clear what my precious is, what I'm in service to. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:19.279 I didn't even play in the game, by the way. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:20.559 I didn't call a play. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.679 I'm really not involved at all, mind you. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:26.720 I'm at home watching this on my TV by myself. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:27.679 I'm not involved at all. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:39.120 I can't get more removed from this very thing that I think is so precious to my identity that I feel like I have an identity crisis last night at 11:30 and have to preach the gospel to myself. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:42.720 No, my very identity is not in the University of Georgia football. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:45.759 I really think it is, but I kind of feel like Gollum when I do that. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.639 You know, I'm more, much more. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:50.399 I'm a Christian. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:54.000 I'm a child, I'm a son of God. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:14:01.200 I'm telling myself, like looking in the mirror, you are beautiful, you are lovely, you're smart, you're okay, you're enough. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:05.039 So Bob Dylan wrote this in 1979. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:07.039 Gotta serve somebody. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:08.159 He wrote this. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:14.799 It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:19.279 None of us are autonomous, independent islands. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:21.360 We will all serve somebody or something. 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:28.960 My question is just are you serving a thing that makes you flourish and frees you? 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:31.440 Or are you serving something else? 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:41.360 Paul goes from serving legalistic religion to this radical grace that rescues him, that transforms his life. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:49.360 To me, Paul, to me, though I am the very least of all the saints, he can reflect on his past life. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:54.559 I mean, he's imprisoning people, he's like a murderer, he's basically almost like a terrorist, like a religious terrorist. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:57.360 And he says, this grace was given. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:13.759 Like to me, to me, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:20.480 Point number three is this we are called not just to intellectual, intellectually know, but to marvel at Jesus. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:20.879 Right? 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:23.360 We talked about the word know a few weeks ago. 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:30.000 It's not just intellectual, it's all that there's an emotive spirit, inner being, connection. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:37.679 We're to marvel, to wonder, or have admiration, to the marvel upon that which is remarkable. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:42.960 Almost 20 years ago, I let a single adult retreat to Grayton Beach. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:46.480 We took like 30 single adults down there, packed in a few houses. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:49.440 Soon as we got down there, it was evening, about sunset. 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:56.240 As soon as we get down there, my friend Tim, who's about 30 years old at the time, he says, Hey, but I hadn't been to the beach since I was a little boy. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:57.759 I hadn't been to the beach in like 20 years. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:01.840 He said, I don't even remember what the ocean looks like. 00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:03.840 And I'm like, let's go. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:05.039 It's like one block. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.200 Like, like, let's go right now. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:10.159 Like, I want to watch you see it. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:13.600 And so we walk up there together and we come up over that boardwalk. 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:14.960 Here's a picture of Grayton Beach. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.039 If you haven't been down there, it's a beautiful beach, right? 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:25.039 Like we walk up and I just watch him watch it, and he never once looks at me and is like, hey, can we like discuss why this is beautiful? 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:28.960 Can we like discuss some of the finer points of the sand or the water? 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:29.919 Like, no, no, no, no. 00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:33.519 He's he's like, Oh wow, I've forgotten. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.240 Like this is this is beautiful. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:37.679 He just looks at it, right? 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:38.559 Like we've all done that. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:43.840 We've had these moments, you're on the beach or the mountains, and you just marvel at something because it is remarkable. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.039 And there's something about your inner being is connecting with it. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:49.200 You're marveling, you're beholding. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:52.320 We're filled with wonder and admiration. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:17:00.399 And we marvel upon Jesus, and it is an intellectual knowing that connects into our inner being, and that we behold him more. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:05.119 This is why Paul is writing Ephesians, every other book that he writes in the New Testament, this way. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:14.720 If he can get you and me to marvel upon Jesus, we will live out of that, empowered by Jesus to live for him. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:22.000 And he doesn't want us to skip over the marveling just to do the living because we'll become legalistic moralists. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:24.240 And we've all done that. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:33.200 But if I can remember how loved I am and how sufficient the cross is, and if I can live in that, oh wow, I'm I'm beholding, I'm marveling. 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:35.839 Oh, now I like my desire, my heart changes. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:37.680 My desires change. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:42.880 We behold him more. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:44.559 What does this Jesus give us? 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:46.640 I I made a quick list this week. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:48.640 I just wrote it out. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:50.880 I was like, what am I marveling at? 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.079 This is my list. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.440 You you could have a separate list. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:55.359 Maybe you can make a list this week. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.240 Jesus is one-way love. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:04.960 Love without conditions or limits, love and acceptance that does not end. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:08.079 Jesus is my forgiveness and my righteousness. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:09.920 The end of my guilt trip. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:11.759 Anybody else good at that? 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:12.319 Good at that? 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:14.880 Like a good guilt trip, really make yourself feel bad. 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:20.799 End of my condemnation, constant companionship, tenderness and challenge. 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:22.079 Both. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:24.480 He's tender with me, but he challenges me. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:29.519 Secure acceptance without regard to my issues or mistakes or my trauma. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:31.680 Peace with God. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:33.279 Validation is worthy. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.279 Needed that last night at 11:30. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:36.720 Rescue from sin. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:40.000 Relief from judgment and judgmentalism. 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:46.799 Because I am righteous by Jesus' righteousness, I don't have to be self-righteous about my own performance. 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:48.079 Ah, what a freedom. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:52.319 Relief from judgment, judgmentalism, relief from performancism. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:56.720 He's my godliness, and yet he empowers me to grow in that godliness. 00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:59.119 He's my welcome into a heavenly home. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.480 I mean, what a thing to marvel at. 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:05.519 The unsearchable riches we have in Jesus. 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:15.119 Verse 10, so that through the church, that's what we're doing right now, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:23.039 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness. 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:27.920 In him we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:31.119 And point number four is that, that verse 11. 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:40.720 We live in confidence because of our faith in Jesus, not our faith and our work for Jesus. 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:44.559 That distinction will change your life. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:55.200 And if you don't have that distinction, you can easily get on a religious treadmill that feels really good for a while, and then you start to get worn down. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:11.119 And like I said, you can be in despair and beat yourself up because you're not good enough, and then you can swing because you have a good week, and you can be arrogant and judgmental at everybody else, and you just swing back and forth because your faith is actually not in Jesus, your faith is in your own faith. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:18.720 Rather than your faith being that God's delight in me today is not based in what I do. 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:24.480 That God fully delights in me because of Jesus' work on the cross. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:30.400 Back in verse 8, there's that phrase, I've said it several times, unsearchable riches. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:34.880 This is the unsearchable wealth we have of the goodness and delight we can only dream of. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:40.720 Everything I'm trying to squeeze out of Georgia football or my wealth or my investments or my children's success, right? 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:43.119 There's our idols, college football and children. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:50.640 Like everything I'm trying to squeeze out of that, I actually already have it in Jesus in terms of validation and worth. 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.240 Unsearchable riches of forgiveness and righteousness. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:02.480 Alright, so imagine with me, just imagine, uh, we go to Laurel Park over by Kroger. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:04.720 You know, Laurel Park off Whitlock over by Kroger. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.480 Here's a picture of Laurel Park. 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:07.759 Beautiful, right? 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:10.559 Just lovely uh pristine water there. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:16.720 Looks like looks like all of our sewage just went to Laurel Park. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:22.720 But let's imagine that we walk around the pond at Laurel Park, which I've done many times. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:25.839 Let's just say we walk around Laurel Park. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:30.720 You could probably walk around in about 10 minutes or so, but let's imagine you start around that pond. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:36.559 And as you get around that pond and you're walking, the shoreline just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:39.680 And it's actually much more like walking around Lake Alatoona. 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:43.200 Here's a picture of Lake Alatuna, 20 minutes north of us, a little bit prettier. 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:49.920 All right, so walking around Lake Altoona would be about 270 miles around. 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:54.960 Take you about 14 days to walk around it if you wanted to. 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:56.640 You could probably do that. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.599 I I would venture to say all of us could do it if we really wanted to. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.119 Might be painful, might take longer than 14 days, but we could get around Lake Altoona. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:06.480 If we really want to give a life's mission to walking around Lake Altoona, we could do that. 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:12.000 But say imagine you just begin to do that and you start around it, and you know, 14 days goes by, 15, 16. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:15.519 The shoreline just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:37.759 And actually, it's a lot more like walking around the Atlantic Ocean, which is 69,000, thank you, ChatGBT, miles around, 20 miles a day, it would take you 9.5 years to walk the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, which I would say a lot of us could do that. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:46.960 Like it might take 10 years or 20 years, but like if you wanted to give your life to it, you could give your life to that. 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:56.559 But let's imagine you give your life to that and you just begin to walk around the Atlantic Ocean, and again the shoreline just keeps getting bigger and longer and bigger and bigger. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:04.960 It's much more like walking around the oceans of the whole entire world, which is 221,000 miles. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:13.599 And if you walked 20 miles a day, every single day, every single day, 20, 20, 20, never stop, ever, ever stop. 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:18.799 97.5 years, and you just can't do it. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:21.519 You you you don't do it, you don't have enough time. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:24.480 Can't do it, won't happen. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:28.799 You finally realize you you'll never get around it. 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:32.160 It's just too big. 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.480 Unsearchable riches of Christ. 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:40.400 This is exactly what it is like to be a Christian. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:48.880 Because you start out being a Christian when you're 13 or 23 or 43, whenever, and you start around Laurel Park, you think you got a pretty good grasp of this. 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:52.480 And you start around and you're like, isn't he lovely? 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:54.480 Wow, Jesus is really lovely. 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:56.160 I really, I really have a hold of this. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.400 And the five points of Calvinism really helped me. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:01.440 You know, really, I really, really know it, and I'll I'll argue. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:03.759 I'll argue with you how much I know it. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.160 And you start around, but it's a lot bigger than that. 00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:09.599 And the shoreline gets bigger and bigger and bigger. 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:12.160 Unsearchable riches of Christ. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:14.079 There's no, there's there's no end. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:19.839 There's no end to how much he loves you apart from anything you do, just because you're his. 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:25.759 Because it's not your righteousness report, it's his righteousness report. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:29.359 Because God chose you and he pursues you. 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:34.799 Now imagine imagine Paul back in that house in Rome. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:41.039 He's in prison during the day, he's walking around, he's writing these letters, at night, he's chained. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.799 But he's thinking about these young churches. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:51.359 He's thinking about the Jewish people trying to come to grips with, okay, we're gonna love and accept other people. 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:58.559 And he is so overwhelmed that he is loved while he's a mess. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:06.960 That he is fully righteous without him having to get some religious checklist fully checked off. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:13.200 He is so overwhelmed that Jesus fulfilled the law on his behalf. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:17.759 He's so overwhelmed that eternity heaven is a given in Jesus. 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:23.920 He's so overwhelmed that this love of God is not just for the Jewish people, but it's for all the other people groups. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:25.279 And he is just writing these letters. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:27.920 I gotta tell all these people. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.200 Beloved, there's always another shoreline. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:41.839 There's always another shoreline in Jesus for you to discover how big his love is for you. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:45.039 His forgiveness, his righteousness, his validation. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.640 I know we all turn to different things. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.759 That's why we're gonna confess. 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:50.480 We confess again and confess again inside the grace of God. 00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:57.200 We keep confessing because we fall short, but we only live out the end of Ephesians through the beginning of Ephesians. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:04.799 That shoreline of the love and acceptance of Jesus, about halfway toward the ending. 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:10.400 Listen to what Paul says about halfway toward the end of Ephesians. 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:14.880 We'll study it next week for this reason. 00:26:16.880 --> 00:27:04.319 I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the height and the depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:05.680 Let's pray together. 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:23.200 Heavenly Father, we're so thankful for Jesus this morning that the work of the cross is enough for our sins, that the work of the cross is enough for our guilt trips and the condemnation, the separation that we have, or we feel with you Jesus is enough. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:30.000 And how we fall, we confess and fall backward into your arms this morning. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:42.720 That you love us in Jesus, that you have affection for us and you delight in us, that you delight in us like you delight in your own son, Jesus. 00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:46.319 Because you see us through Jesus, you know us through Jesus. 00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:55.839 Help us to be rooted in our inner being, that we might be strengthened to know how big this love is. 00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:04.400 Help us to have a distinction between what it means to have faith in our own faith and faith in our own works versus faith in you. 00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:06.480 Rest in you. 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:14.480 Help us to gaze and marvel and behold all the more that our lives may honor you. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:15.839 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:16.400 Amen.