The Eternal Purpose of God - Part 1 — Stephen Kaung

God's Eternal Purpose in Ephesians 1:9-14

Chapter one. We please turn to the letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians. Chapter one. He's from verse nine. Verse fourteen. Ephesians chapter one verse nine. Having made known to us the ministry of his ministry according to his good pleasure which he purpose in himself for the administration of the fullness of times to up all things in the Christ the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth in him in whom we have also obtained an inheritance being marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his goodwill that we should be to the praise of his who pre-trusted in the Christ in whom we also have trusted having heard the word of the truth the glad tidings of your salvation in whom also having believed you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance to the redemption of the acquired position possession to the praise of glory.

Prayer for Wisdom and Revelation

Let's have a further way. Dear lord, our hearts do rejoice because we know that thou art with us. And if thou art with us, who can be against us? Lord, we do ask thee to open thy word to us. Make thy word living and operative in our lives.

We pray that I will grant spirit of wisdom and revelation in full knowledge of you. Oh god. Now, I know that without thee, we can do nothing. Without thy spirit, opening our understanding. We just cannot comprehend.

So, we just give ourselves to thee this morning and pray that lord, thou will reveal thyself to us. We ask in thy precious name. Amen. We do want to thank the lord for gathering us together here again this time.

Treasuring the Gathering of God's People

I personally feel that every time when god's people are gathered together, it is a special time because we are living at the end of the days and there are many places where god's people are not able to meet as we are.

But who are we that he should be so gracious, merciful to us, allowing us to meet in this way. So, may the lord really help us that we may be able to treasure such time and that he may be able to do whatever he wants to.

The Eternal Purpose Is Personal and Practical

Everybody knows the theme of this conference is the you know purpose of god. When you mentioned the eternal purpose of god. I do not know. How do you feel? Do you feel it is something very far away from you?

Do you think it is too theoretical or theological a subject? Do you feel that it is something so objective that you do not sense any relationship with it but we need to think about it. How does the eternal purpose of god appeal to you?

In a very real sense, the eternal purpose of god is very very near to you. It's much closer to you probably than you think. It is something so intimate that you cannot avoid it. You are in it. Even without you're in it.

It is nothing theoretical. It is the most practical thing in the whole world. It is not theological at all. It is very personal. Every one of us is in that eternal purpose of god and it is tremendously for us to know the eternal purpose of god.

Knowing God Through His Will and Purpose

I think brothers and sisters, we all desire long to know god. Now, how how are we going to know god? What is the best way to know god? What is the direct road to the knowledge of god? It is by knowing god's will.

God's purpose. We remember the psalmist said in Psalm 103 verse seven, god has known to Israel, his acts, but he made known his ways to Moses. The children of Israel, they only know the acts of god. When god does something to them, then they know god but Moses knew god much better than the children of Israel.

Because he knew that ways of god. How will god work? There are certain principles behind god's action and he knew these principles but dear brothers and sisters, we who are in the New Testament time by the grace of god, we can go even a step further.

We can know god's will. God's purpose and knowing god's purpose is really knowing god. So, I believe that it should be the deepest longing of our hearts to know god's eternal will.