DIVINE INHERITANCE (Eph 1:11-12)

Local Church Announcements and Prayer for Grace Covenant

Announcement before we before we jump in is most of you already know Tuesday mornings this building is open every single Tuesday from 7 to 8 a .m. We've got a group that comes in every week and is diligent to pray for you.

To pray for the members of this church. To pray for the regular attenders of this church to pray for guests that have that have come to pray for this community to pray for the church as a whole. We are going to the source every single week and of course we do that during service on Sunday.

We do it on Wednesday nights. But Tuesday is just a great time if you can and I say it every week if you are only able to be here for five minutes before work on your way into work I encourage you come on in pray with the Saints as we seek the Lord for his wisdom discernment that he would do a work in our midst and in our community.

And we are so grateful that he does that and he gives us the opportunity to come to him in prayer in that way. So every Tuesday 7 to 8 a .m. everyone is welcome to come to that. The next thing that we have is a lot of you have joined us on Wednesday nights over the past I guess we've only been doing these nights for about a year year and a half now but a lot of you come.

We have a big group in here. There's usually about what 40 40 or so that come on a Wednesday night if we have a good group and we have been walking through the book of Jude and we have finally made it through Jude.

I flew through did not fly through the last three weeks. I flew through the last three weeks. We crept through the first ten weeks nine weeks and then we and then we wrapped it up and we finally wrapped it up.

I could tell everyone was having Jude exhaustion. Right. It was enough of talk of false teachers. So we are officially starting a new Wednesday night study. But this Wednesday at 630 come and join us.

Because this Wednesday what we want to do in between is just take a break from the study and we want to have a night of worship a night of worship and a night of prayer. So we're gonna sing we're gonna pray we're just gonna spend some time together as a church this Wednesday night at 630.

I encourage you to come. You can bring friends with you. This is a great opportunity for them as we as we worship the Lord together Wednesday night. But then the following Wednesday which is the beginning of the month I believe it's on the 5th I think is is what that Wednesday lands on.

But that Wednesday is when we're starting our new study. And what we're doing is we're walking through this book. Right here it's called everyone's a theologian. It's written by RC Sproul. And what this book is is it's a introduction to what's called systematic theology.

So what is systematic theology. Right. And it's simplest form systematic theology is just walking through individual topics and doctrines. Say the doctrine of the Trinity. Right. We worship a triune God God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit.

Well why do we believe that. Well it breaks it down and goes to scripture and tells us why we believe in that particular doctrine. If we're looking at Christology Christology is the study of Christ the person of Christ.

Then we can look at what scripture says about that. And we're gonna walk week to week. We have these books available. There are copies out on the table out here for you to take. If you want to join us for the study please don't take one of the books unless you're planning on coming on Wednesdays and joining us in that study.

But if you would like these there's no cost involved. You don't have to pay but to help offset the cost there's a little box beside the books. You can pay towards the books if you want. It's the donation towards offsetting the cost of that.

But if you've not gotten a copy of this and you want to join us on Wednesday nights for this study it's going to take about a year to walk through the entirety of this book together. But I think it's going to be a tremendous time for us as a people walking through and just learning why do we believe what we believe what does that look like what does scripture actually say about this particular topic.

And don't be afraid we picked this book. It's not very thick with all those different topics. Each chapter is only like four or five pages so that's easy to read every week and we're only going to cover those.

So there's that there's the announcements. Well before we start our worship service we always like to go to the Lord in prayer and pray for another local church for other brothers and sisters in the community or elsewhere somewhere in the world.

We've prayed for churches all over the place. Haven't we. We primarily try and talk about churches that are that are kind of near to us. And there's one this morning today Grace Covenant that this is a group of believers that are near and dear to our hearts that one of their elders is preaching this pulpit I've preached in their pulpit we have a lot of overlap as a matter of fact there's some even family overlap right that we have at this wonderful church that this this group of Saints and they are going to gather this morning just as we do and worship.

So let us as a people let's go to the Lord let's ask that he works in their midst let's ask that he he does a mighty work amongst those brothers and sisters there. So if you would join me in prayer dear Heavenly Father Lord thank you so much for this this beautiful day Lord as we as we got to drive into to church this morning you have given us sunshine you have given us a beautiful beautiful weather and all good gifts are from you father.

And we thank you. And Lord we also want to thank you this morning for for the fact that we have brothers and sisters all over this world that are gathering today to worship you as you have prescribed Lord as the church has done since since our Savior left the church has gathered on Sundays and worshipped you.

And so we are so thankful for that common means of grace. And we pray for Grace Covenant today. Lord we we love them dearly. And I pray that you would work in their midst this morning through those common means of singing singing truth from your word praying your words back to you by reading the scriptures and seeking the source Lord for the preaching of your word.

Father I pray that you would work mightily in their hearts Lord. I pray that you would stir in them a hunger a desire to honor you father I pray that that they would worship in spirit and truth this morning and that you would bring people into their midst that people that would see the beauty of the Savior and come to him.

I'll be awakened to that truth and be active participating members in that body. And that you would use the pastors there to equip the Saints for the good work that they would make an impact by being salt and light in this community in Christ's name.

Amen and amen. Well before we officially start our service with our call to worship we have the privilege this morning of doing something that we very much enjoy doing. It is always an encouragement for all of us.

I know is the fact that we get to do a new member recognition. There is always there are always people joy. It seems like all the time we're constantly doing new member recognitions. Right. And that is a beautiful thing God is bringing the Saints that he wants here.

Right. This is a body this is a particular representation of the body of Christ in this in this body and and God keeps bringing people and and body parts that this body needs and it's amazing to watch God work.

So Whipple family if you don't mind come on up here with with me put you on the spot here all. Right. So this is the Whipple family. This is this is dr. Joel. Joel is a general surgeon at NEA. And how long have you been there now.

For about nine months. About nine months. So so he is a busy busy man. Sometimes you don't see him because he's saving some life over at NEA Hospital. Praise the Lord for that. And this is his beautiful family.

Y 'all how long have y 'all homeschooled since you started. Since y 'all started homeschooling that's awesome. And do you like homeschooling. I guess I guess you like it. I looked at the kids this morning.

I said if y 'all got your speeches ready and you talk about big eyes. Both of them their eyes got real big. But we're just joking. Aren't we. We're not making make you talk. Well hey we are so overwhelmed with joy to be able to welcome y 'all into this into this body.

They may have seemed like members because they've been coming for a while and so every time we get to talk with them they were they were very intentional about this step because y 'all knew the weight of what you're agreeing to.

Right. They looked at those membership covenants and we're like okay this is a serious thing. But what I learned in meeting with him is it wasn't one of those normal things where they were introduced to a membership covenant and then knew the weight of it.

This was a family that knew the weight of it before they even saw the membership covenant. Right. Because y 'all had come from a church similar to this in East Tennessee. Right. So about nine ten hours away right when y 'all moved and I have to say this their pastor was a seemed like a great pastor.

He called me and asked me theological questions when they first moved here to help them weed out maybe some unhealthy churches. So praise God for that. So I'm so I'm so grateful that y 'all were thoughtful I'm so grateful that y 'all took your time and were patient and said okay is this really what God is calling us to.

And and that that spoke to me that y 'all y 'all are the type that are gonna take this very seriously and I'm so thankful for that and we're thankful that we get to pour into y 'all's lives and and hopefully y 'all seen and felt the benefit of that even in this whole process.

So the Whipple family I think I think we should let them in. Don't you if you're a member of 12 five and you affirm the Whipple family and the covenant membership with us please stand. Amen amen. Hey this is this is a great day.

And and just as we do every single week or every single week every time we do a new member recognition we have a commissioning. Right. This is part of it. This this Bible this ESV study Bible I say it every time.

It's not a gift it's not what it is. It's commissioning. This is what we're about and I think that's why y 'all want to join here. Right. Because this is what we're about this is our this is the tool this is the the source this is everything we need for life and godliness.

And so if we want to equip the Saints for the good work this is what they have to be equipped with. And so for us we want to give you Whipple family a Bible. I know you got them I know you got other Bibles but hopefully this one is a benefit to y 'all as a family.

And and so let us pray that God would work and in their family and in our family with them now part of it. Let's if you don't mind pray with me. Dear Heavenly Father Lord we thank you so much this morning for for all these good gifts and as we get to introduce this this family into our family yeah I'm overwhelmed with joy that you you don't leave us to ourselves.

You call us to community you call us to be committed to a local representation of your bride. And I see that in this family I see their desire to be a part of it. I see their desire to to to grow in the knowledge of you.

I see their desire to bring their gifts and their abilities to benefit the body and to be used as salt and light in a lost and dying world. And I pray that for them Lord. I pray that you would raise them up in this congregation and I know that you have specific plans for them as to where and how they are gonna fit into this.

But I pray that no matter where it is that they would use those gifts and those abilities to for the for your glory and to further the kingdom purposes here and that we as a people would commit to come alongside them and gird them up and bring our gifts and abilities to strengthen and grow them as a as a family and as Christians knowing that it's not about church it's about Christ.

And we are just here to encourage each other to continue to look to Christ. Father we thank you for them bless them in Christ's name. Amen. Thank y 'all. Thank y 'all so much all. Right. Well everyone let's go ahead and stand.

Psalm 148 Call to Worship and Corporate Praise

Let's let's start our service this morning with a call to worship as we do every week. And our call to worship this morning comes from Psalm 148 of the first six verses. And and I've broken this this section of scripture down as we do every week as as a read and then a response.

And and we do this for for the purpose of really driving home the idea that what we're doing today is corporate. Right. This is not. This is not entertainers or leaders and then consumers. Right. This is not us trying to lead you into something.

This is a corporate involvement. And that's why we read scripture together every single Sunday in our in our call to worship. Because as we engage in this worshipful time of the Lord this is something we're all coming to do.

And so as I read this section you'll see on the screen it will come up with a section for the people to read. So Psalm 148 starting in verse 1 the psalmist says.

Praise the Lord from the heavens praise him all his angels praise him sun and moon praise him you highest heavens let them praise the name of the Lord and he established them forever and ever and all God's people said we just come.

Before you this morning to worship you as Nathan said we are not here to to lead into worship as that is the Holy Spirit that does that through us. God we just pray that you accept our offering of praise this morning because you are worthy of all so much more than we can give.

We thank you Jesus for what you've done for us on the cross. We praise you for that work that it is finished. It is finished in total and complete payment. God we praise you thank you.

Consecutively through the Psalms together as a church we come to Psalm 64 where the psalmist says. Hear my voice O God and my complaint. Preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked.

From the throng of evildoers who wet their tongues like swords who aim bitter words like arrows shooting from ambush at the blameless shooting at him. Suddenly without fear they hold fast to their evil purpose.

They talk of lying snares secretly thinking who can see them. They search out injustice saying we have accomplished a diligent search for the inward mind and heart of a man are deep but God shoots his arrow at them.

They are wounded. Suddenly they are brought to ruin with their own tongues again turning against turned against them. All who see them will wag their heads. Then all mankind fears. They tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.

Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him. Let all the upright and heart exalt. And all God's people said that's that's a beautiful truth to hold on to. Isn't it. So let the upright of heart exalt.

That's what we're doing this morning. We get to do it corporately hopefully and prayerfully all through the week in your own time of prayer in your own time of worship. You've been exalting the Lord. You've been going to heaven praising him for what he's done for you personally for what he's done for your family for what he's done around you that he has protected you from the wicked.

And not only is he protected you from the wicked he's called you out from the wicked. You were once the wicked and he's called you out and now we get to exalt in him. But now we come together unified as one together today in Christ and exalt him together.

And there's something uniquely special about that. Isn't it this time as we sing and as we pray and as we read the word this isn't your personal worship time. That's why we don't dim the lights and make it dark in here and make it very personal to where it's just you and God.

That's not what today's about that should be in your closet. Do that in your closet. But today oh today is corporate today you get to look around see your brothers and sisters exalting the great and mighty King.

And that encourages you. Right. That causes you to leave this week and go into your closet and exalt the King even greater because you have courage. You'll look around and I see the singing of the Saints.

I was just listening to our brother Adam as he's on the bass just singing those truths away and it was great encouragement to me. Wasn't it you the beautiful truth. Let us let's pray dear Heavenly Father God be exalted in our midst father.

I pray that this week all of us have been worshiping you that all of us have been exalting you. But now this morning we get to come together and we get to exalt you as your children. And and there is something uniquely special about that where you come into our midst in a unique a special way when you show us your presence in a unique and special way as we exalt you.

And your name is great among the nations and the world that is looking in the world that wants to bring about harm to to your people. The ones that look for injustice and all that comes with it we are safe from them because you rule even them as our great and mighty Savior Jesus Christ that's on the throne.

He is their king. They may not acknowledge it but he is and he reigns. And we get to worship that King. And we get to come before him because of the blood that he shed on our behalf. So father help us just to rest in that help us to love you this morning.

God incite an overwhelming sense of worship within our hearts that we may see you and exalt you in Christ.

Lifted me up, lifted me up. High to heaven, you sent down to earth. Innocent perfection gave your life for us. We are amazed, we stand in exchange. How great, how great is your love. How great, how great, how great is your love.

How great, how great, how great is your love. For the heights of heaven You stepped down to God's soul. How great, how great is your love. You're God without a doubt. How great is your love.

How truly great you are God as we continue this time of worship. Thank you Father. Works through us that he worships. Praise you for it. I pray that it continues to worship and honor you. Live what we do with the things you give us God.

How greatly you bless us. Praise you Father. God. Thank you for this time of worship. I pray that the Spirit would open the ears So that we could hear your words this morning. God. The things you have prepared for us.

Praise you God, in Jesus name.

Human Uncertainty and the Certainty of God's Promises

We live in a world of uncertainties. You may have maybe had plans Friday night Like I did and then it started raining sideways for hours and hours. And then plans changed. You may have been coming to 12 .5 expecting to see a tent outside But it's not there, it wasn't certain to stay there.

We have so many uncertainties in life like We pray for our kids But the future is not. We don't know the future of what it's going to be like for their lives. We pray for them. We have many sports teams that we want to win But we don't know if that's going to happen.

Many of us, some of us Maybe just me Will step into the debate arena and we don't really know How it's going to go down. And it's because we live in a world of Uncertainties. And a lot of times these uncertainties Cause us to worry.

They give us fears The things that are outside of our control. But friend, you want to know what is Absolutely certain and a guarantee To happen? The promises of God. If you would Please turn with me in your copy of God's Word To Ephesians chapter 1 I want us to look at Verses 3 through 14 As Pastor Nathan has been teaching on This is one continuous Thought in the Greek.

And so I want us to be aware of the context here. So if you would join me and look with me At verse 3 where Paul says In Him we have redemption through His blood The forgiveness of our trespasses According to the riches of His grace Which He lavished upon us In all wisdom and insight Making known to us the mystery of His will According to His purpose Which He set forth in Christ As a plan for the fullness of time To unite all things In Him, things in heaven And things on earth In Him we have obtained an inheritance Having been predestined According to the purpose of Him Who works all things According to the counsel of His will.

So that we who are the first to hope in Christ Might be to the praise of His glory In Him. You also When you heard the word of truth The gospel of your salvation And believed in Him Were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit Who is the guarantee of our inheritance Until we acquire possession of it To the praise of His glory.

Please join me in prayer. Heavenly Father We praise Your holy name This morning and we thank You So much for Your word which is truth Which converts the soul And sanctifies us God I pray that You would open up hearts To be able to receive Your truth And to see Your majesty Put on display Jesus I praise things in Your name, Amen.

Divine Inheritance in Christ

So this morning I want to drive your focus Back to verse 11 In our text.

Where we read.

In Him we have obtained an inheritance Having been predestined According to the purpose of Him Who works all things According to the counsel of His will. So those first two words Really emphasize the whole context Of the book of Ephesians.

In Him We read in Paul's writings In Him we have obtained an inheritance. In Christ all the fullness of God Was pleased to dwell Here. In Ephesians 1 We see He chose us In Him before the foundation.

Of the world.

In Him we have redemption Through His blood. It's all about Christ. And that's what we see here in Paul's letter. And so we look at this word inheritance. What does that mean? Who is it to? Well this inheritance is promising Salvation for anyone Who would believe in Christ Whether Jew or Gentile.

Our inheritance in a word Is heaven. It's the sum total of all of God Has promised us in salvation. Our inheritance is both now And future. And so you may say Jeremiah How can this be future. When here in the verse it's past tense.

We've already obtained this inheritance. Well in English We see it rendered in the past tense. But in the Greek it's showing us That it's something that's past tense That's already future. How is that possible?

Because it's a certain guarantee. It is an absolute truth Because of the one who promised it to happen. And so Pastor Nathan Has been talking about this paradigm Of us living in the already And not yet.

We already have relationship with Christ But not in the fullness. We have an inheritance here and now But not in its fullest. And so yes it is now And future. We have a future blessed hope. Verse 10 reminds us of that.

For in the fullness of time He is going to unite all things together Whether things in heaven And whether things on earth. And so we are reminded that we are adopted As children. We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Amen Danny? We've been sealed with the Holy Spirit To receive this possession. He says in verse 14 The Holy Spirit is the guarantee Of our inheritance until we Acquire possession of it To the praise of His glory.

And so we see in verse 14 There's a future reality to our inheritance. And so that should motivate How we live here and now. Yes we are in Christ. But we await that future Blessed hope. So that changes everything To live as Christ.

But oh is it gain One day when we pass From this life to the next. So we should live each and every day Anticipating those sweet words that Jesus told us. Well done Good and faithful servant. I long for that day That gets me fired up here and now.

You want to know what else Jesus said? Come you who are blessed by my Father Inherit the kingdom prepared for you Before the foundation of the world. Well that sounds a lot like Ephesians 1 That's because it's God's truth Whether Jesus says it or the Apostle Paul Our inheritance Awaits us and that ultimately Means seeing God.

It means being with Christ And enjoying His glory. It means that we will reign with Christ. If we suffer with Him then we shall also Reign with Him. The kingdom of God here Is talking about in its fullest.

It's here. But it's also not yet. And so one of my favorite quotes From Martin Lloyd Jones He says. We shall be on this new earth And under the new heavens. And we shall enjoy paradise And eat of its celestial fruits.

We shall spend our eternity doing so. We will judge men We will judge angels. Because we are in Christ With Him. We shall enjoy that eternally blessed state Which will never end.

End quote.

Paul says In Him we have obtained an inheritance.

But Jeremiah.

A lot can happen between now.

And then.

A lot can happen in this world A lot of trials. Just continue to beat me down. Beat me down. How do I know that it is a guarantee. Well it's because of who God is. God promised it. He is the God of truth and He cannot lie.

Put your trust in Him. Don't put any of your trust in the uncertainties Of this world. God is absolutely sovereign And no created thing can thwart His purpose. Amen. So we move to the second part of verse 11 Which explains more and more About this beautiful reality Of how we do have An inheritance that is a guarantee.

Look with me.

Paul gives four major reasons Why our divine inheritance Is an absolute guarantee Having been predestined According to the purpose Of Him who works all things According to the counsel of His will. So four key words For you note takers out there We have predestined Purpose, counsel.

And will.

And so if you pay careful attention All this stems out of God's Counsel. So we have number one The counsel of God. And the reason why this comes first Is because everything in this world is leaving a trail.

And if you follow this trail back It's ultimately going to lead to God within Himself And His counsel from Eternity past. And so that God, the one true God Is triune, which Pastor Nathan pointed out This morning.

What does that mean? Well tri, meaning three. And un, for unity There is one true God who has Revealed Himself in three Divine persons. And we call Him the Trinity. And so I want you to think back with me For a moment.

As far as your mind will let you go Before the foundation of the world. Before there was a created universe. Before there was time. Before there was any angels and it was God And God alone. Verse four in our text Clues us in that this was taking place Before the foundation of the world.

You had God the Father, God the Son God the Spirit. They were counseling And considering every Conceivable possibility Within a created world. In Ephesians 1 we see this Trinity, right? Look earlier in verse 3.

Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 14 Tells us about the Holy Spirit. So you have a divine counsel From eternity past. And their counsel brought forth their will. Okay, so that brings us to point Number two.

God's will. This is God's decision. A choice was made and please Don't miss this. The decision was to create The world and it's all inclusive. Everything will come to pass The way that God purposes it.

It is God who works all Things after or according to The counsel of His will. This sheds some light on other Passages of scripture like James Chapter four where we read come now. You who say today or tomorrow We will go to such and such a city.

Spend a year there and make a trade or profit. Yet you do not know What tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist That appears for a little time And then vanishes away. Don't miss this.

Instead You ought to say if the Lord Wills we will live. And do this or that. James is saying you do not know the future. Only God knows the future Because He is working all things together The way that He purposed it.

The Proverbs tell us The same truth in many different ways. Many are the plans of the mind of man. But it is the purpose of the Lord That will stand Out of God's will Comes forth His choice Of the elect.

The elect are God's chosen Those whom He set His heart of affection To be His own possession. We see this earlier in the context Of Ephesians where we read Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who has blessed us In Christ with every spiritual Blessing in the heavenly places.

Jeremiah, who is the us? Right? In this talking about Some impersonal plan. No. This is talking about the saints. He addresses the beginning Of the letter to the saints who are in Ephesus. He's not Talking about a nameless and faceless Group.

No, God's plan Is personal and intentional To show His love to an undeserving People. I want you to feel the love The eternal love that we just sang about. Right? Verses 4 and 5 goes on to say Even as He chose us In Him before the foundation of the world That we should be holy and blameless Before Him.

Why? In love He predestined Us for the adoption to Himself As sons through Jesus Christ According to the purpose Of His will. God's choosing is not Random. It is not impersonal. It is quite the opposite.

God's choosing is according to The kind intention of His will. It is deeply Personal in love. This also should Blow our minds. This is from before the Foundation of the world. Guess what? I can't Comprehend that.

This was a time Before time. And yet we're Shown that God has marked out everything From the foundation of the world. Especially Those whom He has set His love upon. He has marked out where the Elect would be born in history.

Who their parents would be. What their gender would be. That moment When they would come to saving faith In the Son. Who they would marry Their entire life. The Old Testament tells us in Psalm 39 All the days of our life Have been written in a book before we've Ever lived one of them That should blow your mind.

God is big enough to do that God is sovereign. And I want you to understand That all of God's will Will be accomplished and no one Can say how you can't do that. God is God and you Are a part of the creation.

And so we should bend The knee and submit to Him. God's counsel is within Himself. Father, Son and Spirit They being the one True God made a decision. And this was from eternity past. And this brings us to number three God's purpose.

We're going to camp on this one for a little bit. Having been predestined According to the purpose Of Him who works all things According to the counsel of His will. Now we see this word purpose. This word in English occurred a few more times Earlier in the passage.