1
00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,480
Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to the Wednesday Bible Study. It

2
00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,040
Speaker 1: is so good to be together. Hope everybody had a

3
00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,760
Speaker 1: merry Christmas and a great new year. We do have

4
00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,520
Speaker 1: a lot to unpack. This is a brand new series.

5
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,720
Speaker 1: So if you are joining us for the first time, boy,

6
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,760
Speaker 1: your timing was really good. Uh. This is a brand

7
00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,160
Speaker 1: new series. It starts today. We don't know how long

8
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,919
Speaker 1: it will go. We're gonna do the prison letters from

9
00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,960
Speaker 1: the Apostle Paul. We're just gonna go the order that

10
00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,520
Speaker 1: ended up in the Canoni of Scriptures. So we are

11
00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,839
Speaker 1: going to start. We're gonna take a big bite right

12
00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,960
Speaker 1: out of the gate. Uh, and that's gonna be Ephesians.

13
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,320
Speaker 1: So if you want to go ahead and turn uh

14
00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,839
Speaker 1: to the the letter from the Apostle Paul to the

15
00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,320
Speaker 1: church or the churches in Ephesus, go ahead and do

16
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,800
Speaker 1: that now. Uh. We're gonna slow walk this a little bit.

17
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,520
Speaker 1: We're gonna we're gonna move at a slower pace. Uh.

18
00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,480
Speaker 1: Then we have some and studies passed because there's a

19
00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,479
Speaker 1: lot here. This is really really really deep stuff that

20
00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,800
Speaker 1: Paul's talking about. There's a lot of hope here. There's

21
00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,280
Speaker 1: a lot to learn and so let's walk through it slow,

22
00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,480
Speaker 1: and when there's times in it that doesn't need to

23
00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,560
Speaker 1: be slow, we'll pick up the pace a little bit.

24
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:19,760
Speaker 1: But I'm talking about today. We're going to go through

25
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,039
Speaker 1: six verses in chapter one. Even though it's not even

26
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,000
Speaker 1: a long chapter, those six verses will easily take up

27
00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,960
Speaker 1: our time today. So let me tell you who we are.

28
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,000
Speaker 1: If you're brand new, my name is Rick Burgess. Nice

29
00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,400
Speaker 1: to meet you or welcome back, whatever the case may be.

30
00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,240
Speaker 1: I host the Rick Burgess Show. That's my day job.

31
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,040
Speaker 1: That is a radio show that's available on all the

32
00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,280
Speaker 1: stuff you have to do now, radio stations, podcast, YouTube

33
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,840
Speaker 1: streaming apps, you name it. You can go to rickburgesshow

34
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,640
Speaker 1: dot com to find that out. We are. We're a

35
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,600
Speaker 1: bit of an anomaly because we are a secular show,

36
00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,720
Speaker 1: meaning all of our platforms are in the secular world.

37
00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,000
Speaker 1: But at the same time, we are all open about

38
00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,560
Speaker 1: our faith in Christ and the things we talk about

39
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,880
Speaker 1: come from a biblical worldview. We do a lot of comedy,

40
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,120
Speaker 1: we do sports, we do stories of the day, but

41
00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,160
Speaker 1: we also do a lot of discussion and do things

42
00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,720
Speaker 1: involving the Word of God. Now on the Daily show,

43
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,839
Speaker 1: we do some of that, then we have moments like this,

44
00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,080
Speaker 1: and I can tell you so many stories where we

45
00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,519
Speaker 1: just get in here and study the Bible, and we're

46
00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:34,120
Speaker 1: here most every Wednesday. You can catch an archive if

47
00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,920
Speaker 1: you've ever if you miss any of the installments on Wednesdays,

48
00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:41,840
Speaker 1: we keep the archives at Themanchurch dot Com. Just use

49
00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,440
Speaker 1: the media button. You can watch or you can listen

50
00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,400
Speaker 1: to those. So it really is part of a men's

51
00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,760
Speaker 1: discipleship strategy. Now women watch this and listen to this,

52
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,400
Speaker 1: and you're more than welcome because we're just going through

53
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,680
Speaker 1: the Word of God. But the Manchurch dot Com is

54
00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,600
Speaker 1: a part of the ministry that we do, and this

55
00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,799
Speaker 1: one designed for men. We do events. This is being

56
00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:10,359
Speaker 1: recorded and done live on January the seventh of twenty

57
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,000
Speaker 1: twenty six. So with that being said, we have two

58
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,640
Speaker 1: men's conferences coming at the end of January, one in Birmingham,

59
00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,519
Speaker 1: one in Startbull. And if you are catching this live

60
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,119
Speaker 1: on the seventh of January, this is the last day

61
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,480
Speaker 1: for you to get the few hundred tickets that remain

62
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,280
Speaker 1: less than one hundred for Startbull couple hundred for Birmingham,

63
00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,640
Speaker 1: but the price for those tickets will go up as

64
00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,840
Speaker 1: of January eighth, which will be Thursday, so go ahead

65
00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:42,880
Speaker 1: and do that if you haven't already gotten those. By

66
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,720
Speaker 1: going to themanchurch dot com. You also find that we

67
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,760
Speaker 1: have equipping material there as well. Forty week curriculum, we

68
00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,480
Speaker 1: have six of those for men's small groups, and we

69
00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,480
Speaker 1: have individual resources for men as well, and a brand

70
00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,800
Speaker 1: new one coming out at the conferences, a thirty one

71
00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,800
Speaker 1: a Bible study on the Mighty Book of James. So

72
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,440
Speaker 1: we will have that available at the conferences, and then

73
00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,880
Speaker 1: after that it'll be available also at the manchurch dot Com.

74
00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,000
Speaker 1: So let's open up in a word of prayer and

75
00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:17,240
Speaker 1: let's dive right in. Lord, thank you for the opportunity

76
00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,680
Speaker 1: to hear. I mean, even though this is a letter

77
00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,760
Speaker 1: that at the time was written from the apostle Paul,

78
00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:30,440
Speaker 1: inspired by the Holy Spirit You Lord, to a specific

79
00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:34,919
Speaker 1: group of people in Ephesus, we know now that it

80
00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,760
Speaker 1: is here in your Holy Word, because it's being written

81
00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,360
Speaker 1: to us, to any church, to any group of people.

82
00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,760
Speaker 1: And Lord, help us to take that today and to

83
00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,799
Speaker 1: discern and to apply it as you see, and also

84
00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:53,080
Speaker 1: getting into the very very sometimes difficult understanding of you.

85
00:04:54,760 --> 00:05:03,080
Speaker 1: Help us with our finite brains to somehow comprehend you

86
00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:08,080
Speaker 1: who are infinite and help us with that. In the

87
00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:14,760
Speaker 1: Holy Word of God, it's just you trying to make this.

88
00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,960
Speaker 1: You know in morsels that we can consume by the

89
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,400
Speaker 1: power of the Holy Spirit. And in the name of Jesus,

90
00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,320
Speaker 1: we pray amen. So let's try that. So here is Paul.

91
00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,080
Speaker 1: Let's get a little background. I love starting a new

92
00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,120
Speaker 1: series because I get to look at all the background

93
00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,200
Speaker 1: and I enjoy learning all this. So this is being

94
00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,479
Speaker 1: written to Ephesus. I get a chance to go to

95
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,600
Speaker 1: Ephesus coming up in the fall, which I'm excited about

96
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,159
Speaker 1: that Sherry and I are going to be hosting a

97
00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:47,880
Speaker 1: cruise and going to Ephesus and all through that region

98
00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,560
Speaker 1: of the world coming up in the fall. Lord Willing, So,

99
00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,880
Speaker 1: Ephesus a really large, really important city in Paul's time.

100
00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,320
Speaker 1: We think about three hundred and fifty thousand people live there.

101
00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:05,240
Speaker 1: That was big for that time century centrally located on

102
00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,120
Speaker 1: the western coasts of Asia minor modern day Turkey in

103
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,400
Speaker 1: that area. So what were they famous for? I thought

104
00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,960
Speaker 1: this was funny because some of you that may not

105
00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:20,039
Speaker 1: be as familiar with the Christian culture. We actually have

106
00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,400
Speaker 1: a strategy that we use. One of the things you

107
00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,600
Speaker 1: can use to point someone to the redemption in Christ.

108
00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:29,920
Speaker 1: And we call it the Romans Road, what comes from

109
00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,360
Speaker 1: the Book of Romans. But one of the things that

110
00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,640
Speaker 1: was famous for Ephesus is they had a great Roman

111
00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,440
Speaker 1: road that linked them to the world, and therefore they

112
00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,320
Speaker 1: were able to trade and really do well. But here

113
00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,159
Speaker 1: was the bad part, and this is what Paul was

114
00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,200
Speaker 1: having to deal with. They were famous for a lot

115
00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,000
Speaker 1: of things, but one of the things they were world

116
00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:57,839
Speaker 1: famous for was their gigantic temple to Diana Artemis. It

117
00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,160
Speaker 1: was one of the wonders of the ancient world world. Uh.

118
00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,120
Speaker 1: It was a sacred shrine. Uh. And it was in

119
00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:09,279
Speaker 1: the image of of Diana. And and you can imagine

120
00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,840
Speaker 1: the problem with that because if you've got one of

121
00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,080
Speaker 1: the wonders of the world that is a temple to

122
00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,880
Speaker 1: a pagan god. One of the ways that pagan gods

123
00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 1: were worshiped were through things like temple, prostitutes, a lot

124
00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,520
Speaker 1: of a debauchery. Uh. And so this is going on

125
00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,960
Speaker 1: in the city. Uh. You remember we did First Corinthians

126
00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,160
Speaker 1: and Second Corinthians. If you were in here, we did that. Uh.

127
00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,880
Speaker 1: So I want to for all of you you know

128
00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,440
Speaker 1: that know the history of Corinth. Corinth is still sitting

129
00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:41,760
Speaker 1: in our number one position of the most sinful city.

130
00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,680
Speaker 1: Ephesus was not quite Corinth, but it was definitely a

131
00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,120
Speaker 1: solid number two. Uh. It was not a it was

132
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,320
Speaker 1: almost to the level of Corinth. Uh, but but not

133
00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,360
Speaker 1: quite so it was. There was a lot of horrible

134
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,120
Speaker 1: things going on. This is the the you know, the

135
00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,520
Speaker 1: gentile world, and a lot of the Greek odds and

136
00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,320
Speaker 1: all that obviously were part of this sou But Ephesus

137
00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,320
Speaker 1: actually became no surprise here if you know. The the

138
00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,960
Speaker 1: apostle Paul, he said of his headquarters there, he operated

139
00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,880
Speaker 1: from there during a number when he got When he

140
00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,960
Speaker 1: got there on his third missionary journey, he stayed for

141
00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,920
Speaker 1: three years after he planned the church. Now, let me

142
00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,920
Speaker 1: tell you some people that operated with him in Ephesus,

143
00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,000
Speaker 1: Aquila and Priscilla. Matter of fact, he left them there

144
00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,800
Speaker 1: on his second missionary journey because he didn't stay. He

145
00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:37,559
Speaker 1: left them there. Also, Tittacus is there. You hear him

146
00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:42,600
Speaker 1: being referred to Timothy obviously, and the apostle John also,

147
00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:47,079
Speaker 1: John worked out of Ephesus as well. So it was

148
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,560
Speaker 1: it was the only church. I thought this was interesting.

149
00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,720
Speaker 1: It's the only church of any of the churches listed

150
00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:59,960
Speaker 1: in scripture that gets a letter from two different apostles,

151
00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,559
Speaker 1: one from Paul obviously and one from John. So so

152
00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,520
Speaker 1: that that that makes it very unique. So that's kind

153
00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,520
Speaker 1: of the setup of where we are now. When you

154
00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:15,280
Speaker 1: think about John's letter that Jesus told him to to

155
00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,280
Speaker 1: write to them, you know that that I'm thinking about

156
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,480
Speaker 1: as I was starting this. You know, we do know that.

157
00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:27,040
Speaker 1: You know, if you're a person that that that you

158
00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,120
Speaker 1: remember we talked about the different letters. You know, some

159
00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,719
Speaker 1: people have a worldview that it just applied to Ephesus

160
00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:38,240
Speaker 1: at that time. Uh. The dispensationalist think it represents the

161
00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,080
Speaker 1: ages of the church and we're now in Leah the Sea. Uh.

162
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,640
Speaker 1: And then there's what I personally believe. I hope sure

163
00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,840
Speaker 1: he doesn't hear this because we we don't necessarily agree

164
00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,720
Speaker 1: on this, But what what I personally believe is that

165
00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,160
Speaker 1: it can apply to any church at any time, that

166
00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:58,720
Speaker 1: these are the different things that could be going on

167
00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,720
Speaker 1: at any church, these seven letters to the Church. I

168
00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,280
Speaker 1: tend to believe that was the intention for it to

169
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,959
Speaker 1: be applied at any time. Well, we're gonna do that now.

170
00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,840
Speaker 1: Just as I said, it was written to the churches

171
00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:12,920
Speaker 1: there in Ephesus, and we do believe it was more

172
00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,840
Speaker 1: than one church, because Paul had planted more than one

173
00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,280
Speaker 1: in this area. They were all getting this letter. So

174
00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,800
Speaker 1: the author, of course is Paul. The letter is one

175
00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,240
Speaker 1: who uh and this was you know, he had led

176
00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,200
Speaker 1: so many of these people to Christ. So if you're

177
00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,880
Speaker 1: sitting there in your church that Paul planted, and Paul

178
00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,360
Speaker 1: has discipled, or maybe Paul led you to Christ, he

179
00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,400
Speaker 1: has become an evangelist in this area. And can you

180
00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,120
Speaker 1: imagine if all of a sudden I sat down, I said,

181
00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:46,960
Speaker 1: all right, guys, I got I got a letter from Paul,

182
00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,760
Speaker 1: and he's got some stuff he wants us to remember.

183
00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,120
Speaker 1: It's a big deal. This is cherished from these people,

184
00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,880
Speaker 1: especially the culture they lived in. They were getting persecuted

185
00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,679
Speaker 1: quite a bit. So we on a second missionary journey.

186
00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:07,160
Speaker 1: Paul actually had gotten an invitation to stay there at Ephesus,

187
00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,319
Speaker 1: but he turned that down and he went on because

188
00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,280
Speaker 1: he wanted to be in Jerusalem for the feast, And

189
00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,800
Speaker 1: he left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus to kind of

190
00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,280
Speaker 1: cultivate the spiritual ground for his return, which would be

191
00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,080
Speaker 1: that third visit. And the third visit is when we

192
00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,000
Speaker 1: think he got arrested. The third visit he he buddy,

193
00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,280
Speaker 1: he cranked a revival in Ephesus, and it really really

194
00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:36,080
Speaker 1: upsets some people. And so the Jewish people there and

195
00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:41,960
Speaker 1: of course the Pagans there turned hostile toward Paul, and

196
00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,280
Speaker 1: he was and when his own people, the Hebrews, anytime

197
00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,480
Speaker 1: they would they would persecute Paul. What would he always do?

198
00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,440
Speaker 1: He turned to the Gentiles, because he was called to

199
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,599
Speaker 1: the Gentiles and to the jew but to the Gentiles.

200
00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:00,880
Speaker 1: For him, he was really the only apostle. They said, yeah,

201
00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,680
Speaker 1: you're gonna do some Hebrew stuff, but we need you

202
00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:06,880
Speaker 1: on these Gentiles. And so he turned to them if

203
00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,000
Speaker 1: he felt like he wouldn't get anywhere with the Hebrews.

204
00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,560
Speaker 1: And so when he did that revival broke out in

205
00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:18,559
Speaker 1: the Gentiles, and I mean it thrived. Miracles were being performed.

206
00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,800
Speaker 1: Paul converts them to such a level, and this was

207
00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:29,560
Speaker 1: a gentile pagan no no is. They became so devoted

208
00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,480
Speaker 1: to Christ into what Paul was teaching them. They started

209
00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,880
Speaker 1: burning all these pagan books they were in the libraries,

210
00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,360
Speaker 1: and they were doing big bonfires and saying we're done

211
00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:42,480
Speaker 1: with these pagan gods. Well, these books were pretty expensive

212
00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,120
Speaker 1: and they made a lot of money for people, and

213
00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,440
Speaker 1: this guy everybody stirred up. And so the revival was

214
00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:52,360
Speaker 1: so powerful. If you remember our study of Acts, we've

215
00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:53,640
Speaker 1: done that too. If you want to catch out in

216
00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,040
Speaker 1: the archives, Luke actually writes about it, and he writes

217
00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:01,800
Speaker 1: about it in Acts nineteen, starting at verse twenty, because

218
00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,200
Speaker 1: it says, this is what I love what Luke told us.

219
00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,560
Speaker 1: He said, this revival was breaking out. Ephesus was on

220
00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,079
Speaker 1: fire for Jesus, literally burning books. And I like this.

221
00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:17,040
Speaker 1: It was so mighty was the revival that the word

222
00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,000
Speaker 1: of God began to prevail over everything else. I love

223
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,280
Speaker 1: that Luke said that about it. So we think it

224
00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:28,960
Speaker 1: was during this revival that Paul was imprisoned. First Corinthians,

225
00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:33,800
Speaker 1: we studied that too, Chapter fifteen, verse thirty two. You

226
00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:38,000
Speaker 1: remember when Paul says a fought wild beast at Ephesus,

227
00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:40,480
Speaker 1: Do you remember that? And we said, we think he

228
00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,679
Speaker 1: was talking about the people that were persecuting him there.

229
00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:47,200
Speaker 1: So we believe that that is where he when he

230
00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,680
Speaker 1: was arrested. So then we see. So so Verse one

231
00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,400
Speaker 1: tells us Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the

232
00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,319
Speaker 1: will of God. Right out of gate. I think we

233
00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,960
Speaker 1: should start unders underlining things. Okay, so we know that

234
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,160
Speaker 1: he's an apostle of Christ Jesus, and that happened because

235
00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,800
Speaker 1: it was the will of God. It's going to be

236
00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:13,240
Speaker 1: written here to the local church, likely all the local

237
00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,480
Speaker 1: churches in the area, as I said, and look at

238
00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,880
Speaker 1: the next thing, to the saints. I really really unpacked this,

239
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,680
Speaker 1: I remember I was. I was probably my goodness to

240
00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:29,120
Speaker 1: see ninety six is when I begin to follow Jesus

241
00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,840
Speaker 1: and was redeemed and started being sanctified. I moved to

242
00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:39,440
Speaker 1: Birmingham in ninety eight, so this was probably five six

243
00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,920
Speaker 1: years since I had been following Jesus. And I remember

244
00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,360
Speaker 1: the first time there was someone singing at the church

245
00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,480
Speaker 1: that we had joined, and I remember the singer referring

246
00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,360
Speaker 1: us to as referring to us as the saints, and

247
00:14:54,400 --> 00:15:01,040
Speaker 1: I remember going, what, I'm not a saint, and which

248
00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,920
Speaker 1: you know, I was crystal clear on that, and and

249
00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,880
Speaker 1: I was like, why why are are we called saints?

250
00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:10,840
Speaker 1: And uh? And so so the answer to that is

251
00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:15,200
Speaker 1: actually yes, you know, Ephesus had a nasty culture, as

252
00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,360
Speaker 1: I said, like Corinth, and you know, and and there's

253
00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:23,040
Speaker 1: there was sin at the heart of the region. But

254
00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:27,800
Speaker 1: but saints stands for the called out ones, those that

255
00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,800
Speaker 1: are that are holy, those that have been separated. That's

256
00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,640
Speaker 1: what that means. So if you know, and I start

257
00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,560
Speaker 1: thinking about us, now, you know where we live, and

258
00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,880
Speaker 1: I know this goes all over the world, but where

259
00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,640
Speaker 1: we live, and and I've seen the world, I don't

260
00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,480
Speaker 1: know where this bastion of holiness is in the world.

261
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,760
Speaker 1: But but I will tell you that in the culture

262
00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,960
Speaker 1: we're in right now, probably more than ever in my lifetime.

263
00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:54,280
Speaker 1: I don't think more than ever since the history of

264
00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:56,920
Speaker 1: the church, but more than ever in my lifetime, and

265
00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,560
Speaker 1: a place where the church is pretty free, much freer

266
00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,840
Speaker 1: than other parts of the world. But if you don't

267
00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:09,160
Speaker 1: feel like that, you're different than the culture. If there

268
00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:10,720
Speaker 1: was ever a time that you would really want to

269
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,520
Speaker 1: investigate the word saint, it'd be now, because we are

270
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:18,800
Speaker 1: living in a place that the whole culture, at the

271
00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,760
Speaker 1: heart of our culture is sin. Remember now, think about

272
00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,400
Speaker 1: what these Ephesians were seeing that had come to faith

273
00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,920
Speaker 1: in Christ. I mean, they're watching this gigantic I mean,

274
00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,560
Speaker 1: every day they get up and see this mammoth temple

275
00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,600
Speaker 1: to Diana, and they see all the nastiness of these

276
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,960
Speaker 1: temple prostitutes and people coming into their city from all

277
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,000
Speaker 1: over to lay with these prostitutes and commit all these

278
00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:50,200
Speaker 1: horrible sins against God. So he's saying, hey to the

279
00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:53,200
Speaker 1: saints that are in Ephesus, to those that have been

280
00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,920
Speaker 1: called out from this culture. And I guess that would

281
00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,080
Speaker 1: be one of my first takeaways. We're only a few

282
00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,600
Speaker 1: words into this study. And the thing that I sat

283
00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,080
Speaker 1: in my office as I studied this, and I had

284
00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:09,720
Speaker 1: to ask myself a difficult question. Do you really deserve

285
00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:14,359
Speaker 1: the title of saint? Are you just too much like

286
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,400
Speaker 1: the culture to have that title? Because what's he's telling them,

287
00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,000
Speaker 1: y'all don't look in anything like the place y'all live,

288
00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,240
Speaker 1: Because remember what did even Jesus say about Ephesus. You've

289
00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,760
Speaker 1: been doing great. I like the way. I like what

290
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:30,520
Speaker 1: you've been doing. Now I have this against you, and

291
00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:32,760
Speaker 1: he telling them what they needed to fix. But right

292
00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,400
Speaker 1: now Paul is writing this to encourage them, to remind

293
00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,000
Speaker 1: them of the hope. That's what you're gonna find in

294
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,439
Speaker 1: this letter, we're gonna see grace twelve times. You know.

295
00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,800
Speaker 1: Throughout this letter, Paul's gonna remind them of what Jesus

296
00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,040
Speaker 1: did for them, remind them of what the hope that

297
00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,960
Speaker 1: we have in Jesus. And because I don't know about y'all,

298
00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:55,840
Speaker 1: there's a lot of days you can start feeling kind

299
00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:01,240
Speaker 1: of hopeless, and you think they didn't experience that. So

300
00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,919
Speaker 1: so he said, to the saints who are at Ephesus,

301
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,800
Speaker 1: look at this are and and are faithful in Christ Jesus.

302
00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,080
Speaker 1: So don't think for a minute that this is going

303
00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,200
Speaker 1: to be kind of like what we saw with the Corinthians,

304
00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,679
Speaker 1: where they're about to get a lecture. They're really going

305
00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:18,600
Speaker 1: to get an encouragement. Now. Are there going to be

306
00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:20,520
Speaker 1: some things that he's going to ask them to remember

307
00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,760
Speaker 1: and consider? Sure, but you're not going to see him

308
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,399
Speaker 1: getting on to them like he did the Corinthians, because

309
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,920
Speaker 1: the Corinthians had kind of drifted back to they were

310
00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,199
Speaker 1: starting to become more like the culture. You see him

311
00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:38,240
Speaker 1: now saying the Ephesians really really haven't. And so so

312
00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,320
Speaker 1: it said, it's basically saying, the faithful in Jesus Christ.

313
00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:42,800
Speaker 1: Now I want to tell you one of these things.

314
00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:48,760
Speaker 1: Here we go, and I sometimes I have a bit

315
00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:52,679
Speaker 1: of a caution a yellow light and wave a yellow

316
00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,280
Speaker 1: flag anytime I begin to teach people that are all

317
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,560
Speaker 1: at all kinds of different levels. This room has been

318
00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,639
Speaker 1: so committed to this Bible study for so many years.

319
00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,000
Speaker 1: For us, it's it's it's no problem out there. I

320
00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:07,800
Speaker 1: worry a little bit because I don't want people to

321
00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,440
Speaker 1: get too caught up in this. But but when you

322
00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:12,960
Speaker 1: when you there, there are things that we have in

323
00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:16,600
Speaker 1: some of the English translations of the Bible that when

324
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,679
Speaker 1: we when we when we in forty seven got the

325
00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,760
Speaker 1: Dead Sea Scrolls, we are we were now finding manuscripts

326
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,159
Speaker 1: that were older than what we already had in some

327
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,720
Speaker 1: of the English translations. And we would notice sometimes hey,

328
00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:35,159
Speaker 1: wait a minute, nothing that would affect theology, but just

329
00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,320
Speaker 1: little nuances. The closer we got to the original writings

330
00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,800
Speaker 1: of words that weren't there, you know, pieces of scripture

331
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:44,919
Speaker 1: that didn't seem to be in the early manuscripts, that

332
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:46,760
Speaker 1: we had to find out why they were canonized, why

333
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,920
Speaker 1: are they there? And all of it passes the test.

334
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:55,320
Speaker 1: But if you go back to the earlier manuscripts, he says,

335
00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:00,800
Speaker 1: the saints who are faithful in Christ, Jesus in Ephesus.

336
00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:06,240
Speaker 1: So the reason why that's important is, yes, it's to

337
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:08,119
Speaker 1: the people of Ephesus, which is one of these to

338
00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,080
Speaker 1: put it back in. So who's got the letter? But

339
00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,719
Speaker 1: you almost see Paul already saying I'm talking to everybody.

340
00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,800
Speaker 1: It's almost like there was there was a holy spirit work. Oh,

341
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,720
Speaker 1: this letter is going way beyond Ephesus. Okay, it's it's

342
00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:27,359
Speaker 1: to the saints and and who are faithful in Christ Jesus.

343
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,920
Speaker 1: And then look at this verse two. It doesn't take

344
00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,800
Speaker 1: us long, does it. Verse two? Grace to you and

345
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,320
Speaker 1: peace from God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

346
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,960
Speaker 1: Now why is that verse important? Well, grace, Like I said,

347
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,480
Speaker 1: it's gonna appear a dozen times in this letter. Paul says,

348
00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,040
Speaker 1: this grace comes what from God, the Father and the

349
00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,080
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ. Why is that important? Go ahead and

350
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,280
Speaker 1: underline that. Remember what he's doing. What was the big

351
00:20:55,359 --> 00:21:00,439
Speaker 1: argument against Jesus. He's not God and and and no,

352
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,040
Speaker 1: yes he is. He and the Father are one. The

353
00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,160
Speaker 1: grace is coming to you in peace from God our

354
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,520
Speaker 1: Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When you go and

355
00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,520
Speaker 1: look at the original Greek. Here he's taking grace and peace,

356
00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,200
Speaker 1: and which is those two? Why is that important? Okay?

357
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,600
Speaker 1: First of all, the word that's been used here about

358
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,040
Speaker 1: from grace is a word that the Greeks used, whether

359
00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,760
Speaker 1: it was almost like a salutation. They would say this

360
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,119
Speaker 1: Greek word to you, which meant grace to you. So

361
00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,520
Speaker 1: he's saying grace. Watch how Paul works here and the

362
00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,800
Speaker 1: power of God. The word peace here would really come

363
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,520
Speaker 1: from the Hebrew Shalam. So he is even using a

364
00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,200
Speaker 1: just a simple sentence to say Jesus is deity. He

365
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,119
Speaker 1: and the Father go together, and the jew and the

366
00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:56,480
Speaker 1: Gentile go together. It's one church, one God, try youn

367
00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,560
Speaker 1: but one. So that's really a much deeper verse then

368
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,000
Speaker 1: the many years that I have looked at it. There's

369
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,080
Speaker 1: a lot going on right there. So he is giving

370
00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:10,160
Speaker 1: the son part of the of the Trinity. He's giving

371
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:15,920
Speaker 1: Jesus the deity that he demands. And then next he's

372
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,600
Speaker 1: going to go into a reminder of the blessings that

373
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,760
Speaker 1: we all have if we are redeemed. If you are

374
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,960
Speaker 1: a Christian, you are a disciple of Jesus, you have

375
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,840
Speaker 1: been redeemed. He's like, look this is where we stand,

376
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:35,440
Speaker 1: all right, This is where we stand. Three blessed. Blessed

377
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,119
Speaker 1: be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who

378
00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:44,639
Speaker 1: has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in

379
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,840
Speaker 1: the heavenly places. You know, you heard me talk about

380
00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,399
Speaker 1: that with James. But when I was talking about the

381
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,280
Speaker 1: new resource we have coming out. I still have days

382
00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,879
Speaker 1: that I really really miss Steve Farrar. I got a

383
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,880
Speaker 1: Christmas card from his and I was just thinking looking

384
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,399
Speaker 1: at those sons and looking at all those grandkids, and

385
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,800
Speaker 1: looking at his wife, and I'm like, you know, the

386
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,480
Speaker 1: fact that Steve just passed from a heart attack. You know,

387
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,439
Speaker 1: they didn't have any warning it this this man that

388
00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:19,760
Speaker 1: was such an icon of the faith but also to

389
00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:24,240
Speaker 1: his family. And I remember one of the last things,

390
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,720
Speaker 1: one of the last things that Steve Feroar said to me.

391
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,360
Speaker 1: It was just a little call of us. And anytime

392
00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:33,639
Speaker 1: he would call me, I'd be super excited because he

393
00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,040
Speaker 1: was such a great mentor. And I didn't get to

394
00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,159
Speaker 1: talk to him a lot outside of conferences, but when

395
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:43,480
Speaker 1: we would talk, it would always be impactful. And I

396
00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:45,320
Speaker 1: answered the phone and he was talking to me, and

397
00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:47,879
Speaker 1: we were talking about what we were doing. And he said,

398
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,600
Speaker 1: so what do you study it? Because he always asked,

399
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,680
Speaker 1: and I said, well, you know, I've got some things

400
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,040
Speaker 1: going here, But as far as what I'm studying at church,

401
00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,600
Speaker 1: I said that, you know, in my in my small

402
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:05,320
Speaker 1: group at church, I'm studying Aphesians. He goes, Ahphesians, the

403
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,160
Speaker 1: mighty Book of Ephesians. And I was like, yes, sir,

404
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:13,800
Speaker 1: he goes, spend a lot of time in Ephesians. And

405
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,879
Speaker 1: so I remember that. Of course, I was being taught

406
00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:21,399
Speaker 1: Ephesians by Greg Morrison, those of you know Greg. So

407
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,879
Speaker 1: I got to study Ephesians for three years and I

408
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,560
Speaker 1: studied two verses for six weeks. Now, we're not gonna

409
00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,119
Speaker 1: move that slow. I told Greg Morrison that, and Greg laughed.

410
00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:34,840
Speaker 1: He sat back, he said, I've been in the Gospel

411
00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,920
Speaker 1: of John since twenty twenty three, and so anyway, he's

412
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,119
Speaker 1: still teaching. What a great Bible teacher. I'm so thankful

413
00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:47,040
Speaker 1: for both of those men. So anyway, right here, look

414
00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,480
Speaker 1: at all that's being said. Here. He's saying that, you know,

415
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,879
Speaker 1: now we're not going to get to verse fourteen today,

416
00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,959
Speaker 1: but I want you to know that verse three all

417
00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,600
Speaker 1: the way to verse fourteen, which will finish up next week.

418
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,840
Speaker 1: It's all one sentence and so, but we got to

419
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 1: come in here and break it a little bit. Paul

420
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,960
Speaker 1: would do a run on sentence. My English teachers would

421
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,760
Speaker 1: not grade Paul's letters very well as far as the

422
00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:15,920
Speaker 1: but so he loves a run on sentence. But anyway,

423
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,919
Speaker 1: and three he in three through six, he's gonna talk

424
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,840
Speaker 1: about the will of the Father, okay, And that's where

425
00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,320
Speaker 1: we're gonna end is on six. After that it'll be

426
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:29,200
Speaker 1: the work of the Son seven through twelve, and then

427
00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:32,240
Speaker 1: we get to fourteen. I hope we get that far.

428
00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:34,639
Speaker 1: Next week it'll be the Witness of the Spirit and

429
00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,399
Speaker 1: that'll just be chapter one. Okay. So anyway, let's talk

430
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,840
Speaker 1: about three. The first thing he says is it's the

431
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,280
Speaker 1: will of the Father to bless us in Christ. We

432
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,640
Speaker 1: get to see the Father more clearly. What in Jesus

433
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,959
Speaker 1: the Son. I really resonated on that. Think about that,

434
00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,000
Speaker 1: you know, because when Jesus said, if you see me,

435
00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:02,040
Speaker 1: you've seen the Father. You know, before that, all anybody

436
00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,119
Speaker 1: had is what the prophets said about God. And what

437
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:09,679
Speaker 1: Jesus is saying is God's here, I'm with you. So

438
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,360
Speaker 1: we get the clearest look at the Father in Jesus.

439
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,119
Speaker 1: And you know what, Paul says, What a blessing that

440
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,280
Speaker 1: we're what on the other side of the new Covenant.

441
00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,399
Speaker 1: What a blessing that the Son has come. What a

442
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:25,000
Speaker 1: blessing that he has now given us access to the

443
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,520
Speaker 1: Father in a way we've never had before, something the

444
00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:32,080
Speaker 1: old Covenant could not accomplish. And we're blessed that this

445
00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:36,520
Speaker 1: is happening. But know that it's happening because God allowed it.

446
00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:38,679
Speaker 1: It was his will that this happened. Now, hang on

447
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,080
Speaker 1: to that, guse, we're going to have a great fun

448
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,399
Speaker 1: before we get out of here. We're predestination and election.

449
00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:46,639
Speaker 1: I wish Paul would have saved it maybe before the

450
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,720
Speaker 1: last chapter, maybe right before maybe even five, right before

451
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,400
Speaker 1: the spiritual warfare stuff. But Paul wants me to deal

452
00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:55,119
Speaker 1: with that right out of the gate, So we will.

453
00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,800
Speaker 1: But it's okay, we're not afraid of that. Okay. But

454
00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:04,800
Speaker 1: I was thinking it happened to me on Sunday. So

455
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 1: this past Sunday, you know, I was talking to some

456
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,680
Speaker 1: people that I had not seen in a long time,

457
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,879
Speaker 1: and it was actually I had a chance, and I

458
00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:21,160
Speaker 1: didn't get back to Birmingham till later in the weekend

459
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,480
Speaker 1: from being on vacation and going doing different things, and

460
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,920
Speaker 1: I was able to after church on Sunday. I got

461
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,119
Speaker 1: back to teach Sunday after church on Sunday. And he

462
00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,800
Speaker 1: was in this Bible study for many many years, never

463
00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,359
Speaker 1: missed until he got sick. And that was Bubba Collins.

464
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,120
Speaker 1: And Bubba Collins, you know, we we had a couple

465
00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,480
Speaker 1: of things happened over the break involving men here in

466
00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,680
Speaker 1: our group. The one who who's whose wife passed away

467
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:51,280
Speaker 1: after five years battling cancer and uh, and then Bubba

468
00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,639
Speaker 1: Collins used to be in here. And so you know,

469
00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:56,920
Speaker 1: when you go to any kind of memorial thing or whatever,

470
00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,320
Speaker 1: you see people you haven't seen in a while. And

471
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,760
Speaker 1: I was talking to a person that knew two of

472
00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:06,840
Speaker 1: my sons and they didn't know me that well, and

473
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,960
Speaker 1: and they did they you know, didn't know Sherry that

474
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,720
Speaker 1: well personally, but they knew our sons really well. They

475
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,000
Speaker 1: taught them and you know, they did things with them

476
00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:21,199
Speaker 1: to ministry with them, and it and it really resonated

477
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,280
Speaker 1: when I was studying this because this is kind of

478
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,400
Speaker 1: the way we look at Jesus when we think about

479
00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,359
Speaker 1: the Father, and and and I came home and I

480
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:34,520
Speaker 1: told Sherry, I said, I can't tell you any greater

481
00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:41,000
Speaker 1: compliment than I heard today involving our sons. And she said, well,

482
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,040
Speaker 1: what do you mean, I said, And it was, it

483
00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:47,280
Speaker 1: was what you read write our scripture, this person said

484
00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:51,160
Speaker 1: to me, with another person agreeing, I don't know you,

485
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,480
Speaker 1: and I don't know Sherry as well as I would

486
00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:58,600
Speaker 1: have liked to, but if you're anything like your sons,

487
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 1: we thought a lot of you both because of our

488
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,280
Speaker 1: interaction with your sons. And I thought, well, that's right

489
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:08,719
Speaker 1: out of what we're teaching, you know what I mean.

490
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:12,640
Speaker 1: I mean, that's the you know, do we know the Father? Well,

491
00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,280
Speaker 1: because of a son, we do, you know. And so

492
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,680
Speaker 1: that's exactly what Paul is talking about. And then the

493
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:25,600
Speaker 1: second part of three, Jesus is in that sphere of

494
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:31,560
Speaker 1: the blessing, but he's also in the same sphere in

495
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,600
Speaker 1: the heavenly places, places and in Christ. So what we're

496
00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,880
Speaker 1: seeing here is, he says, because we've been blessed by

497
00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,880
Speaker 1: the Father through his son Jesus, we now have access

498
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:47,640
Speaker 1: to every spiritual blessing, not just here where we are,

499
00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:51,440
Speaker 1: but in the heavenly places too, because he operates in both.

500
00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,480
Speaker 1: He came from the heavenly places, he created the heavenly places,

501
00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,720
Speaker 1: but he also came here to what to right what

502
00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:06,200
Speaker 1: happened here. He's going to return not just these heavenly

503
00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:11,680
Speaker 1: blessings for the redeemed. He's here to set things right

504
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:17,200
Speaker 1: through redemption, to give back to mankind. And it's in

505
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 1: his and her fallen state. In a fallen creation. He

506
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:27,440
Speaker 1: brings the blessing of the perfection of God, brings it

507
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,880
Speaker 1: down to an earth and a people that rejected him

508
00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:32,920
Speaker 1: and says, I'm going to offer it back to you.

509
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,760
Speaker 1: And he says, and that ought to be something to celebrate.

510
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 1: That already give you hope, just like I interacted with

511
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,440
Speaker 1: everybody involved with the two earthly deaths I just mentioned

512
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,040
Speaker 1: that are in this Bible study. And when you're talking

513
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,760
Speaker 1: to people who know that their loved one has been

514
00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:57,040
Speaker 1: redeemed by Jesus and they themselves are redeemed, it's just

515
00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:04,320
Speaker 1: a different conversation. Don't mourn like the lost and it's

516
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:09,080
Speaker 1: just a different conversation. And why you know what Paul says, well, Rick,

517
00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:10,840
Speaker 1: basically you know you know who made that happen, don't

518
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:18,000
Speaker 1: you Jesus, And don't forget that. So that's how powerful.

519
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:24,600
Speaker 1: Verse three is on its own. So he holds them together. Now,

520
00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:26,920
Speaker 1: don't miss this because this is coming in chapter two.

521
00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:33,920
Speaker 1: Jesus holds all this together. So why is it important

522
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:37,360
Speaker 1: that Jesus also is in the heavenlyes and on earth. Well,

523
00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,680
Speaker 1: Paul's gonna tell Us and Ephesians two. Verse two, I'll

524
00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,600
Speaker 1: go ahead and give you a trailer for that coming movie.

525
00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:48,640
Speaker 1: Is that he calls Satan himself, what the prince of

526
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:55,000
Speaker 1: the power of the air, along with the host of

527
00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,320
Speaker 1: these spiritual beings, the fallen angels that went with him.

528
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:05,040
Speaker 1: So we take the heavenlies by storm thanks to Christ,

529
00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:10,480
Speaker 1: and Satan may haunt the heavenly still. But because of

530
00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:14,960
Speaker 1: Jesus completing paying for our sins and paying the debt

531
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:19,560
Speaker 1: and also conquering eternal death, he has even conquered the

532
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:24,560
Speaker 1: heavenlies where Satan had for a time was the prince.

533
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,680
Speaker 1: But Jesus has conquered him and he's taking everything back.

534
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:32,080
Speaker 1: And all Satan can do now for the Redeemed. He

535
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,520
Speaker 1: can haunt the heavenlies, he can haunt the earth. He

536
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:37,640
Speaker 1: can try to haunt you, but he can't rule you

537
00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:43,959
Speaker 1: because of Jesus. So now we go into the scope

538
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,200
Speaker 1: of our blessings in verses four and five. And here

539
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,560
Speaker 1: we go, No, what, we don't have to be afraid

540
00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:54,680
Speaker 1: of this, okay? And if I would like all of

541
00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:57,400
Speaker 1: our hyper Calvinists to just get in the hall and

542
00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:59,760
Speaker 1: I'll be waiting to meet with you after we're done today.

543
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:04,320
Speaker 1: Uh so. Uh. I can always spot to Hypercalvinists because

544
00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,160
Speaker 1: they cross their arms and stand in the corner and

545
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,320
Speaker 1: wait for the Bible study to be over so they

546
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,880
Speaker 1: can tell me how wrong I am. So. But but

547
00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,640
Speaker 1: here's here's what I want us to understand. Let's just

548
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,840
Speaker 1: get out of all that trust me. I've told you

549
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,720
Speaker 1: all before. I have a public platform, and I've had

550
00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:21,520
Speaker 1: all kinds of people that would tell me I'd be

551
00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:25,840
Speaker 1: a real Christian if I would just get this. Apparently,

552
00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,560
Speaker 1: I need to speak in tongues. I need to get

553
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,680
Speaker 1: baptism right, I need to get election and predestiny right.

554
00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,560
Speaker 1: I need to join the Catholic Church completely. Uh And

555
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,160
Speaker 1: and you know, so I get all that stuff, okay,

556
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,320
Speaker 1: And so I mean, I guess I need to let

557
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:42,920
Speaker 1: a snake bite me in so I can show you

558
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:44,920
Speaker 1: all that I have faith. I mean, I've been through

559
00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:48,320
Speaker 1: all this. Okay, So, uh so I'm just gonna stick

560
00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,200
Speaker 1: with scripture, and I'm gonna let scriptures say what it says.

561
00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,240
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna try to make it say something it

562
00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,400
Speaker 1: doesn't say. I'm not gonna have a predetermined theology that

563
00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:58,920
Speaker 1: I'm gonna force down on it. I'm just gonna say

564
00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,120
Speaker 1: some things today that I think we all should agree on.

565
00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,640
Speaker 1: Everybody okay with that. Okay, that's not gonna change anything

566
00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:08,520
Speaker 1: with some of you, I know, but I won't say

567
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,719
Speaker 1: it anyway, so I can be on record. Okay, So

568
00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 1: listen to what we're saying. The first thing, we're not

569
00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:18,360
Speaker 1: afraid of this. The first thing that Paul says is

570
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,240
Speaker 1: we've been chosen. So look at this, he said, even

571
00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:26,280
Speaker 1: as he chose us in him, Jesus before the foundation

572
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,320
Speaker 1: of the world. And that's important, even as he chose

573
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:33,520
Speaker 1: us in him, make do something with that circle it

574
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:37,120
Speaker 1: underline it, highlight it, before the foundation of the world,

575
00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:45,279
Speaker 1: that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love. Okay, now,

576
00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,319
Speaker 1: let's let's let's hang on to this and let's go

577
00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:52,799
Speaker 1: on through five. He predestined us for adoption to himself

578
00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:58,680
Speaker 1: as sons through Jesus Christ. That's important according to the

579
00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:04,600
Speaker 1: purpose of his will. Crucial. Okay. So let's take four

580
00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:08,240
Speaker 1: and five and let's just talk a minute about it, Okay,

581
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,480
Speaker 1: and that'll take up probably the rest of our time.

582
00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:14,920
Speaker 1: I'll try to get in six. Okay. So this is

583
00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,320
Speaker 1: the thing I think is important when you're talking about

584
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:23,400
Speaker 1: election and predestiny. It's very important. Is where we usually

585
00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:28,200
Speaker 1: mess this up is that we try to use Like

586
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,080
Speaker 1: I said earlier, as I was praying about. So what

587
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,719
Speaker 1: I was praying about, we in this mystery that Paul

588
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:43,719
Speaker 1: talks about. We are finite. God is infinite. We are

589
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:50,760
Speaker 1: creatures of time. God inhabits eternity. We express our mode

590
00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:56,680
Speaker 1: of being in three tenses. I was, I am, and

591
00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,040
Speaker 1: I will be. That's all. We don't have any other

592
00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:05,000
Speaker 1: That's all we can do. I was born, I am

593
00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:13,359
Speaker 1: sixty one, and I will either be sixty two next week, year,

594
00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:16,680
Speaker 1: I'll be eighty one day, or I'm gonna die. It

595
00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,799
Speaker 1: is I was. I already know that I am. That's

596
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,960
Speaker 1: ever changing, but I got it and I will be.

597
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:31,040
Speaker 1: So we deal in past, present future. God doesn't if

598
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:35,000
Speaker 1: I said to God I was, I am and I

599
00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:36,440
Speaker 1: will be. You know what he said back to me,

600
00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:40,920
Speaker 1: I am, I am, I am. Now think about it.

601
00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,440
Speaker 1: Here's it's crucial. John Phillips talked about this and one

602
00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,279
Speaker 1: of the commentaries it was brilliant. I want you to

603
00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:50,240
Speaker 1: listen to this. This is important. Do you remember when

604
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:56,879
Speaker 1: the Pharisees just lost their minds when Jesus Remember when

605
00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,120
Speaker 1: the guy says you, who are you talking about? What

606
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,719
Speaker 1: do you mean that you knew Abraham? What are you

607
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:07,600
Speaker 1: thirty years old? And what did Jesus say before Abraham?

608
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:12,440
Speaker 1: He did to say, I was? He said before Abraham,

609
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:16,560
Speaker 1: I am? When now Abraham was a long time ago,

610
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,240
Speaker 1: how can he be in present for him? What Jesus

611
00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,239
Speaker 1: says is whenever Abraham was around and right now is

612
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:27,960
Speaker 1: all the same. To me. I live in the present always.

613
00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:33,280
Speaker 1: I never am in the past. I'm never in the future.

614
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:38,040
Speaker 1: I am, I am, I am. I am not bound

615
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,960
Speaker 1: to that. And what we do is say, well, if

616
00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,520
Speaker 1: he was, he is and he's going to be, then

617
00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:47,760
Speaker 1: this thing has to work out a certain way because

618
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:52,839
Speaker 1: we're time people. God's above time. God is time. He's

619
00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:55,040
Speaker 1: the beginning in the end. So now I want you

620
00:37:55,040 --> 00:38:01,520
Speaker 1: to listen to this. So what this means, though we

621
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:08,240
Speaker 1: live by moment by moment, God does not. God, past, present,

622
00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:12,759
Speaker 1: in future are all present at the same time. The

623
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:18,680
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is speaking and stating the issue from God's perspective,

624
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,120
Speaker 1: and we read the scripture like he's talking about it

625
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,840
Speaker 1: from our perspective. He's not. This is the Holy Spirit

626
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:29,080
Speaker 1: telling Paul to write this down. Okay, So that's God,

627
00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:37,760
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit who lives from our perspective in forever,

628
00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:42,200
Speaker 1: for He's never not in the present tense. So to him,

629
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:46,800
Speaker 1: here it comes. Here, it comes Pataly, you want me

630
00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:48,920
Speaker 1: use your email, you want me to stick with mine.

631
00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:54,040
Speaker 1: Here's what scripture is telling us. Rick's not telling you this.

632
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:58,239
Speaker 1: Paul's not even telling you this. The Holy Spirit is

633
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:02,239
Speaker 1: telling you this, and so to him, there is no

634
00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:06,960
Speaker 1: difference between the moment he chose me and the moment

635
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:12,480
Speaker 1: I chose him. It's all the same thing. Now, I

636
00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:15,360
Speaker 1: know that's not good enough for some of you, and

637
00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:21,520
Speaker 1: that's mind blowing. So I will use someone that maybe

638
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:25,000
Speaker 1: will take some heat off me. And if you can't

639
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,279
Speaker 1: understand this, and you say I'm sorry, I can't deal

640
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,400
Speaker 1: with this the time difference with this is your problem,

641
00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:39,600
Speaker 1: It's not God's problem. Charles Spurgeon. A quote from Charles

642
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:44,280
Speaker 1: Spurgeon on these scriptures. If God hadn't chose me before

643
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:47,000
Speaker 1: the foundation of the world, he wouldn't choose me now.

644
00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:55,080
Speaker 1: So the decision that we were allowed to make. Does

645
00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:59,680
Speaker 1: God already know what that decision is? Apparently yes, because

646
00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:03,359
Speaker 1: it's always present to him. But does that mean that

647
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:09,480
Speaker 1: God's afraid of allowing me a decision to make? Guys,

648
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,000
Speaker 1: I have studied the Book of Genesis with you from

649
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,440
Speaker 1: beginning to end. We can't even get out of the

650
00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:18,359
Speaker 1: Garden of Eden. And God's allowing human beings to make

651
00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,600
Speaker 1: a choice about him. But what does it say? The

652
00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:25,040
Speaker 1: plan of redemption is what all his predestiny is about.

653
00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:29,680
Speaker 1: God has had the plan to redeem human beings. The

654
00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,720
Speaker 1: plan has been known before the foundation of the world.

655
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,479
Speaker 1: Because today and that day's all the same to God.

656
00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,480
Speaker 1: The fall in the garden was happening at the same

657
00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:43,759
Speaker 1: time He was making the plan to resolve it. And

658
00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:45,600
Speaker 1: what we're trying to do is say, well, I just

659
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,000
Speaker 1: don't think it can't work like that for me. Well,

660
00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:50,560
Speaker 1: then get over it. You're not God. I'm not either.

661
00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:52,360
Speaker 1: And I don't know how he does it. I have

662
00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:57,120
Speaker 1: no idea, but I know what he told me. He

663
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 1: told me that I'm supposed to repent. I'm supposed to

664
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,240
Speaker 1: leave faith in myself. I'm supposed to place my faith

665
00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:07,880
Speaker 1: in Jesus. I'm supposed to leave my own authority confess

666
00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:10,960
Speaker 1: Jesus as my lord. And when I have done that,

667
00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:13,239
Speaker 1: and he knows the sincerity of my heart and he

668
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,680
Speaker 1: has forgiving me of my sins through the redemption provided

669
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:20,040
Speaker 1: only by Jesus, that once that's happened, he told me

670
00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,239
Speaker 1: that I'm supposed to go into the place I live,

671
00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:26,399
Speaker 1: into the house I live, into the state I live,

672
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,640
Speaker 1: into the country I live, and to the ends of

673
00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:31,520
Speaker 1: the earth. And I'm supposed to go teach everybody what

674
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,800
Speaker 1: Jesus commanded. And I'm supposed to go make disciples, and

675
00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,439
Speaker 1: I'm supposed to baptize them in the name of the Father,

676
00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:39,759
Speaker 1: the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And I don't care

677
00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,160
Speaker 1: what you think about these verses. We're all supposed to

678
00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:46,080
Speaker 1: be doing that. Now. How it all gets worked out,

679
00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:51,600
Speaker 1: I don't know. It doesn't depend on me, thank the Lord,

680
00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:53,719
Speaker 1: but I think the thing we mess up a little bit.

681
00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:55,440
Speaker 1: And you see this a little bit in Romans chapter

682
00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:57,799
Speaker 1: eight when we study this. If you want to know

683
00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:04,319
Speaker 1: what was predestined, what was predestined was that if we

684
00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,520
Speaker 1: truly are redeemed, it is predestined that we will become

685
00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:13,560
Speaker 1: like Jesus. And if it's not happening, it's not because

686
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:19,000
Speaker 1: of the lack of Jesus's transformational power. That's predestined all

687
00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:20,920
Speaker 1: who are redeemed. Why look, the next thing you say

688
00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:24,839
Speaker 1: is look at six, he says, to the praise of

689
00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:29,200
Speaker 1: his glorious grace with which He has blessed us in

690
00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,920
Speaker 1: the beloved. Now, now keep in mind, go back up

691
00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:37,400
Speaker 1: to five. He predestined us for what adoption to himself

692
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:43,120
Speaker 1: as sons through Jesus Christ. Now that's important. That that's important.

693
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:49,719
Speaker 1: He removed all our sins. Then we are predestined to

694
00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:53,040
Speaker 1: become Christ like. He fulfills the standard, which is what

695
00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:57,799
Speaker 1: perfection which we can't fulfill. God then reminds us in

696
00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:03,759
Speaker 1: five that we are. Now you could also put daughters there,

697
00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:07,200
Speaker 1: but let me tell what you can't put there. Children.

698
00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:11,880
Speaker 1: You know, it's one thing for me to say that

699
00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:13,879
Speaker 1: all of us in here, if we were all little

700
00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:18,000
Speaker 1: people Okay, come look at the children, and you're like,

701
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:19,040
Speaker 1: what you got in there? I said, I have a

702
00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:22,000
Speaker 1: bunch of children. And then I said, now in here also,

703
00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:25,319
Speaker 1: I'm going to induce to my sons and daughters. Well,

704
00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,560
Speaker 1: sons and daughters. That's a bigger step than children. Children

705
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:33,520
Speaker 1: could be anybody's kids, but not sons and daughters. So

706
00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:36,920
Speaker 1: he says, in Jesus, you go from just being people.

707
00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:42,040
Speaker 1: You go from that, and you're not just now forgiven

708
00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,239
Speaker 1: by God. You're not just going to be able to

709
00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:48,640
Speaker 1: stand in the presence of God. Because of Jesus. He's

710
00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:51,319
Speaker 1: allowing all of us. Paul talks about this in Romans too,

711
00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:55,719
Speaker 1: He's allowed all of us to now be adopted. And

712
00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:58,920
Speaker 1: I remember talking about this before. When you see the

713
00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:01,720
Speaker 1: word adoption there with just it's such a beautiful analogy

714
00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:04,560
Speaker 1: of redemption for those of you that have adopted children.

715
00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:06,600
Speaker 1: I say this all the time. Do you love your

716
00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:11,640
Speaker 1: adopted child any less than a biological child? And and

717
00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:15,000
Speaker 1: and what what Jesus shows up and you and and

718
00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:18,279
Speaker 1: the try you and God, here's God's son. And he says, Oh,

719
00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:22,680
Speaker 1: by the way, meet all my brothers and sisters that

720
00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:25,080
Speaker 1: I have redeemed and you know what, God, the Father,

721
00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:26,759
Speaker 1: the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. The

722
00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:29,239
Speaker 1: beginning the end says, they're my sons and daughters too.

723
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:32,200
Speaker 1: I adopt them, and I adopt them through you, my son.

724
00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:38,439
Speaker 1: And so paulses do do you do? You remember this now?

725
00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:43,160
Speaker 1: I want you to think about that, because this perfection,

726
00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:47,080
Speaker 1: that that the sanctification that's going on. And we're gonna

727
00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:50,200
Speaker 1: talk more about this later. I had to unpack this

728
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:53,040
Speaker 1: past Sunday when I was teaching, uh, the Sunday school

729
00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:56,359
Speaker 1: class that I'm teaching. I had to unpack this part

730
00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,719
Speaker 1: of Mark where it says, you know, and the apostles

731
00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:02,120
Speaker 1: will go out, and there's all these signs and wonders,

732
00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:04,680
Speaker 1: and people will get bitten by snakes and not die,

733
00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:09,280
Speaker 1: drink poison and not die, speaking in tongues, cast out demons,

734
00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:15,040
Speaker 1: all these things. And people have taken those incorrectly and said, oh, well,

735
00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:20,959
Speaker 1: these are things we're supposed to do to show our faith. No, no, no, no, no,

736
00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:23,799
Speaker 1: this is what was gonna happen as the apostles went out.

737
00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:27,279
Speaker 1: We know Paul got by snake at Malta and he

738
00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:29,920
Speaker 1: didn't die from it. It was a miracle. We know

739
00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:32,360
Speaker 1: that they cast out demons, we know that they spoke

740
00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:36,680
Speaker 1: in tongues. Apparently it was never recorded in scripture. Somebody

741
00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:38,920
Speaker 1: must have got poisoned and survived it. I don't know

742
00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:41,680
Speaker 1: one of the apostles. I don't know what happened. But anyway,

743
00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:45,160
Speaker 1: he's saying, there will be miraculous signs that will follow

744
00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:49,560
Speaker 1: the apostles as they go out. These were never listed

745
00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:53,719
Speaker 1: as a way to prove your faith. They were listed

746
00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:56,480
Speaker 1: to be signs of the power of the Holy Spirit

747
00:45:56,880 --> 00:45:59,560
Speaker 1: as the church age begins. No, but let me tell it.

748
00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,480
Speaker 1: Scripture does say we don't prove our faith through a

749
00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:08,480
Speaker 1: bunch of stunts and tricks. We prove our faith through obedience.

750
00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:13,200
Speaker 1: We prove our faith by people saying that person's Christ. Like,

751
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,960
Speaker 1: that's proof of the faith right there. And you know

752
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,160
Speaker 1: what he says, Yeah, and if you're in Christ, the

753
00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:22,000
Speaker 1: proof of that faith will be predestined. You won't be

754
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:25,359
Speaker 1: able to not be like Christ. He's too strong. So

755
00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:29,359
Speaker 1: if we're not like Christ, he's not the problem. We're

756
00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:32,480
Speaker 1: the problem. We've said that how many times, so that's

757
00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:37,080
Speaker 1: exactly what he's talking about here. We have been remade

758
00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:41,280
Speaker 1: as sons and daughters. And it's not just the fact

759
00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:43,680
Speaker 1: that we've been born, Like you know, you're a child.

760
00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:45,920
Speaker 1: If you were just born, you're a baby if you

761
00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:52,120
Speaker 1: were just born. The son here notes of maturity, adult

762
00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:57,640
Speaker 1: sons and adult daughters. We are presented as as as

763
00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:02,560
Speaker 1: him and example of that. And this was an example

764
00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:05,160
Speaker 1: used in the commentary too. If you ever seen businesses

765
00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:08,840
Speaker 1: that were called Rick Burgess and sons, do you know

766
00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:14,160
Speaker 1: it never says Rick Burgesson children, you know whoever, whatever

767
00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:18,120
Speaker 1: the name is, sons. That's different. That's saying you don't

768
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,200
Speaker 1: not coming here and see a bunch of babies. You're

769
00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:21,520
Speaker 1: coming here and see me as a man, and you're

770
00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:23,799
Speaker 1: gonna see them as a man as well. So this

771
00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,960
Speaker 1: is what we're supposed to be. And what's happening is

772
00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:30,680
Speaker 1: a lot of us are are being looking at Jesus

773
00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:34,360
Speaker 1: who says you're supposed to be a son, and we're saying,

774
00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:37,680
Speaker 1: I'm just still gonna be a baby. Well, you're never

775
00:47:37,719 --> 00:47:39,919
Speaker 1: gonna see your name, never gonna be on to sign,

776
00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:44,720
Speaker 1: because you got to mature, you got to become an adult.

777
00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:49,400
Speaker 1: In the presence of God. He has predestined us to

778
00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:55,040
Speaker 1: spiritual maturity. So and here's another reason why that I

779
00:47:55,520 --> 00:48:01,120
Speaker 1: don't agree with some of the theology about predestiny. That's

780
00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:04,120
Speaker 1: basically saying God made some people to go to heaven

781
00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:06,440
Speaker 1: and he made some people to go to hell. That

782
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:10,480
Speaker 1: second part you can't find in scripture. The word predestiny

783
00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:13,560
Speaker 1: in scripture is never associated with the loss. Never nowhere

784
00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:18,480
Speaker 1: in scripture. Well, and so in other words, if you

785
00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:22,160
Speaker 1: think scripture would say if people are predestined to redemption,

786
00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:25,919
Speaker 1: then there's people predestined to condemnation, and we never find

787
00:48:25,920 --> 00:48:30,520
Speaker 1: that scripture. It's never used that way. And by the way,

788
00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:33,200
Speaker 1: if you believe that, if you want your theology to

789
00:48:33,200 --> 00:48:37,640
Speaker 1: be pure, you have to believe that you know that

790
00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:41,160
Speaker 1: God made people for no other reason than for them

791
00:48:41,160 --> 00:48:43,239
Speaker 1: to burn in hell. That's the only reason why they

792
00:48:43,239 --> 00:48:48,359
Speaker 1: were created. They're predestined to hell, and you never see

793
00:48:48,400 --> 00:48:52,560
Speaker 1: that in scripture. Also, conveniently, I noticed that people who

794
00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:56,560
Speaker 1: have adopted this theology, which I think is fauled, they're

795
00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:01,319
Speaker 1: always the chosen. I've never told anyone ever tell me

796
00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:03,320
Speaker 1: they're a Calvinists, and they don't think they were chosen.

797
00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:06,279
Speaker 1: They think they're going to hell. They didn't get in,

798
00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:09,759
Speaker 1: they weren't chosen for that. It's convenient that everybody who

799
00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:15,200
Speaker 1: believes in pure election and predestiny, they're always conveniently one

800
00:49:15,239 --> 00:49:17,799
Speaker 1: of the chosen and one of the predestined. Now, if

801
00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:20,040
Speaker 1: somebody came up to me and said I'm a Hypercalvinist

802
00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:22,239
Speaker 1: and I believe I was predestined to hell, I'd go, wow,

803
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,200
Speaker 1: Now that's somebody sticking to theology all the way. But

804
00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:28,440
Speaker 1: you never really see that, do you. You don't ever

805
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:30,640
Speaker 1: hear that. But that's not as important as the fact

806
00:49:30,640 --> 00:49:33,080
Speaker 1: that you don't find it in the scripture. It's just

807
00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:35,799
Speaker 1: not there. So that's the reason why I have not

808
00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:38,719
Speaker 1: embraced that. I'm going to embrace what I believe scripture

809
00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:43,160
Speaker 1: is saying is God is always in the present, So

810
00:49:43,560 --> 00:49:53,040
Speaker 1: let's continue scripture also talking about God's family. See there

811
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:57,640
Speaker 1: you never see anything involving God's family or are people

812
00:49:57,719 --> 00:50:01,120
Speaker 1: God created. You never see the word election used for

813
00:50:01,160 --> 00:50:06,200
Speaker 1: the past. What Paul is saying, election and predestiny is

814
00:50:06,239 --> 00:50:11,880
Speaker 1: always for the future. Election is what we were chosen

815
00:50:12,719 --> 00:50:15,759
Speaker 1: from the predestination. That that that's what it has to

816
00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:19,759
Speaker 1: do for. What were we chosen for? What were what

817
00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:22,960
Speaker 1: were what were we chosen for? What were we predestined for.

818
00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:25,719
Speaker 1: And I want you to understand if you look at

819
00:50:25,760 --> 00:50:29,120
Speaker 1: these scriptures, what it's saying is we are chosen and

820
00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:34,680
Speaker 1: we are predestined for spiritual maturity to become more like Christ.

821
00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:39,120
Speaker 1: And so the question we have to ask ourselves looking

822
00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:44,920
Speaker 1: at the hope that Paul is giving us here it

823
00:50:45,120 --> 00:50:48,360
Speaker 1: is taking every bit of what he's saying today and

824
00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:53,360
Speaker 1: applying it to where we stand. Will close with these questions,

825
00:50:55,080 --> 00:51:00,600
Speaker 1: if saints means one called out from society and my saint,

826
00:51:02,920 --> 00:51:05,960
Speaker 1: those that are faithful in Christ Jesus, would I be

827
00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:10,560
Speaker 1: found faithful? Have I been reminded about the grace has

828
00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:13,560
Speaker 1: been shown to me through Jesus and the peace provided

829
00:51:13,680 --> 00:51:19,680
Speaker 1: from God the Father, in God the Son. Have I

830
00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:24,759
Speaker 1: lived a life remembering that Jesus Christ has defeated my

831
00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:28,760
Speaker 1: real problem, both on earth and in the heavenly places.

832
00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:36,520
Speaker 1: Has Jesus seen in me what I was chosen to

833
00:51:36,600 --> 00:51:39,640
Speaker 1: do before the foundation of the world, that I would

834
00:51:39,640 --> 00:51:42,480
Speaker 1: be right here? A scripture says in verse four, holy

835
00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:47,319
Speaker 1: and blameless before Him. Now I'm gonna I'm gonna warn

836
00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:49,719
Speaker 1: you on that one. You and I have no ability

837
00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:52,840
Speaker 1: to be holy and blameless before Him. On our own power,

838
00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:55,960
Speaker 1: we have no ability to do that. Who makes us

839
00:51:56,000 --> 00:52:00,239
Speaker 1: holy and blameless, Jesus. So so do I have that right?

840
00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:04,640
Speaker 1: Am I in Christ? In love? Am I thanking him

841
00:52:04,719 --> 00:52:09,600
Speaker 1: today that I was predestined for adoption to himself as

842
00:52:09,640 --> 00:52:13,200
Speaker 1: sons through Jesus Christ, to God the Father, through God

843
00:52:13,280 --> 00:52:16,360
Speaker 1: the Son, according to the purpose of his will, to

844
00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:20,160
Speaker 1: the praise of the glorious grace which has been blessed

845
00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:27,640
Speaker 1: us in the beloved Am I am I living as

846
00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:30,240
Speaker 1: an adopted son or daughter of the one and only

847
00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:36,680
Speaker 1: living God in Jesus. What did Jesus teach us to

848
00:52:36,719 --> 00:52:43,200
Speaker 1: pray Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done for the

849
00:52:43,200 --> 00:52:46,840
Speaker 1: purpose of his will, not to the convenience of my will.

850
00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:52,360
Speaker 1: Let's pray, Lord, thank you for today, thank you for

851
00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:55,400
Speaker 1: these promises, and thank you for just even helping us

852
00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:59,200
Speaker 1: walk through the complications of trying to understand with our

853
00:52:59,360 --> 00:53:06,440
Speaker 1: fine not mind and our finite brain, You who are infinite,

854
00:53:06,719 --> 00:53:09,880
Speaker 1: So thank you, Lord for revealing yourself as best we

855
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:12,600
Speaker 1: can understand in your Holy word and giving us the

856
00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:17,040
Speaker 1: power of You the third Person, Lord, the Holy Spirit,

857
00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:21,600
Speaker 1: for us maybe to understand things that honestly with a

858
00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:27,440
Speaker 1: finite brain or impossible to understand completely, which is why

859
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:30,360
Speaker 1: we take some of these truths, like the fact that

860
00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:34,880
Speaker 1: you're always in the present, you have always been that

861
00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:39,799
Speaker 1: we just accept that by faith, a saving faith which

862
00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:42,920
Speaker 1: will continue to learn in this powerful, powerful letter that

863
00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:45,880
Speaker 1: you inspired the apostle Paul to write, not just to

864
00:53:45,920 --> 00:53:50,080
Speaker 1: those in ephesis, but to us, and Lord, I pray

865
00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:57,000
Speaker 1: against division in the Church. I pray against us having

866
00:53:57,040 --> 00:54:01,319
Speaker 1: silly arguments over silly things that take us away from

867
00:54:01,320 --> 00:54:03,799
Speaker 1: what you called us all to do, regardless of our

868
00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:08,479
Speaker 1: minor disagreements in theology, that we all remember that all

869
00:54:08,520 --> 00:54:14,560
Speaker 1: of us should agree how we've been redeemed and what

870
00:54:14,600 --> 00:54:18,399
Speaker 1: you've called us to do once we are redeemed. That's

871
00:54:18,440 --> 00:54:23,000
Speaker 1: something that the entire church should agree on. So help us, Lord,

872
00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:25,719
Speaker 1: not to be tripped up by the tricks and the

873
00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:28,919
Speaker 1: cunningness of one who knows scripture as well as any

874
00:54:28,960 --> 00:54:33,080
Speaker 1: of us and better than most, but wants to trip

875
00:54:33,200 --> 00:54:37,799
Speaker 1: us up by betting that we don't know it well

876
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:39,879
Speaker 1: enough to know that when he tries to put error

877
00:54:39,920 --> 00:54:44,880
Speaker 1: in it and make these subtle but important changes, just

878
00:54:44,920 --> 00:54:48,160
Speaker 1: as he did to Eve from the very beginning, Protect

879
00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:50,759
Speaker 1: us from the evil one, as you also taught us

880
00:54:50,760 --> 00:54:55,319
Speaker 1: to pray and help us to forgive people, just as

881
00:54:55,320 --> 00:54:58,560
Speaker 1: you have forgiven us. And go with us, Lord as

882
00:54:58,560 --> 00:55:02,239
Speaker 1: we leave this place hour the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank

883
00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:02,799
Speaker 1: you very much