EPH-2-250518 - length: 92:15 - taught on May, 18 2025
Class Outline:
Grace floods the faithful and no ark is needed.
If you’re in the resident congregation, turn off your electronic devices and put them away. Let this be a place where you aren’t distracted by the world.
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
Rory Clark
Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with a worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Thanks for listening to this Bible lesson!
What is impact?
You have impact when you make a difference. Through intimacy we come into contact with others. Through impact we influence a change in the trajectory of their lives. That's why we are Christians. That's why we study the Word of God. By ingesting truth, we can have an intimate impact on others IF we care to do so, one person at a time.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Has Given Christians EVERY Spiritual Blessing
LESSON INTRODUCTION
What blessings has God given us? They are too numerous to count. As we begin our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the first passage gives us insight into a few of the blessings God gives us at the moment He places us IN CHRIST.
OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music! A complex idea to grasp for Christians is that Christianity is not about DOing. It’s about DONE. We must learn to rest in things the Lord Jesus Christ has DONE for us. His work is finished. We rest in His work and we enjoy what He has DONE.
When we learn this, we'll take the apostle's advice in First Peter, Chapter 5, Verses 6 and 7…
FIRST PETER 5:6
…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may promote you at the proper time…
FIRST PETER 5:7
…casting all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.
Since God considers our problems to be His responsibility, there is nothing for us to DO except what Finding Favor suggests in song…we say, “I will CAST MY CARES on You Lord!”
MUSIC
OPENING SONG
Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
CAST MY CARES
Finding Favor
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, we thank you for the chance to study a letter that doesn’t point to our problems…rather Paul’s letter to the Ephesians points to all the blessings you have poured out on the objects of Your mercy…us believers in Christ…we are the glad recipients of Your divine favor…thank you for sending Jesus Christ as the payment for our blessings…and thank you for God the Holy Spirit who makes our blessings known to use…
…we know that human beings are not gracious with us…they remember our flaws, our faults, the past, and they bring them to light at every opportunity…but You don't…so give us the spiritual eyes to see and the spiritual ears to hear what You have done for us in such a way that we change our relationship with You by always calling on Your power for every decision in our lives…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Has Given Christians EVERY Spiritual Blessing
LESSON PART ONE
Here begins our study of Paul’s letter to the believers in Christ in first-century Ephesus, a city in Turkey. We'll read the six chapters and the one hundred and fifty-five versesone verse at a timeto see what wisdom the Lord has in store for us.
The letter is a detailed explanation of our spiritual riches due to being placed “IN CHRIST” by our Almighty God! Do you know who you are IN CHRIST? When you realize you are IN CHRIST, you realize you haveEVERYTHING you need for a fantastic life. Second Peter, Chapter 1, Verse 3 says…
SECOND PETER 1:3
…seeing that our God the Father and our SaviorJesus Christ…through divine power…has granted to us believers in Christ EVERYTHING pertaining to the resurrection life and godliness (The Christian Way of Living) through the true knowledge of the One who called us by His own glory and excellence…
Christianity needs no supplements as the enemy of Christianity, religion, proposes.
Every religion adds something to the Bible…“further clarifications” of the Bible which are completely unnecessary…like in the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Days Saints. They add The Book of Mormon, and The Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants, books which contradict both the Bible and each other, without a single shred of the internal consistency required of true Scripture.
As is typical of Paul’s New Testament letters, Ephesians has a doctrinal and a practical part. Chapters 1 to 3 are doctrinal, emphasizing the work of redemption. Chapters 4 to 6 are practical, communicating God’s suggestions for Christian conduct. How do we live a heavenly life on earth that is pleasing to God? We're in for a spiritual treat.
Watchman Nee, whowas Chinese and a Christian teacherduring the 20th century, had a thirty-year ministryestablishing local Christian churches throughout China. In addition, he wrote and published several books. Both of these accomplishments were astounding in an atheist country.Nee was imprisoned for the last twenty years of his life. He died in prison in 1972 and was cremated before his family was notified of his death.
In one of his books….SIT-WALK-STAND, Neesuggests a way for us to look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that is simple and extremely useful. SIT is our position IN CHRIST and is detailed in Chapters 1 to 3. WALK is our life in the world and is detailed in Chapters 4 and 5. STAND is our attitude toward our enemies and is detailed in Chapter 6. Let’s consider what God is communicating in each of the three parts of the letter to the Ephesians about the three-dimensional life He has given us…a relationship with Him, a relationship with self, and a relationship with others.
In the SIT portion of the Christian Way of Living, we marvel at what God has DONE for us. This is the “right thinking” portion of the letter. It details our position IN CHRIST. We begin the Christian Way of Living in a place if rest. We learn that we are “seated with Him” in the heavenly places, and we are to enjoy what God has DONE for us rather than creating a do-it-yourself form of Christianity.Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 1 says…
HEBREWS 4:1
Therefore, let us believers in Christ fear…if we fear anything…that when a promise remains of entering into the rest provided by God, any one of you may seem to have fallen short of it.
We begin Christianity in chill mode! We advance in Christianity by sitting. We advance by putting all our weight on the Lord. We cast our cares on Him.Most Christians don’t want this dependence on God. They want to DO. Walking first is a reversal of the true order of things. In the human realm, we crawl before we walk. When Christians don’t study Scripture they take sound-bytes from the Bible and construct a counterfeit lifestyle that is NOT Christianity. They DO first which eventually becomes legalism, powered by the though that “everyone ought to live like I’m living.”
Adam was created on the sixth day, so his first day on earth was the Sabbath, a day of rest.God’s work allows us to rest. We did nothing for salvation. What God has DONE gave us salvation. We are to continue counting on what God has DONE during the sanctification portion of our lives…and one of the things he has DONE is Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 10…
EPHESIANS 2:10
For we believers in Christ are God the Father’s workmanship…created to be IN CHRIST Jesus for good works…which good works God the Father prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
He made each of us into a new creation…a work of art…and IN CHRIST He displays us for the benefit of others. In Christianity our work is unprofitable unless God commands it. What do your kids do? Nothing. You do the work and they enjoy it. They SIT until they are teens, and then they criticize your work.😊 When we stop DOing then we can enjoy what God has DONE.
In the WALK portion of the Christian Way of Living, we live a lifestyle worthy of notice. This is the “right conduct” portion of the letter to the Ephesians. In our life in the world, God shows us how to conduct ourselves as if we have a high calling, because we do! Our Christian walk is a lifestyle that influences others to investigate a relationship with God.
In the STAND portion of the Christian Way of Living, we learn what our attitude must be toward the enemy. First of all, we pray for them. In our conflict with the devil, we are commanded by God to “stand firm.” Finally, we learn all the weapons God has put at our disposal to help us resist the devil.
Ephesus is one of the seven churches of the book of Revelation…all of which are in Turkey…Pergamum…Sardis…Philadelphia…Smyrna…Thyatira…and Laodicea were the others.
The apostle Paul, the great evangelist to the Gentiles, a master church planter, and the author of fourteen New Testament epistles (as guided by God the Holy Spirit), established the church at Ephesus, then came back to visit on his third missionary journey, staying there for three years. His time there is detailed in Acts, Chapters
18-19-20, and it is highly recommended that you read these three chapters…one hundred and seven easy-to-read verses…for context to this amazing letter.
Ephesus was a vibrant city…a city of wealth…known as a center for religion, the arts, and science. Priscilla and Aquilla started a church there in their home, and things grew from there.
Paul’s presence in Ephesus incited some interesting incidents and memorable moments. Acts, Chapter 19, Verses 11 to 16 is a crack up…
ACTS 19:11
God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul…
ACTS 19:12
…so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
ACTS 19:13
But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had evil spirits to the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I command you evil spirit (to come out) by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
An exorcist is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or performs the ridding of demons or other supernatural beings who are alleged to have possessed a person.
ACTS 19:14
Seven sons of one Sceva…a Jewish chief priest…were doing this.
ACTS 19:15
And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
ACTS 19:16
And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Beautiful!
Ephesus was a center for the occult. As Paul began to preach and people started believing in Christ, they held a bonfire…Acts, Chapter 19, Verse 19…
ACTS 19:19
And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone…and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
They burned occult books worth 50,000 days of wages!
Ephesus was also a place of idol worship. The focus of worship was Artemis, the goddess of the hunt (known as Diana in Roman mythology). A temple constructed in her honor was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Paul preaching began to threaten businesses in the area. Acts, Chapter 19, Verses 23 to 28…
ACTS 19:23
About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way.
ACTS 19:24
For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing a great amount of business to the craftsmen…
ACTS 19:25
…and these craftsmen he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business.”
ACTS 19:26
“You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away from us a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.”
ACTS 19:27
“Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
ACTS 19:28
When the craftsmen and workmen heard this, they were filled with rage and they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Paul was in danger of being killed because of his preaching of the gospel message.
Let’s hear the first passage of study…Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 14. As you listen, notice the structure of the passage…all three members of the Godhead contribute blessings to us in different ways….God the Father in Verses 3 to 6…God the Son in Verses 7 to 12…and God the Holy Spirit in Verses 13 and 14.
EPHESIANS 1:1
Paul…an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God the Father…to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in union with Christ Jesus…
EPHESIANS 1:2
…grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
EPHESIANS 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…for those of us in union with Christ…
EPHESIANS 1:4
…just as God the Father chose us believers in Christ to be in union with Him before the foundation of the world…that we would be holy and blameless before God the Father. In unconditional love…
EPHESIANS 1:5
God the Father predestined us believers in Christ to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will…
EPHESIANS 1:6
…to the praise of the glory of God the Father’s grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
EPHESIANS 1:7
In union with Christ, we believers in Christ have redemption through Christ’s
blood…the forgiveness of our trespasses…according to the riches of the Lord’s
grace…
EPHESIANS 1:8
…which Jesus lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight…
EPHESIANS 1:9
…God the Father made known to us believers in Christ the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Christ…
EPHESIANS 1:10
…with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In union with Christ…
EPHESIANS 1:11
…we believers in Christ have obtained an inheritance…having been predestined according to God the Father’s purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will…
EPHESIANS 1:12
…to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of
God the Father’s glory.
EPHESIANS 1:13
In Jesus, you believers in Christ also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel message of your salvation — having also believed the gospel message, you were sealed in union with Him by God the Holy Spirit of promise (through the baptism of the Spirit)…
EPHESIANS 1:14
…who is given to us believers in Christ as a pledge of our inheritance…with a view to the redemption of God the Father’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ten years after his first time in Ephesus, from a prison in Rome, Paul writes the letter to the Ephesians. After the introduction, the next twelve verse are a single sentence in Greek…a pouring forth of the incredible blessing the Godhead has for those of us IN CHRIST.
When we return from the break, well study the passage verse-by-verse.
FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
NOBODY
Casting Crowns
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Has Given Christians EVERY Spiritual Blessing
OFFERING INTRODUCTION
When we give the gospel message to unbelievers, they give tous by listening attentively. It’s one of the most gratifying experiences in life when an unbeliever really wants to hear the gospel message. The gift of listening is the gift of intimacy. Luke, Chapter 8, Verse 8 exhorts…
LUKE 8:8
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear what God the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches.”
When you give to Barah Ministries, you make it possible for us to give the gospel message to people all over the world through the Internet. People are listening!
Thank you for supporting this ministry with your generosity. Your unselfish giving is a reflection of our God, and it gives people around the world a chance to respond positively to an eternal life-giving gospel message…the salvation offer of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall to tell us the real value of giving.
THE OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
COLOSSIANS 1:13
For God the Father rescued us believers in Christ from the domain of
darkness…and He transferred us to the kingdom of the Son God the Father loves unconditionally…the Lord Jesus Christ…
OFFERING SONG
THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
Instrumental Version
TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON
God Has Given Christians EVERY Spiritual Blessing
LESSON PART TWO
Let’s look at this passage verse-by-verse. You will see IN CHRIST or IN HIM in this short passage more than eight times. Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2…
EPHESIANS 1:1
Paul…an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God the Father…to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in union with Christ Jesus…
EPHESIANS 1:2
…grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Typical of the start of Paul’s letter is the name of the sender, the recipients, and a greeting. In other letters, Paul is with someone. In this letter, Paul is alone. He is the apostle, chosen by the will of God the Father to be "sent forth" …that's what an apostle is … a personal witness of Jesus Christ in a resurrection body. God fully authorizes him to communicate the gospel message worldwide to the Gentiles.
The people who believe the gospel are called saints . They are born-again ones, appointed by God for service as people who are God’s own possession. They are known as the faithful, a collection of believers in Christ (not unbelievers), believers in the one with whom we have fellowship…the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is fellowship?
FELLOWSHIP
Friendly association, especially with people who share interests. A shared relationship and bond among believers, both with Christ and with one another.
God the Father works through Jesus Christ, and they are one with God the Holy Spirit who influences the writing of the letter. The Triune Godhead. They offer us the twin blessings. Grace…not treating us as we deserve to be treated…instead
always letting us off the hook because He paid the price for our mistakes.
The other blessing is peace, which means God is for us, not against us…now, in fact, God has nothing against His believers.
In verses three to fourteen, the rest of this amazing passage, we hear a two hundred plus words outburst of praise for a series of blessings, with all three members of the Godhead blessing us in different ways.
Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 3 and 4, here come the blessings…
EPHESIANS 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…who has blessed us believers in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…for those of us in union with Christ (IN CHRIST)…
EPHESIANS 1:4
…just as God the Father chose us believers IN CHRIST to be in union with Christ before the foundation of the world…that we would be holy and blameless before God the Father.
You personally were chosen by God the Father before He even created you…before you had a chance to do a single thing!
God the Father had you and billions of other people in His mind, and in omniscience, He knew that when you were presented with the gospel message you would choose to be on God’s team. Knowing this, He chose you. It’s called the doctrine of election. He voted for you to be on His team and you were elected to His team. You are now one of the ELECT! Okay…start crying. Amen?
Then, even more benefits tarted to flow. You were placed in union with the Lord Jesus Christ (you are IN CHRIST). This union occurred by baptism…the baptism of God the Holy Spirit. As a result, you were made holy and blameless in the eyes of God the Father forever. Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…
TITUS 3:5
…He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and by the renewing of God the Holy Spirit…
Everyone is called, but few are chosen. Very few will choose to be saved by God. What a shame! He calls everyone and a few choose to answer the call and God answers everyone’s who answer’s answer without violating their free will! So choose…spiritual death or spiritual life.
Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 5 and 6…
EPHESIANS 1:5
In unconditional love God the Father predestined us believers in Christ to
adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention
of His will…
Once God the Father knew you would be a believer in Christ, in predestination He decide beforehand to provide you with EVERYTHING you would need to have an amazing life. Why? Because He adopted you as an adult…the Romans style of adoption. You are His child. His possessions. Why did God the father do it?
EPHESIANS 1:6
…to bring praise to the glory of God the Father’s grace, which grace the Father freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (the Lord Jesus Christ.
We do nothing to earn or deserve what God gives us. There is no work necessary to please Him. He loves all those who are on His team…FOREVER!
How did the Lord Jesus Christ contribute to your blessings?
Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 7 to 12…
EPHESIANS 1:7
In union with Christ, we believers in Christ have redemption through His blood… the forgiveness of our trespasses…according to the riches of His grace…
What did Jesus do for His believers? Redemption! He bought a group of spiritually dead slaves and freed us from slavery to sin. What did redemption accomplish? Forgiveness (teleo in Greek). All of our sins…past, present, and future are forgiven. How did Jesus purchase us and pay for our forgiveness? With His blood at the Cross! Blessings…
EPHESIANS 1:8
…which Jesus lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight…
Having Jesus’ blessings lavished on us…blessings given in great amount without limit…is like being showered with blessings. No! It’s like a tsunami of blessings that completely overwhelms us. He tops the blessings with two cherries…spiritual wisdom and spiritual insights that, when used, lead us down the path to an amazing life.
The Lord wants His believers to know Him, so…
EPHESIANS 1:9
…God the Father made known to us believers in Christ the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Christ…
God is saying, “Get to know me!” I already know you. Now it’s your turn.
The mystery of Jesus’ will for us Gentile, Church Age believers, reveals to us at the proper time the knowledge of His intentions and His kindness toward those of us who believe.
EPHESIANS 1:10
…with a view to a dispensation (the Church Age) suitable to the fullness of the times…that is, the time of the summing up of all things IN CHRIST, whether things in the heavens or things on the earth.
God the father gives all authority over all things to Christ. Nothing happens in the universe without Jesus Christ’s permission. BOOM! What is meant by “summing up?” It means to bring back to the original state. What was the original state? Perfection. What we have to look forward to as believers in Christ is a residence in heaven that is perfect.
EPHESIANS 1:11
In union with Christ we believers in Christ have obtained an inheritance…having been predestined according to God the Father’s purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will…
As believers in Christ, we are heirs…actually co-heirs with Christ. Everything that God the Father gifts to Jesus Christ, He gifts to His believer. We have an inheritance that includes many things, including a resurrection body recognizable to family and friends, shortly after this mortal body has gone into the ground or the fire. Our God works all things together for our good because it is His will to do so…
EPHESIANS 1:12
…to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of
God the Father’s glory.
Jesus gives us His glory for all to see for all eternity.
How did God the Holy Spirit contribute to your blessings?
EPHESIANS 1:13
In Jesus, you believers in Christ also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel message of your salvation — having also believed the gospel message, you were sealed in union with Christ by God the Holy Spirit of promise (through the baptism of the Spirit)…
The sealing ministry of God the Holy Spirit is His signature guarantee that the promises made by every member of the Godhead will be fulfilled. God the Holy SpiritGUARANTEES full payment!
EPHESIANS 1:14
…(God the Holy Spirit)…who is given to us believers in Christ as a pledge of our inheritance…with a view to the redemption of God the Father’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
God the Holy Spirit Himself is our pledge from the Spirit that we are God’s possession in every way and in everything.
Let’s close by looking at the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION of the passage… Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 1 to 14…
EPHESIANS 1:1
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God the Father to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God the Father’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
EPHESIANS 1:2
May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
EPHESIANS 1:3
All praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
EPHESIANS 1:4
Even before the Lord Jesus Christ made the world, God the Father loved us unconditionally and chose us to be in union with Christ and to be holy and without fault in His eyes.
EPHESIANS 1:5
God the Father decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us
to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what God the Father wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.
EPHESIANS 1:6
So we praise God the Father for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son.
EPHESIANS 1:7
God the Father is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.
EPHESIANS 1:8
God the Father has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
You are soaked to the skin with blessings!
EPHESIANS 1:9
God the Father has now revealed to us His mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill His own good plan.
EPHESIANS 1:10
And this is the plan…at the right time God the Father will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
EPHESIANS 1:11
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ (IN CHRIST) … we have received an inheritance from God the Father…for He chose us in advance…and He makes everything work out according to His plan.
EPHESIANS 1:12
God the Father’s purpose was that we Jews, who were the first to trust in Christ,
would bring praise and glory to God.
EPHESIANS 1:13
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God the
Father saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you God the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.
EPHESIANS 1:14
God the Holy Spirit is God the Father’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.
Do you know who you are IN CHRIST? You do now. But you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! We’ll continue our study of this letter next week.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
The next ten minutes could be the ten most important minutes of your life. You’ll be introduced to the good news concerning how you can spend all eternity in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. We want you to know that…
GOD WANTS YOU!
He Wants You Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
…and what He wants for you is that you make the most important decision of your life.
If you want to travel to a country where you are not a citizen, you require a passport. By using this official documentissued by the government of your country, certifyingyour identity and your citizenship, you are entitled to travel under its protection to countries where you are not a citizen.
All of us are born citizens of the world.
Unfortunately, this citizenship was given to us by the federal head of the human race, Adam, as a result of his sin. Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 12…
ROMANS 5:12
…through one man…Adam…sin entered into the world…and spiritual death entered the world through his sin…so spiritual death spread to all men…because all men were considered by God to have sinned when Adam sinned.
Just so you don’t blame Adam for your plight, you commit personal sins as well according to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…
ROMANS 3:23
…all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
If you die a citizen of the world your eternal future will not be pleasant. Lucky for you, the God who created you does not want you to be a citizen of the world. If you are when you close your eyes in this life, your destiny is an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 makes God’s will for you clear…
SECOND PETER 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of...instead, He is patient toward unbelievers…NOT WISHING FOR ANY TO PERISH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE…but wishing for all unbelievers to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
Through His work on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made it possible for you to renounce your citizenship in the world, instead becoming a citizen of heaven. It’s the equivalent of becoming a naturalized citizen of a new country, much like people who are not born American can become naturalized citizens of the United States.
God’s plan for all His creatures is to save you from an eternity in the Lake of Fire by offering you a new possibility…salvation…citizenship in heaven when you close your eyes in this life. You can be saved! Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved by God…you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
Why?
Because expressing your faith in Jesus Christ’s Person and His work at the Cross
on your behalf changes your citizenship. John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…
JOHN 14:6
Jesus said to the doubting apostleThomas, “I am the way (to salvation) … and I am the truth (through the gospel message in the Word of God) … and I am the resurrection life (eternal life) …and no one comes to God the Father in heaven but through believing in Me.”
You can’t do a thing to change your citizenship from the world to heaven on your own. God has to do it for you. The apostle Paul describes this God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3
For I (the apostle Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for your sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4
…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
If you don’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ…right now…right where you sit…right this moment…you have a choice. You can remain a spiritually dead citizen of the world, or you can choose to be a spiritually alive citizen of heaven. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22
For all those in union with Adam (the citizens of the world) are spiritually dead…for all those in union with Christ are made spiritually alive by God.
What’s your choice? John, Chapter 3, Verse 36, God offers the ONLY two choices…
“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment (they are made citizens of heaven by God) …but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him (they remain citizens of the world for all eternity).”
Believers in Christ have made their choice according to Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 20…
PHILIPPIANS 3:20
(As believers in Christ)…our citizenship is in heaven…from which heaven also we
eagerly wait for a Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…
God’s enemy, Satan, is the ruler of this world. He welcomes you to remain a citizen of the world because he’d be pleased to have you live with him in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. If you choose to remain a citizen of the world by rejecting the relationship offer of the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew, Chapter 8, Verse 12 explains your eternal destiny…
MATTHEW 8:12
“…the sons of Satan’skingdom (unbelievers…the citizens of the world) will be cast out into the outer darkness…in that place (the Lake of Fire) there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
That is not God’s will for you. If you end up in the Lake of Fire for all eternity it will be your choice, and God will honor it.
Do yourself a favor…BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take His word for what it takes to be saved. It’s the easiest, smartest decision you will ever make. Place your faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ on your behalf and He will be more than happy to welcome you as a citizen of His kingdom, heaven. Jesus is much better than a passport. You can reside in His kingdom forever and ever with one simple choice.
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race
CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s close with music! God’s viewpoint of us is a lot more important than our own viewpoint of us, because in omniscience, God looks at us as a finished product. Lauren Daigle reminds us think as God thinks in her song YOU SAY.
MUSIC
CLOSING SONG
Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises
YOU SAY
Laura Daigle
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
Almighty God and Father…
Thank you for the myriad of blessings you shower on us…help us to enjoy them and to keep them at the top of our minds every moment…and help us disregard the negative voice from the kingdom of darkness that seek to rob us of our mental serenity…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please make it a habit to listen to the announcements. They are posted separately. Keep current on the things going on and coming up in Barah Ministries.
DISCUSSING THE LESSON AND PRAYER CIRCLE
Join us Live or on Zoom Immediately Following the Lesson
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Send your request to pastor@barahministries.com
KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
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1220 S. Alma School Rd. Suite 102 Mesa, AZ 85210 |
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(480) 237-9903 |
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info@barahministries.com |
