Ephesians 4: What Does the Lord Provide So Christians Can Grow Up?

Class Outline:

---

Custom fit, spirit lit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 a great God we worship who is for us and never against us!  And for believers in Christ, His concern for us extends into eternity according to  Revelation, Chapter 21, Verse 4.  In heaven…

 

REVELATION 21:4

“…the Lord Jesus Christ will wipe away every tear from the eyes of His believers…and there will no longer be any death…there will no longer be any mourning…there will no longer be and cryingor pain…the first things have passed away.”

 

According to Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verse 20, we can count on eternity to be…

 

EPHESIANS 3:20

…exceedingly and abundantly beyond anything we ask or think…

 

All praise to our Almighty God, who is an ever-present help in our lives.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

What Does the Lord Provide So Christians Can Grow Up?

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

If you pressed effective parents on the subject, and they were willing to be honest, and you asked, “What do you want for your kids?” … at first thought they may say facetiously, “I wish they never were born!”  But if they’re being honest instead of funny, they’d say, “I want them to grow up and to live meaningful lives.”

 

That’s exactly what the Lord wants for His children…for all of us believers in Christ.  He wants us to grow up and to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.

 

In today’s lesson, we’ll learn what the Lord provides so His children can grow up.  And as we do regularly, honoring the Lord’s command, we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  Get your bread and your wine ready…settle in for a great message from the Word of God…and join us in the Lord’s Supper Celebration.

 

OPENING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s hear some music!

 

From the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night before He went to the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ taught us what real maturity looks like.  As He prayed…while knowing the next day’s challenge…the challenge of being crucified…in Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 42 the Lord said…

 

LUKE 22:42

“…Father…if for the sake of argument You are willing…remove this cup from Me…yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ knew God the Father was willing to do anything for Him.  He also knew God the Father’s will from eternity past.  The Father sent His Son to die for us.

 

The essence of maturity happens when we align our will with God’s will just as the Lord did.  Here’s Hillary Scott and the Scott Family to sing about it in their song THY WILL.

 

MUSIC

OPENING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

THY WILL

Hillary Scott and the Scott Family

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for your perfect provisions which put us in a position to grow up…thank you for thinking more of us than You think of sparrows, and we know You provide everything for them, requiring no work on their part…thank you for placing believers in Christ in unity with You and with all members of the Godhead…as believers, we are IN CHRIST, a position we can never lose because You gifted it to us…

 

…as You teach us about growing up and about unity today, open the eyes of our hearts that we may be receptive to Your messages…let God the Holy Spirit’s enabling power give us the spiritual discernment we need to understand the messages…and help us find ways to apply these truths in our lives…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

What Does the Lord Provide So Christians Can Grow Up?

 

LESSON PART ONE

 

We continue our study of Ephesians, Chapter 4 in the second passage…let’s listen to the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD TRANSLATION.Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 7 to 13 say…

 

EPHESIANS 4:7

…to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

 

EPHESIANS 4:8

Therefore, it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO MEN.”

 

EPHESIANS 4:9

Now this expression, “He ascended” … what does it mean except that He also had

descended into the lower parts of the earth?

 

EPHESIANS 4:10

He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.

 

EPHESIANS 4:11

And He gave some as apostles…and some as prophets…and some as evangelists… and some as pastors and teachers…

 

EPHESIANS 4:12

…for the equipping of the saints for the work of service…for the building up of the body of Christ…

 

EPHESIANS 4:13

…until we all attain to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God…to a mature man…to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

 

Let’s study the passage verse-by-verse beginning at Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 7…

 

EPHESIANS 4:7

But to EACH ONE OF US a supernatural grace gift was given to us by God…a spiritual gift…according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

 

The supernatural grace gift God gives you at the moment of salvation is unique to you.  It's yours and yours alone, custom-made specifically fit for you.

 

God gives you this grace so you’ll use it to build up other Christians.  Do you ever think about how you can build up others?

 

The Greek word for grace is charisma.  No matter how dull and boring you are, God thinks enough of you to give you the gift of charisma!  Your supernatural gift makes you irresistible to others in the spiritual realm.  If you've never bothered to investigate your spiritual gift, this fact should shake you up!  You are naturally charming in a specific area…and all this time you thought evangelism was hard!  Your charisma works, even on unbelievers!  Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 8…

 

EPHESIANS 4:8

Therefore, it says, "WHEN JESUS ASCENDED ON HIGH (IN VICTORY AFTER HIS WORK ON THE CROSS)…HE LED INTO CAPTIVITY A HOST OF CAPTIVES…AND HE GAVE SPIRITUAL GIFTS TO MEN (through God the Holy Sprit).”

 

Psalm 68, Verse 18 amplifies the point…

 

PSALM 68:18a

You, O Lord, have ascended on high…You have made captives YOUR captives…

 

Believers, once captives of sin, are now captives for Christ…or as Paul would say it, we believers in Christ are “prisoners of the Lord.”  Christ’s work on the Cross for our benefit sealed the strategic victory in the Creator-creature conflict, and as believers in Christ we inherit all the spoils of His victory.  And as we said in a previous lesson, the angels never saw it coming.  Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 9…

 

EPHESIANS 4:9

As for this expression, “He ascended” … what does it mean except that He also

had descended into the lower region (both planet earth and Paradise in Hades)?

 

The Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven to planet Earth to save us.He was born of a virgin and became the God-man…100% God and 100% human in one Person forever.

 

The Lord, after His death on a Cross, went under the earth to get the Old Testament believers who were in Paradise…a compartment of Hades…also known in the Bible as Abraham’s bosom…so He could take them to heaven when He Himself ascended into heaven.  Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 10…

 

EPHESIANS 4:10

Jesus who descended (to planet earth and to Paradise in Hades) is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens (in strategic victory) so that He might fill all things in the entire universe.

 

This is a reminder of the victory parades in Roman times.  After conquering a land, Roman soldiers would march into Rome in a victory parade, showing off all the spoils of war they collected.  In addition, they would “perp walk” the officers of the conquered army to a public execution.  Ouch!

Next, the passage cites what God is able to do with us weak people….Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 11 and 12…

 

EPHESIANS 4:11

And the Lord Jesus Christ…through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit…

gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some

as Pastors and teachers…

 

All of these gifts are of the masculine gender in the Greek language.  God is sending us the message that these four gifts are exclusively male gifts.  And what are these gifts for?

 

EPHESIANS 4:12

…for the equipping of the saints…to edify believers in Christ for the work of service…building them up as is fitting for those who are members of the Body of Christ (The Church)…

 

Spiritual gifts make the weak strong.

 

 

As we learned in Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 4 to 6, all believers in Christ are one with the Lord.  Also, we have unique differences, reflected by our spiritual gifts.  Other places in the Word of God give a more extensive set of spiritual gifts.  The spiritual gifts from God outlined in Ephesians are the gifts God gives to church leaders.

 

There are…

 

APOSTLES

Divinely appointed representatives of Christ who personally saw the risen Christ in His resurrection body.  There are no apostles today.  Many religions would disagree.

 

There are…

 

PROPHETS

Often, we think of prophets as those who can predict the future, but in the early

church prophets were the precursors of evangelists.  When the Word of God had

yet to be written, those who had the spiritual gift of being prophets spread the gospel message.  This gift is no longer needed today.  There are no more prophets, yet many religions would disagree.

 

Now there are…

 

EVANGELISTS

Those who disseminate the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ's salvation offer.  All of us are called to evangelize, but evangelism is the focus of the evangelist.  However, just because this supernatural spiritual gift is in play throughout the world, all Christiansmust follow the Lord’s example in Luke Chapter 19, Verse 10…

 

LUKE 19:10

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

 

We can’t save unbelievers, but we sure can seek them at every opportunity!

 

There are…

 

PASTORS AND TEACHERS

A Pastor is a shepherd representing THE Shepherd…the Lord Jesus Christ.  As a shepherd, the Pastor’s job is to teach.  Pastors nourish the sheep by feeding them the Word of God.  In Acts, Chapter 20, Verses 28 to 30, the apostle Paul describes the Pastor-Teacher’s assignment…

 

ACTS 20:28

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock…among which God the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…to shepherd the church of God the Father which Jesus purchased with His own blood.

 

ACTS 20:29

I (Paul) know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…

 

ACTS 20:30

…and from among yourselves, men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.

 

Pastor-Teachers edify believers in Christ with the Word of God.  They also equip

us to recognize the deceptions sponsored by Satan, the king of deception.  Aside from our relationship with the Lord, nothing is more important to our growth than the Word of God.

 

We know some unbelievers are false teachers spreading false teaching.   Strangely enough, however, there are Christians who use their supernatural spiritual gifts against the body of Christ.

 

Unfortunately, some evangelists promote a false gospel…a faith-plus gospel that nullifies salvation.  It was not God's intention for people to use spiritual gifts this way, but human free will runs its course.

 

Some Pastors are false teachers disseminating false teaching that assails the character and nature of the Lord.  I can count myself as among them at one time until God the Holy Spirit corrected me.

 

False evangelists and teachers manufacture pseudo-glory.  The pseudo-glory for production created through counterfeitingthe spiritual gifts goes to Satan, and that’s neither good for Satan nor for the Christian who is misusing a spiritual gift.  When Satan caused all of the angels to fall, he misused the assets given to Him by the Lord.

 

Since the supernatural spiritual gifts are grace gifts, and since we didn’t do anything either to earn them or to deserve them, all credit for the divine production of our gifts goes to the source of the gifts, our Almighty God.  Revelation, Chapter 22, Verses 8 and 9 demonstrate…

 

REVELATION 22:8

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

 

REVELATION 22:9

But the angel said to me, “Do not do that!  I am a fellow servant of yours and of

your brethren and of the prophets and of those who heed the Words of this book (the Bible). Worship God (not me)!”

 

All praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to the other members of the Godhead for giving us spiritual gifts.  Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 13…

EPHESIANS 4:13

…and one day we all will experience the standard of unity that is part of the faith…and all believers really will know the Son of Godas is fitting of someone who is mature in the faith…demonstrating the stature which belongs to those with the fullness of Christ.

 

Through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit we press on in the Christian Way of Living…with complete faith in our God…regardless of where we are right now in the spiritual journey.  Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 12…

 

PHILIPPIANS 3:12

Not that I (Paul) have already obtained spiritual maturity…and not that I have already become perfect…but I press on (in my spiritual life) so that I may lay hold of that prize for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

 

God provides PEOPLE to help believers in Christ to grow up, and He empowers these people…fellow Christians…with supernatural abilities through spiritual gifts.

Learn yours, and use it for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

 

Here’s the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION of this passage…Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 7 to 13…

 

EPHESIANS 4:7

However, God the Father has given each one of us a supernatural spiritual gift through the generosity of Christ.

 

EPHESIANS 4:8

That is why the Scriptures say, “When Jesus ascended to the heights, He led a crowd of captives and gave spiritual gifts to His people (through the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit).”

 

EPHESIANS 4:9

Notice that it says “He ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended

to our lowly world.

 

EPHESIANS 4:10

And the same one who descended, Jesus, is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that He might fill the entire universe with Himself.

 

EPHESIANS 4:11

Now these are some of the supernatural spiritual gifts Christ gave to the church: apostles…prophets…evangelists…and the Pastor-Teachers.

 

EPHESIANS 4:12

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and to build up the Church…the body of Christ.

 

EPHESIANS 4:13

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and to such a knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

 

As the Lord’s apostles argued among themselves about who was the greatest of themin Matthew, Chapter 23, Verse 11, the Lord cleared it up…

 

MATTHEW 23:11

…the greatest of you shall be your servant.

 

The greatest life you can have as a believer in Christ is to be a servant to the Body of Christ.  What God wants for you is that you learn your supernatural spiritual gift and that you use it in all aspects of your life to create a great life for yourselves and for others.  When you do this, truly you are walking in a manner worthy of the Lord.  You’re making the Lord proud.

 

When we return from the break, we'll take the offering, and then we'll celebrate the Lord's Supper.

 

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

What Does the Lord Provide So Christians Can Grow Up?

 

OFFERING INTRODUCTION

 

In First Chronicles, Chapter 29, Verse 14 King David says…

 

FIRST CHRONICLES 29:14

…who am I…and who are my people…that we could give anything to You Lord? Everything we have has come from You…and we give You only what You first gave us!

 

What a great description of Christian giving!

 

Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of his always encouraging and always and enjoyable messages about giving.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

TITUS 3:5

The Lord Jesus Christ saved believers in Christ…not on the basis of deeds which we have done in self-righteousness…but according to His mercy (not giving us the wrath of God that sin deserves)…by the washing of regeneration and through renewing by God the Holy Spirit…

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Instrumental Version

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Through the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Taught Us Unity

 

Welcome to the Lord’s Supper Celebration!

 

As we remember the Lord, let’s enjoy recalling the things the Lord has done for us, especially His work on the Cross on our behalf.  The Lord’s Supper gives us a chance to direct our focus to the Lord alone.

 

Concerning the Lord’s Supper, our God commands us in Luke, Chapter 22, Verse 19 to…

 

LUKE 22:19c

“…keep on doing this Lord’s Supper Celebrationin remembrance of Me.”

In celebrating the Lord's Supper, the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to take time to reflect on the special relationships in our lives, especially the most important relationship…whether we are believers in Christ or even unbelievers… the relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  A relationship with the Lord is critically important and eternally important.

 

Yet the Lord’s Supper Celebration is for the born-again ones…for spiritually alive

believers in Christ who were placed into union with Christ through the baptism of God the Holy Spirit at the moment of their salvation.  God the Holy Spirit turned us into eternal companions of Christ by uniting us with Christ.

 

It is not wise to celebrate The Lord’s Supper on the move.  The Lord’s Supper is a chance to be still and to reflect on the blessings the Lord directs to us.  So get your bread and wine and join us for the feast.

 

At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ taught us UNITY.

 

The Lord works in ONES according to Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 4 to 6…

 

EPHESIANS 4:4

There is ONE body…and ONE Spirit…just as also you were called in ONE hope of your calling…

 

EPHESIANS 4:5

…there is ONE Lord…ONE faith…ONE baptism…

 

EPHESIANS 4:6

…ONE God and Father of all…who is over all…and who is through all…and who is in all.

 

One page.  That is what our God stands for…UNITY.  When Christians think there is more than one way to look at Christianity, they are deceived.

 

UNITY is one understanding of things…one way to think about things…one way of doing things.  In God’s plan, only a right thing done in a right way is right.

 

A right thing done in a right way is using God’s perspective (the right thing) in every decision we make (the right way).  When we choose this path we are in unity with Him.

A right thing done a wrong way is wrong.  For example, if you get justice (which is right) by killing someone (which is wrong)…it’s wrong.

 

A wrong thing done a right way is wrong.  For example, if you endorse homosexuality (which is wrong) while loving those who engage in it (which is right)…that’s wrong.

 

It goes without saying that a wrong thing done a wrong way.  For example, if you address a sexless marriage by having an affair (which is wrong) by soliciting a prostitute (which is wrong)…that is wrong.

 

Why is unity necessary?

 

Because Satan destroyed unity with His rebellion.  He is the originator of two pages.  Ironically, by convincing all the angels to rebel against God, Satan created a pseudo-unity.  Unfortunately for him, it was a wrong thing done a wrong way.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross to repair disunity.

 

The Lord wants believers in Christ to be ONE in attitude and one in mindset…First Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 8…

 

FIRST PETER 3:8

To sum it up, all of you believers in Christ do well to be harmonious (unity driven single-mindedness which looks like this in execution)…a sympathetic mindset… a loving mindset as brothers do…a kindhearted mindset…and a humble mindset in spirit…

 

Humility is the opposite of selfishness.

 

The Lord wants believers in Christ to be ONE in operation…one in our actions.  In Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 2 to 5 Paul says…

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:2

…make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:3

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one

another as more important than yourselves…

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:4

…do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:5

Have this attitude in yourselves of selflessness because it was the attitude that was in Christ Jesus…

 

What does the Lord want for us?  Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 32…

 

ACTS4:32

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and one soul…

 

He wants UNITY for us.

 

One page is so much easier than two pages.  Paul discourages two pages in Romans, Chapter 14, Verse 5…

 

ROMANS 14:5

One person regards one day above another...another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind he is doing what God would want him to do.

 

When we know there is one absolute truth things are easy.  When we think, “It’s all relative,” meaning nothing is absolute…that everything is subject to individual interpretation…life is hard.

 

Today, many have an exaggerated sense of importance.  They make everything mean whatever they want it to mean

 

It's best to use God's viewpoint of things because He is always right!

 

 

Unity.

 

You’ll see it encouraged all over the Bible…like in Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 16…

 

ROMANS 12:16

Be of the same mind (with one mindset) toward one another…do not be haughty in mind…but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

 

The self-exalting mindset is not unity.

 

 

The source of UNITY is God.  At the moment of salvation, believers in Christ are united…Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 3 says it’s…

 

EPHESIANS 4:3

…the unity from the source of God the Holy Spirit…

 

First Corinthians, Chapter 12, Verse 13…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:13

For by one God the Holy Spirit we believers in Christ were all baptized into one body (The Body of Christ)  …whether Jews or Greeks (no racial distinction)… whether slaves or free (no social distinction)…and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (from the source of unity…God the Holy Spirit).

 

There is UNITY in the Godhead…God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and the God-man the Lord Jesus Christ are of ONE mind…the same mind.

 

There is UNITY of thought in the Word of God.  Every thought in the Bible has one and only one interpretation, much to the dismay of Biblical naysayers.

 

Evil people can act in unity for evil…like Herod and Pontius Pilate.  They were in unity that the Lord Jesus Christ should be crucified.  I wonder how they are enjoying their decision in the Lake of Fire.

 

Unity has three parts…true understanding that is provided by God…a true mindset which is a divine way of thinking…and true humility which is a divine way of operating.

To our God, UNITY involves sacrifice…service…and selflessness.  The Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated it at the Cross, and we celebrate it today.  Unity is inspiring and when we live it, we are walking in a manner worthy of Christ and we reflect His unity for the whole world to see.  It is our hope that the world gravitates toward the oneness.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Enjoying the Elements

 

Bread and wine.

 

The Lord gave us these things to remember Him.  We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.

 

Matthew, Chapter 26, Verses 26 to 28 tells us the reason the Lord wants us to celebrate this meal together…

 

MATTHEW 26:26

While the apostles were eating, Jesus took some bread…and after a blessing…He

broke the bread, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take…eat…this is My body which is being broken for you.”

 

MATTHEW 26:27

And when Jesus had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it…all of you…”

 

MATTHEW 26:28

“…for this is My blood…the blood of a new covenant…My blood…poured out for WHOSOEVER…for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

We celebrate to REMEMBERthat Jesus Christ died as our sin substitute…that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead to prove His Deity…that Jesus Christ loves us unconditionally…that Jesus Christ forgives us once and for all time through His work on the Cross…that Jesus Christ’s BLOOD has paid for our sins…that Jesus Christ saved us from the wrath of God the Father…and that Jesus Christ will come again to gather us unto Himself.

 

As believers in Christ, we celebrate this Lord’s Supper with gratitude.  His work on the Cross gives us hope, the ABSOLUTE assurance of an amazing future.

Enjoy the elements as we listen to Tommy Walker sing about unity in his song YES WE ALL AGREE.

 

THE LORD’S SUPPER SONG

 

YES…WE ALL AGREE

Tommy Walker

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

The closing moments of this lesson 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 to 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.

The Bible says God is clear-minded…First Corinthians, Chapter 14, Verse 33…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 14:33

…for God is not a God of confusion…

 

It's true!  God is so clear-minded He works in ONES.  There is one category of unbelieving angels, the fallen angels…and there is one category of believing angels, the elect angels.  Here's what the Lord has to say about the fallen angels in Jude, Chapter 1, Verse 6…

 

JUDE 1:6

And the fallen angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day…

 

Here’s what the Lord says about the elect angels.  Matthew, Chapter 24, Verse 31…

 

MATTHEW 24:31

And the Lord will send forth His elect angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect believers from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

 

The Lord categorizes His human creatures the same way…the elect and the fallen.  The Lord wants you to be one of the elect!

 

The bad news is you were born fallen.  You were born physically alive but

spiritually dead as a fallen, ungodly, unrighteous unbeliever.  You were born a

sinner in God’s eyes, in desperate need of a Savior.

 

It’s not your fault you were born this way, but it is your circumstance.

 

In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22, the Bible says…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a

For all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human being who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…

 

The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ knew you could not work your way out of this circumstance, so He decided to work everything out for you.

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

 

It’s a great thing to know, because no one gets out of this life alive.  What’s going to happen to you when you close your eyes in this life?  Will you go to heaven or will you go to hell?  Will you remain fallen or will you choose to be elect?

 

God doesn’t want you to go to hell!  Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9 says…

 

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 for all to come to repentance (a voluntary change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).

 

The Lord has a plan to make you one of the elect so He can welcome you to heaven!  So, how can you get to heaven?  RIGHT WHERE YOU SIT, RIGHT NOW, you can tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christand God will save you...you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

The ONE WAY…the ONLY WAY to get to heaven is through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ…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…and no one comes to God the Father in heavenbut through believing in Me.”

 

Getting to heaven requires nothing of you except the expression of your faith in Jesus Christ to save you.  You can’t work your way to heaven.

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to all of you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our 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…

 

Believing in Jesus Christ is your acknowledgment that you can’t do a thing

to be elect on your own.  Also, you confirm that being fallen WILL NOT get you to heaven.  It’s wiser to let God make you one of His elect, because once God does something, He never changes His mind!  John, Chapter 10, Verses 28 and 29 say…

 

JOHN 10:28

“…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christand they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

 

JOHN 10:29

And My Father…who gives believers in Christ to Meis greater than all…and no one is able to snatch elect believers in Christ out of God the Father’s hand either.|

 

Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12 says…

 

ACTS 4:12

“…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”

 

What if you reject a relationship with Christ?  Matthew, Chapter 13, Verses 40 to 42 express the consequences…

 

MATTHEW 13:40

So just as weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

 

MATTHEW 13:41

The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will send forth His elect angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks (unbelievers)…and those who commit lawlessness (unbelievers)…

 

MATTHEW 13:42

…and the elect angels will throw (the fallen) unbelievers into the Lake ofFire…and in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Yes…there is a hell…and if you end up there it will be your choice.  So make the most important choice of your life!  Do what is suggested in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment…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.”

 

Make the best decision for you!  Be an elect one, not a fallen one.

 

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

The Good News of Jesus Christ’s Salvation Offer to the Human Race

 

CLOSING SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Let’s close with music!  In John, Chapter 17, Verse 21, the Lord prays for believers in Christ…

 

JOHN 17:21

(I…the Lord Jesus Christ…ask You Father) that believers in Christ may all be one…

 

Here is Mike Donehey praying for the same with his UNITY HYMN!

 

MUSIC

CLOSING SONG

Let’s Sing the Lord’s Praises

 

UNITY HYMN

Mike Donehey

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Almighty God and Father…

 

…thank you for giving us only one way of doing a thing…the right way…help us to live in the unity You provide…help us to pass the desire for unity to everyone we meet…

 

…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 ZoomImmediately Following the Lesson

 

GOT BIBLICAL QUESTIONS?

 

Ask the Pastor

pastor@barahministries.com

 

WANT US TO PRAY FOR SOMEONE?

 

Send your request to pastor@barahministries.com

 

 

KEEP ON STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY!

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

 

www.barahministries.com