Re:Member Ephesians Part 3: Gods Family1 To be a member of Gods family, there are some hoops we have to jump through!

! To be born, you have a mother you come into the world through! There are many things we go through. To enter on the one hand and exit on the other, there is often a means, a way, a because of, Today I have amazing 5 means / vessels: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Through the Gospel Through the Church Through Faith Through the Spirit Throughout Generations

1. THROUGH THE GOSPEL (Gospel Centered Church) 3 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles 2 you have heard, havent you, about the administration of Gods grace that He gave to me for you? 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of Gods grace that was given to me by the working of His power. 8 This grace was given to methe least of all the saintsto proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.2

Apart from using Logos Bible Software & my ESV Study Bible from Crossway, these resources are helpful: The Message of Ephesians, John Stott, 1979, IVP; and commentary by Michael Eaton, http://www.slices.org.uk/Slicesforall/sfeEphesians.html

The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Eph 3:19). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. 1

Entrusted with the Antidote The severity of this the amazing weight of this, needs to be comprehended: Just like Paul We have been entrusted with the plan of salvation for people. It has been given to us we are ministers, managers, and stewards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! As your leader, I need to make sure that you understand and receive the amazing supplies of Gods plan, wisdom, knowledge and revelation in all its fullness, over time, and as you receive the deposit that I receive and give to you, you cannot hide it in your heart or in your pocket we are salt that must remain salty, we are light that cannot be hidden under a bush! We have the fuel the people need and they are not running to us to get it we have to go to them and be the faithful stewards! We have the antidote for the greatest sickness on earth, and we have to be like the nurses who come to the bedside and administer the medication! What use is a nurse who stays behind her post and does nothing to respond to the cries of the patients. We have to cross the room, we have to make the crossing we are the ones entrusted! Dont wait for them to change, the sick need a doctor, a sin dead world needs the carriers of the truth and life and good news of Jesus to cross over to them! Who are you called to? God raises special people with particular ministries in various places If you are a saint, if you are a believer, you are called with a special ministry to carry Gods plan and message and heart to people! You have to ask yourself who are the people that God has called me to bring this God-supply to? You have the Message! Its in you! As a believer, you will be able to perceive the truth when it is spoken and when it is shared. If you have the God of truth living inside of you, you can witness with things that are right and things that are wrong. Dont try to un-convince yourself of things that the Spirit of God inside of you is telling you is true. You have a conviction of sin, you know when there is something not right and the Spirit who is sealed upon you is drawing you away from falsehood. To fight this is to cause the greatest turmoil, doubt, unbelief, hurt to your soul eventually it manifests in your body!

When you Scuba dive, and you dive down to the depths, you cannot return to the surface without allowing the Nitrogen gas build-up in your blood to escape first. May it be the same for us dont return to God without allowing the truth you know you have, and feel inside you, let it out and share it with everyone who deeply needs it! 1 John 2:20 you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 3 You should feel a confirmation in your hearts as I share these things with you the Bible is self-authenticating you can witness with authenticity. The Words are good and the Spirit inside you confirms it. But now that you have it, a situation will come up for you to act and share so be persuaded and follow the leading of the Spirit in you! Gospel Ministry & Calling Imposed I pray for Damascus Road experiences for all of you! I love this story in Acts 9 9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 5 And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do. 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
The New International Version. 2011 (1 Jn 2:20). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 3
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Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord. 11 And the Lord said to him, Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. 13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. 15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened. 4 I pray for radical calling to come into our lives that it would knock you off your holding pattern in the same what Paul was knocked to the ground with the calling of Jesus to be a minister for the Gospel! I pray that this Gospel calling would be so imposed upon you that you would not be able to resist! I pray that it would come upon you in force! Forced with a burning compulsion. That Jesus would seize you! Imprison you! If God is calling you, you cannot do anything else! Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel! This is for all of you! It is a gift of grace we get this instead of what we deserve! Humility is key Its Gods kindness as Gods message by Gods choice through Gods redeemed.

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ac 9:119). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 4

A note on Humility: The downward trajectory of Paul (Corinth) Least of all the apostles, here he says least of all the saints, later (Timothy) he says worst of all sinners in reference to himself fully understanding that its less and less of me, and more of Him. John said: I must decrease, He must increase. 2. THROUGH THE CHURCH (Gospel Displaying Church)
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This is so Gods multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the 11 heavens. This is according to His eternal purpose accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord.5 The Manifold wisdom of God Angels marvel at the manifold, multifaceted wisdom of God displayed to them when they look at the Church! Demons shudder! Angels rejoice when 1 person is added to the church because they see the reality of how Good the eternal God is for saving and including us in His Family! The have watched Gods skillfully pull it all together through all the ages the restructured Israel The Church is Gods way of showing the angels how wise He is! The Church is the display of the Gospel Gods good and wise plan in Jesus Christ! We are the display of what happens when God united us through the Gospel, but we are also the ones who bring the Gospel to all people! Through the Church! 3. THROUGH FAITH (Christ United Church)
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In Him we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 So then I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. 6 Even when things seem to go horribly wrong the one the Ephesians loved, Paul, is in prison, but God works all things together for the display of His Wisdom! If we think back now, the
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Eph 3:911). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. 6 The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Eph 3:1213). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. 5
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fact that Paul was in prison when he wrote this causes us to be even more amazed at Gods wisdom. When we are in troubled times, we should be bold and confident because more than being in trouble, we are IN CHRIST! This is what it means to have Faith! You might be IN PRISON, but you will never be freer than IN CHRIST! Through Faith, we are in Jesus, no matter what state we physically find ourselves in. But also, through faith, Jesus is in us! BY (Inheritance) FAITH & THROUGH (Saving) FAITH Saving Faith is given to us as a gift through faith BY Grace (Grace is the Action of God). You can think of it like this you can do nothing to earn salvation, the only one who can BUY salvation is God, He bought it for us in Jesus. This is grace. So BY Grace, we are saved, Through faith saving faith is a gift paid for by Gods grace. It is through Jesus faith! His faithfulness! God is gracious to give us initial saving faith! But once we have this Salvation Through Faith, everything that we inherit, or in a sense, all that we buy as reward in this life for the life to come is BY Faith! Inheritance Faith. The currency of Heaven is faith, you buy heavens gifts with Faith. And everyone has a rich supply it grows! When Jesus saw the faith of the sick, He said, your faith has made you well! Salvation comes Through Faith (Jesus) given by grace. Salvations gifts come to us BY Faith (yours) given as reward. We Enjoy Saving Faith the Faith that is given to us BY Grace. We Exercise Inheritance Faith the reward that is given BY Faith. Through Faith = Jesus faithfulness (Salvation by grace) By Faith = Our faithfulness (Sanctification for reward) Faith is the Substance (Hebrews 11:1) What happens when you are seeking God for something by faith and it does come? Well this is where faith is such a gift faith itself
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is rewarding Faith is the substance/assurance/realty of things hoped for, faith is the evidence/conviction/proof of the thing unseen. So faith is the substitute that you hold onto until you have the thing you believe for if it never comes, you still have faith, and God says, this is more precious than silver or Gold! 1 Peter 1:3 9 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by Gods power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faithmore precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by firemay be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 7 4. THROUGH HIS SPIRIT (Christ Empowered Church)
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For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, 17 and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of Gods love, 19 and to know the Messiahs love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 8

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (1 Pe 1:39). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 8 The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Eph 3:1419). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. 7

This is how we receive Power From God to our inner man. The Inner man is the immaterial part that lives on when the body decays, and is the part that is untied to the resurrected body in the end. It needs to be strengthened! Have you ever tried to hold up a jumping castle without putting on the blower? We need the Breath of God the Spirit of God co-operating with Him to develop strength in (According to Michael Eaton) 6 areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. Spiritual Sensitivity to Gods presence & Gods voice! Mind Perceive clearly what is ours in the Kingdom! Will We need a resolve to seek Jesus more! Spiritual Appetite not dampened by temptation of the weak flesh 5. Inner Endurance Work through, hold on and not get discourage and back or drift away. 6. Body We get overwhelmed so we need His energy / healing / refreshing in body too! SO THAT Filled with Fullness They are already Christian believers, but here he prays for the strengthening SO THAT they may have a deeper experience of Christ dwelling within them WITH POWER! This can be none other than a fresh baptism of the Holy Sprit! There is definitely a progressive experience of the riches of Christ! Greater Riches Paul in Ephesians 1 praises God for His riches. Then prays to God for a deeper knowledge of the riches. Now he continues to pray it seems he eagerly gets to this For this reason X 2 for an inner experience from the roots of the ground throughout every dimension (The breadth, length, height, depth) of the power of and the love of and the fullness of the infilling of God! (God-Filled) In other words as a Christian you have Jesus in your heart but there is a further reality where it is as if Jesus moves in and takes up residence in a way that you feel it and experience it beyond anything else in the Christian life! Jesus said in John 14:21 - 23

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Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? 23 Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.9 This already believing, loving Christian manifestation of the indwelling Trinity! can receive a

Christ becomes as real as a person (Same sense as when He appeared / Manifested himself alive after the resurrection to his disciples) and with this comes power, boldness and assurance to be a witness that HE is alive! But the greatest of these blessings is the foundation of LOVE. Romans 5:5 Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 10 The Dimensions of love we are rooted down in love, we are built up in love (God Us, Us God), we embrace with love (breadth) and continue in love (length) like a Cross. How much does He love me? Arms wide this much we need strength to understand it! (Not just a yes I know of His love) 5. THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS (Christ Encompassing Church)
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Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 11

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Jn 14:2123). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 10 The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ro 5:5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 11 The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Eph 3:2021). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. 9

God is Father We are all one family in God! All the generations before and all the generations to come from every nation, those alive and those who are already with Jesus are His great big family! The Church! [Just want to add here every family that has a name has been made in heaven! look after your family husband and wife you are a family, hardworking father and mother, more than anything you are a family remember that and God puts families together the devil breaks them apart] Generations Last week I touched on being inclusive. This means that as a young generation, we need to be inclusive of the old. But also, as an older generation, we need to be inclusive of the young. There is no one-generation that has it all together. Yes there is maturity and a respect for elders, but even the elderly having known God in their generation are humbled to see how God would include the next. Teenagers today face more opportunity than in any generation before, the problem is with that comes the opportunity to sin far easier than in past generations! We need to embrace the younger generation who from the age of 7 can play sophisticated games with the movement of their hands, and we may be surprised how much they know and how quickly creativity will come through them, and how quickly they are maturing and desensitized to things. But God has always made it necessary that the older guide the younger. The experience and teaching from the older is invaluable! Crossing Over Having said this this is a Joshua Generation and we need to cross over into unfamiliar territory! Our generation needs to arise and take the Land that God has promised for us! We cant expect the previous generations to do it for us, they have given us this, and we need to take it to the next level. Yet among us are the Calebs who have not run out of steam and are willing to fight along side us so that they can gain more for their generation and that we enter into all that God has for us today in our generation!

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True Family of Jesus If you are really a member of the church, you are a member of Jesus family! If you are really a member of Jesus family, then you will do the Fathers will! Listen to what Jesus to those who point out that His mother and brother want to talk to him: Jesus Mother and Brothers (Matthew 12:46 50) 46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. 12 The Reason for all of this To Him be Glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever! Amen!

Pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 12:4650). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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