According to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

According to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus

• ur Lord.

Ephesians 3.11

“

Through the ages one eternal purpose runs.

”

— AT Robertson

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom

• f God should be made known to

the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 3.10

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

Like a found treasure, or a scientific discovery, the church should not keep to herself the divine revelation. The Gospel is truth from God and riches to mankind. We should not be silent!

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

Ephesians 3.8-10 (The Message)

And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way

• ver my head, the inexhaustible

riches and generosity of Christ.

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

Ephesians 3.8-10 (The Message)

My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along.

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

Ephesians 3.8-10 (The Message)

Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

Luke 15.10

In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

1 Corinthians 11.10

The woman ought to have authority

• n her head because of the angels.

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

1 Timothy 5.21

I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing

• ut of favoritism.

1) God has chosen the church to reveal His plan

1 Peter 1.12

Even angels long to look into these things.

“

The angels can see the power of God in creation. The angels can see the wrath of God at Mt. Sinai. The angels can see the love of God at Calvary, but God says they're going to see my wisdom in the church […]

”

— John MacArthur

“

[…] That God could take diverse male, female, bond, free, Jew, Greek and he could melt down all the walls and blend them together in an indivisible

• neness all one with himself […]

”

— John MacArthur

“

[…] One with the father, one with the Son,

• ne with the Spirit, one with every other

believer that God could do that kind of miracle of salvation is a wonder beyond wonders of wisdom and causes the angelic host to give him glory.

”

— John MacArthur

2) God has provided resources for the fulfilment of His plan

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3.12

2) God has provided resources for the fulfilment of His plan

We can go walking right into the presence of the eternal God with

• boldness. Everyone of us has the

privilege of being in His presence and receive all the necessary resources to proclaim the Gospel of His love.

2) God has provided resources for the fulfilment of His plan

• Romans 2:4 – His goodness and

patience are rich.

• Romans 11:33 – God's wisdom and

knowledge are rich.

• Ephesians 1:7 – His grace is rich.

2) God has provided resources for the fulfilment of His plan

• Ephesians 1.8 – His glorious inheritance

is rich

• Ephesians 2:4 – His mercy is rich.
• Ephesians 3:16 – His glory is rich.
• Ephesians 3:18-19 – His love is rich.

2) God has provided resources for the fulfilment of His plan

• Colossians 2:2 – His assurance is rich.
• Colossians 3:16 – His word is rich.
• 1 Timothy 6:17 – His blessings are rich.
• Hebrews 11:26 – Our suffering for him

is rich.

2) God has provided resources for the fulfilment of His plan

• Colossians 2:2 – His assurance is rich.
• Colossians 3:16 – His word is rich.
• 1 Timothy 6:17 – His blessings are rich.
• Hebrews 11:26 – Our suffering for him

is rich.

“

The love of Christ is 'broad' enough to encompass all mankind, 'long' enough to last for eternity, 'deep' enough to reach the most degraded sinner, and 'high' enough to exalt him to heaven. […]

”

— John Stott

“

[…] We shall have power to comprehend these dimensions of Christ's love, Paul adds, only with all the

• saints. The isolated Christian can

indeed know something of the love of

• Jesus. But his grasp of it is bound to be

limited by his limited experience. […]

”

— John Stott

“

[…] It needs the whole people of God to understand the whole love of God, all the saints together, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, young and

• ld, black and white, with all their

varied backgrounds and experiences.

”

— John Stott

3) God must be glorified in everything the church does

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3.20-21

3) God must be glorified in everything the church does

• His is the plan.
• His is the power.
• His should be the glory.

“

What the church is to do is demonstrate the wisdom in God's mysterious plan. The wisdom of a plan is seen by the fact that it works. We show the wisdom of God by showing in the church that it is

• working. […]

”

— John Piper

“

[…] The death of Christ was not in vain: it has reconciled us to God, it has broken down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile and other races, it has produced one new body, and it has given us the hope of his immeasurable kindness forever. […]

”

— John Piper

“

[…] We show the wisdom of God to the cosmic powers by living this way, by being the church Christ died to create… when we fail to live in hope and to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we send this signal through the galaxies: […]

”

— John Piper

“

[…] God's purpose is failing; he was not wise, he was foolish.

”

— John Piper

“

But the apostle felt that he must not say, 'Unto him be glory in my soul.' He wished that, but his one soul afforded far too little space, and so he cried 'unto him, be glory in the church.' He calls upon all the people of God to praise the divine name.

”

— Charles Spurgeon

What are you doing?

• I am making a living
• I am laying down bricks
• I am building a cathedral
• Three men. Same job.

Three different perceptions of value and purpose.

What are you doing?

• I am making

a living

• I am laying

down bricks

• I am building

a cathedral

What are you doing?

• I am making a living
• I am laying down bricks
• I am building a cathedral
• Three men. Same job.

Three different perceptions of value and purpose.

What are you doing?

Three men. Same job. Three different perceptions of value and purpose.