TH150108/Why God Chose You

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Father, we are still the chill blesses time as we look in your word will have a better sense of all that you've done for us all that you've given us and how to take hold of it and use it for your glory. So we commit this time a Bible study to you now in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The title of my message is why God shows you. Ephesians 1 is our text. Quick question. Do you know any cheapskates if you know a cheapskate raise your hand.

Okay you know what I mean by cheapskate writer Jenna miserly you know that the pins their pennies they don't like to give their money for anything any where their notorious bad notoriously bad leaving tips when you want to eat a meal with these people.

They always disappear when the check comes they have to go to the bathroom and they're gone for 15 minutes and when they returned the check came and that's the way they are, how many of you are cheapskates razor again ducky is viewing using rather proud of it right now. Interestingly, I've discovered often that those that have the most give the least, and those that have the least give the most.

There are exceptions of this of course would let me illustrate with a woman from many years ago.

She lived in the 1900s. Her name was Teddy Greene.

At one point she was the richest woman in the world. She was also dubbed America's greatest miser when she died in 1916, she left an estate valued at about $200 million on. That's a lot back then. Today, that would be upwards of $4.3 billion but heady green was so miserly she ate cold oatmeal every morning so she didn't have to spend the money. Heating the water.

She wore an old black dress and undergarments she changed only when they wore out. She once spent half the night searching for a lost stamp worth two cents winter so this is all true when her son at a severe leg injury. She took so long trying to find a free clinic to treat his leg had to be amputated because of advanced infection and it was said that she hastened her own death by bringing on a fit of applelike up Alexi while arguing the merits of skim milk because it was cheaper than whole milk petty live like a pauper when she was a millionaire in her day in our day. She would've been a billionaire is or what we talking about heady green because she is sort of a picture of a lot of Christians today see I don't know how much you know about what God has done for you but a lot of believers go through life always struggling. They seem to have no spiritual power or resources to draw upon, let me rephrase that they have it, but maybe they don't know what or if they know what they certainly don't use it. There always struggling year after year, decade after decade.

It just goes on in a perpetual struggle. Lots of the book of Ephesians comments comes in because this book was written to Christians who might not realize how much God has done for them of Ephesians is been dogged the believer's bank or the Christians checkbook talks a lot about what the Lord has done for us. So this is the beginning of a brand-new series that I'm calling live love and fight and then this great epistle, the apostle Paul is going to tell us about what God is done for us and how to live full, productive and effective Christian lives. It tells us how to lay hold of what the Lord is given us, and utilize it in our lives. Now I don't know if you've ever done to your ATM and and had your car declined or had a credit card decline, for that matter.

I was out of state. Not long ago and and Mike.

I was at target getting some things and and we have the bag everything is been checked in my credit card was declined with the reason was not that I had insufficient funds was because they thought it was fraud because I didn't live in that state and the credit card machine people. Whatever it is you know immediately cut my cart outside to go back and you'll get it working again, and so forth and face humiliation. Hundreds of people stood and pointed at me laughing. It was a very traumatic experience. That's not true, but some maybe we feel the way you know we go to the spiritual ATM machine so to speak, and we see a zero balance. No, there's so much in your spiritual bank account. You couldn't spend it in 100 lifetimes. Listen to this God's heavenly bank has no limit estate limitations or restrictions so you don't have to be spiritually deprived and Pete and diff depleted or defeated God's heavenly resources are more than adequate to cover your past debts. All of your present liabilities in all your future needs and it will not deplete your assets one bit. That's what justification is that the word that we find in the Bible. Maybe you've heard it used and you wonder what it means justify one way to simplify it, translated to make it understandable could almost be translated just as if it never happened just as if it never happened. We've all done things I wish I wish I did not do that. I wish that it not happen.

Well, when you're justified in a sense, it's just as if it never happened know it did happen. You did the wrong thing. But God forgives you of all of your sin.

Now that's all he did, that would be more than enough but he forgives you of your sin, then he places the righteousness of Jesus Christ in your spiritual bank account so this is a book we will where we learn how to live and we also learn how to love. I will be good to Ephesians chapter 5 of Paul deals in depth with the family affected the tentative chapter that's usually referenced when ever we talk about the role of the family that so important in our cultural culture. So there we learn how to love and then finally when we get to Ephesians chapter 6. We learn how to fight because there we learn about the whole armor of God in every believer needs to put on live love and fight. So let's talk know a little bit about what God has done for us a certain phrases are used many times in the book of Ephesians a for instance in chapter 1 verse seven. Paul speaks of the riches of God's grace. Then in chapter 3 verse eight he speaks of the unfathomable, unfathomable commitment say that word the many riches of Christ, and then in chapter 3 verse 16 he talks about the riches of his glory.

In fact, the word riches is used five times in this book. The word grace 12 times the word glory eight times fullness build up and fills those phrases are used six times in the key phrase in Christ is used 15 times so I think we understand that God has done a lot for us. Now let's understand the context that this was written to the believers living in Ephesus. Ephesus was a significant city was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. It was a busy commercial port. It was wealthy and affluent, and it was the headquarters of the Colt of the goddess Diana and these people. In fact, had a riot there. On one occasion that's recorded in the book of acts. When Paul was preaching that when we went to Ephesus in one of our trips.

I wanted to illustrate who this idol was so they actually sell the little idle Diana so I actually bought one and died so I I was using it to illustrate.

I was giving a message for the people and and document it was all about this silly little idle while I took the idle and I kept it in my bag or forgot about it and I we we got on a boat we run actually accrues Bible cruise and so I were on the boat and I look over and my granddaughters are playing with the idle like it's a doll and I'm thinking of you. This just isn't good because technically this is an idol where they have no other gods before him, so I took that stupid idle and I went on the deck of the ship and I threw it in the water to get rid of these crazy idols with this is the environment in the backdrop of this book. These were believers who were trying to live a godly life in a place were idolatry was blatant and in addition to that, it was massive sexual immorality, so they were dealing with all of these things, trying to live a godly life in an ungodly world.

Well, not much unlike our culture today. All our idols are different there not little goddesses called Diana, sometimes are idols or cars sometimes are idols, our own bodies sometimes are idols or our careers or other people. We make idols out about a lot of things but an idol is anyone or anything that takes the place of God in our lives.

So first we learn about our spiritual well and standing before God in chapters 1 to 3 and then we can learn about our walk in chapter 4 verses 6 to 9 in the last part of Ephesians deals with our warfare that we are to engage in, and here's what we will learn before we can fight. We have to learn how to live I have ever been on a plane that's getting ready to take off and they're going through all the announcements and one of the things they tell you is that the cabin should happen to lose oxygen mask will drop down right and what they tell you they say if you're with a child put the mask first on yourself and then on the child. I thought to myself, it doesn't make sense of poor little child is you know needs oxygen and I know it's my father by theater limitation else, but but it makes complete sense because if you don't have oxygen and you can't breathe and you can't think how can you save the child so first you get it on you.

Now you can help the child in need your assistance or the same is true in life. How can I fight the spiritual battle. How can I help another person. If I don't have what I need in my life for so let's check out the believers bank let's cruise through the Christians checkbook and reverses 1 to 7 from Ephesians 1. Now read with me Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints.

You might underline that phrase to the same center in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ that could just as easily be translated in the heavenly's just to see shows us underline those two words will come back to him. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having pre-Dustin does to adoption. You might underline those three words or four words predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he has made us accepted in the beloved. Please underline those words accepted in the beloved were coming back to in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. There was so with verse one Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God know you all know that Paul used to be named Saul right Saul of Tarsus.

Saul was a very religious man. He was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin Saul of Tarsus presided over the death of the first martyr of the church.

The courageous young Stephen Saul of Tarsus went on a rampage hunting down men and women and imprisoning them, and in some cases executing them.

He was a vicious killer and he was named after the first king of Israel, King Saul, King Saul, who stood head and shoulders above everybody in the country. A very tall man so that was his name Saul. It was a great thing to have as a Jew, but after he was converted he didn't want to be sullenly more. Now he wanted to become Paul Saul who was known for his height and he chooses the word Paul know Paul's name that people have with great pride today because we think of the apostle Paul, but Alexander know if you know the meaning of the word Paul it means little little so Saul of Tarsus, the great man chooses a name little.

It's like you used to be John and Nellie's peewee right now is a peewee Herman imitation very badly.

So he changed his name.

Paul's smallness became the canvas for God's bigness, let me say that again. Paul's smallness became the canvas for God's biggest notes, only Paul was trying to appear humble you know sometimes people talk about how humble they are the so you know I think you're very proud. But I'm very humble there's so humble they dropped the age I'm humble okay but if you're really humble, why are you telling me you're humble because if you're actually humble you would never say it okay but so Paul wasn't trying to come up like oh I'm so spiritual he was just speaking factually and he talks about the life used to live the man he used to be. How ashamed he was of it.

So he that man I'm adjusting the new name and it means little and we often think of people like the apostle Paul and Peter and James and John as the spiritual a leader. Indeed, they were singled out by God, no question. But we must not forget they were ordinary men that God did extraordinary things through every one of them had slots and we often think of pastors and teachers, and evangelists and worship leaders is sort of the super spiritual. But the fact is God is called every one of us to do some work. So Paul was an apostle by the will of God. You could just as easily say Stephen architects by the will of God. John, a businessman by the will of God marry a nurse by the will of God. Joni, an attorney and an attorney by the will of God. Jeremy, a police officer by the will of God. Listen the highest calling of God is what God has called you to be there is no higher thing… You have chest pains you really want Greg a pastor by the will of God to help you know. Look, I'll pray for you, but I can help you with chest pains.

No, I think you want Jim a doctor by the will of God. Even better heart surgeon by the will of God right you need the right person at the right place. You might say will know it's a higher calling to preach this in a higher calling it a different calling by the way it started calling I chose. I didn't aspire to be a preacher.

All he ever wanted to do was draw cartoons and my backup plan was to own a pet shop and how you like that for ambition canvas 17 okay but I had some ideas of what I wanted to be and when God started opening doors up for me to preach I did to me it it was absurd. Why would a person likely a poor student in school.

A person never spoke publicly be called to do this. I don't know why but I do know that God called me to do it, were all called to do something.

In fact, Paul says this of the believers in Corinth in first Corinthians 1247 different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it's the same Holy Spirit who is a source of the mall. There's different kinds of service in the church, but at the same Lord were serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but at the same God who works in all of us a spiritual gift is given to each of us by means of helping the entire church. Check this out as a Christian who is been filled with the spirit, God has placed a spiritual gift or spiritual gifts in your life and my table.

Greg, how do you figure out what your spiritual gifts are sometimes other people will see them before you summon my come up to you so you know I think you have the gift as a leader I think you would think you have a gift in this other area really you kidding I one way to find out what you're good at his first find out which are bad at sometimes one of the best ways to discover your gifting is volunteer for everything. They all help in the children's ministry.

Okay am horrible at that. Okay, although boring really messed that up all over here and then one day you find your sweet spot like a this is what God has gifted me to be not understand a gift from God is different than a talent we have talents to do certain things, some artistic summer musical summer great with numbers. Some are a great with fixing things in. We have talents God is given, but a gift is supernatural and God places it in your life and I'm telling you God is giving you gifts of the spirit. So pray about what they may be. Then Paul goes on to say something surprising there in first Corinthians 12.

He says some of the parts. It seemed weakest and least important are really the most necessary. A lot of times we don't notice the people that work behind the scene friends.

It's my heart my liver.

My mind don't get as much attention as my eyes or my hand or my voice because those are out on display and enough you know this, but I'm actually a hand model Lidstrom was contacted by a magazine.

They said we want to use your hand on the government's is honored as it was the name of your magazine said that the time the name of the magazine is old and decomposing. While I get up I was offensive.

So now Paul speaks of these believers and starts out by saying to the same center in Ephesus. I pointed out before that St. is just another word for believer St. is not a word to describe someone who is been acknowledged by the Catholic Church or who has performed certain miracles know a saint is a believer if you're a believer in Jesus Christ.

You are a saint, so you've just been St. it you don't have to call me St. Gregory if you don't want to but I am a saint.

Now it's interesting to the saints that are in Ephesus now and some of the ancient manuscripts of of the book of Ephesians is a blank space instead of Ephesus so it's a polyp on the apostle writing to the saints and enters a blank spot and some believe because of that, this was a circular letter. In other words, it wasn't meant only for the Ephesians but it was meant for many churches and certainly were benefiting from it right now so you could just as easily say Paul and apostle by the will of God to the saint said are at harvest. You can even personalize it and put your name in there. It's God's letter to you. Look at verse three, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly's in Christ. Notice it pass review of the King James Bible half which means it's done.

It doesn't say that one day he will. It is saying he is already done missing a lot of times as Christians were asking for something that God is already given us it would be like someone giving you a gift for your birthday and an archer holding the gift. You then said so what are you getting me for my birthday to open the box. I just gave you Lou, I just want to know what you're getting me will what are you an idiot. Open the box and we can be that way. God, what are you when you give me this God says newsflash you have it.

Check your balance it's already there. For instance, we ask God to give us more love.

Lord, I need more love and yet the Bible tells us in Romans 55 the love of God is been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. It's already there. To start loving pray for the motion to start doing it. Yet it so human that personally I get so upset when I see them I need more love note you need to do more loving thing. Just go and do something out of your comfort zone like St. how are you I love you you you look great or will you know do a favor for them do loving things in the emotions will catch up.

This is certainly true in marriage because sometimes those husbands and wives that you know we love so much. Then they start getting on her nerves and those things the things that once drew you together because opposites do attract right now drive you crazy. You could not find more to opposite people on the face of the earth, and Greg and Kathy Lori, I mean everything is different about is you know Kathy is neat and I'm messy.

Kathy is cute and I'm sat you know how it is said that things we watching TV. She thinks she wants to watch are not the things I want to watch. Alright, so that's okay so love will get to that later when we talk about marriage or you may pray for peace.

Lord, give me peace. But Jesus says in John 1427 peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. We pray for happiness and joy. And yet John 1511 Jesus says these things I have spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full and overflowing. We ask for strength but get his word tells us Philippians 413 we could do all things through Christ who strengthens us and then second Peter 13 God's divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.

You have all of the peace. All of the love all of the power that you need. So just start using it.

Take hold of it.

That's what is being communicated here verse three he has past tense blessed us with every spiritual blessing is that spiritual blessing in the heavenly's are some translations say in the heavenly places. Now where is this exactly this means that all these things that God is given a syrup and some clouds somewhere. Some planet in the distant galaxy know it means that there in the unseen world of spiritual reality. The invisible world you know a Christian is a person who effectively lives in two worlds simultaneously. I live in this place I live in this earth but yet I am a citizen of heaven as well.

And because of this time I see things differently than other people see them and I realize that this world is my home in a sense right now but I'm to go to my heavenly home one day in the future and that's a great comfort to know you know when I travel to foreign countries. I always miss home. I mean I want to get home and I want to eat what I think is American food which is Mexican food and Italian food. It's interesting because it's not really American in origin. Is it now, but I like the way we do Mexican food and Italian food in America and and those are the things I crave. I really want those things. Maybe sushi to but you know you're in this other place, and so you have language barriers you have things you don't completely understand one thing is challenging. This is getting your money into the different currency because you know you may not know how much her spending.

I was in Israel a while back and I went to an ATM machine. They took some money out. I didn't really know how much money I had, because I didn't know what the exchange rate was an upright gypsum guy $20 to carry my bag. Someone told me. Do you know how much money you just gave him and I was a little alarmed by that in and figured it out quickly, but does the thing we need to understand is that were in two worlds. But God is given us these resources and their at our disposal. In a sense I'm in the heavenly I'm in the spiritual world right now, if God were to pull the veil back. It would blow your little mind as you would see angels and you would see demons and he would see this world of supernatural activity that is around you every single day in the Old Testament we read the story of the Elijah and his servant, and they were surrounded by the enemy and Elijah was sleeping and the server was panicking when he saw these armies closing in and he woke up the prophet and said what are we going to do and Elijah managed to get back to sleep. Lord just just opened his eyes he said, and then the man's eyes was open and he saw the supernatural world.

The Angels of the Lord all around him and he realized that those that are with us are more than those are with them so we may not see it, but trust me it's there can only come to a very big subject to talk about something the churches can discuss and debated for 2000 years and I'm in resolving right now. He said jokingly. I'm talking about predestination or divine election. Look at verse four. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Listen to this God shows you before you chose Jesus said you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you before there was a planet called Earth before there was a garden called Edom. Even not Edom. I don't know what Edom is. Even before Rita, and needed before there was a man name Adam and a woman named Eve. God decided in the councils of eternity to choose you, and to choose me well course, the first question that comes to my mind is why why would God choose me what goodness or merit. Did he see in me that he would choose me to be his child.

I hope you're not disappointed in the answer I'm going to give you the answer is, there was no merit or goodness that caused God to choose you. It's clear that despite your best intentions are high opinion, what you may hold of yourself that has nothing to do with it. All you need to know as God did it before you were even born. And so imagine if you knew the future if you were God, you know everything that was going to happen would you do a mean one day you had the superpower if you will, of knowing the future where HUD are good out of the race track and I would know which horse is going to win and I would bet a lot of money on that horse. So what you're telling me is you try to profit from it. What you're telling me is you would certainly pick a winner. Would you good out of the race track with this foreknowledge of the future.

It's a limited choose a horse it's gonna lose know why would you do that know you would choose a winner. Despite that God knowing all things shows me he chose you. But why because we fall short. So many times, knowing I think the same answer could be given as to why he chose Israel, the Lord said of the nation Israel, the Lord did not set his love upon you were choose you because you were more in number and other people for your fewer the Lord shows you ready for the answer he chose you because he loves you why I don't know just roll with it. This is a good thing is I don't understand it. Nobody understands it in any one of the things they do is either lying or delusional. It's been said, quote try to explain divine election and you may lose your mind try to explain it away, and you may lose your soul. See, it's very important that this is that we understand this is something the Bible teaches. Now we might ask a question how how did God choose us. What was the basis for his choice. I don't have an answer for that particular a question.

Now some those who would be of the reform persuasion Calvinists is or sometimes called a believe in something called irresistible grace, irresistible grace that effectively means that God shows you before you chose him. And you're going to believe in him no matter what, that's already been settled and decided, and you couldn't even resist the grace and the pull of God if you wanted to and then some of the same persuasion would be believable. We might describe as double predestination, meaning that God chose some people for heaven and he chose other people for help. So, sort of like okay Kevin Kevin Howell no Kevin. Kevin Powell tell heaven help really believe that I reject that completely.

The God chose certain people to go to hell. I think this contradicts what other Scriptures teach along the same lines, they would believe in what is called limited atonement and that simply means that Christ only died for the elect. He only died for those that he chose ahead of time. While I don't believe that either. I believe that Christ died for the whole world and I believe try and I believe the grace of God can be resisted for the Bible tells us to not resist the Holy Spirit can be resisted. God's given us a free will. Scriptures dear in pointing out that God gives us a choice in the matter course, the definitive versus John 316 for God so loved the world doesn't taper God so loved only the elect are chosen was for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish in everlasting life. Whosoever said it doesn't say so when the elect who cannot resist is gracefully no, whosoever this is an open invitation to all of humanity. Whether we like it or not.

The Bible teaches both predestination and free will and I can illustrate a like this.

Let's say you're cruising down the freeway of life, so to speak. It is going with the flow. You're empty you're frustrated and you're alone and you are driving by and you notice in offramp I and all of that little offramp there is a building with a door and on the outside of the door it says whosoever will let them come to see a couple people born off but most of the people are charging a head you know and you just keep driving the freeway every day and you keep noticing that little road.

Whosoever will let them come. Now you've actually talk with people that have gone through that door and they talk about how wonderful it is how great it is and you think about doing it, but you are afraid. And then when do you think I'm just going to do it and so you pull over and you open cannot he or Connie open the door, whosoever will let him come and then you walk in and shut the door and on the other side of the door on the inside it says chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world.

Janet Jude shows but God chose to. He chose you.

You chose him but you did have a choice in the matter, and that's a glorious thing and you know what else he chose you before you were born a great preacher, CH Spurgeon once said it's a good thing God chose me before I was born because if he had waited until after he would've changed his mind. No, Spurgeon said that tongue-in-cheek because God knew exactly who you would become. He knows your strengths as well as your weaknesses, so as DL Moody, the great evangelist said the whosoever wills are the elect, whosoever won't are the non-elect is only God think you know I choose you, for heaven. I choose you for help. God says he's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. You could put it this way, God predestines every man to be saved.

The devil predestines. If you will every man to be damned man casts the deciding vote you decide where you would spend eternity. But once you make that decision.

I believe in Jesus you just confirmed you were the chosen one God chose you don't get it. I don't get it either.

But this is a reality that we need to accept & say well I think we have to be very careful because I don't think we can say God loves you to a nonbeliever because if they're not the elect. And God doesn't really love them dusty and and if someone prays a prayer they're not one of the elect and we tell them Jesus came in their heart or giving them false assurance. Are you crazy how we can go into all the world and preach the gospel if we believe. I don't know who God is chosen, I don't know who God is not chosen again to quote the evangelist DL Moody Lord save the elect and then elect some more and I acknowledge that salvation is a work of God.

There's nothing I can say to convince a person to believe in Jesus that people come up to me. It's a great what is the one thing you can say to make a person believe they think that you know we evangelist have some little secret card in our pocket or something. Okay, it's time to see that one thing all right. Let me ask you this new reading room.

They believe no such thing.

I just know to work of the spirit. Jesus said in John 644 no man comes to me unless the father who was sent me draws them. So it's up to the work of God, but our job.

Colossians 128 is to proclaim Christ, warning everyone we meet in teaching everyone we can although we know about him.

It's our job to reach as many people as possible. That's what we do our evangelistic crusade because we want to reach as many people as we possibly can in the shortest amount of time.

That's our commission. That's a crisis commanded us to do to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Paul writes in first Corinthians 37 either healer plants or he who waters is anything only God who makes things grow. The minute plans. The metal waters have one purpose and each will be rewarded according to their labor, for God's fellow workers. You are God's field in God's building will of a part to play some so his seed, someone of the seed that is been sown. Some reaper others have sown and wanted but it is God that ultimately brings about that conversion.

There's an interesting passage in acts 1348 or Paul was preaching to a group of Gentiles non-Jews and we read when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as been appointed to eternal life believed.

I keep that in mind when I'm giving an invitation because we've had thousands come forward and one invitation and others we've had three come forward and I just remember Lord as many as are appointed to eternal life.

The belief I leave this in your hand eye and I just trust that God's spirit will work and do the thing that he wants to do so.

We just need to do our part and let God do his part. The Bible says in Romans 1013, whoever will let them call upon the name of the Lord and he will be safe know what talk a lot about the why of predestination will talk.

Also a lot about the what a predestination but I think what we miss and that is so important is what did he predestinate before. Why did God choose me. What am I predestinated for the answers right here in Ephesians 1. If you're taking notes you might write this down number one God predestinated me to be adopted into his family. He predestinated me to be adopted into his family would diversify having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. God chose you to be adopted into his family and to become his child because God wants you to walk in fellowship relationship and friendship with him. Romans 815 says you have not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear you receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father. This is something God lovingly does for us. He adopts us first John three says behold what manner of love the father is given unto us, that we should be called the sons of God went to the notice in verse five it says according to the good pleasure of his will. In other words, God loves doing it. Don't you love to bless people have you figured it out yet that is Jesus said it's more blessed to give than to receive.

You know when you're a kid.

You look forward to your birthday or Christmas because you're going to get a lot of stuff and as you get older. First of all, you don't even want to acknowledge birthdays anymore, and you want them just to be over with and you actually enjoy getting things for people more than receiving things from people, and here's Gotti's and you know I just love to bless you and I just love to provide for you. It's sort of like when I take my grandchildren out, maybe I'll buy them dinner and then a get in the desert. Maybe I'll get him a little toy or something like that, you know that's not something I do out of duty like the subject.

Strategies should she not know I love the and I love to be with them. It's not my duty. It's my joy and I enjoy it and God feels the same way about you.

Jesus said, fear not, little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

It's God's pleasure in us. If someone does something for you is a thank you. What are they say my pleasure. My pleasure and this is God's pleasure to do this. Number two God predestinated me to be holy and without blame to be holy and without blame with the verse four just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world why that we would be holy and without blame before him in love. This is the outgrowth of your relationship with God. Holiness speaks of your inward purity without blame speaks of your outward condition of purity so you want to have a pure heart. He wants you to be pure in your actions. If you're really a Christian and you know what it is to walk with Christ. It should affect you in the things that you say the things that you do. Even in the things that you think and if it is not affecting you and your lifestyle and your choices.

We have to wonder if you will even understand this to begin with. To you would like a slave on the open market for sale. You are chained up to a tree and there were no takers. The auctioneer called out nobody wanted you there would be full price.

They wouldn't pay half price.

Along comes Jesus takes one look at you and nieces. I choose you. And so he pays the price and he peaceful price he doesn't try to get a deal peaceful prices, I can't believe he did this for me on the best servant ever. I will serve this master I'll go wherever he wants ago would he want to go measure good on the courthouse okay master Erica a what are we gonna do their action going to adopt you as my son don't want you to be like a servant like you were before you can serve me voluntarily but I want you to be my son.

I want you to be my daughter so let's drop those adoption papers and you can bear my name, now Christian because you follow me, and I live in you and you are in Christ and only mess up we sin as followers of Jesus were shaped. Sometimes we may feel as though we lost our position and no longer his son. I'm no longer his daughter. I'm not worthy.

Listen, you never were worthy so get over the worthy thing you'll never be worthy. You never were worthy. It's not about that. It's about the fact that God loves you and he chose you so when you mess up, you stop being his child member destroy the prodigal son he went a long ways from home, took his cut of the inheritance long before it should have been divided up a great inconvenience to the father.

He drove the family name of the daughter he consorted with hookers.

He messed his life up, and he ended up broke and hurting and miserable and even hungry. There was no food so one day the boy reason I was going to go home and ominously father I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Just hire me, give me a job, I'll do anything and he probably was Peter that speech over and over again and so is making his way home and and then when he is at a distance. The father sees his son coming.

He bolts up from the chair runs as fast as he can in the CERT beaten his son really know. That didn't happen did it. The boy deserved that perhaps, but the father throws his arms around and you can be sure this kid stunk. He was living with pigs. Have you ever smelled appeared.

Imagine living with them for a while talk to my wife.

If you need a reference he smelled his is close were tattered.

He looked horrible.

He was filthy. The father throws his arms around him and this is what the father says this son of mine was dead and is alive again and he was lost stuff.

Let's have a party is recited as a father no longer with the cultures that yeah whatever son, welcome home. Everybody my sons come back. Let's have a party together. You think that son was grateful for what the father did form, so too we should be grateful for all that God has done for us perhaps one of the reasons we do so little for the Lord is because we don't realize how much he is done for us. Let that sink first. John says 419 we love him because he first loved us. Listen, the more you know about God's love for you. The more you will grow in your love for him. So just take a while and soak it in. Now we come to point number three God shows us that we might become more and more like Jesus every day. Again, God shows us that we might be more more like Jesus every day. Romans 828 to 29. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God and other called according to a poor purpose for whom he foreknew he predestined to be conformed into the image of his own dear son. A lot of times people missed the big picture of that first everyone knows Romans 828 but they forget that after Romans 828 is Romans 829. That's the whole story.

Romans 828 we know that all things work together for those who love God.

Verse 29 for whom he did foreknow, he also predestined to be conformed into the image of his own dear son. So we have things happen in life that make no sense to which you got annoyed this is happening. Romans 820 things work together for good, and it's okay to quote that by the one I'm making fun of, but then as little time goes by.

Something happens you realize that the bad thing resulted in a good thing and there's a larger so get all worked out, but there are times in life when something really bad happens and you quote Romans 828 and you don't see how it's working together for good. You don't see any good.

You just see pain and more pain.

I know this from personal experience. When the Lord called our son to heaven was just like what is worse, the good here, but then I thought of verse 29 for home. He foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the image of his underside to God's end again with you is to make you like Jesus, God's endgame is not to make you happy. It's to make you holy that comes as a revelation to some of us we just thought God was there to make us happy. Well he wants to make you holy but the great thing is happiness is a byproduct of holiness.

If you live a holy life, you'll be a happy person. But if you don't live a holy life, you'll be the unhappiest person around.

So what this means is everything is in place. Still so for those things in your life that don't make sense. Just hang on. Maybe though make sense in the year or in 10 years, or maybe they will never make sense this side of heaven. But when you get into God's presence on the other side. It will all come in the focusing you go now I get it. Using but God shows you that you might be more like Jesus every day, let me ask you, are you becoming more like Jesus. Can people see it as a great compliment when summons is menu have changed. You are not the same person you used to be.

I remember how short tempered, you were.

I remember this thing about you and that thing about you and now you're like a whole new you that the greatest compliment ever, especially when it comes from a nonbeliever which haven't seen for a while.

That's God's goal to make you like Jesus. Fourth and finally, God shows us that we might bring forth spiritual fruit.

God shows us that we might live spiritually fruitful lives.

Jesus said in John 15 you do not choose me I chose you and I appointed you the you should go and bear fruit that your fruit should remain. Whatever you ask the father in my name to give to you. What is it mean to bear fruit. It needs to bring results out viruses by their fruits you will know the when summons really walking with Christ. You'll see the fruit. What is the fruit of the spirit according to Galatians 522, the fruit of the Spirit is love, and its joy and its peas and its patients and its long-suffering so if you're a follower of Jesus, though, should be the earmarks of your life. People should be able to see that in you and see that in me, here's something else that is done for you and I don't want to. The Mrs. because this is really big.

Look at verse six to the praise of his grace is me to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved say that after me accepted in the beloved. What is that even mean means that right now. I stand before God and you stand before God as a follower of Jesus completely acceptable. There's nothing I've done to earn it but I'm accepted acceptable to God heard us on the radio the other day a Christian radio station a girl singing that your approval.

I long for. She let one.

What I sing that you don't have the long for the approval of God, you have the approval of God.

The Bible says so.

It says he's made you accepted in the beloved. Here are merely forgiven and justified and cleansing your sin, you been received and loved by God himself.

And you know why that is.

It's because of his deep love for his own son because his son lives in DC now. I have his favor.

You have God's approval because of what Christ did for you, not because of what you did Christ and what we can describe is the true Lord's prayer done 70 of only call that prayer in our father were in heaven. The Lord's prayer. Nobody can call it that, but actually would better be described as the disciples prayer because it was not a prayer that Jesus ever prayed Jesus never prayed to the father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us because Jesus never said he gave it in response to the request of his disciples, Lord, teach us to break one of the true Lord's prayer the prayer that only Christ himself could pray recorded in John 17 yard to go check it out and read it through beautiful prayer, but in that prayer. Listen to what he says this is Jesus talking to the father. He says to the father, may they experience.

Speaking of us.

His followers may they experience such perfect unity that the world may know that you sent me and that you listen to this and that you love them as much as you love me that you hear that God loves you as much as he loves Jesus Christ you think the father loves Jesus Christ all you it's his only begotten son is dearly beloved son and he loves you just as much because of what Jesus did for you. Listen to this on the cross. God treated Jesus as if he had personally committed every sin ever committed by every person who would believe, though he committed none of them then repeat that again on the cross, God the father treated Jesus as if he had personally committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though he committed none of them.

This is called the doctrine of substitution means that God punished Jesus on the cross as though he lived your life. The Bible says that he became the righteousness of God in him. Jesus lived to the age of 33 when it was on this earth, the other not to got to my granddaughters for a dinner stolen Lucy.

Somehow we got on the subject of heaven and we started talking about hold will be in heaven. I think it was still of the desk. Poppa Howell will we be in heaven.

And I thought I so how would you like to be and I don't remember what Stella said maybe eight or nine and and then they said what hell do you want to be in heaven. Poppa is I think I want to be 33 years old and Stella said that was the age of Dottie Christopher when he went to heaven and I said yes Stella and it was also the age of Jesus Christ when he died on the cross and all of a sudden the light went off in Stella's head and she turned to me and said that it must've been for a reason will okay the little Lucy as her hell do you want to be in heaven. She says to to. Why do you want to be true in heaven. She says because I miss the old me funny. Almost done here. Why did Jesus have to live 33 years. I mean realistically. He could've accomplished everything wanted to do over the weekend. My 33 years. Answer because he came and live the perfect life. He was righteous, and every thought. Can you imagine how hard it would've been to be one of the siblings of Jesus perfect boy. The mom would say the boys. Why can't you be more like Jesus. Mom is like proof said it job it was in mid little bracelet for you to wear WW JD and I want to and when and whatever you're looking for things to do.

Just ask yourself the question, what would Jesus do, he was perfect. He lived a perfect life never sin, never a simple thought in his mind he passed every test the listener. This because of that now you are treated as if you had lived the perfect life perfect life.

I haven't even lived a perfect day.

I'm not sure I've lived a perfect hour without some kind of sin entering in. He lived the perfect life on this earth as though you were righteous, and every thought and as though you passed every test seek God is put that into your account.

You took your sins out and he put the righteousness of Christ in its place. He says that's how I see you.

Save one noteworthy you never were worthy your accepted in the beloved. When I see you I see Jesus and I love him and I love you were related. You're my son, my daughter, that's the way it is not a wanted to come off like a shrink here, but maybe you had a cold, distant father, sometimes men, you know that you want to be strong want to show weakness so they won't affirm their children, they might affirm someone else's children first.

But here there is a well you should try a little harder to do a little better. You don't remember your father ever St. you know I am so proud of you and I love you so much and you're the best unit maybe your father never did that. So because of that you sort of brought that along with you to your relationship with your father in heaven and on know will you please God.

I don't know if I'm good enough room from worthy enough heat you/your father in heaven is not like your father and maybe your father and earth was on some interview was great, but even the awesome father on earth doesn't come close to the awesomeness of your father in heaven, but don't think of your father in heaven the way you think of your father and earth know that he looks at you with love.

He looks at you with approval. He looks at you with accepted total growth target is going to do anything I want know you're missing the point. Remember, he shows you that you should be holy before you soaked some people say will. God loves me the way that I am yeah but he doesn't want to leave you that way back to the story of the prodigal son he came home.

The father threw his arms around him, he accepted him. But then he said give this boy a bath, for starters, and put new clothes on him and a new ring in his finger so he accepted him.

But then he changed some people will live in sin is able God loves me the way that I am a got exactly what you're misunderstanding because of you know anything of God choosing you and loving you.

It should cause you to want to live a holy life and bring honor and glory to his name and bear spiritual fruit so God shows us and it's a great thing. Don't make you some of your wondering the closing will how do I know if I'm chosen, Got the answer you're ready. How do you know if your chosen tray simple believe in Jesus Christ and you just prove you were chosen, don't believe in Jesus Christ. Well I guess you work where you see there is God's grace can be resisted. There's God's offer of forgiveness but it can be turned away. Now the balls in your court. You cast the deciding vote if you will, and there might be some of you listening right now who have never asked Jesus to come into your life. Maybe you've gone to church for years you've never even known how much God loved you what God did for you but you can't remember a moment when you said Jesus be my Savior and my Lord, you can't live up somebody else's relationship with God. You had to come to you have to come to Christ in your own and believe in him and how did Jesus showed his love for us.

He came and died on the cross in our place and shed his blood. And then he rose again from the dead. You'll come and live in your heart and in your life right now if you will ask him in Jesus says behold I stand at the door and I knocked if you hear my voice, and open the door, I will commit. Would you like Jesus to come in your life right now. Would you like to confirm that your chosen by God. Would you like to be certain that you go to heaven when you die. Would you like all of your sins forgiven and forgotten. Would you like the righteousness of Christ. Place into your life, you had to know really know know. So what you have that's better than that.

Just of something clearly think clearly. Don't let somebody else do your thinking for you stop marching in lockstep with everybody else because everybody else. This is it says this is the thing to do.

Think for yourself enough that freeway leading to death and get on the narrow road that leads to life and you see that door has written over and whosoever will let him come.

That's for you. You wanted. I will give it to you in a moment going to print out give you an opportunity to believe in Jesus and have your sins forgiven the tall power heads. Father, we thank you for your word to us, Lord Jesus, we thank you for dying on the cross and shedding your blood for all of our sin. Now we pray for every person here who does not yet know you help them to see their need for you and help them to come to you.

We pray number heads up out of her eyes are closed. How many of you would say tonight I want Jesus Christ to come in my life. I want him to forgive me of my sin. I want to be certain that when I die I will go to heaven. I want to experience this relationship with God you spoke it up. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus. Or maybe you fallen away from him and you want to come back to him. Like the prodigal son did. You can come to. So if you want your sins forgiven.

If you want Christ to come of your life if you want to come back to the Lord tonight. I want you to raise your hand up review or just raise your hand.

A pregnancy publish publish anybody else raise your hand. God bless, raise your hand publish you want Christ to come in your life you want him to forgive you of your sin.

Raise your hand. You want to come back to the Lord, because you fallen away, raise your hand publish right non-that ousted everyone of you who is raise or can I want you to stand your feet stand up, lead you in a prayer right.

We are standup, you heard me right. That's it. Stand up, others are standing you will be the only one stand now.

Hey think for yourself is your moment come to Jesus no matter what you've done.

He'll forgive you but you must come to him stand up anybody else you want his forgiveness you fallen away from the Lord, and you want to come back to him stand up and will pray together away one more moment publish anybody else stand, solidly standing nominally June the simple prayer and I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me.

This is a prayer of asking Jesus to come into your life again as I pray pray this out loud after me. Okay, pray this out loud after me, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that your Savior who died on the cross and shed his blood for every sin have ever committed.

I turned from that sin.

Now I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God and friend. Thank you for calling me. Thank you for choosing me and I choose you. In Jesus name I pray, amen