R334 A Solid Beginning

God has an encouraging word for you and me today.

The Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message called a solid beginning during this teaching today were connecting on our website right now ITW online.org and this phone number 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673 would love to connect with you and Dr. would you like your Bibles and turn with me to Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1, we begin to die a series of messages through this incredible prison epistle Ephesians, chapter 1 and I'm sure that within weeks I'll Bibles are going to fall open to Ephesians without us even trying to get them to do so, but I want you to turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1 and I'm going to read just the first two verses this morning. It's wonderful to hear all those Bible pages being turned in our congregation and I trust that you have God's word with you today pull an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord varieties word upon our hearts this morning I solid beginning people of said a lot of wonderful things about Paul's letter to the Ephesians. One person said that this letter is the most sublime, most profound, most advanced and final doctrines of all Scripture. WO call the put it like this.

He said this is the greatest piece of writing in all of history. Samuel Taylor Coleridge had something to say about. He said the divine is composition of man is the focus of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, what we can say about Paul's letter to the Ephesians is that it has remarkable relevancy and this relevancy lies primarily in two areas. Number one it deals with the breaking down of the barriers that divide mankind. Now you can travel all over the world you going to find that what is true in America is true everywhere people are divided. People are divided by culture, by race, by ethnic division by language, by preference, you can go on and on down the line, but the second area of relevancy of this great epistle is the fact that it deals with Iran raining God whose purpose for the world must ultimately provide. God is upon his throne in a revelation. The book of Revelation can be summed up in one statement that God was that he is and that he always will be totally victorious.

I believe that the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is focusing our attention on the fact that God reigns and who is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords is ultimately going to provide. And so it is that we can say today with a great deal of confidence that throughout the centuries.

If Ephesians. The letter to the Ephesians has nurtured the faith of God's people. It has such a nurturing quality about it. It builds the body of Christ. It does so to me individually and it does so to each one of us corporately, as people who come together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ in spirit and in truth it said had relevancy and nurturing over the centuries. We told John Calvin made it very clear that Ephesians was his favorite epistle. In fact, John Calvin preached more sermons out of the letter to the Ephesians than any other book in the Bible John Knox that great Scottish reformer who said give me Scotland nor I die with tells us that only's death. He requested that those who was standing with him in ministering to him would read to him some of Calvin sermons on the letter to the Ephesians, John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim's progress that is inspired so many people received a major portion of these inspiration from Ephesians brother, Steve, you can get a hymnbook today. You can go through a hymnbook and you going to find that in many of our hymns today. Much of the inspiration for the hymn knowledge just came from the later to the Ephesians but this great epistle has character. What is its character for me share a couple of thoughts with you today by way of introduction, first of all, it is a prison letter we read about that in chapter 3 and verse one chapter 4 verse one we are told, historians agree. Those who discovered the original documents agree geographical distribution agrees the original text agrees this is a prison epistle that makes a very special why because the apostle Paul was in all likelihood in dire circumstances he was in captivity the same as he was when he wrote the letter to the Philippians he was in a situation in the circumstance that was raw, the untoward to say the least. And yet we going to find an unbelievable outpouring of praise and thanksgiving to God on the part of a man who wrote this in prison, but not any that it's a comprehensive letter. If you take a wider look at the entire letter you going to find the word all AL L repeated over 50 times. It is a comprehensive letter when pull rights under the inspiration of the spirit of God. He includes every body.

This is part of the essence of what the gospel is and who the Lord Jesus Christ is, but I want to tell you in the third place. It is an doctrinal letter now.

I like that.

I'm so grateful for that. It has so much meat in it that it is unbelievable. And even yesterday, as we talked a little bit about Ephesians we talked about the doctrinal content. You see, my friends pulls letter to the Ephesians is marked by the profundity of thought. It has so much meat in it. It reveals the mystery of God's redemption and the divine intention that God has for the human race.

It is action-packed food with the themes that are relevant for you and for me, what are some of the steam, the grace of God.

Reconciliation predestination the fullness of God.

The union we have in Christ Jesus. The church is the body of Christ. It is the final conception and the meaningful essay of Christian revelation.

It's all found here in these pipe pulls letter to the Ephesians but I want to say to you in the fourth place its character.

It is also practical letter that I'm grateful for that. I wish I could be more practical than what I am you see practice means that we are able to apply the truth of God to the relevancy of our daily life. I consider, for example, our young people in our children. One of the prayers that we have for our young people and our children is that they are able to take the truth of God's word and then apply to the practical reality of their daily lives that would be the prayer that I have for my own family for my church family for my wife and myself for each one of us that we would be able to apply towards truth we discover here in Paul's letter to Ephesus, my friends, that he comes to grips with the moral and spiritual and domestic problems of his day and age, and we know that the old, Old Story Is Ave., Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and Jesus Christ the same today and it's Jesus Christ the same forever. He gives clear and unequivocal book on Jesus.

He addresses ethical principles that have abiding intrinsic value in our own lives we going to find this right throughout pulls letter to the church at Ephesus, but there's 1/5 character of this letter. It's a devotional letter. I love that part of it is will historians seem to agree that in all probability, although none of us would really know but if you look at the content and you understand the pathos and the feeling and the ethos and everything else that is contained within the pages of God's word.

At this juncture, you going to come to the conclusion that in all likelihood be apostle Paul penned this epistle while upon his knees. This is a devotional book. Paul wrote this under the inspiration of God's spirit upon his knees all beloved friends. My prayer for our church is that we are going to be a devotional, people we are going to be found upon our needs. We going to be a people who have submitted and subjected our lives and wherewithal are coming in are going to the grace of God. Such an example for us. So here in these first two verses. He deals with a solid beginning what constitutes a solid beginning pull here in Ephesians chapter 1 he's talking about a solid beginning.

We will have an opportunity to begin, we might say to ourselves today will that's impossible. I'm already 43 years of age. I'm already 60 years of age, you can begin, you can start again. You can have a solid beginning.

That is the gospel of grace. Well, what constitutes a solid beginning this look at it together here very briefly. First of all, there must be a definite name if you don't have a solid beginning according to what Paul is teaching us they must be a different time. Isn't it ironic that he begins with the zone nine.

How pretentious of him, don't you think that perhaps the apostle Paul was stretching things a little bit we do know that in those days they did everything backwards. He probably drove on the wrong side of the road.

They began their lives with what we end out later if I was going to write a letter to Bob.

I'd say dear Bob it was good to have lunch together and I agree with everything we've said your friend with much love, or what ever Dawn now those days they flip-flopped. They began Dawn with much love to Bob. That's right. Then I went ahead and told all about admin right at the end I gave a kind of a benediction and that's what we discover here, but there is something strangely significant about pull beginning with these name you see what he was doing. He was focusing a theological perspective on the cool the conversion and the commission of a man who stands helpless before the sovereign grace of God pull. We know that Saul was his Jewish name. We know that Paul was his Roman name. We know that increasingly, he used Paul as he moved among the Greeks, but there was something about his name. Think about names this morning. I think of Jonathan Edwards 1727 Northampton, Massachusetts, that great revival that swept across those people I think of the name of George Whitfield, a great orator and open air preacher whose poor daddy screwed before the throne of grace. I think of Charles Wesley, the founder of Methodist churches Methodism the methodical way with which he and his brother went about the exercise of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think of William Carey who went to sample India and off the seven years, seven years they had their first convert. Having gone through the burning down of the press and all the other things that happened to them. I think of James McGrady and Shuman Stearns and Daniel Marshall and all the great campfire meetings and revivals that swept across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia and into Kentucky when thousands of people came to know Jesus. I think of a name like DR Moody came to know Jesus because he Sunday school teacher cared enough to share Jesus Christ with him. I think of people like Billy Sunday acrobatic preachers. I tell you the historians tell us that Billy Sunday was such an acrobatic preacher. He would do some assaulting cartwheels in the Pope. If I did some assaulting cartwheels in the pulpit would be in trouble. He had sawdust in his favorite saying at the invitation was hip the sawdust trial either the necessary site come to Jesus. He said Jesus is calling you not hit the sawdust trial that was Billy Sunday I think of Mordechai Hamm who had so much influence and was instrumental in Billy Graham coming to know Jesus Christ. I think of vans have mid-forties Britt and he's humor that is lost in for a legacy and will continue to do so they must be a distinctive name, who are you today what is God doing with you if you were to stand before him.

If you were to stand up where you are right now where would you be as a person but I want to say in the second place there must be a distinctive position.

You see, Paul called himself the apostle a try. In verse one. He called them. He said listen, I want you to know that I am somebody now frames we must agree that his apostleship marked him out as a very special person, but I'm going to say to you that according to the apostle Paul. All of us who are in Christ Jesus have been given a distinctive position. As far as God is concerned. Why was he an apostle, the highest office that the church add well.

The apostle had a bad a more that carried around with him. First of all, he received his commission directly from the living Lord Jesus Christ.

That's why he was an apostle. Secondly, he had seen the Savior after the Savior's resurrection.

That's why he was an apostle stood. He was an apostle because he exercise spiritual special inspiration.

He wrote, and he expounded Scripture for he was an apostle because he exercised supreme authority for he was an apostle, because the badge of his authority was the ability to perform miracles according to God's word in Mark 16 foot six, 13 and in the book of acts, but that is no longer relevant for today and then finally but not conclusively.

He was an apostle because he was given a direct commission to found churches according to second Corinthians 11 in verse 28, but friends listen to me, the apostles, more than anything else. When man of God who were entrusted with the revelation of God's eternal mysteries no longer relevant for today. They can no longer be apostles and prophets today.

Why, because God's revelation is complete through his word because of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what the letter to the Hebrews is all about. You say to me will pasta water you I'm a pasta preacher, teacher, my responsibility, my friend, is not to make no new revelation because there is no new revelation.

My responsibility is to break open the revelation that God has given to us through his son in the word of God. Such was the position of the apostles in the New Testament and Paul of course led this very much, but there's 1/3 basis for a solid beginning. They must be designated commission.

If you have a solid beginning. You must have designated commission. You see friends Paul says writer. He says I am an apostle look at it with me. This one I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. How by the will of God.

What was poolside pull rested his apostle is apostleship and old lady did on God's will love them on any personal ambition on any dictates from the church or from any organization or from any business. He tells us about in Galatians 1. He tells us about it in first Timothy pull rested his apostleship and everything that he did not only personal ambition but upon the will of God. That's what designated commission is all about. You see, what is Ephesians. In essence, all about it's all about the body of Christ, of which Christ is the head, the body can do nothing without the hidden, the hidden direct the body and the apostle Paul is saying that everything that those who are in Christ need to be about to be redirected by the head, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of significance does the said it has major significance. If we can talk about designated permission it as major significance it did for the apostle Paul. It emphasized the divine origin of Paul's apostleship. It meant my beloved friends that he's induction was an act of sovereign grace. It meant that Paul was able to stand and say I am what I am by what by the grace of God. It means that I live and move and have my being in God outside of God.

I have nothing outside of God. Our church has nothing outside of outside of God our nation has nothing outside of God.

The world has nothing. That is why John put it like this.

He said in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the word was God is designated permission by the roots of Almighty God that you and I have anything that we all and anything that we have, but there's a second relevancy as far as he is designated. Permission was concerned his apostleship was a part of God's monster plan for bringing the world and the message of redemption to the world to a lost people. Paul saw himself as part of that plan. I want to ask questions more. Do you see yourself as part of God's plan for the redemption of the world.

Forgive the interruptible doctor will remind you we are here to connect with you and pray for you and 866-899-WORD.

That's 86 689-996-7324 hours a day would have to pray with you and connect with great resources you'd like to order the free little booklet called the Dave Encouraging Word Bible guide it's available both online and tewonline.org G you call and ask for it that 866-899-WORD 9673.

Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Do you see this church as part of God's plan for the redemption of the world. Mom and dad, do you see yourselves as part of God's plan for the redemption of your children, how many of you today don't raise your hands, how many of you today would be able to say unequivocably by God's grace, God gave me that designated permission my children today are living for Jesus Christ because I have followed the will of God. What a powerful statement not because of anything that I am but because of what God is within. There is 1/4 basis for a solid beginning. They must be a direct admission, they must be a direct admission, not caring verse one that the apostle says to the Saints in Ephesus and to the faithful in Jesus Christ. Now that website is very neat. Very interesting. It comes from the Greek word hobbyhorse which means to be holy or to be separated you. If you are in Christ you recite that's right, you might look at the person next to your site but I may decide to you on the authority of God's word that if you are in Christ.

You are a saint. What is it mean to be holy and separated it means to be set aside for the sole use of God.

It means that which belongs to God, not just what the Bible tells the Bible says there are two categories of people in the world Saints and thanks and is not talking about the New Orleans Saints now want to tell you. By the time the science get in the Super Bowl in the year 2050 people are going to stop going to watch the signs with paper bags on their heads. They ride paints written across them and there's a lot of validity to what they do not put the apostle Paul is talking about. He is talking about the fact that in Christ. You are a holy one separated unto the use of God because of you because of me.

No, sir.

Consider the parts that were in the temple. The parts that were in the temple will holy parts.

Why because they were wonderful. They were made out of gold, bronze, not the server. Historians tell us the parts in the temple had holes in them. They were broken up they were old they were only because they had been saved apart for the exclusive use of God not listen beloved friend watch me today.

You might say to me, pasta. I have failed. I have missed stop.

I have a broken life.

How can I ever be a saint you can be a saint outside of Jesus Christ. But when you give your life to Jesus Christ and he forgives you for your sin.

This is what happens. Given that all part becomes holy and separated under God's wonderful incident Christ to know that God by his grace reaches out and does for us what he does but he says that he's in Christ, did you note that little preposition in probably the most theologically significant preposition in all of Scripture.

Why because salvation means to be in Christ look at it.

They with me to the faithful brethren in Christ Jesus.

You see, all other names only talk about the aspects of salvation. Think about reconciliation, redemption, atonement, justification, propitiation all these things talk about aspects of salvation. But what does it mean to be saved. It means to be in Christ.

It means to be a revocably and organically joined to Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's what it means to begin Christ and being in Christ is the greatest accomplishment of salvation.

That's what the word of God teaches us. You see, my friends, the believers in Christ, and Christ is in the believer. We are joined to him as the head is joined to the body and the body is joined to the head. What an unbelievable truth. What an unbelievable float.

What an unbelievable basis for flow and for the joy that the apostle Paul tells us when he says if you want to have a solid beginning. There must be a direct admission to the saints, the faithful brethren in Ephesus who are in Christ Jesus. But you know there's something finer about a solid beginning.

You see, they will be dynamic results. They will be dynamic results in here the apostle Paul puts them out in verse two.

Grace and peace. What is statement. Note that they priest they follow one another in theologically significant order. Grace precedes peace. Peace cannot precede grace, what comes first, God's grace. You cannot have peace until you receive the sovereign grace of God. That's right, you only receive peace because you have received the grace of God. You see, my friend. Grace is that which is given and peace is that which is received is nap wonderful bull said the peace of God will keep your heart and your minds through Christ Jesus. It's been powerful teaching Dr. Wilton.

But before we move on to the teaching.

Dr. Wilton has a challenge for each of us next.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. You just gave your life to Christ. We want to pray with you put some free resources in your hands at Dr. Wilton. Once you have the numbers 866-899-WORD once a call and let us know what God's done in your life, 86689673 or online@twonline.org and before you get away the closing talk from time to time, and I'm so glad that we been able to shave together by means of radio today. You just means so much to me and thankful we are for the word of going to get you can call right now and connect with me at 866-899-9673 you get that 868999673 call and connect with me right now our times, to forget to drop our website@cdwonline.org that's DEW online.org. Be sure and sign up for the free email from Dr. Don. It will challenge and bless you and thank you so much for your participation in this program is sponsored by The Encouraging Word and your generous prayer and financial support