Beyond Blessed

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with jangling a little later in the program will tell you how you can get a copy of Graham's meditations on Romans first hears his message beyond blessed Bible entered Ephesians chapter 1.

My favorite New Testament letter is a vision when I was a teenager. The first serious Bible study. I did all my own was the mobility and when I started it.

I learned something that I've never forgotten all these years that that Ephesians is divided up into three sections. The first three chapters is the wealth of the believer in Christ are worth our wealth in Christ. Our possessions are blessings in Christ and then chapters 4 and five talks about our wall because are worth our wealth leaves drywall. Our beliefs are blessings become our behavior. In life we are we are now walking and living in this day and then the last chapter of Ephesians is about our spiritual battles.

The battles of the believer and our spiritual warfare so the wealth walk in the warfare of the believer and I never forgotten that and every time I look at this great New Testament letter written by the apostle Paul from prison.

This is Paul in the pulpit but Paul in the prison ready to give his life to in-service to Christ giving his life in service to crises would be executed as a martyr for Jesus. So he's not in the best of conditions. Those Roman prisons. Those ancient world prison. Prisons were just indescribably bad. So, yet he is while he's in prison he elevates into eternity by praising God. So in that that dark dungeon where Paul was in prison he experiences the blessings of God.

All of the blessings of God and he begins to pour out praise to God. He's fighting spiritual battles against the enemy and he's giving us a shout of victory and you can know that in Christ you've already won. And there's coming a day with you will stand before God, forever celebrating the victory.

But until then, until then, you are to live this life that you been given and that includes an abundant life.

Jesus said I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly key verse that unlocks the meeting really of the letter to the Ephesians the book of Ephesians 2 verses actually Ephesians 320 and 21 God is able to do exceeding abundantly much more exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we can think or hope or dreamed or pray much more God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond we think or hope or dream. According to the power that works in us, and to him be glory in the church through all ages or ever and ever.

To him be glory. So when you open up the very first chapter you read the typical introduction by the apostle Paul. He said Paul, an apostle means one who is sent by Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus now. Maybe you think of a saint is being someone canonized by the church.

No I say is simply a person who is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

Now, you probably don't know much about emphasis. It was a great city in the ancient world, but the fact is, it was a very powerful city but it was still with idolatry and immorality, and so these say living faithfully and God were living in a very dark time in a very dark place surrounded by idolatry and immorality in the worship of false deities and all the rest. And so this band of believers. God raises up a colony of heaven and they are Christians. They are followers and faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. So grace and peace be to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ and then watch what happens next. Remember Paul's imprisonment but is about to get fired up because as he's praying and praising God.

He begins to pour out praise to God word after word in one long sentence. Some even believe is the longest sentence in the antiquity books of the of the ancient world of all the books in the ancient world. This is the longest singular sentence in history and for what that's worth. It simply means that Paul gets so excited about who God is who Jesus is who the Holy Spirit is he begins to worship the great God. Three and one Holy Spirit, God the son God the father and he begins just to exalt and to worship and wonder and praise at the salvation that we have in Christ what Christ has done who we are in Christ, he just goes on and on.

So what, and go with me and stay with Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ you what it means to bless the blessed was at me blessed God bless God what needs to praise God is a eulogy to work. If you go to a funeral service and someone speaks well of the deceased as a eulogy.

So this is the same word is eulogy and it means to bless God it means so just insert praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places the heavenly places have to do with the invisible world all around us… Just out there in heaven somewhere, but really it means the heavenly just one word here is the invisible world that is all around us. Hey hey did you know that right now in this room. There is an invisible realm filled with angelic beings filled with spiritual presence and power also in the world in the invisible world, Satan and all of his demons and powers and that's where this spiritual battle is taking place in the spiritual war of the world around us.

This realm of the spirit that the heavenly's that are all around us. If you could just open your eyes and see by faith, you would see all around you. This invisible world habit is not in a distant planet. Someplace far, far away. Nice. A literal place that will be one day, but heaven is all around us is invisible realm is here and now is well so he saying here. You are blessed in these heavenly you are blessed in the heavenly places, not just when you die and go to heaven but you are blessed beyond right now to watch right now and I go stop. She got a go, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world and we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things that is going to stop and say that's talking about the day when Jesus comes again and unites us with him and our loved ones who've gone before, and he will unite heaven and earth and the heavens and the earth will become one kingdom under the Lord Jesus Christ that's going to happen.

Jesus Christ is coming again and any says in him we have obtained keep going and inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will so that we who were in the first hope in Christ, Mike Beadle, praise of his glory. That's why you're here deliver the praise of his glory in him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation is what you're hearing right now and believed in him, were sealed with the spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. Now that's what I call raising a hallelujah can't stop couldn't stop just Rolling with praise to God the father with praise to God the son, with praise to God the Holy Spirit.

It reminds me of an old doxology.

In fact, this is a doxology what we call a doxology in reminds me of the doxology which says praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise him all creatures here below.

Praise him above, you heavenly hope praise father son and Holy Ghost. That's what we have here is a worship concert. It is a praise to God that just want stop and we can't stop so much more that God is doing in our lives very quickly. Let's break it down for a minute there really three stanzas to this great song of praise one. Praise to God's chosen us chosen by God the father, we are chosen by God the father you are wanted child. Look at verse four it says even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

We are saved because we have been sovereignly listen up sovereignly select by God the father is the mystery of his will talk about in this passage, things that we can understand regarding the sovereignty of God in human responsibility, but it is a fact that you love him because he first loved you. He said his heart and affection upon you before time began in eternity past before the world was made before Adam and Eve were created before sin ever came into the world before Jesus went to the cross and rose again on the third day before you were born when you were still in your mother's womb, God show you to be a part of his eternal family here listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in the message. Beyond blessed as a follower of Jesus Christ every reason to hope and we want to help you experience that help by sending you pastor Graham's book of meditations on Romans eight call to hope in the future. In it he shows you how you can experience freedom from confusion, doubt or fear.

This powerful resource is our thanks for the gift today and to thank you for a gift of $50 or more will also include pastor Graham's book help hope and healing from life's challenges. So call now to request your resources, call 1-800-795-4627 that's one 800-7956 27. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313131. That's PowerPoint to 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotion our website again is Jack Graham.Margie can also text the word PowerPoint 313131.

Now let's get back to today's message beyond blessed now. The Bible teaches parallel both human responsibility and divine sovereignty were not here to discuss that big big big topic today, but simply to say God chose us, but he does not choose for that make sense God shows you to be safe to come to Christ, but he will not choose for you. God enables you to believe by the work of the spirit, but he will not force you to believe or he will not believe for you – your side.

That's the human side. I know this God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. I know this. The Bible tells us that that Jesus died for all that he loves every person on the earth that there are none cannot be safe.

All can be say the last invitation of the Bible is Revelation chapter 22 verse 17 and in that verse.

It says who so ever will come and drink the water of life freely. This is why you we are told to go and share Christ with all of our friends because there's a human accountability and human responsibility. Yes, God will choose God will pick us God will bring us into his family, but he uses human instruments like you and me to share the gospel to invite people in is all a part of his divine plan talk here about so don't get hung up. You're here today about who's the elect is the nonelected great evangelist DL Moody used to say the elect of the whomsoever whales in the nonelected of the whomsoever want.

I was taught this in seminary, I had a professor who say think of it this way there. There's a door that goes into heaven, and on this side of the door it says whosoever will make up and so you walk by faith into that door you turn around the door shut. You look at back on the other side it says you didn't choose me I chose, so we live with that resistance that tension if you will, between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, but it is nice that that you are chosen by God. How long is it been since you've thanked God and praised him, saying, Lord, thank you for choosing me. He says that we are adopted into the family of God. Verse five and so when you think about this adoption with God the father. He is chosen as he selected as he wanted us he will list the company was family and and I love down in verse six look at it says to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has blessed us in the beloved that were blessed were blasted in the beloved. Isn't that a beautiful name for Jesus the bowl of Jesus is the beloved God the father and his baptism said you are my beloved son in whom I am well please.

The forerunner John the Baptist said the whole, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sin of the world. This is the Savior, the beloved of God and we are blessed we are accepted in the beloved nonacceptance in life is the thing we all deal with this.

You think you know in your teenage years. Your student years high school middle school you know all that acceptance issue will be accepted with the crowd will be accepted in this group. Will I be accepted etc. that some things will guess what is true for adults as well. All of us battle. This issue of acceptance in our lives. But here's the greatest news you are accepted in the beloved Jesus Christ, you are beloved as he as been his beloved and because he is beloved and you are beloved. You are loved by God with the same love that he loves his own darling son, you say that sounds like blasphemy know this Bible, God the father sees you in Christ. You are the beloved of God, you are adopted into the family of God, you are chosen by God that would be a great place to say, praise the Lord now. Secondly, secondly, we are redeemed by the sun word redeem means to be bought out of captivity is to pay a ransom and we were in captivity because of our sin. We were in debt and someone was pay us out so someone paid the ransom that someone is Jesus says, verse seven in him we have redemption through his blood forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, love that phrase the riches of his grace again abundance abundance abundance blessed beyond much more the riches of his grace. Redemption means that we have been bought back out of the slave market of sin. We were all in chains.

Now we are free in Christ, we are free, and we are forgiven spiritual freedom that you have in Christ means that you are free at last. You are no longer bound by your past, you're no longer bound by your sin or your site change you are set free. You are with me. You are restored and you are forgiven, it says you're forgiven your trespasses.

There are number of words in the Bible for sin. And this is the word trespass which means to step over the line.

So what did Jesus do, he has forgiven us of our trespass and brought us back center. Christ and to be forgiven, literally means that he lets it go lets it go. And the reason that he can let it go is because Jesus didn't let it go. Jesus took the sin, the shame he died and therefore we are forgiven because of his blood that some people don't like to talk about the blood of Jesus Christ. But we love to give thanks for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is life in the blood. According to the Bible. Your life is in your blood in our spiritual life is in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the precious blood of precious is the flow that makes us white as snow. The blood of Jesus. And there's power in the blood of Jesus Christ. So we're praising God today for God the father, who has chosen us.

We're praising God for God the son, who has read deemed us in forgiven you are forgiven every sin, past, present and future is under the blood of Jesus Christ.

If your say one final thing we praise God the Holy Spirit who has sealed us that word there in your Bible when it says verse 13 in him also. When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation believed in him you were sealed with the promise of the Spirit seal is a is a stamped or are a seal signifies ownership a king would put a seal upon his property and so so a seal is a stamp of authenticity seal is is it it it describes ownership. It describes approval and it describes closure.

If you're if you're rapping about to put something in an airtight and you seal it down air type.

That's the idea here so what you have in the seal of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is the seal and he provides this promise for us. We are seal and secured in Jesus Christ. That means when you are a bona fide believer when you are a Christian when Christ is in you, you are for ever sealed and say you for ever belong to God.

You are his forever and nothing the Scripture says will separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ. We are. We are seal we are secured all of God's sheep are secure in God's hand. No man shall pluck them from my father's hand, you belong to Jesus. I went out one question believe in the eternal security of the believer in Jesus Christ because of what God the father has done in choosing us Jesus in saving us in the holy. Ceiling us forever. So the act is if you are say you are then sealed the Holy Spirit lives in you. You are the temple, now of the Holy Spirit you have the authenticity stamped by God. This is mine, and one last thing, finished. He speaks of this guarantee. Verse 14.

Who is the guarantee of our inheritance is a word which actually means the guarantee if you DO buy a house you put a down payment on most likely on that house and you put a big enough down payment on that house. When the money goes hard to find the rest the money where you get the house so the Holy Spirit puts a down payment on on your life and it is an engagement. It is a promise that now that you know cries that you will one day be with Christ and it sure is certain, and you are you sure you haven't already. There you are signed, sealed and delivered already here listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in this message being tossed by waves of doubt and fear, confusion, the only way to stay afloat is by focusing on your true source of hope Jesus Christ pastor Graham wants to help you experience that hope in all of life circumstances, but his book of meditations on Romans eight called hope and a future, you'll discover how God gives you perspective, protection, purpose and power to keep you from sinking in my storms.

I hope in the future is our thanks for your gift today to help only proclaim the truth of the gospel and the hope it brings to more people around the world and as thanks for your gift of $50 or more will also send you pastor Graham's book hope and healing from life's challenges, announce requester resources and thank you for your generosity. Call 1-800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotion our website again is Jack Graham.March pastor. What is your point for today.

I never want to settle. I never want to settle for where I am in my walk with Christ. I will be like the apostle Paul who said, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forward to those things which are before, I press on to the mark for the prize of the upward calling in Jesus Christ. That's Philippians chapter 3 is so very important that you have a vision, a goal for your life that is given to you by God you pray that God will give you a focus on the vision for him to put him first in your life and then pray fervently dream big dreams and pray bold prayers because God is able more than able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think I want to encourage you to praise God like Paul praised him even in prison.

With this great doxology of praise, praise God and give him thanks for all that is done and is doing and will do in your life. I want to really encourage you to join me@jackgraham.org for more information, more resources as to how you can experience a vision of Christ in your life and go for it spiritually.

If you want to move forward in your life if you want your faith fired up in field for the future, then get into the word of God.

We want to help you do that. So again, go to Jack Graham.org their resources, they are available to you absolutely free. We want to make them available to you. Also, when you go to Jack Graham.org you can find a place to donate to this ministry and that is so very important so that we can continue to be on the station and beyond. To preach the gospel to our nation and to the world. Please pray for us. Pray for me as I deliver the word of God that I will continue to be faithful to God's truth and deliver the message in such a way that lives are changed by the power of Jesus Christ and that is today's member when you give a gift to PowerPoint will send you Dr. Graham's book of meditations for hope in the future as our thanks.

Call one 800 795, one 800-7954 six can also text the word PowerPoint 313131 text PowerPoint to 3131 Joyce again next time. As Dr. Graham brings a message about the incomparable power. Jesus gives that's next time on PowerPoint with Jack PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries