FHCC
20260208 Worship Service

      • Isaiah 2:5ESV

      • Jeremiah 50:5ESV

  • Reason I Sing
  • Bless God

      • Ephesians 1:1–3ESV

  • Introduction

    Warren Wiersbe, a preacher of the last century writes of “Hetty” Green who died 110 years ago.
    The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Saints Alive! (Ephesians 1:1–3)

    She had gone down in history as “America’s Greatest Miser,” yet when she died in 1916, “Hetty” Green left an estate valued at over $100 million. She ate cold oatmeal because it cost to heat it. Her son had to suffer a leg amputation, because she delayed so long in looking for a free clinic that his case became incurable.

    In my first church we had several members who were similar to Mrs. Green. They were 2nd generation German immigrants who had homesteaded in the Oklahoma Territory and scratched out a life for themselves growing wheat and grazing cattle on it during winter, when the Anadarko basin revealed a huge pocket of natural gas under Custer and Washita counties. Land leases made these families millionaires overnight, but they continued to live like they were poor, and they died rich.
    Many Christians today, and those in Ephesus in the first century to whom Paul writes, were living a scarcity mindset.
    TRANSITION: God desires that we know how truly blessed we are, right now!

    Apostles and Saints (Eph 1:1)

    sender of the letter

    Who - a persecutor of the church who was converted and bridged the gospel from primarily Jews to diverse Gentiles.
    from where & when - after about 30 years of traveling and starting churches in new communities. Paul is not under house arrest in Rome awaiting an appearance before the Emperor. As he waits (circa AD 60-61), he writes letters to old friends he made on his journeys.
    Paul identifies himself differently in various epistles. To Thessalonica he only identifies himself by name; In Philemon 1 he identifies as a prisoner, Sometimes he emphasizes servanthood, sometimes he emphasizes apostleship (authority). It is only this last descriptor Paul uses in this letter.

    recipients of the letter

    This church is perhaps the one that we have the most historical context.
    Acts 18-20 tells us how the church started: Priscilla and Aquila are sent there approx AD 50, 2 years later Paul arrives and stays with them 3 more years getting things started so that the organized church community is generally founded around AD 55
    Acts 20:17 tells us Paul called the Elders to travel a short distance to Miletus consult with him (Paul is on his way to Jerusalem for Passover, so likely Spring of AD 57)
    2 Letters are written to the Pastor of this church - Timothy
    John refers to them in the beginning of Revelation 2 as being very concerned for right teaching, and right behavior, but had lost some of the initial passion.
    The book of Romans is longer than Ephesians , but doesn’t deal specifically with things unique to those in that church.
    The books to Corinth indicates what church is NOT supposed to be.
    The book of Ephesians tells us how to take a good church and make it better when believers each realize how blessed we are, and how others in our spiritual family are blessed and can be a blessing.
    TRANSITION: text

    Grace and Peace (Eph 1:2)

    While grace and peace was a common letter greeting, can we see something in Revelation 2 that indicates why Paul calls out these 2 virtues?
    Revelation was written by a different human author, but the same Holy Spirit inspired both. We have no indication that inspiration means that the human author had limitless knowledge, so since John was a different and later author, he may have come to know some things that Paul did not.
    Rev 2.2 mentions that the Ephesians are willing to call out false teachers. To be able to do that without destroying a church’s reputation and testimony requires that they live out grace that leads to peace.
    Ken Sande has founded a ministry and written books based upon the need to navigate conflict in a way that leads to reconciliation and peace. Peacemaking is NOT the same as “peace faking”.
    Frequently we, fallen humans, either avoid healthy conflict by ignoring error. Or we fake peace by stewing over a perceived fault and call it “extending grace”.
    The grace and peace of Eph 1.2 and the testing of false teaching in Rev 2.2 can both exist when we seek to value and exercise Micah 6.8
    Micah 6:8 ESV:2016
    He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
    Too often in our world we see conflict by some who seek justice that in unkind and others pursue kindness that is unjust. God requires BOTH.

    The Ephesian Pastor (Timothy) needed Mercy

    I told you a moment ago about the various ways Paul identified himself when writing epistles. Did you know that in 2 of his letters he added a salutation to Grace and Peace?
    In both 1 Tim 1.2
    1 Timothy 1:2 ESV:2016
    To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
    and 2 Tim 1.2
    2 Timothy 1:2 ESV:2016
    To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Paul indicates that the Pastor needed (I know this Pastor still needs) mercy.
    So how are these 3 similar but distinct?
    Grace is God extending favor and bestowing what is not deserved.
    Peace is not just absence of conflict, it is the wholeness of everything being as God intends.
    finally,
    Mercy is the flipside of Grace. Mercy is extending forgiveness where it is not deserved.
    One has explained these 2 as: Grace is getting something I do not deserve, while Mercy is not getting what I do deserve.
    Paul does not mention mercy when writing to Titus, the pastor of the church at Crete.
    Titus 1:4 ESV:2016
    To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
    Perhaps some pastors need more forgiveness (mercy) than others? Perhaps the youthfulness of Timothy (as mentioned in our youth ministry’s key verse) means that Timothy did some boneheaded things and for the church at Ephesus to be all that God wanted it to be, that Timothy would require Mercy from God and his congregation.
    TRANSITION: Recipients of Grace and Peace (and Mercy) are blessed individuals in a blessed community.

    Blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3)

    Blessing is frequently a 2-way bridge: the traffic flows two ways.
    Much like “saying grace”: is this exercise an opportunity to ask God to do something...bless this food to our bodies? or is it an acknowledgement of a gift already received?
    When someone sneezes and you wish her to be blessed as if there may be a need, but when we bless God are we adding to any deficiency?
    We can’t add anything to God, because the doctrine of aseity teaches that He is fully self-contained.
    divine aseity holds that God’s life in Himself is maximal and renders Him in need of nothing
    Ronni Kurtz, No Shadow of Turning: Divine Immutability and the Economy of Redemption, ed. Matthew Barrett and J. V. Fesko, Reformed, Exegetical and Doctrinal Studies (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor, 2022), 158–159.

    Blessed be God

    There is absolutely nothing we can add to God. If we are blessed when we receive something, How could God be blessed when he receives anything from us?
    God has emotion because He is a person (actually 3 persons), but God is not impacted by emotion the same way we are. We may have a “good day” or a “bad day” based upon circumstances. But God perfectly knows the beginning from the end and dwells in the eternal present, so He does not view events under circumstances as we do.
    The Father and Spirit were able to be fully pleased in Christ, even during His crucifixion when horrid things were happening to Him.
    59 times the Scripture describes being pleasing.
    Beginning in Genesis 8 after Noah came out of the Ark and offered a sacrifice, the pleasing aroma is mentioned dozens of time.
    In John 8:29 Jesus describes himself as “always doing the things that are pleasing to him”.
    But there are also things we do, even after being fully saved and set apart, that are pleasing to God
    Ephesians 5:8–10 ESV:2016
    ...Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
    Colossians picks up on the idea in Eph 5.10
    Colossians 1:10 ESV:2016
    so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
    The church at Philippi had sent a financial gift to Paul that he described as
    Philippians 4:18 ESV:2016
    I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
    1 Timothy 2 teaches that our prayers for our leaders is pleasing in the sight of God.
    1 Timothy 2:1–3 ESV:2016
    First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
    1 Timothy 5 instructs that caring for parents
    1 Timothy 5:4 ESV:2016
    But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
    kind behavior and generous sharing are described in Heb 13
    Hebrews 13:16 ESV:2016
    Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
    Note: I did not say that any of these things earn our salvation or merit entrance into heaven! These are just things that arouse God’s pleasure or blessing.
    TRANSITION: Just as we love because we are loved, we also bless because we are blessed.

    God has blessed us

    I underlined 2 words in my Bible in Eph 1:3
    Ephesians 1:3 ESV:2016
    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
    This one verse is perhaps the strongest argument I have against the modern Pentecostal, Charismatic, New Wine, or Third Outpouring movements. Many believers are seeking a second blessing, or additional gifts as a manifestation of some level of Spirit baptism.
    Too many, in my opinion, are praying for power or conviction that we already have. Yes there have been times of renewal or revival or awakening in History, but those times were sent to change non-believers into believers or to convict of where sin has seeped into the lives of believers. Revival doesn’t add any blessing to the believer. Awakening adds spiritual life to dead sinners and removes scales and plaque that cover believers.

    Conclusion

    We don’t need more of the Holy Spirit; we need to listen to the promptings the Holy Spirit is already giving. We don’t need more power; we need to walk in the power we already have. Let me bring this home in black and white.

    Light and Lamps

    Light for the Path
    Recalling the grace and blessing I have received can increase my peace with other image bearers.
    Lamps for my Steps
    Head - sit alone in a quiet place and make a list of all the spiritual blessings that come to mind.
    Heart - pray that list back to God, thanking him for each blessing, one by one.
    Hands - find 2 ways this week to put Hebrews 13:16 into practice.
    Let’s stop living like Mrs. Green and start living the way Paul viewed the Ephesians.

      • Micah 6:8ESV

      • 1 Timothy 1:2ESV

      • 2 Timothy 1:2ESV

      • Titus 1:4ESV

      • Ephesians 5:8–10ESV

      • Colossians 1:10ESV

      • Philippians 4:18ESV

      • 1 Timothy 2:1–3ESV

      • 1 Timothy 5:4ESV

      • Hebrews 13:16ESV

      • Ephesians 1:3ESV

  • Count Your Blessings

      • Philippians 4:7ESV

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