Sermon: A Dangerous Deception Ephesians 1:15-18

Sermon: A Dangerous Deception  Ephesians 1:15-18

One Way Christian Center is a Reformed Baptist Church, located at 605 E. 6th Street in Olustee, OK close to Altus, OK and Altus AFB.  

  

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 By: Bryan Walker Given on: 2/25/2018  Sermon plays on KWHW 93.5 FM on: 3/11/2018

 

Notes:

 

• • Finished a great section of the Bible
    • • Verses 3-14 were amazing, so now where does Paul turn
        • • With all the previous statements in view…

• • Why would Paul say, because I have heard?
    • • From whom did he hear?
      • What did he hear?
  • PROBLEM – Acts 19, Paul spent at least 2 years in Ephesus

• • Why is he just now hearing of their faith?  Argument:
    • • Paul would have already known of their faith???
  • Yes, he planted the word, but didn’t stay long enough – FRUIT
    • • What does this say of the Ephesians?
      • Think of your children…
        • • You taught them the way they SHOULD go
          • Then they leave or in Paul’s case he left
          • You hear good things from others about your children!
          • How does this make you feel???

• • You can profess faith all day long…
    • • How do we know they are not empty words?

• • My kids might tell me they are doing well in school
    • • Parent teacher night confirms or rejects this
  • How does this text apply to us?
    • • What would other Christians say about us?
        • • Would they boast about our faith in Christ?
          • What about our love for all the saints?
  • Like it or not this is a true test of our Christianity
    • • Not what we say but what other Christians say
        • • Notice the gauge is not what the world says

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Do Christians bear witness of our faith?
               2. Do Christians who have love, see your love?

• • • • If I went away, years from now, what would I hear?
  • Notice it says, faith in the Lord Jesus
    • • Many people believe in God

1. 1. 1. 1. In God we trust is on our money
         2. Many of us have grown up pledging allegiance to God, in school
         3. The Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu believe in God
         4. The Jews who crucified Jesus believed in God

• • faith in the Lord Jesus, for what?
    • • What does “this” faith look like?
      • Faith God will bless you with wealth?
        • • Jesus didn’t have any worldly possessions
          • He didn’t even have a home
      • Faith that everything will go your way?
        • • Jesus prayed, “not my will but thy will be done.”
      • Faith that everyone will like you
        • • Jesus was hated by the world
          • He was crucified
  • faith in the Lord Jesus, for what?
    • • What did Paul just say Jesus did for us?

• • Faith that Christ redeemed us through his blood
    • • His blood paid our ransom owed
      • He satisfied the full payment of all of our sins
      • This faith does not add to the work of Christ with something else
  • Faith that we have complete forgiveness because of His blood
    • • There are no stains or blemishes left
      • You stand before God, forgiven and cleansed
  • Faith of our adoption of sons to God, through the work of Christ
    • • We belong to a new family, Jew and Gentile combined
  • This faith separates us from those who believe in a God

• • Paul does not stop at faith in the Lord Jesus
    • • and your love toward all the saints
  • James says:

• • A saving faith has works
  • Can it be said we have love toward all the saints
    • • What is our perception amongst other believers?
      • What would say… Goodlet say about us?
  • What do other LIKEMINDED believers say about us?
    • • Why say likeminded?
        • • PART 2 of sermon
          • Massive shift in the church away from the truth – not happy when we point this out and preach the truth.
  • “love towards” meaning action
    • • • • Not a lip service love
          • Do we have a genuine love?
  • VERY IMPORTANT: Paul’s confirmation of a Christian body!

• • Example of this shift
  • Topical sermon saying we can’t love others if we don’t love ourselves
    • • Sounds good, right???
      • Do we really have a problem loving ourselves?
      • No, we are by nature very selfish
      • Nowhere does the Bible speak about man’s lack of self-love

• • How do we increase in love?
    • • Not by living in the flesh but by the Spirit
      • Must be born again
        • • To be born again, you MUST hear the GOSPEL
  • Not learning to love ourselves more but LESS, realizing how wretched we are, and despite this, seeing God’s love for us
    • • The person who is forgiven much loves much
      • The Bible warns us of self-love
      • The first item in 2nd Timothy of a wicked age

• • Now we have sermons on loving ourselves more?
  • This is why I am concerned with how likeminded Christians view us and not necessarily today’s worldly church

1. 1. We have a special love for fellow believers
   2. If we can’t love them, who can we love?
   3. I suspect he heard some specific examples of this love

• • Paul always gives thanks to God for the believer
    • • Never give thanks to the believer for believing
        • • Thanking God indicates the irresistible call of God
          • Sovereignty of God in one’s salvation
  • Today, we most always thank the believer for believing

1. 1. All Biblical prays are made to God

• • • None are ever made to Jesus or the Holy Spirit
    • Jesus is our mediator between us and God
    • The Holy Spirit enables us to pray

(2) Note how Paul specifies which God

• • • There are many so called god’s
    • In the Old Testament, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
    • Paul uses, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ
      • • This removes anyone not believing in Christ
        • We do not worship the same god of those who do not believe in Jesus Christ
        • We can not have unity apart from Christ
        • We don’t have many heads, we have one head, Christ

• • Is there a glory apart from Gods?
    • • Think of one thing that has glory?
      • What about the glory of the heavens?
      • How about the stars, the moon and the sun?
      • What about this earth and creation?
      • The Son is glorified
      • We will be glorified
        • • Where did this glory come from?
          • the Father of glory

• • So, what does Paul ask in this prayer for them?
    • • They are already chosen and redeemed by Christ
      • They are adopted as sons
      • They have the down payment of the Holy Spirit
        • • They are sealed by the Holy Spirit
          • They have proven to be Christian through faith and love

• • What is the subject of this knowledge, God
    • • Your TRUE LIFE begins at regeneration
  • This is when we begin to TRULY begin to have wisdom
  • Not JUST a surface knowledge of God but a personal understanding
  • Not, just a spiritual experience but a deep knowledge of GOD

• • Today, many don’t esteem the knowledge of God
  • Many seek a purely spiritual experience
  • We are told to empty our mind, and meditate
  • The mind should be focused on the TRUTH and GLORY of God
  • To focus on the TRUTH WE MUST KNOW THE TRUTH

1. 1. 1. 1. People can read the Bible and not know the truth
         2. But, we can not know the truth apart from the Bible
         3. Hearing the word and the Holy Spirit brings understanding

• • This not ONLY a head knowledge
  • This is a knowledge that is REVEALED and CONFIRMED by the Holy Spirit
    • • To know the wretchedness and conviction of sin
      • To know the pure grace of God
      • To know that his Word is TRUE
      • To know the glory of God
      • To know your inheritance

• • We are just beginning to understand
    • • We should strive to know God more and more each day
      • The more we know the more glorious He becomes

1. 1. faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints

• • Not our love for ourselves.  

2. the God of our Lord Jesus Christ

 

• • We worship a specific God

 

3. wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him

• • WARNING – A movement gaining ground
  • Strip you of truth and knowledge for the sake of unity
  • Unity is good but NEVER at the sake of truth and knowledge of God
    • • Unify the church and the world?
  • We are to have unity in the truth, NOT apart from it
  • One New Man, Oneness movement, unity without doctrines
    • • Unity based on signs & wonders and miracles
      • Unity based on a spiritual experience vs. knowledge of God
  • Eliminate essential held truths so everyone can come under one roof
    • • My repeated warnings
      • No apologies
        • • This is a dangerous time
          • I see things creeping in
          • Highly encourage verse by verse chapter by chapter
  • A frontal assault is easy to defend against
    • • We have forsaken the wisdom of God