Giving Thanks for God’s Purpose

Come Grow With Us

Ephesians 1:3-14

 

Today is a very important day in the life of our church, we are inviting you on a journey to come grow with us. As we grow together, we’ll examine every area of our church that needs growth. I need growth, you need growth, we all need growth. We wish to grow in such a way that we will transform this community for God’s glory and leave a legacy for the future.

The next few weeks will clarify the vision for the future of Oak Hill. Many have guessed what was going to happen. Some said, the pastor is going to talk about a new strategy to reach the community! Yes you are correct! Some have guessed that the pastor will talk about the building of a Family Life Center, yes you are correct. Some have guessed that the pastor is going to talk about missions, yes you are correct. The main theme of anything we do and will do is the equipping of spiritual growth. If we build a building, it will be for and because we want to equip God’s people for spiritual warfare. Hang on for the next four weeks.

 

Giving Thanks for God’s Purpose (Ephesians 1:3-14) September 18

Rigged for God’s People (Ephesians 2) September 25

Obeying God’s Plan (Ephesians 4) Oct. 2

Winning the War with God’s Protection (Ephesians 6:10-18) Oct. 9

 

I believe the main theme of Ephesians is seen in Eph. 1:10 “to unite all things in Christ”

 

Grateful for the Father’s Purpose (Ephesians 1:3-6)

  1. God’s Purpose, is Our Growth v.4 “that we should be holy and blameless before him.”
  2. God’s Price, He gave us Grace v.5 “he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ…”
  3. God’s Process, He gave us Guidelines, His Word v. 5 “according to the purpose of his will,” We don’t have to guess His will because of His Word! His Word is our guidelines for God’s will for our life. The number one way to grow in Christ is to be in His Word!
  4. Our Praise to God, equals His Glory v.6 “to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the beloved.” Growth equals praise! The older I get, the wiser my parents become. They have told me things that I questioned as a younger adult, that now make perfect sense.

God has a purpose for your growth, that we to be transformed! Romans 8:29- 30 reflects this process of growth. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

 

Grateful for the Son’s Purchase (Ephesians 1:7-12)

It is the Son’s purpose that you should be purchased by His blood. Luke 19:10 “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”

 

Look at the word purpose in verses 5, 9, 11. Some versions translate this as “according to His good pleasure.” Other translations make it clear of what God is doing by using the word purpose. Sure, it pleases God to do these things, because it’s His priority! It is His purpose that we are adopted! It is His purpose that we know His mysteries! It is His purpose that we obtain an inheritance. God’s Purpose is the Son’s priority. The work of the cross was on purpose! We know this from Is 53:10 written 700 years before the cross; “Yet is was the will of the Lord to crush him…”

 

I’m thankful that I serve a God whose purpose was to purchase sinners! Of which I am one!

 

Grateful for the Holy Spirit’s Preservation (Ephesians 1:13-14)

  1. seals and secures v. 13
  2. sustains v. 14

 

We serve an awesome God! Our view of God fuels our worship of God and fuels our service to God. May we be filled with the Father’s Plan, the Son’s purchase, and the Holy Spirit’s perseverance! 

 

So, what does this mean? We are to grow for Christ! We are to grow in our affections, or knowledge, our service, our concern for the lost in our community, our faith, and concern for the future of Oak Hill Baptist Church. The first igniter of that growth is to have gratitude for His work in your life! True growth begins with giving thanks! We worship to give thanks! If you don’t have gratitude for your salvation, come to Him and begin the growth journey as a follower of Jesus Christ.