Title: Your inheritance is to be in your Father’s house!
Text: Eph 1:3-14
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
As we enter the New Year, the Apostle James has a word for you and for me to consider. He says:
13-14 And now for those who brashly announce, “Today—(or) at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” Well, he says, “You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. Because, you are nothing but a wisp of fog that catches a brief bit of sun before disappearing. (James 4:13-14 the Message)
The truth is that we don’t and can’t know what tomorrow will bring. What we can know for sure is that most of the resolutions we make will be broken. We won’t lose the weight we plan to, quit smoking, learn something new, eat healthier, get out of debt and save money, spend more time with family, travel to new places or be less stressed or of all things volunteer more … or even drink less.
Those are the 10 most commonly broken resolutions that people make. But what we can know and be sure of that will never be broken is that:
Your inheritance … is to be in your Father’s house!
In the Gospel reading for today Jesus tells his mother Mary,”Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” - After her frantic search for him and finding him in the temple among the teachers. (Luke 2:49b) The house of the Father - and the inheritance that only He gives - will be an important part of the message from Paul to the early church in Ephesus and for all “whom the Lord our God will call.”
There is a nasty habit that we all have as humans in directing things in our life. We resolve to do better and to be better and then we fall short soon after. Now understand that we all can do better at some things in this life. But for many the hope of better is always directed inward. Paul, in his letter, directs the Ephesians’ away from themselves and towards the one outside of them who can and does desire to give them all things.
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Pride can pull even a mixed congregation or Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus to look inward, to look to the differences that divide us as opposed to the unity that they have in the eyes of God as his children. Through worldly eyes we can only see the brokenness of fallen humanity, but Paul brings the joy of God’s choosing, which is according to his mercy and before the foundation of the world – creating Holy and blameless children. They have been appointed beforehand (which Paul calls predestined) to be His children through (adoption) and this is done in Christ, in keeping with the Father’s will.
This Paul tells them, is made possible through the blood of Christ, which makes satisfaction for their sins (or takes their sin away) strictly because of God’s mercy and grace and not by anything they have done … or could do.
As a result, Paul continues to teach that, you (those who are in Ephesus) receive the Kingdom. You get to inherit what you don’t deserve and what you could never earn simply because God himself wills that you get it.
Your inheritance is to be in your Father’s house!
In our world, inheritance is something to be fought over for many. For those with much, it can be a way of payback from the grave.
Ill.
Take Leona Helmsley will for instance. She left $12 million in her will to her dog, Trouble. But that, it turns out, is nothing much compared with what other dogs may receive from the charitable trust of Mrs. Helmsley, who died in August of 2007.
Her instructions, specified in a two-page “mission statement,” that the entire trust, valued at $5 billion to $8 billion and amounting to virtually all her estate, be used for the care and welfare of dogs. When she signed the mission statement in 2003 her goal was to help indigent people, (those who are poor and less fortunate) and the second goal was to provide for the care and welfare of dogs. A year later, she deleted the first goal.
She cut a few grandchildren out of her will altogether and others had to visit the grave of their deceased father each year or forfeit their inheritance altogether.
The “Queen of mean” as she was called was found mentally unfit by the courts in a judgment in 2008 and have reinstated the grandchildren who had been given no inheritance.
It sounds to you and me as silly I presume. Leaving an estate, and a huge one, to a dog; but isn’t that what God has done for you and me?
22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matt. 15:22-28)
Through faith God has adopted those who believe into His family and:
Your inheritance is to be in your Father’s house!
What the Ephesians could never earn has been given them by God and by faith. Through adoption they have received what they did not deserve. Paul bring these praises to their eyes and ears 3 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 …
8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ and that 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
To unite all things … in Him!
Rejoice, because Christ has included you! You who have been called to believe; you who have been given faith in Christ; you who:
13 In him also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Christ Jesus is the gift of life and the savior of the world. His virgin birth, sinless life, death in your place at the cross, burial and glorious resurrection and ascension to heaven above was accomplished just for you. This childlike faith and adoption is given you by his glorious gospel bringing you to faith by God’s word and sacraments. Baptism is also called the liquid gospel because it brings with God’s word of promise newness of life and freedom from sin, death and the power of the devil connecting you to Christ’s life, death, burial and resurrection.
In Him the power of Satan is destroyed and you triumph over the devil as his child by faith given to you as a gift of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Your inheritance is to be in your Father’s house!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment