God Is the Subject (Ephesians Pt. 3) | Francis Chan

Summary

The speaker explores Ephesians 1, highlighting the profound grace God lavishes upon believers. Emphasizing that God is the subject and we are the objects of His grace, the message illustrates how God's plan predates creation and extends to unite all things in Christ. The speaker uses a vivid analogy of gifting money to demonstrate God's extravagant grace. The discussion concludes with reflections on the ultimate union of heaven and earth, encouraging listeners to embrace God's grace and recognize their place in His eternal plan.

Takeaways

• 📖 The speaker emphasizes the importance and repeated impact of Ephesians 1, likening it to a beloved song played on repeat.
• 🙏 Reading from the scriptures is described as hearing a voice from heaven, thus deserving special attention.
• ✝️ Ephesians 1:1-10 is read aloud, highlighting themes of spiritual blessings, predestination, and redemption through Christ.
• 📚 God is portrayed as the subject of the passage, actively blessing, choosing, and predestining believers, who are the objects of these actions.
• 🕊️ The speaker discusses the natural human tendency to want control, contrasting it with the passive role believers have in receiving God's grace.
• 💧 Grace is lavishly bestowed upon believers, exemplified through a demonstration with the name 'Grace' and an abundance of money to illustrate the extravagance of God's gifts.
• 👼 The unity of heaven and earth in God's plan is emphasized, as well as the idea that believers are chosen and predestined as part of this divine plan.
• 🌍 The speaker underscores that God's plan was established before the foundation of the world, demonstrating its eternal and unchangeable nature.
• 🌟 The culmination of God's plan involves uniting all things in Christ, both heavenly and earthly, as described in Revelation 21-22.
• 🌈 The speaker concludes with an invitation for those who have not experienced God's grace to accept it, emphasizing the transformative power of God's lavish grace.

Q & A

What is the main passage being discussed in the transcript?

The main passage discussed is Ephesians 1.

Why does the speaker compare Ephesians 1 to a song that is played on repeat?

The speaker compares Ephesians 1 to a song played on repeat because they find it continuously impactful and never tiring.

What significance does the speaker attribute to reading from the scriptures as opposed to speaking personally?

The speaker believes that reading from the scriptures is like a voice from heaven, deserving special attention, whereas personal speech is just human communication.

Who is the subject in Ephesians 1, according to the speaker's explanation?

According to the speaker, God is the subject in Ephesians 1.

What is the key message the speaker wants the audience to take away from Ephesians 1?

The key message is that God is the subject and humans are the objects of His actions and grace.

How does the speaker illustrate the concept of 'lavishing grace' using a physical example?

The speaker illustrates 'lavishing grace' by giving a person named Grace multiple $20 bills, symbolizing unearned generosity.

What does the speaker say about human nature in relation to control and being the subject?

The speaker notes that humans naturally want to be in control and the subject of their actions, but Ephesians 1 challenges this by positioning God as the subject.

What analogy does the speaker use to describe God’s plan and human involvement in it?

The speaker compares God’s plan to the Earth being tilted on its axis and spinning at 1,000 miles per hour—it's beyond human control or influence.

How does the speaker connect Ephesians 1 to the idea of predestination and God's eternal plan?

The speaker explains that God chose individuals before the foundation of the world and has an eternal plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth.

What is the ultimate culmination of God's plan according to Revelation 21-22, as mentioned in the transcript?

The ultimate culmination of God's plan is the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, where God will dwell with humanity and make all things new.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Embracing the Message of Ephesians 1

The speaker expresses their love for Ephesians 1, likening it to a favorite song on repeat. They highlight the significance of reading from the Bible, emphasizing that it is a divine voice. The passage from Ephesians 1:1-6 is read, focusing on God's blessings and predestination of believers. The speaker underscores the importance of recognizing God as the subject and believers as the object, illustrating this with a simple grammar lesson. They reflect on how this passage shifts the perspective from human actions to divine grace.

05:04

🎁 Understanding Divine Grace

The speaker delves into the concept of grace, emphasizing that life often revolves around humans being the subject of their actions. They contrast this with the biblical perspective where God is the subject who bestows grace upon believers. Using personal anecdotes and examples, the speaker highlights how humans struggle with being the object of grace due to a desire for control. They stress that God's actions are central, and believers are recipients of His grace, which is lavish and unearned.

10:06

💸 The Extravagance of God's Grace

Illustrating the lavishness of God's grace, the speaker uses a live demonstration with a person named Grace, showering her with money to symbolize abundant grace. This act represents the unearned and generous nature of God's blessings. The speaker explains that God's grace is an inherent part of His character and is given freely to believers. They reflect on how God's plan, conceived before the foundation of the world, includes showering believers with grace and uniting all things in Christ.

15:09

🌍 God's Plan for Unity

The speaker discusses God's overarching plan to unite all things in Christ, both in heaven and on earth. They explore the biblical timeline, stating that God's plan was set before the creation of the world and includes bringing together heavenly and earthly elements. The speaker reflects on the worship happening in heaven and how believers' worship on earth connects to it. This unity, planned from the beginning, underscores God's sovereignty and the inclusion of believers in His eternal plan.

20:10

🔄 Creation and Reconciliation

The speaker examines the creation narrative, emphasizing that everything was made through and for Christ. They recount the fall of humanity and God's plan to reconcile all things to Himself through Jesus' sacrifice. The discussion includes the visible and invisible aspects of creation, highlighting the spiritual realms and earthly dominions. The speaker reinforces that God's plan involves redeeming and uniting all creation, culminating in a new heaven and earth where believers are restored to their intended relationship with God.

25:13

🔥 Judgment and Redemption

Focusing on the themes of judgment and redemption, the speaker explains that not all heavenly beings follow God and some are destined for punishment. They cite biblical references to illustrate the consequences of rebellion against God. The speaker contrasts the fate of demons and unbelievers with the promise of eternal life for those who accept God's grace. This segment emphasizes the dual outcomes of God's plan: eternal destruction for the rebellious and eternal life for the redeemed.

30:14

🔄 Living as Objects of Grace

The speaker reflects on the human tendency to control and fix things, contrasting it with the biblical perspective of being objects of God's grace. They encourage listeners to embrace their role in God's eternal plan, recognizing that salvation and grace are beyond human control. The speaker draws parallels to natural phenomena, emphasizing the vastness of God's plan and the futility of human efforts to alter it. This understanding leads to a sense of peace and trust in God's sovereignty.

35:17

🏙️ The New Jerusalem

Reading from Revelation 21-22, the speaker describes the vision of the new heaven and new earth. They depict the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending from heaven, symbolizing the ultimate union of God and His people. The passage highlights the end of suffering and the eternal presence of God among His people. The speaker underscores the trustworthiness of God's promises and the anticipation of eternal life, encouraging listeners to live in hope and readiness for this future reality.

40:21

💧 Invitation to Grace

The speaker invites those who have not experienced God's grace to accept it, emphasizing that forgiveness and cleansing are available through Jesus' sacrifice. They reassure listeners that their presence is not coincidental but part of God's eternal plan. The invitation is extended to receive God's lavish grace, trust in His love, and join the community of believers. The speaker encourages anyone with doubts to seek prayer and embrace the grace offered by God, concluding with a prayer for openness to divine grace.

Keywords

💡Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1 is a chapter in the New Testament of the Bible, written by the Apostle Paul. It is used in the video to emphasize the theme of God's grace and predestination. The speaker repeatedly reads and analyzes passages from Ephesians 1 to highlight how God has blessed and chosen believers.

💡Grace

Grace is a central theme in the video, referring to the unmerited favor and love that God bestows upon humanity. The speaker illustrates grace by giving a tangible example of giving money to a person named Grace, showing how God's grace is lavishly given to us without us earning it.

💡Predestination

Predestination refers to the doctrine that God has eternally chosen those whom He intends to save. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that believers were chosen by God before the foundation of the world, as stated in Ephesians 1:4-5, highlighting the idea that God's plan for salvation is entirely His doing.

💡Subject and Object

The speaker uses a grammatical lesson to explain that God is the subject and believers are the object in the narrative of salvation. This concept illustrates that God's actions and decisions are the primary focus, and humans are the recipients of His grace and blessings.

💡Lavish

Lavish is used to describe the abundance and extravagance of God's grace. The speaker uses the term to convey how God generously pours out His grace upon believers, as mentioned in Ephesians 1:8, where God's grace is 'lavished' upon us.

💡Adoption

Adoption refers to the act of God bringing believers into His family as His children. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul writes about how God predestined believers for adoption through Jesus Christ, highlighting the intimate and personal nature of God's relationship with believers.

💡Redemption

Redemption is the act of being saved from sin through Jesus' sacrifice. The video explains that through Christ's blood, believers have redemption and the forgiveness of sins, as stated in Ephesians 1:7. This underscores the significance of Jesus' sacrifice in the Christian faith.

💡Mystery of His Will

The 'mystery of His will' refers to God's divine plan, which was previously hidden but has now been revealed to believers. The speaker emphasizes that God has made known to us the mystery of His will, as part of His grace, aligning with Ephesians 1:9-10.

💡Plan

Plan refers to God's overarching purpose and design for humanity and creation. The video discusses how God's plan, established before the foundation of the world, involves uniting all things in heaven and earth in Christ, as outlined in Ephesians 1:10.

💡Inheritance

Inheritance is the promise of eternal life and blessings that believers receive as children of God. Ephesians 1:11 mentions that in Christ, believers have obtained an inheritance, highlighting the future hope and security found in God's promises.

Highlights

The speaker compares their love for Ephesians 1 to enjoying a favorite song on repeat, emphasizing its enduring impact.

Reading from the Bible is described as hearing a voice from heaven, underscoring the sacredness of the scriptures.

Ephesians 1:1-10 is read, highlighting God's blessings, predestination, adoption, and the unity of all things in Christ.

The speaker emphasizes that God is the subject of the passage, while humans are the object of His actions and blessings.

The significance of being the object of God's grace rather than the subject is discussed, challenging common perceptions of control and agency.

A practical illustration using the concept of lavishing grace is presented, involving giving money to a person named Grace.

The speaker reflects on how life often revolves around self-centered actions, contrasting this with the biblical emphasis on God's actions.

Ephesians 1 reminds believers that their salvation and blessings are entirely the result of God's will and grace, not their own efforts.

The riches of God's grace, lavished upon believers, are emphasized, drawing parallels to the merciful and gracious nature of God described in Exodus 34:7.

The speaker discusses how God's plan to unite all things in Christ was established before the foundation of the world.

The unity of things in heaven and earth, as part of God's eternal plan, is highlighted, referencing Revelation 21 and 22.

The significance of God's plan and its predetermined nature is discussed, noting that it transcends human control and understanding.

The speaker contrasts the earthly perception of control with the biblical teaching that God is the ultimate subject of all things.

A reading from Revelation 21-22 is included, describing the new heaven, new earth, and the holy city, emphasizing the culmination of God's plan.

The speaker invites those who have not yet experienced God's grace to receive it, stressing the unmerited nature of God's love and forgiveness.

Transcripts

just want to read from

uh we've done this a lot Ephesians 1 um

but it's to me it it's almost like you

know when you hear a song and you love

it and you just put it on repeat because

you want to hear it again and again and

again I feel that way about Ephesians 1

I'm like I don't think I'll ever get old

I you know

get tired thank you I will get old I

don't think I'll ever get tired of this

passage um and let's just remember like

when I read from the word of God this is

different than this this is a human

being talking to you but when I stand

behind here and I actually read from the

scriptures this is like a voice from

heaven and so we pay special attention

to it

Ephesians

1 verse 1 Paul an apostle of Christ

Jesus by the will of

God to the Saints who are in Ephesus and

are faithful in Christ Jesus grace to

you and peace from God our Father and

the Lord Jesus

Christ 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 even as he chose us in him before

the foundation of the world that 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 on

earth may the Lord bless the reading of

his

word something I

really want to get across to you today

today if there's one thing you leave

with it's this

thought based upon Ephesians

1 God is the

subject God is the subject okay quick

quick English lesson

um David ate a cheeseburger

what is the subject of that

sentence David good what is the object

of that

sentence good okay Jesse ate 12

cheeseburgers could happen so Jesse is

the subject and the cheeseburger is the

object okay we understand how a sentence

Works um I want you to think through I

want I I just wanted to look at

Ephesians 1 for a

second Ephesians chap

1 starting in verse three blessed be the

God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ

who has blessed

us so who's the subject of

that God the father who's the object us

verse four even as he he chose

us who's the subject he he chose

us verse five he predestined

us again who's a

subject God here we are the

object verse six to the praise of his

glorious Grace which with which he had

has blessed us in the Beloved again he's

the subject we're the

object now look at verse 7even though it

says in him we have

redemption in that sentence what's the

object we right we have Redemption but

still where where're it's a passage it's

a receiving we have something from

him verse

8 which he lavished upon

us when I think about life and when I go

through life I am usually the subject of

everything I wake up in the morning I

decide to go brush my teeth I decide to

read the Bible I decide to cook myself

some breakfast I decide to go into my

car everything's about me being the

subject and so we're just used to that

and so sometimes it's weird being in the

place of the object in fact for some

people we have a real hard time with

this because we like control and so we

like to decide we don't like things just

happening to us we want to make things

happen so those of you who are in school

right now you want to one day say I

earned my

degree and once you get a job it's like

gosh I applied for this job and I got

it when you buy a car you're like I

saved up and then I bought this

we we we want to control

things and so we like being the subject

and

I I've had a hard time as I'm looking at

this passage and I'm just

realizing wow I don't really do anything

in this

passage I'm the

object and it's really hard because even

with salvation we're so used to being in

charge and we're so used to being the

subject when we read this this passage

saying that he chose us he predestined

us he blessed us he lavished upon us and

now God says this is by the will of God

and how he chose

us like like what did we

do see it's very natural for us to want

to say well I chose him and I became a

Christian and and and I decide to make

him the Lord of my life and all those

things are

true but you got to look at the emphasis

here the emphasis is what God has done

for

you I

love verse 8 talking about his grace

according to the riches of his grace

which he lavished on

us the rich is of his grace which he

lavished on us remember going back a few

weeks when we talked about uh Exodus 347

when it says the Lord the Lord a god

merciful and gracious like that's just

who he is he's he's gracious like Grace

is spilling out of him and so here when

he says according to the riches of his

grace which he

lavished that's just that's just who he

is

he can't help but show his

grace I love that phrase he lavished

Upon

Us in all wisdom and

insight The Riches of his grace that he

lavished upon

us I want to I want you to think about

this Grace

LLY hi Grace can you come up here

just cuz you're named Grace and I want

people to why don't you have her sit

there you can have

the seat says Grace everyone knows Grace

Grace is there another Grace in

here no okay all right you're the only

Grace thanks for coming up here here's

$20 right you didn't really earn it it's

just

Grace get it you're getting it but

that's not really like lavishing 20

bucks and that's called Cash yeah your

parents and I we use this stuff before

it it works it's not venmo it's not you

know just clicking your phone it but

it's $20 you go okay that's that's nice

that's Grace but that's not really

lavishing what does it mean to

Lavish you get to keep this okay

otherwise it's not a good illustration

here here's some here's some more 20s

okay here's some

Grace here you want some more grace

here's some more

grace yeah yeah yeah that's a lot of

Grace for doing nothing yes you're

keeping all of it yes you have to it's

great it's a bad illustration then then

you're saying God gives you stuff and

you don't keep it oh whoa

whoa okay

okay all right you can't give it back

and you have to spend on yourself

go buy something nice okay that's Grace

it's Grace okay you have to I know it

doesn't feel right you just showed up

and someone just starts throwing all

this money on top of you like you were

just

lavished with this

money that's that's this picture here

it's like wait a second I I just I'm

just here and then you picked me before

the foundation of the world

and you chose me and you adopted me as

your

child why according to the purpose of

Your World just because you wanted

to just to the praise of your glorious

Grace and you you redeemed me and you

forgave me through your blood of

everything I've ever done according to

the riches of your grace which you just

lavished on on

me it's a picture of

extravagance it's a picture of this

almighty God saying I just want to

Lavish you with my grace why it's just

who I am I'm a God

merciful and

gracious see it's not so bad being the

object when God is the subject

subject when you go

wow Lord this is all about

you this is all about

you he lavished on

us in all wisdom and

insight making known to us the mystery

of his

will according to his purpose which he

sent set forth in

Christ so how does God lavish us with

his grace he makes known to

us the mystery of his

will one of the ways God blesses us is

he lets us know what he's

doing I I was reading in Amos and it

says in Amos 37 it says the Lord does

nothing without revealing his secret to

his servants the

prophets God says I I don't do anything

but I tell the prophets is in the Old

Testament goes I always tell the

prophets what I'm up to and that's so

cool to think W there were certain

people on the Earth God says whatever

I'm going to do I'm going to tell them

first remember when God was going to

destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and you

remember when he says well am I going to

keep this from

Abraham that's such a we weird

phrase he goes how can I keep this from

Abraham I can't just go down to Sodom

and Gomorrah without telling Abraham

first I love

that he goes can I do this thing without

telling here he's saying I'm now that

you are all my children let me make

known to you these

mysteries of what I'm

doing he has a plan

verse

10 as a

plan for the fullness of

time to unite all things in him things

in heaven and things on

earth so God says I have a plan and I

want to tell you my

plan because I love you I've always

revealed my plan to those that I

love I showed it to the prophets and and

they passed it on to the people I told

it to Abraham cuz he was my

friend and he says to us he goes I have

a

plan he goes it's for the fullness of

time I'm going to unite all

things in Christ things in heaven and

things on earth God says I'm going I

have a plan and in the fullness of time

I'm going to unite Heaven and Earth the

things in heaven cuz things are going on

in heaven right now right you know we've

looked at Revelation 4 you know many

times about all the praise and worship

that's going on amongst the 100 million

angels and then the chapter five where

where Christ is there and and you know

and every creature just giving him glory

like that's going on there's this

worship going on we talk about those

High angels that are covering themselves

up and screaming out his Holiness

meanwhile when we worship and here you

know even even tonight I was just trying

to think okay I'm joining the things in

heaven like that's going on worships

going on up there and worships going on

in this room and there's like this split

thing where something's happening up

there and we're kind of joining it but

we can't see it and God says I've got a

plan it's all going to unite at some

point and and so right now I am

lavishing this Grace upon you I've

chosen you to be a part of

this when did

God make this

plan when did God decide to do this well

we talked about this the last couple

weeks

right he chose us in him before the

foundation of the

world so it was before the foundation of

the world see you kind of catch this so

God existed before you you all knew that

right okay he's the I am he always was

he was there he existed before you and

he he existed before he said let there

be light and before he made an earth it

says he

chose he chose you before the foundation

of the world so this is when the plan

started he had not made the Earth yet

and he already chose

Elliott then he says

Earth and he makes the world so this

plan was before the foundation of the

world and then he explains this plan

goes on and on and on and continues and

I have a plan at the end I'm going to

unite the things things in heaven with

the things that are on the

earth in the fullness of time so this

whole thing is going on so it's not

about

us okay you weren't there you you don't

have this plan this plan is going to

happen because God is faithful and true

and whatever he says is going to happen

is going to happen and we've seen that

through

history and I know this frustrates

people that God has a

plan because he never asked you about it

he didn't need your opinion he just said

this is what I'm going to

do you can't stop

me but I want to bless you with it

because my plan includes you and I want

to shower you with Grace I want to

forgive you for everything I just want

to Lavish you with my grace and then one

day I'm going to unite you with

everything that's going on up here it

was all a plan from the

beginning so why would God make a plan

like this why is he going to unite

everything in heaven and

earth I think Colossians

1 gives us a a

clue in Colossians

1 I don't put all the verses on the

screen screen this way you bring your

Bibles Colossians

1 verse 15 says he is the image of the

invisible God the firstborn of all

creation for by him all things were

created in heaven and on Earth visible

and invisible whether Thrones or

dominions or rulers or authorities all

things were created through him and for

him so God says everything that was made

was made through

Christ and he goes not just the things

that are visible okay so everything you

see in this room was made by

Christ he goes but also the invisible

things the the Thrones of the dominions

you see the the physical Thrones you see

the physical

leaders but then there's this whole

spiritual world that's going on all of

that was made through

Christ and the Bible says that all

things verse 16 says all things were

made by him and for

him that's really

important these things were made for

him and so when God made man when he

made him out of the Dust of the earth he

made Adam for himself

when he made Eve out of Adam's Rib he

made her for

himself everything that Jesus made was

created by Him and for

him but you know the story in the garden

you know that they

rebelled and and they decided that we

don't want to follow your law we want to

do our thing and so there they are cast

out of the

garden that was our Reb ion but God's

intention was no I made this for

me and so when he says that he made all

things for

him he's saying there's a plan if you

look at Colossians

1:9 it says for in him all the fullness

of God was pleased to dwell and through

him to reconcile to himself all things

whether on Earth or in heaven Making

Peace by the blood of his

cross so he says I

made Adam Eve

humans

Noah I I made mankind for

me and they rebelled against me but

there's going to come a day when I bring

them back to myself and they are

Redeemed by the the blood of of

Jesus now a lot of people read this

verse and they go okay well it says it's

a

plan Ephesians 1:10 as a plan for the

fullness of time to unite all things in

him things in heaven and things on

Earth you you know how in Revelation 21

it talks about the New Jerusalem he goes

I see a heavenly jerus

Jerusalem coming out of heaven like a

bride

adorned and so it's this this this

heavenly City but what does this

heavenly do it comes down out of

heaven and lands here on the

earth there's a uniting now now we don't

get this this is kind of like over our

heads this is a plan from the beginning

of time where God says I knew everything

was going to happen I chose you before

the found foundation of the world you're

no accident you're not in this room by

accident you don't believe in Jesus by

accident acts 17 says I I chose where

you would be

born and when you would be born and I

knew you would feel your way towards me

and find

me whether you were born in a a home

that taught you about Jesus or you were

born in a in a home that told you don't

believe in Jesus somehow he created a

path for you to kind of feel your way

towards him and then you find him

it's not coincidence that was him

lavishing his grace on

you he chose you for that that's not

coincidence it was his

plan and he has this plan he says at the

end I'm going to

unite Heaven and

Earth and you're going to see the

Heavenly Jerusalem come down to earth

now some people read this and they go

well if he's going to cause all things

to come together does that mean that

everyone goes to heaven this verse is

often used to

uh defend

universalism which basically means

everyone goes to heaven it's Universal

that what Jesus did on the cross that

means everyone and there's no

punishment but if you really read the

scriptures you see over and over again

that there is a punishment

there's an end of blessing there's a

heaven and there's a

hell what he's talking about here is

somehow

uniting just like on Earth there are

those of us who have ch chosen to follow

Jesus to be Redeemed by his blood God's

lavish his grace Upon Us in such a way

that we repent because of his kindness

it leads us to repentance well the same

thing is true of the Heavenly

beings it's not like all Heavenly

beings are following

God in fact if you look at second

Peter in second Peter chapter 2

verse

4 it says for if God did not spare

Angels when they sinned but cast them

into hell and committed them to chains

of gloomy Darkness to be kept until the

Judgment if he did not spare the ancient

world but preserved

Noah a Herald of righteousness with

seven other when he brought a flood upon

the world of the

ungodly if by turning the cities of

Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned

them to Extinction making them an

example of what is going to happen to

the ungodly so he he goes and he

explains look God did not spare the

Angels who

sinned in fact he says he's kept them in

Gloomy darkness in Chains until the time

of the judgment

and when you read Revelation 20 and it

talks about this Lake of Fire which

Jesus says in Matthew

25 that it was created for Satan and his

demons if you read re Revelation 20

explains that that the the Beast the

false prophet they're thrown in this

Lake of Fire but then it also says

anyone any human any person whose name

is not written in the Book of Life he

too is thrown into a lake of fire so

there's a truth that is so beautiful

that God takes the Heavenly beings who

are worshiping him and the Earthly

beings who are worshiping him and it's

like this heavenly Jerusalem coming down

and joining with the Earthly Believers

in the same way there are demons these

are the angels that have fallen that

he's kept in darkness some of them he's

he has chained up some of he goes it's

all for this coming judgment that's

going to be the same fate of those

people who rebel against me it's a

joining of things in heaven with things

on

earth to Eternal

destruction or to this eternal

life and this is the plan of

God these are things that are just over

our heads

and I know that can be frustrating cuz

you have no say in it he chos us before

the foundation or he tells you what's

going to happen at the end but there's

also a beauty to

it this is why we don't stress out okay

because we realize we're the

objects of his grace we were by nature

objects of

Wrath and now we're these objects that

he has lavished

his grace

upon I tend to want to control things

fix

things and what Ephesians 1 reminds me

is it's it's never about me I was never

the subject and so you just enjoy it you

go this is Way Beyond

me I can't change it and I can't get in

the

way it it's kind of like you know

remember when you first learned learned

about the Earth and you realize it's

tilted on an axis and you go wow that's

so crazy like that determines the

seasons everything's just so perfect

it's just

tilted but hopefully you don't wake up

in the morning thinking gosh I hope too

many people don't move to

Greenland because I might tilt it too

much no you just go this there's nothing

I can

do or you say oh no the Earth is

spinning at 1,000 miles an hour I better

not eat too much cuz I don't want to

sleep slow it

down no that thought doesn't go through

your head you go that's stupid this is

so much bigger than

me and in the same way I think sometimes

for me I think a lot of

us we can put a lot of pressure on

ourselves like I got to save myself I've

got to save my friend got to save my

family I think I screwed up I don't

think I did things right and I think

this person rejects God now because of

me and we look at Ephesians and we go no

wait a second this I'm not the subject

of this God

is we need to learn how to live as

objects of his grace and to realize

there's this eternal plan that he

started before we were born and he says

here's how it culminates and so we're

just here for a few seconds on this

planet and he made you to be a part of

his eternal plan

what I want to do is I just I want to

have Lisa come up and

uh just read from

Revelation chapter 21 to

22 just remember this is the word of

God this is the culmination of all

things then I saw a new Heaven and a new

Earth for the first Heaven and the first

Earth had passed away and the sea was no

more and I saw the holy city the New

Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from

God prepared as a bride adorned for her

husband and I heard a loud voice from

the throne saying Behold The Dwelling

Place of God is with man he will dwell

with them and they will be his people

and God himself will be with them as

their God he will wipe away every tear

from their eyes and Death Shall be no

more neither shall there be mourning nor

crying nor pain anymore for the former

things have passed

away and he who was Seated on the throne

said behold I am making all things new

also so he said write this down for

these words are trustworthy and true and

he said to me it is done I am the Alpha

and the Omega the beginning and the end

to the Thirsty I will give from the

spring of the Water of Life without

payment the one who conquers will have

this Heritage and I will be his God and

he will be my son but as for the cow

cardly the faithless the detestable as

for murderers the sexually immoral

Sorcerers idolators and all liars their

portion will be in the lake that burns

with fire and sulfur which is the second

death then came one of the Seven Angels

who had the seven bowls full of the

seven last plagues and spoke to me

saying come I will show you the bride

the wife of the lamb and he carried me

away in the spirit to a great high

mountain and showed me the Holy City

Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from

God having the glory of God its Radiance

like a most rare Jewel like a Jasper

clear as

Crystal it had a great high wall with 12

gates and at the gates 12 angels and on

the gates the name of the 12 tribes of

the sons of Israel were inscribed on the

East three gates on the north three

gates on the south three gates and on

the west three gates and the wall of the

city had 12 foundations and on them were

the 12 names of the twel Apostles of the

lamb and the one who spoke with me had a

measuring Rod of gold to measure the

city and its Gates and walls the city

lies for Four Square its length the same

as its width and he measured the city

with his Rod 12,000 stadia its length

and width and height are

equal he also measured its

wall 144 cubits by human measurement

which is also an angels

measurement the wall was built of Jasper

while the city was pure gold like clear

glass the foundations of the wall of the

city were adorned with every kind of

Jewel the first was Jasper the second

Sapphire the third aate the fourth

Emerald the fifth Onyx the sixth

Carnelian the seventh chrysite the

eighth Barrel the ninth topaz the 10th

chapra the

11th jessin the 12th amethyst and the 12

gates were 12 pearls each of the gates

made of a single Pearl and the street of

the city was pure gold like transparent

glass and I saw no temple in the city

for its Temple is the Lord God the

almighty and the lamb and the city has

no need of sun or moon to shine on it

for the glory of God gives it light and

its lamp is the

Lamb by its light will the Nations walk

and the kings of the earth will bring

their Glory into it and its Gates will

never be shut by day and there will be

no night there they will bring into it

the glory and the honor of the Nations

but nothing unclean will ever enter it

nor anyone who does what is detestable

or false but only those who are written

in the Lamb's Book of

Life then the angel showed me the river

of the Water of Life bright as Crystal

flowing from the Throne of God and of

the Lamb through the middle of the

street of the city also on either side

of the river the Tree of Life with its

12 kinds of fruit yielding its fruit

each month the leaves of the tree were

for the healing of the Nations no longer

will there be anything accursed but the

Throne of God and of the Lamb will be in

it and his servants will worship him

they will see his face and his name will

be on their foreheads and night will be

no more they will need no light of lamp

or son for the Lord God will be their

light and they will rain forever and

ever and he said to me these words are

trustworthy and true and the Lord the

god of the spirits of the prophets has

sent his Angel to show his servants what

must soon take place and behold I am

coming soon blessed is the one who keeps

the words of the prophecy of this

book I John and the one who heard and

saw these things and when I heard and

saw them I fell down to worship at the

feet of the Angel who showed them to me

but he said to me you must not do that I

am a fellow servant with you and your

brothers the prophets and with those who

keep the words of this book worship God

and he said to me do not seal up the

words of the prophecy of this book for

the time is near let the evildoer still

do evil let the filthy still be filthy

and the righteous still do right and the

holy still be

holy behold I am coming soon bringing my

recompense with me to repay each one for

what he has done I am the Alpha and the

Omega me GA the first and the last the

beginning and the

end blessed are those who wash their

robes so that they may have the right to

the tree of life and that they may enter

the city by the gates outside are the

dogs and Sorcerers and the sexually

immoral and murderers and idolators and

everyone who loves and practices

falsehood I Jesus have sent my angel to

testify to you about these things for

the churches I am the root and the

descendant of David the Bright Morning

Star the spirit and the bride say come

and let the one who hears say come and

let the one who is thirsty come let the

one who desires take the Water of Life

without

price I warn everyone who hears the

words of the prophecy of this book if

anyone adds to them God will add to him

the plagues described in this book and

if anyone takes away from the words of

the book of this prophecy God will take

away his share in the tree of life and

in the holy city which are described in

this book He Who testifies to these

things says surely I am coming soon amen

come Lord Jesus the grace of the Lord

Jesus be with all

amen I don't know about you but hearing

those words and going okay this is what

it's going to be like this is the grace

of God and I want be a part of that I

just think there's some of you tonight

maybe who you've never really tasted of

God lavishing his grace upon

you maybe there's someone tonight

they're going are you telling me that

with everything I've done in life I can

be washed clean just like

that that it's not a coincidence that

you showed up here

tonight that this could be a part of

God's Eternal plan of him chose choosing

you before you were even born and he

brought you in this room

tonight you've been the subject your

whole life like I'm going to do this I'm

going to do this I'm going to get to

heaven through the

and maybe tonight's the first time you

realize no God so loved you that he

gave his only begotten

son he gave Jesus on that cross and is

through his blood you can be forgiven

that's just him just

lavishing he can just wash you

completely clean right now just because

that's who he is he's a gracious

God and if tonight you're having

doubts and you're questioning God's love

for you go I don't know if I've ever

really just receiv the grace of God then

as we're singing I'm going to have a

couple of leaders we'll just be standing

in the corners of both sides some elders

and some of the women leaders if you

could just stand over there and they're

just there to to pray for you

[Music]

God right now we just thank you for

lavishing your grace on

us and I just pray Lord that if there's

anyone

here that has never believed in your

grace that you are a God who just full

of

grace that tonight you would open their

eyes that they would receive your grace

this evening

in Jesus name amen