What Is Christ Doing Now . . . and Why?, Part 1

While the Christian life begins with spiritual conversion admission and their walking with God is a journey that starts with salvation continues for the remainder of our lives. In that respect, the gospel isn't a one time event, something Christians live out every single day today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll teaches from Ephesians 1. In this passage Paul explains that pursuing spiritual maturity requires connecting with Jesus on his terms. Failing to do so will limit our access to his power to title today's message what is Christ doing now and why may I read for you. Just a few verses toward the end of the first chapter of Ephesians.

Our Bibles are automatically opening. There are 30 great. Let me read Ephesians 1 beginning at verse 18 to the end of the chapter.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all and all, how grateful we are for the word of God, heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will never pass away Lord and our desire is to lift our voices to you not to one another and to please you with our praises. This is our opportunity for the week, together with one another and to be saying the same thing in unison with one heart we pray that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened, that we might know the things of God. That will give us discernment and insight into this world about us and into the truth you have for us. We come with different kinds of hearts today some full of praise and joy on the crest of the wave of delight. Some common valleys of discouragement and disappointment licking their wounds from recent defeats, failures they've experienced some common with grief and heartache.

But praise is still fitting, as we recognize you, the author of every good and perfect gift, and the one who sustains us even when we cannot see our way through a tunnel of tears encourages our father regardless of where we have been encourages about where we are going.

And may we see again the surpassing power that is ours through Jesus Christ and because of all of this, our father, we give now gratefully passionately and hilariously because you have done the same for us throughout our lives and for the church throughout the centuries we pause to reflect on this time of gratitude with our gifts and in our worship in Jesus name we pray. Everybody said disconnections lead to disqualification lead to dysfunction.

It's true the human realm. People who were raised in situations that are less than healthy begin to live what we have come to call dysfunctional lives because they were disconnected with the home full of love and security in purpose and meaning they found themselves caught in the traps of insecurity and inner struggles and confusion.

Some of you would have to say that's me.

I feel dysfunctional because I have been disconnected to a wholesome and healthy situation around. Strange as it may sound, this is true.

Also among the car industry and shiny cars that rolled off the assembly line. It's important that those lines be connected in those cars are they won't run electrical lines of the lights will burn gas lines of the engine will run brake lines or the car won't stop.

You gotta have connections. If you're going to have the function and purpose through the construction business who hasn't moved into a new home only to find out that something wasn't connected right you turn on the disposal of the lights go on for you flush the toilet and novel going to that one. That's another one not mean you gotta have the lines connected I came across a remarkable true story that speaks about the importance of connecting just before World War II and the town of Itasca, Texas a school fire took the lives of 263 children. There was hardly a family in the town that was not touched by this terrible tragedy. During the war the little town of Itasca remained about the same. They had no school facilities.

But when the war ended, the town, like many others around it began to expand, and in fact they built a new school, which featured what was called the finest sprinkler system in the world today. Civic pride ran high honor students were selected to guide the citizens and visitors on the tours of the new school facility to show them the finest most advanced sprinkler system technology could supply money could buy.

Never again would Itasca be visited by such a terrible tragedy with the postwar boom. The town continued to grow and in the brief seven years, it was necessary to enlarge that school and then adding the new wing. It was discovered that the sprinkler system had never been connected. What an incredible story and these simple little illustrations I've given you are but parables of an even greater tragedy. That's the tragedy of the dysfunctional Christian most Christians are to say that with a sigh, because most Christians have never been informed of the importance of being connected. There is a presence, and there was a plan and there was a power available to every child of God. But if were not careful will live our lives as though we have never met Christ and didn't need his power part of the problem is were just too connected already.

We got a fairly good IQ. Gotta well rather strong emotional system, we can handle it. Thank you. And then we run up against the situation that absolutely blows us out of the water and we throw our hands up, wondering why in the world did we ever believe in this Jesus in the first place.

Never having learned how to be and stay connected to power.

I'm not referring to a nice helpful quieting restful power that helps to go to sleep at night. I'm talking about a surpassing power that is so phenomenal. There aren't English words that can describe Paul called it several things when he prayed for it. Among the current the Ephesians.

If you look at Ephesians chapter 1 you'll catch him on his knees where he gives God thanks for their loyalty to Christ in their love for one another and verse 18.

He adds to his prayer that the eyes of our or their hearts would be opened not know what the word picture throw you the eyes of one's heart. Those are not words you would use in the true physical sense but in the spiritual sense, Paul is writing about a spiritual heart with spiritual eyes. He's dealing with the spiritual realm. The heart is not a part of the anatomy that pumps the blood in Paul's mind the hard is the nerve center of our being.

It is our mind and our emotions and our volition all wrapped up in one area and he prays that that part of us will be spiritually alive and alert. We will have 2020 spiritual vision so that we cannot only take what comes against us that we can see the invisible and realize the unfathomable. It is a power that is so surpassing the apostles stacks synonyms together to describe this power see the end of verse 18, that we might know the are calling on our inheritance in 19 what is the surpassing greatness of his power.

There is the first word if the word do not miss.

We get our word dynamite or dynamic or dynamo from it its role.

Dynamic that they might know the dynamic that is available through Jesus Christ.

That's power. These are in accordance with the working see that word working.

This is the word enter Gaia we get our word energy from it. It is the inner energy, the motivation to handle the day as you as we face it, we might have the dynamic the inner energy called here the working of his strength. This is a word for force just sheer force of his might. This has in mind the whole idea of of conquering the ability to conquer whatever it is that becomes an obstacle you put all those terms together. I think Paul is saying this may they have the kind of dynamic energizing forceful motivation that results in their conquering whatever difficulty they encounter seen and unseen familiar and unfamiliar, overwhelming and common. Whatever it might be made. They know such power wonderful news. Think of it is coming directly from the third heaven blasting through the heavenly spaces. The stellar spaces of our atmosphere. This planet into our hearts, bringing us the kind of power that is known only to the living God who made us, as we are. That'll that'll put fire in your bones and nothing else will you will have the kind of power God himself has originated and models say what like to have some examples of that sort of power before I think I can tap into it good. There are four of them versus 20 through 23 provide them for us. The first example of God demonstrating this power was at the resurrection. Look at verse 20 which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead. Christians today have become so familiar with the resurrection. It is easy to play down the power that it took to break the jaws of death. Remember when Christ was taken from the cross. His body was limp. Five wounds had yielded blood and there was no blood left. He died leaving the scars of his hands, his feet and his side as visible reminders that death was his. He was wrapped in a moment like fashion, placed in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. The tomb was sealed as he was left to be forgotten by the Romans and the Jewish officials alike. Whatever surprise they had a few hours later with the stone rolled away.

The tomb was empty. Let me remind you that the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out it was rolled away to lead us in. He didn't need the stone rolled away to be resurrected when there is a resurrection.

The whole molecular structure of the anatomy is changed so that you can move through space and matter without any obstacle or problem. I think he was raised before the stone was rolled away the stone was rolled away so the witnesses could get in and have their jaw drop down to their chest and wonder where in the world. He is and to hear the angel say he is not here he is risen. That kind of power that broke the jaws of death that moved Christ from death back to life, and gave him that whole sense of an eternal existence on this earth in bodily form that kind of powers available to you if that isn't enough, look at the next statement. It was a kind of power when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly we have Ephesians to thank for the doctrine of session. Few other truths in the Scriptures are set forth more in a more limited fashion than the seating of Christ at the father's right hand.

Ephesians speaks of it not here only, but elsewhere as well. When Christ was on this earth after his resurrection 40 days past in which he ministered not only to his immediate well, but good times 500. It wants, and others who came to know him. He then came to the place of appointment and was lifted up into the clouds and was returned in his ascension ported to go. Ephesians tells us the father welcomed him into heaven and seated him at his own right hand. Did you know that. Did you know that he sat down at the place of authority. Now I love this part of the story if it had been you and me. We would put our arms around our son and said that's enough light for the rest of your existence. Don't worry about another thing, don't concern yourself about anything more on earth you're a veteran they killed you are brought you back to life.

I now have you by my side.

Don't get involved with those people anymore, but of course that's the way we would handle it is not the way the father handled. Observe what he did when he said he met his right hand he gave him a place far above, notice the words, far above will come back to them all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. He put all things in subjection under his feet. That's the third evidence of the surpassing power of God, not only when he said he met his right hand, but he said to the sun and affect all the things that you have been a part of on the earth. You are now in authority over all things all things in heaven and earth and under the earth, all things visible and invisible, all things present in all things future. Observe all things. I have encircled in my Bible verse 22. He put all things in subjection under his feet. That means Jesus Christ ballast and no one all things bow to him that isn't enough, look at the last one he gave him as head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all that support evidence of surpassing power. He raised him from the dead, he seated at his right hand he gave him authority over all things, and then he placed him as head over all things in the church. The all things that he has authority over become the all things in the church over which he is head and they become for you in Christ and submission as well. What a tremendous thought because I have in Christ. I can know the kind of authority over these things that Jesus Christ himself demonstrated the father gave him the power he took the power and now gives it to those who are in him. If we will only connect connect connect. That's the secret.

When we come to Christ. The Holy Spirit is given to us. When the Holy Spirit becomes a resident inside are being he is ready and willing and available to serve the purpose and glory of Christ would return to him in weakness and need and sorrow and struggle and say to God, I cannot handle this, please. May the Holy Spirit guide me through this.

He brings up power that you and I know nothing of in our own flesh.

The tragedy is I say again, we are so blame capable we are so victims of habit.

We have learned ways to take situations and make the best of them, cleverly handling them, working our way through them maneuvering our will so that it gets done in the midst of our struggle, rather than saying Lord I'm over my head, I'm not able to handle this I am.

I am out of my league, and this is for you, since it falls in the category of all things over which you are far above the power I give it all to you. I trust you.

I risk your case, I'll leave it with you know it's the third one that interest me and I want to focus on because that is in the realm where many of us encounter difficulty far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that his name not only in this age but also in the one to come. He has put all things in subjection under his feet don't race to quickly pass those words. I think at the heart of them is the whole idea of the demonic forces I believe not only in a very real devil and I and I understand him to be absolutely supernatural.

I do not believe he is a little red skin that carries a pitchfork and has a long forked tail and horns and sits on my shoulder whispering nasty things in my ear. That's a medieval caricature that the devil would love to have me believe he hates it when people know the truth about him. He'd rather you believe the lie that's one of them. He would much prefer that he never be mentioned. That's the other side of the devil style. He doesn't want you to be informed of the things I'm going to inform you of turn to chapter 6 when we talk about being above all dominions and rulers and authorities and powers only show you something here want you to be thinking I really don't want you let your mind wander. This is thinking time. Look at verse 1010 through 12 of chapter 6 will come back to this in our study of Ephesians, but I want to jump ahead and show you something here. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. There it is again. If you're disconnected, you become dysfunctional, you'll become defeated. If you're connected in the strength of his might.

You can be strong in the Lord know why verse 11 so that you can put on the full armor of God, and be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, for he explains our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

The Greeks as blood and flesh. Our struggle is not against blood and flash. It's not all woman with woman man with woman man with man woman with man is not a human struggle is against. Notice the definite articles. There were four of them identifying the ranks of the demonic forces the rulers, the powers the world forces of darkness the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places were just getting started in a three day presentation that answers the important question what is Christ doing now and why you're listening to Insight for living featuring the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org at the outset of the study and Ephesians. I'm pleased to remind you that Chuck is written a helpful commentary on Paul's letter.

In fact, this particular volume contains his insight on Galatians as well is called Swindoll's living inside commentary on Galatians and Ephesians.

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