Matthew 21:1-11

Bible Memorization Moving Forward on every Sunday.Matthew 21:1-11 (ESV)
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

How does a person set up a Divine Appointment? What would that look like? 
An appointment is something you plan intentionally. Like you plan an appointment to meet with a doctor. But a “Divine Appointment” is something that you don’t plan, but God sets an appointment on our behalf. So, a “Divine Appointment” is an encounter, moment, or event orchestrated by God’s design for His larger picture and a greater purpose. Many of these “Divine Appointments” are life-changing encounters with someone, unexpected conversations, or strange coincidences that open the door to spiritual transformation or awakening. Someone recommended that I get connected with this one person, whom I had never met before. Normally, I don’t meet up with a stranger, but for some reason, I felt led to meet up. We met, and as I was talking, this man started writing things down on a napkin. I thought he was very rude and not paying attention to what I was saying. He asked me an important question, and I responded. After I spoke, he showed me what he wrote on the napkin, and I was shocked. A total stranger who wrote down everything I was thinking about my future ministry. I was struggling to see if what I was thinking and praying about was in the right direction, and this guy, out of nowhere, just confirmed everything. This has happened multiple times in my life.

So a “Divine Appointment” takes many forms, but ultimately this Divine Meeting is in the hands of an eternal Creator who is aware of your needs and orchestrates history to magnify His truth in your plans. In other words, God meets you where you are in the season of life you are in. And, this is when “The Triumphal Entry” of Jesus comes in. God has orchestrated history on Palm Sunday specifically for Jesus.

In Matthew 21, we begin with a familiar story traditionally called the “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into the majestic city of Jerusalem. Now this city is not like Jerusalem in the Old Testament. Jerusalem at the time of Jesus got an upgrade. Jerusalem in the Old Testament was more like a military fortress, but by Jesus' time, it had become a world-class city. It had a newly renovated temple that rivaled nearly any in the ancient world. They upgraded the Public pools, which were fed by the Gihan Spring. And they built two new aqueducts that brought water into the city from as far as 7 miles away. More water means more people. It’s like getting the entire city of Baltimore upgraded.

One of the big reasons for the upgrade of Jerusalem was the Passover celebration. For the Israelites, the Passover is one of the most important celebrations a Jew can have. Moses, who represented the Hebrew slaves, asked Pharaoh to let his people go, but Pharaoh said, “No,” and 10 plagues came upon Egypt. The last one was the “angel of death,” in which all the first born male was to die. So, if you wanted the “angel of death” to pass you over, you had to slaughter a lamb and with its blood mark the door frames with its blood, and you had to eat the lamb that night. That night, the angel of death came, and for those who had the door frames with blood passed over their homes.

Pharaoh gave up and let the Hebrew slaves go. From that point on, God gave a command to all the generations that they had to remember this day and commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This is a command from God to all the Jews, wherever they may be.

Population:

In the first century, the population of Jerusalem was around 80,000 to 100,000. But during Passover, you would have over a million people coming into Jerusalem. Remember that the Jewish people were scattered all across the Roman Empire and beyond. Even if you were a second or third-generation Jew and you didn’t speak Hebrew, you still showed up once a year to celebrate, because it was a command from God to all the Jews.

Because there were so many people, Rome would send in hundreds of additional soldiers to prevent riots or rebellions. Now, why would there be a riot or rebellion? Because the principle of the passover was all about receiving freedom from oppressors. And who were the oppressors during Jesus’ time? Rome. So you can imagine Rome’s hypersensitivity. The people of Israel are praying and hoping for another salvation like the time of Egypt. When the Hebrews cried out to God for help, God sent Moses, and the Romans know this. So, you can imagine the sensitivity of Rome.

Now that we have some idea about the background, let’s begin our story for today.

Matthew 21:1-2 (ESV)
1 Now, when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. [You will find a mommy donkey and youth, the colt] 

Jesus is speaking to His disciples and giving them specific instructions about future events. And he is asking them to bring a donkey that has never been ridden on so that he can ride on it into Jerusalem.

Now wait a minute! “Why is Jesus asking His disciples to bring to Him a donkey to ride on when they have already been walking from Capernaum, walking around Samaria, and then passing through Jericho, and then stopping at Bethpage?” From Capernaum to Bethphage, walking distance is about 90 miles. And the distance from Bethphage to Jerusalem is about 1.2 miles. I’m just thinking, “Jesus, could we not walk an additional 1.2 miles to get into Jerusalem? Why do we need a donkey?”

Now, for Jesus to be the true Messiah, the savior, He would have to fulfill a prophecy foretold hundreds of years earlier. And so He does exactly that.

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

You cannot be more detailed than that. Jesus was sending a divine message that He is the coming King, righteous and the source of salvation for all who would receive Him.

Here is the prophet Zechariah predicting a king, who in the future, will be riding on a donkey, and not just any kind of donkey, but riding on a young donkey that has never been ridden on. This prophecy by Zechariah was made over 500 years before the birth of Jesus, and Jesus will be the first human to ride this young donkey.

Now, if you are comparing by size of an animal to ride on, you have a choice of a horse, and then a mule (which is the crossbreed of a male donkey and a female horse), and then the smallest size would be a donkey. And, not just any kind of donkey, but a young donkey that has never been ridden on. What are the chances of that happening? Riding a horse is like a
conquering general who forcibly took over a city, while riding a donkey symbolizes peace and humility.

Jesus needs to come as a righteous one, having no sin, and bear the burden of  everyone’s sin. So He can reconcile us to God. There has to be a perfect mediator between man and God. Because God is Holy, perfect, and pure, and Jesus is Holy, perfect, and pure. And only a Holy, perfect, pure without sin can bring us to salvation.

So from Bethphage to Jerusalem, Jesus rode on a donkey to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy, and to let people know that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Jesus is the one who fulfills all the prophecies foretold in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, there are about 300 prophecies about the coming Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled them all. This was a divine appointment and perfect timing by God.

Divine Timing: You know what is interesting? Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover from the time he was born? For 32 years, He celebrated the Passover with hundreds of thousands of people each year, and no attention was drawn to Him. There was no recognition of Jesus as the “King of the Jews” because it was not yet His time. It was not His “Divine Appointment” until the age of 33. Before then, he was just an ordinary carpenter, working in his wood shop and making a living.

Matthew 21:6-7 (NLT)
The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Remember, in verse two, the command from Jesus was, “Go into the village in front of you, and you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.” Jesus is asking them to bring the mom and the youth donkey, the colt. He didn’t just ask for the colt but also the mom. Is this not very interesting?

This is how detailed God is, and how compassionate and merciful our God is. He knows that taking a young donkey that has never been ridden through a major crowd during the passover with people shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

When the crowd of thousands of people is shouting like this and waving their palm branches and laying down their garments in front of the young donkey, that donkey is going to get traumatized. So, Jesus, knowing this ahead of time, and having compassion on this young donkey, says, “Let's bring the mom also, to calm down the colt. So, during the noisy entrance into Jerusalem, the colt will not get scared.” The detail of how God is considerate even to this young donkey just amazes me. God plans even the details for an animal. How much more would God not plan things out for you? Each and every one of you matters to God.

Matthew 21:9 (ESV)
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Son of David: A prophecy is foretold in the future that a savior, the Messiah, would come from the line of King David. And that king would come to Israel and save His people. So for centuries, the Jewish people have been waiting for this prophecy to be fulfilled. And they believe this is Jesus who will deliver and save them. But from whom? Rome! Because at every passover, people are being reminded of how they were freed from the slavery of Egypt - freed from their oppressors.

At every Passover, it is customary in Jewish tradition to read the Book of Exodus and recount how the Hebrews were delivered from their oppressors. To this day, it is customary in Judaism to read the Book of Exodus at every Passover and celebrate the deliverance from Egypt.

And now this crowd is seeing Jesus as their savior, and they are shouting out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Hosanna in the highest!”

The Hebrew of “hósanna” is ὡσαννά pronounced ho-san-NAH, meaning to save now, or save we pray. It is both a plea for salvation and an exclamation of praise.

So, the people are  shouting, “Save us, Son of David! Save us to the highest heavens!” They are shouting for Jesus to “Bring the power of God from heaven to earth. We need this salvation that only God can bring!” This is what they were shouting.

And to further illustrate this, their acknowledgement of Jesus as their king, they took off their outer garments and laid them down in front of Jesus. Now, if you are traveling hundreds of miles to get to Jerusalem, and then laying down your personal and very important coat for a stranger, with His donkey to stomp on it, then that is a full acknowledgement of Jesus. Because taking off your personal outer garment and placing it on dirty ground has only been done by royalty. Plus, these people have to take their outer garments back home.

And to further acknowledge Jesus as royalty, a king, and a savior, the people actually went out of their way to cut off Palm Branches and lay them down in front of a conquering hero. The Palm Branches symbolized victory. And the people saw Jesus as the one who would give them this victory. In essence, people laid out the “red carpet” for Jesus.

Psalm 118:26 (ESV)
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the
house of the LORD. Does this verse sound familiar to you? The people were shouting directly from Psalm 118:26. This is traditionally used to greet nobility, but here the crowd acknowledges Jesus as the one sent by God to fulfill His mission. Meaning that Jesus has come with God’s authority and blessing. Jesus was the divinely appointed leader. That is why they say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Matthew 21:10-11 (ESV)
10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Some of the people were confused. “Who is this person that’s been authorized by God, a divine-appointed leader, to save us from our oppressors?” The people have been waiting for this deliverance since the time of the Exodus with Moses. But Jesus’s divine appointment was not to save us from Rome, but to save us from our sin. The sin that would separate us from God.

Jesus came with a Divine Appointment to reconcile us to a living God. Because ultimately this earth is decaying, dying, and will pass away, but heaven with God is everlasting. Listen, all the physical pain you have, all the emotional pain you might have gone through, all the good, the bad, and the ugly situations in your life, will be gone as a believer in Christ. This is our ultimate “Divine Appointment.”

Revelation 21:4 (NLT)
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Yes, Jesus received His divine appointment, but do you know that you can also receive it?

In closing, let me read this to you.

Matthew 20:29-34 (ESV)
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

Now this is very interesting. You have two blind men sitting on the roadside begging for money, because that is what almost all of the disabled people do in Israel. Now, they cannot see Jesus, nor exactly know where He is, so you have to shout really loud to get Jesus’ attention, right? “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

They must have been so loud that they were telling these two blind men to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Lord, have mercy on us,” because they were desperate, yet they also had faith and believed with certainty that Jesus was the only one who could heal them. Not the religious leaders who passed by them all the time. Not the teachers of the law who passed them all the time. But Jesus, who was very busy and had a “Divine Appointment,”
would stop in His tracks and heal them out of His compassion.

And this is why I love Jesus, he asked the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew that they needed healing, but he didn’t force His healing power upon them. Listen, Jesus will not force anyone to go to heaven. He gives everyone the free choice to either receive Jesus as God or reject Jesus as Lord and Savior. An all-mighty God does not force anyone to go to heaven.

Now, why am I bringing up the story of these two blind men? Jesus had a divine appointment to fulfill His mission, right? But the fact that these two blind men, without them realizing it, set up a divine appointment with Jesus. How? They heard of Jesus, and they simply shouted: “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And, they shouted even louder, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” When you cry out to God, you are wanting a “Divine Appointment” with God. You want God's presence in your life.

The religious leaders did not get the “Divine Appointment” with God. The teachers of the law did not get the “Divine Appointment” with God, but only the one’s that cried out to God, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

When you cry out to God and continue to ask, seek, and knock on His door, you are setting up a divine appointment. Why should you set up a “Divine Appointment”?

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

You are not an accident. You coming here today is not a random chance or coincidence. This is a God moment. And this is your divine moment. And for those who have already had the “Divine Appointment,” maybe God wants you to help others have a similar “Divine Meeting” with God.

This is the season in which we are going to bring as many people to encounter the “Divine Appointments.” Listen, I am not saying that you should look out for “divine appointments” at every turn, or that every time you shout out, “Lord, have mercy on me, Son of David” that God will appear. What I can say is that every time you pray and genuinely seek the Lord through His Word, you will have a Divine Appointment with God. Every day and every moment in our relationship with Jesus is a Divine Appointment.

Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Church Scripture Verse for today:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came
to seek and to save the lost.”

Ephesians 3:14-21

Bible Memorization Moving Forward on every Sunday.

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.
(Thank you for the Word)

Church Scripture Verse for today:
Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every
family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of
his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit
in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height
and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is
able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to
the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

How do you pray for someone? How do you intercede on behalf of another
person? What would that look like? As a believer, we all know how to pray
for someone specifically, right? “I lost my job, so I need a prayer that God
will open the door for me to get a new job.” But how do you pray for
something general? Or how do you pray and intercede for someone or a
group of people when you are not sure what they are specifically facing? Or,
that they are all facing something specifically? A particular country, or
people group, or just a body of believers is facing some major trials in their
lives. So, how do we pray for them? This is the main question we will
address today. And this is called “The Four Reasons for Prayer.”

Ephesians 5:22-24 (NLT)
For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

I've been preaching on the book of Ephesians for some time now. There is so much to learn and understand, but one of the main misunderstandings concerns what it means for wives to submit to their husbands.

I won't be able to go too deep on this topic, but I will explain a few important points that men should understand about what it means by "submission" and for "a woman to submit to her husband."

From the beginning, we have understood that Adam was created first, then Eve. Most of us understand that Eve is the "helper," but many do not fully understand what that means. When you look into the original language, the "helper" means to "help the man see God." It is important to note that the original design for the woman was to "help Adam see God." A woman will be at her greatest "help" by empowering a man to know God more in a marriage setting; in return, the man will love his wife more. Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

The Greek word translated "submit," hupotasso, pronounced hoop-ot-as'-so means a continual attitude, which becomes a pattern of behavior. So, when a woman or even a man submits to God, it is not a one-time act, but a continuous behavior of submission to God. As we discussed on Sunday, regarding submission to others (Ephesians 5:21). 1 Corinthians 11:2-3 teaches us that husbands are to submit to Christ (as Christ did to God the Father) and the wife is to submit to her husband.

Husbands submit to God (1 Corinthians 11:2-3)
Wives submit to husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24)

Submit is not a reflection of inferiority or lesser worth. Christ constantly submitted Himself to the will of the Father (Luke 2:42). As Jesus submitted to God the Father, so does a woman submit to one man - her husband, but the husband is also to submit to Christ, first. So, when a woman submits to her husband, then she does not need to submit to other men. The rule to submit does not extend to a woman's place in society at large. A wife is to willingly submit to her husband in personal obedience to the Lord Jesus. She submits to her husband because she loves Christ. Remember, when a woman submits to her husband, it does not imply she is of lesser value or even unworthy. Rather, because she is worthy and valuable to God's kingdom, she is called to "help her husband see God."

Furthermore, a godly wife can even win her unbelieving husband to the Lord "without words" simply by her holy behavior (1 Peter 3:1). Thus, submission should be a natural response to loving leadership. When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church, then submission is a natural response from a wife to her husband. So, when the Bible tells the woman to "submit to her husband as to the Lord," it reminds the wife that there is a higher authority to whom she is responsible. She submits to what is right, lawful, and God-honoring. God's command to the husband is to "love" in verse 25, and he is responsible before God to fulfill that command. A man should not require a woman to submit when he does not love, as Christ loves His church. When a wife is loved by her husband as the church is loved by Christ, submission is not hard.

Remember that Eve was made out of Adam's side, not out of his head, nor out of his feet. She is not to be trampled upon, but by his side as an equal, but in different roles in the marriage and family. When you are filled by the Holy Spirit, submission becomes easy and natural for both men and women. But it begins with the first submission to Christ.

Church Scripture Verse for today:

Ephesians 5:15-21 (ESV)
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

How do you walk in wisdom? How will you know if you are making the right choices in life? [How do you know if the other person is giving you wise advice? And, what would that sound like?] So, we will address this later as we go through our study for today. Let’s begin!

Throughout the book of Ephesians, it’s been telling us to “walk.” Before you knew Christ, you used to “walk” the ways of this world. We were “walking in darkness,” meaning we were walking apart from God in all of God’s ways because we did not have a relationship with God. But now, as a new believer, God reminds us, “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.”

And in Ephesians Five, it gives us three additional types of walk:
We are to walk in love
We are to walk in the light
We are to walk in wisdom

• Walk in Love: Before Christ, we really did not know what genuine love meant. Our love was just superficial, but after Christ, our love extended beyond to people who do not even deserve love.
• Walk in the Light: Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). So, walking in the light basically means to follow Jesus.
• Walk in Wisdom: Our primary focus today is to understand how to walk in wisdom.

So, when we hear the word “walk,” it means living out our daily lives in light of what God has done for our eternal salvation.

Walk - How we live and apply our Christian life. A consistent, purposeful practice.

Ephesians 1, 2, and 3 tell us that God has saved us and rescued us from sin, and that we share in God’s inheritance and in God’s promises. Now that we received this amazing grace and blessings from God, what now? What will you do with God’s blessings? And that is Ephesians chapters 4, 5, and 6 comes in. You have received God’s blessing; now walk in it. Now, live out that new lifestyle.

There was a paralytic man at the pool of Bethesda, and he was paralyzed for 38 years. He encounters Jesus, who heals him and tells him to do something.

John 5:8-9 (NL T)
Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” 9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath,

“Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” You were paralyzed physically, and emotionally, you lived in depression for 38 years. Now that Jesus has healed you physically and emotionally, “stand up, pick up your mat, and walk in the new life! You are a new creation in Christ. Now walk the New You!” Take off the old clothes and put on the new clothes that God has given to you. “Apply your new Christian life!”

But maybe some of you were like this paralytic man. For many years, you used to “walk” in depression, with your shoulders down, and your chest compressed, but God, in His rich mercy and grace, brings you life, and he tells you, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” This is the new you, so don’t walk like your past life, but walk in the new life.

So, in chapter five, Paul adds an additional walk.

Ephesians 5:2 Amplified Bible
and walk continually in love (What does it mean to walk in love?) [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

Listen, a lot of Christians really struggle with this. I certainly have, and sometimes I feel like a hypocrite. I have not always continually valued or loved another person, especially with empathy and compassion. When I am in a disagreement or in conflict with another brother or sister in Christ, I don’t jump right in and think, “How can I love this person? How can I feel what the other person is feeling?” So, how do you walk in love?

Luke 9:23 (NL T)
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

“You must give up your own way”: In other words, let go of your control and let God be in control. That’s why it says, “take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

This is for all of us, including myself. We are to practice “giving up our own way daily and intentionally,” And we have to do this as an ongoing, consistent new spiritual practice. Because your old nature did not want to do that, but your new nature in you tells you to do that.

This is where you really have to pray and say, “God, decrease my flesh, so that you can increase!” And, the more you pray on that, God’s supernatural power will come upon you, and you will see for yourself that God is working.

Now, I went to verse 2, and skipped verse 1, so let me go to verse 1.

Ephesians 5:1 (ESV)
Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Question: How do you imitate God?

People have a tendency to imitate others, right? Growing up, I used to imitate my favorite martial arts people like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. I would try their kicks and do stunts like Jackie Chan, only to end up with broken bones like Jackie Chan. When you're young, you don’t think straight, so I ended up with a lot of injuries. But then, as I got older and started my own business, I began to emulate some well-known businesspeople, follow their business advice, and purchase all their teaching materials. When you have a business, you want to have success and do well.

But then, as I followed and imitated all these people, I noticed a common issue among them: they were all flawed and sinful. They made a lot of money, but their personal lives were in chaos. One day, this millionaire that I looked up to came up to me and actually asked me for marriage advice. He was on his third or fourth wife, and he asked me about how to have a healthy marriage. And that is when I realized a few things.

• I was imitating people like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. 
• I was imitating wealthy business people, so I could be like them.
• But I was NOT imitating the most important person in the universe, and that was Jesus.

I wanted success on the outside, but I was not having success on the inside. And that was when I realized I was not growing spiritually, because I was not imitating Christ. When you have success on the inside, you will amplify that success to the outside. So, what does “be imitators of God” look like?”

What Paul is telling us is for us to imitate God’s holiness. Not for us to be God, or achieve perfection, but separate from the world and darkness. Remember that walking in darkness means we are walking separate from God. And a bad walk will not only tear you down personally, but ruin your entire family. Because people around you and connected to your walk, whether good or bad. So, verses 3-7 tell us that we were once walking in that darkness, but now we are children of the light.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (NLT)
For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

Walking in darkness means walking apart from God.
Walking in the light means that you now walk in a relationship with Jesus.

Now this then leads us to Ephesians 5:15.

Ephesians 5:15 Amplified Bible
Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people],

So, if you don’t walk carefully, living a life with honor, purpose, and courage, shunning those who tolerate and enable evil, you become a fool. But a wise person is someone who is sensible, intelligent, and has discernment. In other words, if I am careful with my walk, then I will be a wise person.

By the way, the word “intelligent” in this verse is not intellectual knowledge, but someone who practices God's truth in daily life. Listen, I know a lot of people who are really smart and have many Master's and PhD degrees, and I also know many of them who don’t make the right choices in life and are very unwise. And, many of them live in darkness.

Question: Why would God give you and me, the believers, wisdom?

To grow you spiritually, help you take off your old clothes and put on new clothes, but most importantly, freedom from sin. Then why should God help us grow spiritually?

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NL T)
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

So, Jesus Himself became “wisdom” for our benefit. And that wisdom can sanctify us, and make us pure and holy, and free us from sin. Remember, sin is our natural disobedience against God, right? No person ever has to teach anyone how to be jealous. No one has to teach you how to hate. We do this on our own, right? That is sin.

So in 1 Corinthians 1:30 it says that “For our benefit God made Jesus to be wisdom Himself.” So the stronger your relationship with Jesus, the wiser you become, and the greater the benefit. How many of you want benefit from Jesus?

Question: What does that wisdom sound like?

“Pastor Joseph, should I marry a non-Christian?” My response, “Sure, you can marry a non-Christian, but that would not be a wise decision.” Here is another question: “Can you jump off the airplane without a parachute?” Yes, but that would not be a wise decision.”

So what the Bible teaches us is that if you need to know what decisions to make in life, the wisdom of God that is upon Jesus is available to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. God will give you the wisdom you need to walk in your calling in life. When you are close to Jesus, you will receive the wisdom to make the right choices in life, know which direction you need to go, and have a strong sense of purpose and meaning. That is the wisdom of God, and you will find it in the Word of God. Let’s continue.

Ephesians 5:16 (ESV)
making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

“Days are evil”: So, you and I need to be careful on how we walk with wisdom, because the days are evil. Whenever you read the Bible, and it says, “days,” it typically refers to the current age or era. In other words, what Paul is saying is that in this “day and age,” there is a lot of opposition to God’s will and plan. If you are a Christian or a believer, you will have a lot of opposition going against you. In other words, you will encounter much “spiritual warfare.”

1 Peter 5:8 (NL T)
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

“Making the best use of the time”: We live in a fallen world, so that’s why God tells us, the believers, we are to be the children of the light in darkness. That is why God wants us to make the best of our time. Meaning because Jesus is coming again to judge the world, so take advantage of the opportunity to do good, making the most of every advantage to share the love of Christ.

A few years ago, a young person was headed towards work and was in a major car accident, and died. There was a father of two children, while watching television, he had a major heart attack and died. Listen, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, with 1,870 deaths every day in 2024. Cancer is the second leading cause of death, with 1,690 deaths per day. Listen, we need to do our best physically and mentally, but we also need to do our best spiritually. So, we need to make the best use of our time.

The word time in Greek is kairos pronounced kahee-ros' meaning a measure of time, an opportune moment, and seasonal time.

So what Paul is saying is that you have been given, in this season of life, the opportune time to seize what God has given you for God’s kingdom expansion, spiritual growth, and love for others. Our time is running out, so don’t lose the opportunity that God has given to us. He is saying, “Seize the moment!” And, when you do that, you will be wise, and you will know the will of God for your life. Turn to your neighbor and say, “Seize the moment!”

Ephesians 5:17 (ESV)
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Paul is like, “This is the opportune time. Seize the moment. Don’t act carelessly or thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” Because when you are “making the best use of the season of your life that you are in, then God will reveal to you what God’s will for you.” The days are evil, and this era will end. So don’t be a fool and waste your time, seek the Lord’s will for your life.” Seize the moment!

Question: Pastor Joe, I want to know what God’s will is for me.

Let me make this very simple by asking this question: “If you are a married person, and you believe in Jesus, then should you commit adultery?” No! Of course not. God’s will for you as a married person is not to commit adultery. In other words, God has already put the framework in the Scripture to know our will for the Lord. Basically, when you follow your walk with Christ in His timing, God will reveal His will for you through the Word.

So, think of this. In a playground, you will have a monkey bar, swing set, seesaw, slides, merry-go-round, climbers, tubes, and a spinning circle thing. When you are in a relationship with God and walking in the calling, the light, and the love for others, God places you in a spiritual playground for you to play around in. And then eventually, you might start to enjoy the swing set more than any other playground equipment. What you might find is that particular swing set becomes your passion for the Lord’s work, and the Lord starts to open up a larger swing set for you. And you eventually find out that is what I want to do till God calls you home. So God’s will for you and your passion will fuse into one smooth operation.

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

“And do not get drunk with wine?” Why is Paul bringing this out? “Don’t be a fool, and understand God’s will for you, and by the way, don’t get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Where did this come from?

I want you to know that Paul uses being drunk on wine as a metaphor because it was a common practice among the people of Ephesus.

Greek god known as Dionysus or Bacchus - wine-making, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, dance. 

So, the people in Ephesus would go to the shrine of Bacchus in the middle of the night, and they would take raw meat with a lot of blood and sing to the god of win-making while getting drunk. And they would act in a way that they are filled with the power of the spirit of Bacchus. The god Bacchus was being filled by these people who were eating raw meat, singing, dancing, and drinking on behalf of this god.

Paul was just taking the context and telling the Ephesian believers, now that you are a Christian, to come together and not be like the people who dance, sing, and get drunk to the god of Bacchus. But now be filled instead by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, this is not about being “drunk with wine,” it is about anything and everything that will get you to have intoxication or anything that will break you from Jesus. The wine was just a metaphor. Listen, anything outside can influence my inside.

Because when you get drunk, it influences your thoughts (you can’t think straight), speech, and behavior, right? So, when the Holy Spirit fills you, then He will influence your thoughts, speech, and behavior.

Outside Influence (drunk) - impacts your thoughts, speech, and behavior
Holy Spirit influence - impacts your thoughts, speech, and behavior

We know that the fruit of being filled with the Spirit impacts your thoughts, speech, and behavior, but does that mean to be “filled with the Holy Spirit?”

Ephesians 1:13 (ESV)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

You, the Christians in Ephesus, already possess the Holy Spirit. So, it’s not like you need to possess it again, right? It’s a one-time deal. But you need to continue to be filled daily. So, here is what being filled looks like.

Be Filled by the Holy Spirit

• Is controlled and empowered by God (heart given to God).
• It involves a continuous, active submission to the Spirit.

Being drunk is a temporary escape, like watching a movie or playing video games, right? And its influence is short-lived and ends. What Paul is saying here is that when the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you will have a continuous flow of God's empowerment as you actively submit to the Spirit of the Lord.

Question: What is one of the important reasons for the filling of the Spirit in
the believers?

Galatians 5:16 (NL T)
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

This “filling of the Spirit” is essential for living out the Christian faith effectively and combating the sin that separates us from God.

Question: What does the filling of the Spirit look like on a daily basis?

• Ongoing surrender. “God, help me today, in all that I must do.” It is simply about giving God the first priority.
• Bearing Fruit Spiritually (what comes out of you) - love, joy, peace, and more. “Has the love for someone I do not like grown?”

This is another way the filling of the Spirit looks.

Ephesians 5:19-20 (ESV)
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

“Addressing one another or speaking to one another in Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and making melody to the Lord with your heart (Or, Spontaneous, Spirit-prompted melodies that testify to God’s work)”: In other words, God calls believers to be vocal encouragers, shaping one another’s faith through words saturated with Spirit-filled worship. In other words, encourage one another with spiritual praise. This is what happens when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Giving thanks always for everything”: Even when bad things are happening, or when things are not turning out the way you want, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you just start singing praise songs and thanking God. Because when you do this, you will see that what the devil meant for evil, God will turn it for good.

Ephesians 5:21 (ESV)
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Did you know that one of the most difficult things to do for a human is to submit to another human? Now, you can force submission, right? But then that would be slavery. So, God is not commanding us to be forced into submission, but when we are “filled with the Holy Spirit,” and because we “revere,” and tremendously respect, and out of pure “reverence for Christ,” we voluntarily or willingly “submit” to one another. Not by force, but as a response to Christ’s sacrificial love and lordship.

There was a scene in which Jesus, that evening, was to be betrayed by one of his own disciples, Judas. Late that evening, Judas would lead the temple guards and betray him for 30 pieces of silver. But earlier that evening, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the Mount of Olives to pray. There, Jesus prayed knowing that His time was near, and that He would be the sacrifice to the world.

Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully man, and in His flesh, He knows that the time is near. Jesus, as fully human, did not want to go through this pain and suffering, but He was willing to submit to God the Father so that the prophecy would be fulfilled. And, this is Jesus submitting to God, because He knows that there is a great purpose to that submission.

Luke 22:42 (NLT)
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Jesus, in His humanity, submitted Himself to God the Father. Why? Because of His great love for us. God has a purpose and a plan, and that plan started with submission. So, submission leads to God’s plan.

So, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we naturally want to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. So, through Christ, when we submit to one another, we end up putting someone else, and their needs, above ourselves. This happens when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we do this out of reverence for Christ.

“Pastor Joseph, because I am not filled with the Holy Spirit, I don’t want to serve that person or submit to that person?” No, that is intentional sinning against God’s commands. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, is NOT a suggestion but a command.” So, if you are struggling in that area, then pray and ask the Lord, “God, you increase, and let my flesh decrease.” And, my friends, God will answer your prayers.

How do you walk in wisdom? How will you know if you are making the right choices in life?

The more you submit to God, you will have a greater your understanding of God’s will will be, which will lead you to thankfulness of life, and the outpouring of His wisdom will be upon you, all because you are walking in His light. And whatever the outcome or result will be, you will trust in God’s wisdom over your heart.

And, how would you know if the other person is giving you wise advice? If the other person has also submitted to Christ and has a relationship with the Word of God, and is walking in the light.

Bible memorization moving forward every Sunday:

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.
(Thank you for the Word)

Church Scripture Verse for today:

Ephesians 4:17-24 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.

How do you not grieve the Holy Spirit? [There are things in life that we do, as a believer, we end up grieving the Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit is God, “One God in three persons - God the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.” They all have the same essence, but are different in three persons. So, we will find out later that when we, as believers, sin, the Holy Spirit will be grieved by our actions.]

Introduction to our theme for today:

In Christ, our new outfit will exhibit new habits.

Now we know that creating a new habit doesn’t happen overnight, but it takes time. And social scientists tell us that it takes, on average, 66 days to form a new habit. So something like flossing your teeth is a repeatable process and creates a new habit if you have never flossed before. But quitting sugar for me has been one of the most difficult habits to form. I’ve
been trying to form this new habit for the past ten years, and I am still working on it. It’s a continuous sacrifice and sanctifying work, because I know the benefits of cutting back on eating processed sugar.

This is where the Holy Spirit comes in and helps me overcome my sinful nature, my emotionally unhealthy thoughts, and my desire for a new, healthy spiritual habit. So we are going to find out that when we pursue the holiness of God, we will experience the new you or the new life that Christ has for us.

Let’s do a quick review of last Sunday on Ephesians 4:1-16. The primary theme of Ephesians 4:1-16 was on the Unity of the Body of Christ. Remember that Ephesians chapters 1-3 were all about knowing our relationship with Christ, but starting in chapter 4, it was about applying what we know about Christ. And to begin the journey, we have to know our calling.

Ephesians 4:1 Amplified Bible
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you [urge you, beg you] to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [What is that calling?] [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],

So what is your calling in life? “to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior, which means to live a life that expresses gratitude to God for our salvation.” That is our personal calling, right?

Paul, the author of Ephesians, appeals, urging, pleading, and begging us to lead a life worthy of our calling. And we learned that the word “walk” means living our lives daily in the lifestyle of who we are in Christ. So our walk and our calling are a response to what God has done in our lives.

So, if God has reconciled us to Him, redeemed us, and rescued us, then how do we respond? Is my daily conduct and my lifestyle reflecting the value of what He has done in my life? Is my daily conduct living a life worthy of His calling? That was the question asked last Sunday.

So, how do you walk worthy of the calling with which you were called:

Ephesians 4:2 (ESV)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Humility / lowliness / forsaking self-righteousness / John 3:30 (NIV) He must become greater; I must become less. (Humility involves recognizing one’s own limitations and the greatness of God)

Gentleness / Meekness / Self-Controlled / This is not weakness but strength under control. Colossians 3:12 (NLT) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Patience / Long-suffering / long-tempered / Ability to endure difficult circumstances and shortcomings of others without becoming angry or upset.

Bearing with one another in love involves enduring and supporting each other, even when it is challenging or when you are being tested in your patience.

• One of the ways in which we “bear one another in love” is by covering one another in prayer, especially when you talk about another person. Let’s say you were at a restaurant and you spoke negatively about another person. Before you leave, make sure to pray for the other person, the church, or another ministry. This way, then you will not give the devil any foothold. If you do not close it in prayer, this will open the door for the devil to work.

The whole purpose of this was for the sake of the unity of the church. And Paul tells us to “make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace with each individual working together to make the whole successful” (Ephesians 4:3 Amplified Bible). The whole purpose of verses 1-16 was to have the believers come together as one unit, unified in one Spirit to build the body of Christ.

So, when we walk worthy in humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love, then God gives us individual spiritual gifts and equips the saints to build His body, which enhances unity, matures us, and adds stability. The body of the church becomes stabilized and creates a good foundation. But it takes each one of us to work together to make the whole successful. So a worthy walk to your individual calling will get you to walk in Christ's direction. That was Ephesians 4:1-16.

Now, we can begin the second half of the book of Ephesians 4. Are you ready? Let’s begin.

Ephesians 4:17 (ESV)
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

What does that mean to no longer walk as before? Does that mean for me to no longer walk as a Korean, American, or as Africans? Paul is simply saying, "Don’t walk like the pagans would live their lives." The Gentiles (non-Jews), in their former walk, in their former nature, were worshiping and believing in false gods and idol worship. So, their walk had no purpose, because their gods were aimless and had no direction.

When Christians walk, that is worthy of a calling; then we have a purpose to our walk. We know the direction of our walk, but before Christ, you and I were walking aimlessly and had no purpose. We had no meaning in life and were hopelessly confused, spiritually speaking, right?

So, when Paul says, they were “in the futility of their minds, he is saying, “Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused, and have no spiritual purpose.” Like in the book of Ecclesiastes, where “life apart from God is described as meaningless.”

Pastor Joseph, “What does the 'futility of their minds' look like?” Verses 18-19 describe what the futility of their minds or the hopelessly confused look like.

Ephesians 4:18-19 Amplified Bible
for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand].

Essentially, what Paul is saying is that when you are in the futility of your mind, hopelessly confused, it will lead to a hardening of the heart, leading your heart to be callous with no feelings, and you will fall into every kind of impurity. In other words, the “I don’t care” attitude becomes the king.

When your mind is outside of God, it leads to a mind so used to an attitude of “I don’t care” that your feelings become numb and callous. I’ve seen this happen in a lot of relationships, where the relationship becomes so numb and callous that they don’t care anymore and don’t want any change. Or that they believe the other person can not change. And this is where it can be very dangerous for the believer.

2 Corinthians 4:4 Amplified Bible
among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

So verses 17-19 were the former Gentile way. Paul is saying, “This is how you used to walk.” You had no purpose in life, walking aimlessly, and you were spiritually separated from God with an “I don’t care” attitude.

Ephesians 4:20-21 (ESV)
But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

What I have learned over the years is that just because you go to church does not make you a believer. So, what Paul is saying here is that if you truly have a changed life, it is because you have heard the gospel and come to know God’s truth, and that is the only way lifestyle can change. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14.6).

So, now that you know the truth, put away your old clothes and put on some new ones because your old clothes used to smell, but now you smell fresh like new.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)
throw off your old sinful nature (old clothes) and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature (New Clothes), created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Remember the word “holy” means to be set apart or that you are consecrated before God. You are set apart, sanctified, and consecrated for God’s unique purpose. When you surrender your life to God, then that is the new you. But you can’t be the new you and put on new clothes while you still have some of your old clothes on. Now, this is spiritually speaking, right? I’ve seen people take their old coats, shirts, and pants off, but they still kept their old underwear and socks on. I mean for years on end.

But how do you put on the new clothes?

Listen to verse 22: it says to “throw off our old sinful nature and our former way of life.” Isn’t that interesting? This is an actual action step. Because a lot of people automatically think that after you accept Christ, you don’t have to do anything. Yes, your salvation is by grace through faith, but that doesn’t mean you just sit down and do nothing. James 1:22 tells us, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

The word “throw off” in Greek is apotithēmi pronounced ap-ot-eeth'-ay-mee, meaning to put off or aside or away, a decisive break from past behaviors and attitudes that are inconsistent with a life in Christ.

The keyword is “a decisive break,” and it doesn’t mean making a commitment half-heartedly; it means making a decisive decision and commitment.

Let me put the whole context together. One day, a sewer system breaks down, and you have to go in and fix it, and you're down there trying to clean out all the clutter, trash, and poops. But you are down there in the same clothes for three days straight, because people need to get their toilets to work. So you can imagine the smell on his clothes. Work is completed, and you go back home, but you keep your old, dirty clothes on, because you don’t care - you are tired. Your heart and mind grew so used to the smell that you started to identify it with who you are, and you just fell asleep in your bed with your old, smelly clothes.

So, what catalyst will help you make a decisive break from your old, smelly clothes that have been in the sewer for 3 days? The word “throw off” or “put off” in taking off the old, filthy clothes describes “repentance” from sin (old clothes) and submission to God (new clothes). So, to throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life is simply “repentance.” Repentance simply means a change of mind and a change of direction. You were headed towards darkness, but now, through “submission to God,” you are walking towards the light.

Colossians 3:9-10 (NLT)
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

Did you know that when we read the Bible in the New Testament and the word “Put on,” like “put on the armor of God,” or “put on your new nature,” the word “put on” means for you to “put on your new you daily.” The idea is that once you become a believer, you have to “put on your new clothes daily,” because the old you constantly wants to come back. Your flesh wants the old underwear and the old socks. So, God tells us that we have to intentionally make every effort to “put on our new clothes.”

So you have to intentionally “throw away” the old clothes, and “intentionally put on our new nature.” As you strip away one layer of your old clothes, you have to intentionally put on a new one immediately. And that’s what “repentance” does. It helps you take off the old and put on the new.

So, what happens when you repent and submit to God?

Ephesians 4:23 Amplified Bible
and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude],

My friends, the continual renewal of your mind can only happen through the Word of God. So basically, to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” is to think how God thinks and act and behave as Jesus would have acted and behaved.

Why is it so important that God speaks a lot about the “Battle of the mind”? Because, as Christians, we have to align our thoughts with the will of God. Our mind has to surrender to God, because when we do not do that, it becomes god in our head. And that leads to pride and many other sins. So, when our mind is thinking thoughts that are not of God, we have to surrender it to God or submit our thoughts to God; then we will know the will of God, the purpose of God, and the wisdom of God.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NLT)
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

In other words, “Lord, if there are any thoughts that are not of you, and are disobedient to you, take these thoughts to make them obedient to you, Jesus.” Listen, my friends, God has given us spiritual weapons that are available to every believer, and they have the power to align our thoughts with Christ's teachings. But you have to submit to God and surrender your thoughts.

Ephesians 4:25-26 (ESV)
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Now, remember that this is talking to the Christians inside the church, right? But this is also about any kind of relationship. Furthermore, the phrase “do not let the sun go down on your anger,” or “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,” is commonly used in marriage counseling.

I want to touch on in verse 26, it says, “Be angry.” But Pastor Joseph, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us this.
 
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

But now you're telling us that we should “Be angry?” So, what kind of anger is Paul talking about?

John 2:13-16 (ESV)
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” [or den of robbers]

Pastor Joseph, this seems like Jesus is pretty angry here. Yes, this is called “righteous anger when appropriate.” Remember, Jesus was grounded in Scripture and not sentiment, right? It wasn’t about feelings but doing what is right in God’s eyes. Remember, this is the same Jesus who played with children and gently talked with a Samaritan woman, who was hated by others. So, Jesus, with righteous anger, was a complete Jesus because he fought against sin, oppression, and injustice. When there was an abuse in God’s house, Jesus responded with righteous anger.

These people were turning the Holy temple, a sacred place, into a commercial place, and Jesus was angry and told the money changers and merchants that you turned the temple into a “den of robbers.” So, there will be times to be nice and times not so nice, especially when it comes to things inside the church. More so, when people manipulate the Word of God and turn it into their own meaning. God is especially angry with those people.

So, pastor Joseph, how does this relate to marriage or relationships about “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry?" A marriage is a union with two sinners, right? Because it is a union of two sinners, a marriage should be a union of two forgivers for believers.” Now, having two forgivers is good because you're both in the same union with the same Spirit, the same Jesus, and the same God the Father. So, make sure to pray for one another at the end.

I remember one time when I must have done something to make Jackie angry, and we had set up a time to pray together. Jackie started praying first, telling God everything about me, and I was sitting right in front of her, holding her hands. She was telling God all the things I said were hurting her feelings, and I had no idea I was doing that. And then it was my turn to pray. I said something like, “God, please forgive me for what I was saying to my wife. I didn’t realize that what I said was hurtful. Lord, I pray that she will forgive me for my words.” And I think that night, we had our second child.

That’s the power of “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” When you do this, you will not give any power to the devil.

Ephesians 4:27 Ampified Bible
And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].

In other words, do not give Satan any room, or any opportunity, for our flesh to be weak, but let God be greater and our flesh decrease. When you allow the devil to plant a seed, and then you cultivate it or water it (holding a grudge, nurturing anger, harboring resentment, cultivating bitterness), even when it happens in your mind, the devil sees that as an opportunity to let it grow. And that unrighteous anger will turn into bitterness and the hardening of the heart.

Ephesians 4:28-29 (NLT)
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

So, if you don’t take off your old clothes, and you stay angry with bitterness, and you steal, use foul and abusive language, and are not good or helpful or are not an encouragement, then verse 30 will happen.

Ephesians 4:30 (NLT)
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

In other words, do not “grieve the Holy Spirit.” God is grieved when His children refuse to change from their old ways. The third person of the Trinity can experience grief. As a believer and follower of Christ, when you and I sin, we actually grieve one of the persons of God. So, what does that mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is a person who cares deeply about us, does not want you and me to continue to sin, because we are “sealed for the day of redemption.” Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who is the guarantor of eternal redemption in Christ for those who believe in Him.

Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

So grieving the Holy Spirit involves actions contrary to God’s holiness because we are His children. That’s why Paul tells us that we need to live a life worthy of the calling, emphasizing unity, purity, and love. Listen, God is not asking us to be perfect. He simply wants us to get our hearts right with Him.

It is just that when we grieve the Holy Spirit, it hinders our spiritual growth. Our growth becomes weak and fragile and can break. There is nothing that is strong and enduring that will hold us together. And one of the biggest consequences of “grieve the Holy Spirit” is that our fellowship with God is dramatically reduced. Our prayer life becomes less powerful. Our desire to know Him more becomes absent. And eventually, it will all lead to “I don’t care,” and you start putting on your old clothes again.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander (gossip), as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

In Christ, our new outfit will exhibit new habits.

So, what would a new spiritual habit look like?

One day, I got into a big argument with one of my older brothers. He was married with kids, and I was married with kids. Long story short, he blamed me for his business failure. He called a police officer on me and accused me of stealing something of his. And then he also called a lawyer on me and tried to sue me. I am his blood brother, but he was destroying my life. The anger and bitterness were so strong that I had a very hard time praying and especially reading the Word of God. I cultivated my anger, watered it, and nourished my bitterness, so that even during prayer, I asked God to give my brother a lesson by having a lighting come down on his car.

In traditional Korean culture, the younger one, even if it is not their fault, is to apologize to the older brother. I was the youngest of six, and when I was younger, I obeyed my mother and always apologized, but this time I was very stubborn and unwilling because I felt I was old enough to stand my ground. I did not want to, nor did I apologize. I had a hardened heart.

One day, I was in the Word of God, and it said this.

Mark 11:24-25 (NLT)
I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

I had a business at the time, so I was excited to ask God to bless it. I prayed fervently for God to give me lots of money, so I could build God’s church. I had a non-profit organization called Church Builders International, which, through tithing, I used to build churches in third-world countries. So, I prayed for a much larger profit margin to build churches around the world. But then, I never finished reading the next verse; I just stopped at verse 24. Then one day, I decided to read the next verse.

Mark 11:25 (NL T)
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

God was telling me, “I have forgiven you for all of your sins; will you not forgive your brother?” So, I started praying a blessing for about 10 seconds. Then, later, it started being 30 seconds. Then each day it started to be more like a few minutes, and eventually became more and more with a genuine heart for my brother. What did I pray for? A prayer of blessing.

“Heavenly Father, I lift up my brother to you. Lord, I pray that my brother will encounter Jesus personally. Lord, I pray that he will know you and receive you. I pray that more than being reconciled back with me, he would be reconciled with Christ. I love my brother, and my heart aches that he doesn’t know you. So, Father, I pray for your hand of blessing upon him. May you bless him abundantly with your grace and love. May you pour out your peace when he is faced with challenges in his life, and may he look to you to find that peace. [Then I would pray for his wife and his children.]”

The prayers would last a long time because, when I started praying for a blessing upon him, God began to soften my hardened heart and help me genuinely care for him. Then one day in the middle of the summer, God moved my prayer to action, and I intentionally sought after him personally. “Brother, I am here to seek your forgiveness.” I went down on my knees, knowing what was to come. You see, in my family, I had personally witnessed what forgiveness looked like. My oldest brother beat the daylights out of my other brother, and I even saw his tooth flying out of his mouth. So, I knew that when you sought your older brother’s forgiveness, the same would come to me. I went down on my knees, ready to receive the blow.

However, he left the area and came back with a bamboo sword like the weapons you would use for “kendo” or “kumdo.” These were weapons against opponents with full armor. It was in the middle of summer, and I only had a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. No winter coats or long pants to take the blow. So, I prayed for two things.

“God, please make sure that he doesn’t hit me in the head. But most importantly, I pray that his heart will be at peace with you.”

That was it. I did not want him to hit me on the head with that weapon, but more importantly, that he would know you to have that peace in his life. Praise God that he didn’t hit me on the head. After exhausting himself from beating me up, he said, “I forgive you.” I got up, bowed and thanked my brother, and left. What is interesting is that I never experienced any pain. I believe the Holy Spirit protected me.

Years later, he would look for me because there was a message that I needed to deliver to him. He came to my office, and I said, “For years, you put God in the back seat, and you drove the car. But, now God wants you to be in the back seat so that you can have peace, and that God Himself will be in the front seat.” He broke down and started to cry. I knew that the Lord was opening his heart and was preparing him for salvation. “Brother, do you want to accept Jesus Christ today?” He responded, “Yes.” This time, he went on his knees, and I placed my hand upon his head, and that night, my older brother accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

Question: Is there a new spiritual habit that you can develop?

For me, my new spiritual habit was to pray for blessings when I have a conflict with another brother or sister in Christ. This new habit was formed out of a very difficult situation in my life. God taught me to “bless” someone when someone tries to hurt you or even harm you. It is not easy, but this is my new spiritual habit.

What is yours?

Ephesians 4:1-10 (ESV)
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.

What is our calling? What is our mission as a body of believers? What is it that God is asking you to do? We will explore this and answer this very important question. But let’s begin with Ephesians 4:1.

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV)
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

Remember, the word “therefore” is telling us what happened before or what was presented before chapter 4. So, we’ll take a quick memory lane and look at some key highlights from previous chapters.

In Ephesians chapter 1, we were given an amazing spiritual blessing: that Christ chose us in Him before the foundations of the world and predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4). You and I have a purpose and a plan.

And here is another beautiful truth: even when we were dead in our trespasses (intentional disobedience against God) and sins (our weakness in our flesh), and we were headed toward darkness, but God, being rich in mercy, and because of His love for us, made us alive together with Christ.

Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

And in chapter 3, God reveals His mystery that even the Gentiles, who for thousands of years were considered uncircumcised, derogatory name of uncircumcision, heathens, outsiders, no heirs, no promises from God, and no hope. But now, they are given the same promises of God, equal and as fellow heirs, members of the same body, and given the everlasting hope through Jesus. And even the angelic beings were watching and learning from us.

Ephesians 3:10-11 (NLT)
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

And because of all the great things that God has given to us, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. So that was the first 3 chapters of Ephesians.

O.K.! So, now what? In light of the revelation of the first 3 chapters, what will you do? So this is where the next three chapters come in. Ephesians 4, 5, and 6 will focus on the practical application of what was learned from the first 3 chapters. You learned it, and now apply it. This is a summary of Ephesians 4-6.

Ephesians 4-6 = How to live to the glory of God, practically.

So for today, I will focus on Ephesians 4:1-16, and next Sunday on Ephesians 4:17-32. So, are you ready? Let’s dig into this!

Ephesians 4:1 Amplified Bible
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],

So what is your calling in life? “to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior, which means to live a life that expresses gratitude to God for our salvation.”

Prisoner for the Lord - Here, Paul begins by saying that, “I am a prisoner of the Lord.” Remember that Paul is in Prison in Rome, and is chained up to a Roman guard, but because he is in Christ every day, he has a new mindset or New Character that no matter what situation or circumstance he is in, “I am a prisoner of the Lord.” That is a new creation in Christ, and that is available to everyone. So, no matter what your life circumstances are, if we have our minds and hearts set on “I the prisoner for the Lord,” we can overcome all challenges in life through Christ. But you must carry that mindset of “I am a prisoner of the Lord.”

I want you to notice these words by Paul.

Ephesians 4:1 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Appeal to you - Amplified Bible
Urge you - ESV
Beg you - NLT

Why is Paul appealing, urging, pleading, and begging us to lead a life worthy of our calling? Let’s break it down. In the ESV, it says that Paul “urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”

The word walk in Greek is peripateō, pronounced per-ee-pat-eh'-o, meaning to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities, one's daily conduct or lifestyle. [So, our daily conduct, or our daily application, is to lead a life worthy of our calling. So in response to Ephesians 1-3, we are to daily conduct our lives worthy of our calling by God.]

And I want you to think of the word “worthy” as a type of weight scale.

Now, I want you to think of a scale. On one side, all the things of God in Ephesians chapters 1, 2, and 3, and I want you to put all of that on one side of the scale. Then on your other side is a question:

Is my daily conduct and my lifestyle reflecting the value of what He has done in my life?

In light of all of God’s teachings (Ephesians 1-3), on the other side of the scale, am I daily conducting myself, living a life worthy of His calling? So if it is a “yes,” add a small weight to that side of the scale to work toward that balance.

So the concept of being “worthy” or to “walk in a worthy manner” is not about earning God’s favor, it’s not about outward behavior, but responding appropriately to the grace that God has given me.
“Am I genuinely responding to God’s grace daily, in light of all that God has done in my life?” If yes, then the weight is added to the scale.

Now that you know that your identity is in Christ and that you have been reconciled with God and that you have been redeemed, you have been rescued by Jesus, Paul is saying, “Now that you know all these, I urge you, plead with you, and beg you to put it into practice.”

Now, some people say, “Pastor Joseph! I am saved by grace through faith in Jesus. So I don’t need to bear much fruit for God’s kingdom. I just like to keep my seats warm on Sundays.” Remember that salvation is not just about going to heaven; it also involves intentional, daily walking in the conduct of who Christ calls us to be. That’s what Paul is saying. Walk in the worthiness of your calling.

But how? How do I live a life worthy of the calling? Well, verse 2 gives us the answer.

Ephesians 4:2 (ESV)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

So, in order for you and me to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called, I need to conduct myself daily with a lifestyle of humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love. Did you know that these four characteristics are one of the most difficult things to do as a human being? But now, as a new creation in Christ, as a born-again believer in Jesus, nothing is impossible with God.

That’s why we all need Jesus! He dwells in our hearts, so He can help us break down the walls of the flesh, so that we can have access to God for His strength. “God, please help me to forgive.” And God gives you the power to forgive someone who hurt you. Remember Ephesians 3:11-12?

Ephesians 3:11-12 (NLT)
This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

We can boldly and confidently enter God’s presence and ask for humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love. I tell you, you cannot do this on your own. You need the power of the Holy Spirit to help you. When you have your heart right before God, God will help you.

You know what is interesting? This calling to live a life of worthiness begins with humility. Why does it start with “humility” first? Did you know that the word “humility” was a brand-new concept in the early Christian life?

When Rome took over the city, it was by force. In fact, anywhere Rome took over, thousands of people died, and thousands became slaves of Rome. So, strength and power in men were the norm. And, if you had any sign of “humility” in any man or country was a sign of weakness.

So, when Jesus humbles Himself on the cross, willing to take the punishment on our behalf, for our sins, the meaning of humility was not about weakness; it was about overcoming death to life, and that’s power in the form of “humility.” That’s why the word “humility” was actually coined by Christians. This was a brand-new idea introduced to the world.

Humility / lowliness / forsaking self-righteousness / John 3:30 (NIV) He must become greater; I must become less. (Humility involves recognizing one’s own limitations and the greatness of God)

[What is your score? If 0 being none and 10 being the best of showing your humility, then what is your score on “humility”? When humility becomes your second nature, then the next follows naturally in the spirit, which is “gentleness.”]

Gentleness / Meekness / Self-Controlled / This is not weakness but strength under control. Colossians 3:12 (NLT) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

[You know, growing up with three older brothers who love Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, kick boxing, and all the rough and tough stuff, this was one of the most difficult things for me. Because the attitude was, “If you don’t knock out the other person, then that person will knock you out. So, either you fight, or get out!” God says, “But now, that you are rich in mercy and grace, you have to respond to others with kindness and compassion as Jesus did, and love one another.” My friends, I will be honest with you. I am still working on this, and my score was low. What is your score?]

So, what is the benefit of being humble and gentle? Why should you be humble and gentle in spirit?

Matthew 11:29 (NLT)
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

When you become humble before God and gentle with others, God will give you rest for your souls.

Patience / Long-suffering (attitude) / long-tempered / Ability to endure difficult circumstances and shortcomings of others without becoming angry or upset. [What is your score?]

[In the original language, this implies a long-suffering attitude, which is necessary for dealing with the imperfections of others. Now, when you are at work, you have to make sure you are doing a high quality work, and you have to meet the standards of your boss, right? There is a standard of patience you have to maintain at work.

But Paul is talking about work; he is talking to Christians inside the church. Paul is like, “You've got to be patient with your brothers and sisters in Christ for the unity of the church. You guys need to work through these conflicts and differences in a Christ-like manner.” That is what Paul is talking about regarding patience. You have to be patient with one another in the church, because everyone has different ideas about this and that. That’s why Paul tells us the first thing is to be “humble” before the Lord, and obey God’s Word first before all else.]

Bearing with one another in love involves enduring and supporting each other, even when it is challenging or when you are being tested in your patience.

And this “love” is not based on feelings but is a deliberate choice to seek the best for others. In the early church, this kind of love was counter-cultural because Jews and Gentiles being together was never done before. Remember the “Walls of Separation” where the court outside the temple was for the priests, then you had the court of Israel or men, then you had
the court of women, and then you had the wall, and then you had the court of Gentiles. So, the “bearing with one another in love” was about breaking the walls of the people inside the church.

This was a brand new culture and lifestyle. And it transcended social, ethnic, and economic barriers. So, humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love were to symbolize what a united church looks like. And here is our assigned mission in verse 3.

Ephesians 4:2-3 (ESV)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Listen, everyone wants unity. Whether at home or in the church, everyone wants unity, and everyone wants peace, right?

Ephesians 4:3 Amplified Bible
Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].

If you want success in the home and in the church, then make every effort to keep the “oneness of the Spirit” or the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

So your daily conduct, your calling, is to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. What Paul is asking us, calling us, or giving us a mission to do is to “maintain” or “make every effort to keep” the unity of the church. Paul is not asking us to create a brand-new “unity,” but he is urging and pleading with us to maintain what God is already doing. Because the devil is very good at dividing the church.

The question then is why? Why do we need to “maintain” or “make every effort to keep the unity of the church?” Verses 4, 5, and 6 give us the explanation.

Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

So here you have versus 4-6 gives us the trinity of unity. Because one God in three persons is united, so should you be united inside the church. Trinity: you have “one Spirit” which is the Holy Spirit, “one Lord” which is Jesus, and you have “one God the Father” who all three, will all play a role in helping us maintain and keep the unity of the church, with each individual working together to make the whole church successful, which in turn will help your home become successful. Our heavenly Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit are united, and so should you be united inside the church.

Ephesians 4:6-7 (ESV)
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Remember, our goal is to walk worthy of the calling which we were called, right? And in order to accomplish this, by God’s grace, something we don’t deserve, but He gives it to us because He loves us. And the method and the approach God uses for us to build upon our calling is to give us His spiritual gifts.

You know that the current dictator in North Korea is Kim Jong Un, right? The North Korean government has issued a policy stating that all men may have no more than 15 hairstyles. And if you have anything other than the required 15 different hairstyles, then you will be thrown in jail.

If I were a North Korean citizen and I had my unique hairstyle, I would be thrown in jail. Why am I bringing this up? Being the same doesn’t mean unity. Unity does not mean everyone should have the same haircut as mine. God looks at you individually and sees that it is the spiritual gift, “I want this person to have a uniquely designed spiritual gift.” This gift is apportioned by God or given in measure by God’s grace.

Spiritual Gifts - Supernatural abilities that benefit the church body or meet the needs of other believers (outward edification of the body).

Where can I find it in the Bible?

Spiritual Gifts 

• Romans 12:6-8
• 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30
• Ephesians 4:11

Now, there are a lot more in other parts of the Bible, but let’s start with this. “Pastor Joe, what do I do after I read these verses? How can I know what my spiritual gifts are?” Great question.

Here are 3 simple processes for finding your Spiritual Gifts

1. Study the Scripture thoroughly and know what each gift means.
2. Pray and ask God, “Lord, what is or are my spiritual gifts?”
3. Ask others if they confirm or clarify those gifts.

Now, if you think you are gifted with “administration,” but then when you ask others who know you well, and they are hesitant about your gift, then it’s a good chance that maybe you are not gifted with the gift of administration.

But maybe some of you are gifted in evangelism, but you don’t like being on the street preaching the gospel to strangers, and you are good at writing about the good news of Jesus or putting videos together about Jesus. One of the greatest evangelism tools was a movie called “The Jesus Film.” Since its theatrical release in 1979, the JESUS film has been viewed more than five billion times and been translated into more than 2,160 languages. Based on the Gospel of Luke.

The people who created this film all had different spiritual gifts and were able to make one of the most-watched movies in history. And maybe you are gifted in personal evangelism, where you can talk to someone one-on-one. Maybe that is your gift. But here is the thing: you will not know what your gifts are until you start to apply them.

Now Paul takes us on a bit of a side turn and says this in verses 8-10.

Ephesians 4:8-10 (ESV)
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

So, let me break this down into smaller bites to help us digest what we are reading.

Ephesians 4:8 (ESV)
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Now, Paul is actually reading this from Psalm 68:18, and he changes it. So, let's read Psalm 68:18.

Psalm 68:18 (NLT)
When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the LORD God will live among us there.

Let me tie this together. In ancient warfare, captives or prisoners of war were part of the spoils of war. The conquering general would take many captives, who were soldiers as well as civilians. This was very common during those periods. So a “host of captives” or “crowd of captives” refers to the long line of prisoners of war or captives, like a long train.

So, what Paul is saying in Ephesians is that when Jesus ascended (rose from the dead), He took with them spiritual captives-those who were once bound by sin and death, but now into freedom. In other words, when Jesus rose from death to life, and sinners believed in God, they became the “host of captives” or the “crowd of captives.”

And in ancient times, when you took over a country, you would receive gifts or tributes. Then the king or general would return to their hometown and distribute gifts from the spoils of war. Paul is sayingthat Jesus has taken over the spiritual realm and that I will now give gifts to men and women who believe in me.

If Jesus ascended into heaven, then how did God give gifts to men?

John 16:7 (ESV)
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Now, what Paul is illustrating, or using as an analogy from Psalm 68, is that after Jesus ascension into heaven, I will send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to you and give to all who believe in me a gift from the Holy Spirit. And that is called the “Spiritual Gifts.”

Paul is saying that in the Old Testament, we received the gifts, but in the New Testament, God now gives gifts to His followers. So, verses 9 to 10 make sense now. Let’s continue to read.

Ephesians 4:8-10 (ESV)
Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

For verse 9, with “he descended into the lower regions of the earth.” Many biblical scholars believe that after Jesus died on the cross, the “lower parts of the earth” refers to the grave, or the ground, and that is my belief as well. To know that it does not mean "hell" is to understand the context of what it is saying. Anytime you are not certain, it is best to always read and reflect on the context of what Scripture is saying. This will help you clarify what you read.

One key reason we know that Jesus was not in hell.

Luke 23:43 (NLT)
And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43 (ESV)
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43 (KJV)
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Notice that in all three versions there is a comma before the word “today.” All agree that Jesus was speaking of the time that the thief would enter paradise. The thief would be in paradise with Jesus on that very same day. Whenever Jesus says, “I tell you the truth,” He is telling us to pay special attention and listen carefully.

If Jesus was buried in the grave for three days, then how could He have been in paradise with the thief?

When Jesus died, it was His body that was buried in the tomb. However, Jesus’ spirit/soul was not in the tomb, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46 ESV).

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, He made a promise to a dying sinner who repented, and by His grace and promise, Jesus brought the repentant sinner to paradise. At that very moment of Christ's death, he went to be with the Lord, with his heart clean and pure.

From the cross: Jesus first descended into his death (lower region of the earth), and then Jesus first ascension - Jesus’ resurrection up from the lower parts of the earth, or rising from the grave.

So Jesus, who was descended from the grave, and then ascended back to heaven, so that the Holy Spirit can be descended to give spiritual gifts to all those who believe in Him. This aligns with 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (ESV)
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.

So again, the Trinity Unity comes into power with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and God the Father. For what purpose are you given the gifts?

1 Corinthians 12:7 (ESV)
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

The purpose of the spiritual gifts is for the benefit of the entire church community, not for any personal gain or status. The spiritual gifts are for the benefit of all believers to build up His church.

Summary: Jesus's descent into the grave, His resurrection, and His ascension to heaven send the Holy Spirit, who descends upon believers and gives spiritual gifts to build His church.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Listen, to walk worthy of our calling means for us to do his work and build up the body of the church, through our spiritual gifts. So, if we are not walking towards that calling, then where are you walking? So, if we are not walking towards our calling, building unity in the church, and using our spiritual gifts, then we will not be maturing in the Lord.

The only way to measure your walk is to walk towards His calling. That is how you will know if you are maturing or growing spiritually in the Lord, if you are building up the body of the church. In other words, for you to know if you are maturing, then help build the body of the church.

So here is what happens when you mature in the Lord.

Ephesians 4:14 (NLT)
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

When you are not maturing to help build the body of the church, Paul says, “You are immature like a child,” and you will be tossed from side to side. And when you get tossed side to side, you are going to be dizzy. New teachings or being influenced by people who trick us are spiritually immature believers who are not grounded in the knowledge of Christ through God’s Word. They are receptive to “new teaching” or to being “influenced” by false teachers.

What is the sign that we are maturing in Christ?

Ephesians 4:15-16 (NLT)
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

So, a major sign that we are maturing in Christ is to communicate truth with love. In the earlier verse, it talks about false teachers speaking with deceitful schemes, or trying to trick us with lies to make it sound like the truth. So Paul is saying, “You need to share the truth with ‘agape’ love, which is selfless, and a sacrificial kind of love like God’s nature.” This is how you will maintain and keep the unity of the church.

“Will speak the truth in Love”: This is an important principle to practice about “speaking in truth” - speak the truth also in the timing of God. Just because you have the truth doesn’t mean you have to jump right in and speak it, because the other person might not be ready for the truth. Speaking the truth in love also requires you to speak at the timing of God for the other person. You can speak when you're excited to share, but the other person might not be ready, so you should be encouraged to first pray for the other person and ask the Holy Spirit to open up that person’s mind and heart for you to share. Then God will open up the other person’s heart and mind, and you will be ready by the conviction of your heart. Then, when you share it, it will be with wisdom that you speak, and the other person will receive it with gladness, and awaken a spirit in them. This is the timing of God to speak the truth in love.

Remember that maturity is not based solely on age and experience, but also on the wisdom of knowing God’s Word. That’s how you speak the truth in Love.

What is your calling in life?

Ephesians 4:1 Amplified Bible
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],

Ephesians 3:6-13 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.

Did you know that the angels are watching us? [I will explain this towards the end.]

Background: In Acts chapter 19, we find the Apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus, where many came to know Jesus as the Messiah, the savior. At the same time, as many came to know the Lord, a riot broke out, and Paul eventually left Ephesus. About five years later, Paul ended up in prison in Rome after being arrested in Jerusalem due to false accusations from Jewish leaders. He appealed to the Roman Emperor as a Roman citizen. There in Rome, Paul is in prison, chained to a Roman guard. The prison Paul is in is more like house arrest, where he can still have visitors and friends bring food. This is where Paul, while even as a prisoner of Rome, writes a letter to the Christians in Ephesus.

Acts 20:22-24 (ESV)
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Every city that I go to, I know that prison, jail, hardships, and suffering are waiting for me. Paul is like, “But I am good with getting beaten up and being in prison, as long as I am able to finish the race and complete the task that Jesus had placed upon me. My task is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”

I will be very honest with you. Someone tells me, “Oh! By the way. If you go to this place, know for certain that you will get beaten up, locked up, and chained to a Roman guard. So, are you good to go there?” I would be like, “Let me pray about and see what the Lord will do.” And this is how Paul begins in Ephesians 3:1.

Ephesians 3:1 (ESV)
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Paul is in Rome as a prisoner, chained to a Roman guard. What is fascinating is that Paul calls himself “Prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul is in prison in Rome, but he doesn’t consider himself a Prisoner of Rome. Paul is physically in prison in Rome, but he is not a prisoner of Rome. Let that sink in. I want you to understand how the Holy Spirit works in the believer's mind.

A lot of the time, when people are in areas that they don’t want to be in, we use the phrase, “I feel like I am in prison.” Meaning, you feel like you can not get out, or be able to do what you want. In other words, you have no freedom. But Paul uses the word “I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,” meaning that when I’m a prisoner of Rome, though I have no physical freedom, but when I’m a Prisoner of Christ Jesus, I have freedom.

Listen, my friends, you can be at work, and you hate your job, and you can be in prison for your work. You can even be in a relationship where you feel like you are in prison. You can even be in a financial prison. But my friends, when you are a prisoner of Christ Jesus, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed. When you have that heart attitude and your mind is set on being “Prisoner of Christ, and not prisoner of the world,” your work will be much more effective, your relationship will grow stronger, and God will meet your financial needs.

____________________ Prisoner of Christ Jesus in/@________________________
      (Your Name)                                                                    (Work, relationship, health,…)

Ephesians 3:2-4 (ESV)
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Ephesians 3:2-4 is talking about the mystery of God. The word mystery in English is something you can't figure out. It is a mystery. However, the word "mystery" in Greek or in the original language of the New Testament is similar but not identical.

Mystery of Christ - Mystery is something that you would not know unless it was revealed to you.

It’s something that you would not know unless it was revealed to you. So this is what Paul is talking about: something we would not have known unless God revealed it to us. So it is a mystery until it is revealed by God.

Ephesians 3:5 (ESV)
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

So, here is Paul, building up this anticipation of the mystery of God, and that even the “sons of men in other generations,” which means all the prophets in the Old Testament, that even they did not know or that it wasn’t revealed to them. But now, this revelation of God’s mystery is being revealed. Now this mystery is going to be revealed in the following verse.

Ephesians 3:6 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

This is talking about you and me. Now, I want you to take off your glasses of this modern century, and turn back to the time of Ephesians, when they heard this news. You can imagine the excitement, the wonder of what is being said, because these are mostly Gentile Christians living under the occupation of Rome, a hostile place to live in. And then on top of that, as Christian Gentiles, they never had the privileges of the Jews.

Remember that the Jews would consider Gentiles to have a derogatory name as the people of “uncircumcision,” and that was calling someone a “you are beneath me” attitude name. The Jews thought that the only reason Gentiles were created was that they would be the fuel for fire in Hell. So for thousands of years, that’s how the Gentiles were considered. And to add more fuel to the fire,

Ephesians 2:11-12 (NLT)
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days, you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

• For thousands of years, the Gentiles were called “outsiders.”
• You were called “uncircumcised heathens.”
• You were living apart from Christ.
• You were excluded from God’s citizenship.
• You did not know the covenant promises of God.
• You lived without God.
• You lived without hope in Christ.
• You were hopeless and helpless.

But now, the mystery is being revealed.

Ephesians 3:6 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

The mystery is revealed that you and I, even an uncircumcised heathen like me, can be at equal, a fellow heir, members of the same body, and partakers of the promises of God. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have the same promises of God and be given hope in eternal heaven.

Remember the walls of Separation?

Walls of Separation

• Inside the Temple: Holy of Holies (ark of the covenant, divided by a curtain, a veil) - Only the High Priest can enter, and only once a year
• The Court of Priests - Only the temple priests can enter
• The Court of Israel - Only Jewish Men can enter
• The Court of the Women - Only for Jewish Women can enter
• Then you had the wall about 4 and a half feet tall all around this court, with a sign that says, “If you enter this place, then you will be executed.”
• The Court of the Gentiles - Only the Gentiles can enter.

Outside the wall was another court called “The Court of the Gentiles,” and that court was only for the Gentiles. But there was a sign on that wall, and here is what it says.

“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuring death.”

But God breaks through all the walls and gets us to the Holy of Holies because Jesus is the Great High Priest. Here is the good news.

Ephesians 2:18 (NLT)
Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

As the New Testament believer, all of God’s mystery is being revealed to you and me. That means, you and I have ALL the access to God’s promises. You and I have the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Ephesians 3:8 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Ephesians 3:8 Amplified Bible
To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God’s people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand],

In essence, what it means is that this “unsearchable riches of Christ” describes something that cannot be fully understood or comprehended. “God’s ways are beyond our own understanding. His riches are beyond the human ability to search and examine.”

Like when Jesus was on the cross, and the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, and the blood was coming out from his wrists and feet, and he was in agony and in full pain. Jesus looked at the soldiers and said, “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots” (Luke 23:34 NIV). This is the unsearchable riches of Christ. This is beyond my comprehension.

But this is what Paul is saying. “I am the one who persecuted the Christians. I did not care whether they were men or women, but if they believed in Jesus, then I would take them into prison. I was willing to travel over 150 miles of hatred to all the way to Damascus to persecute them and bring them all the way back to Jerusalem for jail, yet God, you loved a man like me, why?” How can Jesus love a man like me? This is the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Ephesians 3:8-10 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages (since the beginning of time) in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

O.k. Pastor Joe, you lost me on verse 10. I am totally lost. So, I will focus on verse 10 and break it down for you. Because when I first read this, I was really lost. So, let’s break it down and digest it.

Now the previously hidden secret or mystery has been revealed. That both Jews and Gentiles would share equally as fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (verse 6). So, what is another secret or mystery that God is revealing to us? What is God’s intention in verse 10?

Ephesians 3:10 Amplified Bible
So now through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God [in all its countless aspects] might now be made known [revealing the mystery] to the [angelic] rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

The word “manifold” in Greek is polypoikilos  pronounced pol-oop-oy'-kil-os, meaning to have marked with a great variety of colours, many and varied, having many features and forms, and many-sided.

Now, consider a diamond. When you look at a diamond, a diamond has many sides, or it is shiny and sparkling from many directions, right? From any angle, it has many features and forms that show its beauty. Many sides of the diamond reflect the beauty, and it doesn’t matter which side of the diamond you look at.

So the manifold wisdom of God, or the multifaceted wisdom of God, at whatever angle you look at will be made known or revealed. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, is saying to the community of Christian believers, the church, that God will reveal through the church, the believers, the many-sided, multifaceted, in many features and forms, the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom will be revealed from many different sides.

But to whom? Who does God want to reveal this to? Who does God want to reveal this multifaceted and manifold wisdom of God?

Ephesians 3:10 (NLT)  
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

So, God wants to display His wisdom in a wide variety of ways to the angelic beings.

Angelic Beings in Heavenly Places

• Principalities and Power
• Rulers and Authorities
• Faithful or Holy Angelic Beings: Angels
• Fallen Angelic Beings: Demonic spirits

God is using the church, the community of believers, to reveal His wide variety of wisdom to Angelic Beings. The idea is that you and I are being watched by angels. The angelic beings are watching us right now. Let that sink in. Whether you like it or not, all humans are being watched by angelic beings. They are looking at what we are doing right now. We are under the observation of angelic beings.

Ephesians 3:10 (NLT)  
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

There was a scene in which the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and a prophet by the name of Elisha would constantly warn the king of Israel of the danger. And each time the king of Israel obeyed Elisha, they were able to avoid the danger. So, the king of Aram would get angry; he thought there was a traitor in his midst. “Who is telling our secret tactics? Who is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?” (2 Kings 6:11). They are like, “Uh, sir, it’s not us!” Eventually, they learned that the secrets were being revealed to the prophet Elisha of Israel. So the king of Aram sent soldiers to find Elisha and kill him, and they learned he was in a town called Dothan. So, the king of Aram sent a massive army to seize Elisha.

Now Elisha had a servant, and when he woke up in the morning, he saw a massive troop with horses and chariots everywhere. And the young servant starts to get scared, but not Elisha. Now Elisha looks out the window and sees what his servant sees with massive horses and chariots, but Elisha sees something much greater that the human eyes cannot see.

2 Kings 6:16-18 (NLT)
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.

What did Elisha see? God’s angels.
What did the servant of Elisha see? God’s angels.

When the servant opened his eyes through the spiritual lens, he saw that there were already angelic warriors ready and prepared. So, it’s not like the angels heard when the prophet prayed; the angels were already watching, and they were already prepared. They were watching the whole thing.

Elisha was just asking God to open his eyes. He didn’t say, “God, will you prepare an army for us to fight against our enemies!” He didn’t do that; he simply asked God to open the servants' eyes to what was already being prepared. Elisha knew that the angels were watching the whole time, and they were ready to fight on their behalf.

There was a scene in which Judas, one of the twelve disciples, betrays Jesus and brings soldiers from the High Priest to arrest Jesus in the middle of the night. Then they grabbed Jesus, but one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck one of the guards’ ears and cut it off. Listen carefully to what Jesus says in Matthew 26:52-53.

Matthew 26:52-53 (NLT)
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?

How could they be sent instantly? Because the angels were already observing what was going on. And I love what Jesus said, “The angels are protecting us, the believers, and not just Jesus.”

Remember that the angels have been watching us since Genesis. They have seen God personally and know all that has been going on to this very day. They know about the wars that are going on right now.

God’s Mystery to Angels

• God is the teacher
• The Angelic Beings are the students
• The lesson plan is the manifold wisdom of God
• The illustration is the church, the believers

1 Peter 1:12 (NLT)
They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

1 Timothy 5:21 (NLT)  
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

So here is Paul, who understood that this charge to Timothy, his assignment or mission, was given in the presence of God, Jesus, and angelic beings. Now that we know that the angelic beings are observing us, a question came to my mind.

What will the angels be observing Monday to Saturday, when I am not at church on Sundays? What will they be hearing and seeing from me? So instead of trying to pretend or to make myself look good in front of the angels, I’ve decided to stay consistent with my faith.

What is there that is true and genuine in me, that I don’t fake it or try to pretend something that I am not? What is the true and genuine faith in Jesus that you have every day, and you show it?

This is my own personal checklist. I want to make this statement clear, as the angelic beings are watching me. They will see that I am not perfect, and that I will make mistakes. There will be times when I break my wife’s favorite glass cup on the floor, and possibly hide it under the rug, and the angels will see that, because sometimes my weak flesh gets in the way. But what is the consistent faith that I do, that is good for my mind and my heart, and that I glorify God? Because ultimately, at the end of the day, am I giving God all the glory?

This is just my personal consistent faith

• Am I spending time in devotion to God’s Word? Not my study of the Word, but just my personal devotional time with God. Devotional means simply listening to God’s Word and to what He will say to my heart. I’m not trying to analyze God’s Word, but God’s Word speaking through me.
• Am I taking the time to pray to develop a stronger personal relationship with God? Am I praying for others?
• Am I serving beyond my own responsibility? (Even when I had a full-time business, I was serving the local church) I used to run a boxing ministry, where I would bring in young men and teach them how to box. We actually had some young men believe in Christ. I stopped because I injured my hand.

And you know what is truly amazing? That is what I see many of you do. Not the boxing, but you are in the Word, you pray, and you serve in church. Many of you are serving the church in some way. Not out of obligation or because of duty, but you truly want to serve the body of Christ. They are seeing you serve with the right heart attitude. Now, there are many ministries that need your help, and there are many ways in which you can serve.

Let me close with this.

Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Did you know that we humans, you and me, are the only ones created in the image of God? The angels must be shocked to see that God would create these imperfect human beings. When they are babies, they pee and poop everywhere. They rebel and sin against God, but when they genuinely repent and get their hearts right with God, our heavenly Father openly receives them. And the angels are thinking, “These humans, they have never seen God, and yet they believe in a God they have never seen.” That is why God is the teacher, the angelic beings are the students, and we, the believers is the illustration to be revealed to them.

Ephesians 3:6-13 (ESV)
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Galatians 3:28 (NLT)
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
 
What can help us become united as one?
 
My mother, who was born in the middle of Japanese occupation and witnessed with her own eyes the trauma of her father and the destruction of the Korean people at the hands of the Japanese soldiers, sat next to a Japanese person. She squeezed my hand at first, and then gradually let go. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Korean people were forced to speak Japanese. If they spoke Korean in front of the Japanese, then they would get beaten up, and some would be thrown in jail. Korean had to speak, write, and follow the Japanese culture. They had no choice.
 
I was shocked that my mother still knew how to speak Japanese. She spoke in a soft and gentle voice to the Japanese man. You can tell the man was a bit tense, knowing the history between Japan and Korea and how many Koreans disdain the Japanese people for what they have done. But my mother was kind and gentle and spoke words of comfort to the Japanese man. You could tell he was at ease, and for the next 14-hour flight, it was one of the most pleasant for my mother and the Japanese fellow.
 
Later, after we landed in Seoul, I asked my mother, why were you so much at peace? Were you not still angry at what the Japanese soldiers did to grandpa? She said, “God has forgiven me for my sins; how could I not forgive the Japanese government and the people?” She said, “The blood of Jesus goes across all people and nations.” And she said something that really stuck in my head. She said, “I am a Christian first, before I am a Korean. I follow Christ above all else.”
 
Ephesians 2:18 (NLT)
Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
 
No sinner has any right or worthiness in himself for access to God, but believers have been granted that privilege and right through faith in Jesus. You have access to the Court of the Priests through Jesus Christ, and into the Holy of Holies. But here’s the great news: there is no sign that says, "You cannot come in," but you are welcome to enter the presence of God.
 
The walls have been torn down so that you can have access to God.
 
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

What is your “But God” testimony? We will come back to this question towards the end. Let’s do a quick review of Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1:3 (ESV)
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,

In Ephesians chapter 1, the author, the Apostle Paul, takes us to the heavenly places and speaks about the things of God from heaven to us on earth. That we are predestined by God before the foundation of the world, and for those who believe in God, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

But in Ephesians chapter 2, Paul takes us into a different direction. He takes us to the depths of darkness of who we were before and then into the land of grace because of Jesus. Today, I will focus on Ephesians 2:1-10.

Here is the basic outline of Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2 Outline Verses
1-3 What we are saved from
4-10 What we are saved for
11-22 What we are saved by

For this devotional, we are going to focus on “What we are saved from,” and “What we are saved for.” Ephesians chapter 2 offers so much great insight that I decided to do a verse-by-verse explanation of verses 1-10. I was originally going to just pick some key highlights of chapter 2, but there was so much great information that I couldn’t skip any of it. But for today, I can only do verses 1-10. So, are you ready? Let’s dig into God’s Word.

Ephesians 2:1 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

Paul begins his message with “and you.” What a way to get your attention, “And You!” So, this is about you and me. So the next question is, “What about you and me?” So what Paul is about to do is to give us a picture of who we were before being “born again,” and that we “were dead in our trespasses and sins.”

Now, the dead here refers to being spiritually dead. You can be physically alive but spiritually dead. Have you ever seen people like that, where they are alive physically and functioning because of work, but they seem so spiritually dead? Now, you can see that some people look tired or stressed, right? I mean, you can tell those people are tired and stressed, but there are some people today who are living, but their spirits are completely gone. That is who Paul is talking about when he says, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins.”

Pastor Joe, isn’t the word trespass and sin the same thing? Great question. Let’s break these two words down.

The Greek word for trespass is paraptōma pronounced par-ap'-to-mah, meaning to fall beside or near something, but nowhere found. An intentional offense and disobedience. A conscious crossing of boundaries set by God.

For example, the law is set, but you intentionally break it. God has set a boundary, but we cross the line, or we break the boundary. That is trespass. The highway speed limit is 55, but I can push it to 64 because if it gets to 65, I could get a speeding ticket. So, I am consciously crossing the boundaries set by the law, and that is called trespass.

Sin in Greek is hamartia pronounced ham-ar-tee'-ah, meaning to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, and to violate God's law.

Now, I want you to hone in on the words, “to be without a share in.” This meaning of sin implies that when you and I sin, we miss out on, or lose a share of, God’s purpose and plan in our lives. When we sin, we miss out on something great that God is doing. Our sin separates us from God, and we miss out on the wonderful plan God has for us. Sin divides our relationship with God, and we miss out. We are to be without a share in God’s kingdom when we sin. We will miss out on God’s share when we sin!

That is why it says that when we sin, “we miss the mark.” When you and I sin, we are missing the real objective in life. Remember, God’s objective for us is to be holy, set apart, and consecrated before God.

1 Peter 1:16 (ESV)
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

God’s command for us is to be holy and set apart, so we don’t miss the mark, and so that we can have a share in God’s kingdom plans. That was a radical thinking of the concept of sin.

So, whether it is sin or trespass, the results are the same. You lose a share in God’s purpose and plan, and your sin and trrespasses separates you from God. You are spiritually dead as a result of our sin and trespass.

So, think of sin as this: no one has to teach you how to hate. No one has to teach you how to be jealous. We do these things on our own, right? I don’t have to go to you and teach you how to hate or be jealous. This sin nature that we all have comes from our weak flesh. That is sin, our weak flesh, and the trespass is our intentional disobedience.

Ephesians 2:2 Amplified Bible
in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God].

I’m going to have you focus on the word “walk.” Now this is very interesting, because in English, it uses the word “walked.” And in Greek, this is what it means.

Walk in Greek is peripateō pronounced per-ee-pat-eh'-o, meaning to tread all around, i.e., walk at large or meandering.

When you think of walking, you think of going outside for a walk, but you eventually come home. You walk with the objective of reaching one destination from another. That is what most people do. But this “walk” in verse two is a different kind of walk. For example, when I go to the mall, I am in and out in a few minutes. I walk to the store, get my stuff, walk back, and then head home. My wife, on the other hand, meanders, and she treads all around or walks at large.

When I go to the mall with my wife, the first thing I do is look for a chair or something to sit on. Because my wife will be in the store for some time, comparing prices and finding the lowest cost, or just window-shopping. Once, we went to two malls just to find the cheapest one. Just in one mall, she can be there for hours on end, and so she meanders and treads all around. So, can you imagine two malls? I thank the Lord for online shopping now. Now, I really want to know why so many people do “window shopping.” I just don’t get it. To me, it makes no practical sense. People do “window shopping” online now. I just don’t get it!

So when Paul is talking about this “walk” and how “walk following the ways of this world being influenced by this present age,” you are “treading all around” without any purpose or getting to any spiritual destination. So in essence, when you walk or meander by following the world, you have no spiritual purpose. And that is why you are dead in your trespasses and sins. Your walk separates you from God, and you have no purpose, direction, or meaning in life.

So, when we were meandering, you were walking in the matrix or in a fortress of the world in which you were imprisoned, and you could not get out. At the same time, you want to be free, but you are stuck in this matrix, this fortress, or a stronghold without a life and no real purpose. But then something very powerful comes upon us.

Ephesians 2:3-4 (ESV)
among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

Do you all get that! All of us were headed towards God’s wrath, but God, being rich in mercy, gave us grace. You were once dead in your trespasses and sins. “But God,” in His mercy, broke you out of the matrix, and when you thought it was an unbreakable fortress, you said, “But God,” set me free in Jesus. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).

When I eat sushi, I really enjoy eating Salmon. In order for salmon to spawn or make baby fish, they have to swim upstream against very powerful currents, and that is called the “Salmon Run.” They actually navigate hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles from the open ocean back to the very streams where they were born. This journey takes incredible physical endurance, precise navigation skills, and the ability to overcome obstacles.

And like salmon, many of us go through challenges in life; we feel like we are swimming against the current. Did you know that a dead fish will go with the current or the flow of the river? But when God gets a hold of you, you say, “But God, who is rich in mercy, will give me the strength, the incredible physical endurance, and the ability to overcome and get to my destination.

So, when we say “But God,” that means it was God who was the “great intervention” because we were walking in the course of this world, controlled by Satan. But God says that I will give you the strength to overcome and to help you reach your destination.

Romans 5:8 (ESV)
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Joseph was hated by his brothers, left for dead, and sold into slavery. But later, Joseph, who ruled over Egypt and was second only to Pharaoh, was able to forgive his brothers because he recognized the sovereignty of God’s plan and His goodness and mercy. This is what Joseph told his brothers.

Genesis 50:20 (NLT)
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

So do you have a “But God” testimony? That is the challenge that I want to give to you: Give your “But God” story to a friend, neighbor, or co-worker. Preferably to a non-believer and share your story.

Ephesians 2:5-6 (ESV)
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Now, verse 6 can be a bit confusing, so let me try to explain this as simply as possible. Let’s break this down.

So, before we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, you and I were spiritually dead. That was the spiritual position we were in before Christ. Our spiritual position was dead, and not seated with God. But once we get our hearts right before God, we are in a new position as children of God.

Dead in our trespasses and sins - Spiritual Position of death
Alive in Christ - New spiritual position seated with Christ Jesus

If you are alive, you're not physically seated with him in the heavenly places, because you are still alive. You have to be dead in order for you to be in heaven, right? But Paul here uses the word “raised us up with him” in the past tense. Paul is not using “raise” or “raising” as in the present, but he is intentionally using the word “raised” as a past tense. Why?

So what Paul is implying is that as a believer in the present, this is what your future will be. When he is using the word “raised” in the past tense, he is talking about you now, about your future. And what is your future as a believer? And your future is that you will be with him and seated with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I want you to know your position about your future right now.  

This is important because I have a lot of people tell me that they are uncertain whether they will be in heaven or not. If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you truly believe that He has died for our sins and trespasses and then on the third day, rose to life, then you are “raised up with him and in the position to be seated with Christ in heaven.” Hallelujah!

Ephesians 2:7 (ESV)
so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

When you know that you are “raised up with him and in the position to be seated with Christ in heaven,” then God will take all of eternity to demonstrate to you how much He loves us. Heaven is going to be a constant, ever-going, and never-ending unfolding love of God. That’s what it means when it says, “in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace.”

And as we near the end.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works [meaning, you cannot get to heaven by your own will and strength], so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I am going to focus on verse 10 as we close, and this is a very beautiful picture. Now verse 10 has two parts. The first part is what God has done for you, and the second part is what God wants to do through you.

Now, I want to focus on the word “workmanship.” This is what it means in Greek.

Workmanship in Greek is poiēma pronounced poy'-ay-mah means that which has been made, of the works of God as creator. This is where we get our word “Poem” in English.

In other words, we are the work of a poem, or the work of art. We are God’s masterpiece, and God is the artist and a poet of our lives. So Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s great poetry. God is creating us as a beautiful poem.

Romans 1:20 (NLT)
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made (poiēma), they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

So the first poem of God’s masterpiece was the creation, as recorded in Genesis 1:1.

The second poem of God’s masterpiece was you. You and I are His second poem and His masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God has prepared you in advance for God’s kingdom work and positioned you to walk in it. He didn’t just make you work; He positioned you, and all you have to do is say, “Here I am, Lord!”

Listen, your poem has to be read to someone, and your masterpiece has to be shown to somebody.

Listen, if your poem is not read, then no one will hear you.

If your artwork is not shown, then no one can see it.

God, through you, positions your poem in Christ to be heard.

God, through you, places your artwork on display.

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

What is your but God testimony? Here is the challenge for everyone. Share your "But God" story with a non-believer. Make sure to be in prayer first and seek the Lord with whom God wants you to share. Once God reveals to you who you want to minister to,, then make sure to ask the Holy Spirit to go ahead of you and open up that person's mind and heart. This way, you will know God's timing for you to minister.

As you share your "But God" story, please consider which portion of your "But God" story. Everyone has a lot of "But God" moments, and when sharing, it is best to share a specific story rather than your entire life story. This will help make your story more effective when you share it. As you develop a deeper relationship, you can share more as the Holy Spirit leads.

Ephesians 1:3-6; 13-14 (ESV)
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 you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

How do you know that you are chosen and sealed by God?

How do you know that God has selected you to do His work? We will address this question as we study Ephesians 1 today. Then, each following Sunday, we will go chapter by chapter, because each one has something special. And instead of going verse by verse on every chapter, what I’ve decided to do is to give more substance to certain topics of each chapter. So for today, I am going to give more attention to the topic of “predestination” and being “sealed by the Holy Spirit.”

Now, before I get into it, I want you all to open your Bible to Ephesians 1:3-14. This is one of the greatest prayers made by the Apostle Paul. And every sentence of this prayer is so packed with substance that I can not cover it all. So, what I’ve decided to do is that I’m only going to be able to cover verses 3-6 and 13-14 for today. By the way, this prayer in the original language is one long sentence. The translators had to break it down so we could understand what it means.

So, are you ready to have some fun! Let’s dig into the Word of God. Now, to understand the book of Ephesians, it’s very important to understand how the letter reached the Christians in Ephesus, because the author of this book, Paul, was in Prison in Rome, chained up to a Roman guard.

Background/Context:

In Rome around A.D. 49, you had two types of Jews stirring up riots in the city. You had the Christian Jews arguing with the traditional Jews about Jesus being God. And one thing that the Romans hate is any type of riot. These arguments between the Jews were starting to escalate and become like riots. And the Roman Emperor Claudius decided to kick out all the Jews in Rome. Even if you didn’t riot or even if you had business in Rome for decades, you had to leave. So all the Jews in Rome were exiled.

Now, one of the exiled couples, Aquila and Priscilla, ended up in Corinth. And at Corinth, there was another individual by the name of Paul. So, Paul’s trade was a tent maker, and Aquila was also a tent maker. And when you enter the synagogue, and you're in the same trade, you sit together. Since these two were in the same trade, they connected and became good friends. Now, if you know Paul, he is not going to be shy about sharing the gospel, and eventually Aquila and Priscilla became followers of Jesus.

They were in Corinth, working as tentmakers and sharing the gospel with others. And about a year and a half later, Paul decided to go on his 2nd missionary journey to Ephesus and took Aquila and Priscilla with him. Now this is where it starts to get interesting.

Paul stayed in Ephesus for about 2.5 years, and Aquila and Priscilla eventually became effective communicators of the gospel. When you are with Paul for four years, it’s like having a Bible scholar live with you for four years. And since this couple was doing well, Paul decided to continue his mission work and left Aquila and Priscilla to do the Lord’s work in Ephesus. And Aquila and Priscila were the ones who helped plant a church there.

About three years later, Paul returns from his missionary trip and firmly establishes the Ephesian church, which becomes his home base for mission work. Now, while Paul was in Ephesus, the church started grow, the gospel started to spread, but it was also becoming more dangerous. Why?

Background of Ephesus

• Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the 7 wonders of the world. [In the marketplaces in Ephesus, there was a trade in which they would specialize in making small figures of the goddess Diana. And people would buy it and put it in their homes to worship this goddess, and the people who made it were making a lot of money from it.]
• An important political, educational, and commercial center.

So, when Paul shared the gospel, many Ephesians accepted Christ, and they no longer wanted to buy the little figurine statues of the “Great Artemis.” These small figures of Artemis were made of Silver, and they were on the expensive side - they weren’t cheap. So, when your customers stop buying your products, they will get upset because you're now losing a lot of money. So a bunch of people in this trade, smiths, got together, and in Acts 19, they started a riot and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” And, they shouted for two hours. That was the major spiritual warfare the Christians were living in. So, once again, one thing the Romans hate is any riot.

So, long story short, Paul eventually decides to leave Ephesus for Jerusalem, and let the Christians run the church. Now, while Paul was in Jerusalem, some jews from Asia recognized Paul as the instigator of the riot. They said, “This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” (Acts 21:28). That is a strong accusation!

So, a mob of people tried to arrest Paul and kill him. And once again, one thing the Romans hate is any type of riot. So, they arrested Paul and were about to whip him, but before Paul was whipped, he told the Roman soldiers that he was a Roman citizen, and he made a plea, and made these famous words.

Acts 25:11-12 (NLT)
If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”

So here in Rome, Paul is in prison or house arrest, chained to an elite Roman guard. And he was there for about two years in Rome.

Now, can you imagine being chained up to Paul? Who is really being chained up? Is the Roman guard chained to Paul, or is Paul chained up with the Roman soldier? Paul is like, “Praise the Lord! This guy is going to hear me preach 24/7!”

So, here is Paul in prison, he is locked up and chained up. Now, while Paul is waiting for his appeal to Caesar,, Paul writes what is called the “Prison Letters.”

Prison Letters

• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• Philemon

Now I want to remind people that, in the season of life Paul was in, he made the best of the worst situation. Whatever season you are in, can you turn this new year into the best season of your life?

And because Paul turned this prison season into the best season we have, these four books in our hands today - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. How can you make this year the best season of your life, in whatever situation you are in?

If Paul was in prison, then how did the letters get to the churches? Great question. Ephesians 6:21-22 gives us the answer.

Ephesians 6:21-22 (NLT)
To bring you up to date, Tychicus (Greek: Too-khee-kos') will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.

So a fellow believer named Too-khee-kos, who was not too far from Rome, visited Paul. Remember, Paul was in house arrest but was allowed visitors, and Too-khee-kos received the letter from Paul and gave it to the elders of the church. And this is where you have the book of Ephesians.

Now with that as the backdrop, here are the major themes for the Book of Ephesians.

Major Themes for Ephesians

• First 3 Chapters emphasize New Testament doctrines (instructions).
• Last 3 Chapters are practical and focus on Christian behavior.
• This letter was written to remind believers of their immeasurable blessings in Jesus Christ, and to live in a manner worthy of those blessings.

First 3 Chapters teaching New Testament instructions, why? Because you had false teachers telling them things like, “You should not get married, and you should not eat certain foods.”

 Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave us the Great Commission - Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), and then He ascended into heaven. So, the gospel started to spread; this is now called the “church age” or the “age of Grace.”

And, you will have two things going out at the same time: the spread of the gospel, but also a lot of false teachers will arise and teach false doctrines or instructions, which we clearly see today. You have Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, and many more. In fact, the Jehovah's Witnesses have their own bible called the New World Translation, which is almost identical. It’s hard to tell the difference. Now, this is going to happen till the 2nd coming of Christ. So, when Jesus comes again, this will all end, and the final truth will be revealed.

So, in the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has to address false doctrines. Now that we have the basic background of Ephesians, I am just going to go over some key points of Ephesians chapter 1. Let’s dig into God’s Word.

Ephesians 1:1 (ESV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

When some people hear the word “saint,” they think of people who don’t sin or make bad decisions in life, but that’s not what that word means. The word “saints” simply means followers of Jesus Christ, or believers. Not that you are a perfect person, but a person whose heart is willing to surrender and submit to God’s will, and that is a saint.

Pastor Joseph, what is the will of God for me?

Comment: When you understand the will of God in your life, you are good with wherever God has you, and whatever God has you doing. Pastor Joe, “Wasn’t the Apostle Paul in prison in Rome writing this letter? So, are you saying that it was in the will of God for Paul to be in prison?”

That is a great question. In fact, Paul goes even further.

2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (ESV)
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

Paul’s like, “Being in prison, chained to a Roman guard is nothing! I’ve been beaten up, shipwrecked, drifting at sea, being in danger, sleepless nights, hungry, thirsty, and in all those things, God had a purpose and a plan.” In fact, the same person wrote this in

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 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.

How to Know God’s Will for You

• Obey God’s Word
• Love God and Serve His people

Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

• God the Father chose for Himself for the praise of His own glory through Jesus before the foundation of the world. (Doctrine of election - Predestination)

I get this question a lot. Why would God choose one person over another? Did God know that some people would be saved and others not saved? The best way to answer this is with a question: What is the greatest desire of God?

John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is God’s desire. So, whoever puts their hearts right before God and genuinely believes in Jesus will be with Him and have eternal life. This means that God does not force anyone to go to heaven. You have free will, either to accept the free gift of eternal life or not.

So, even though God chose us before the foundation of the world, this does not mean that we humans will choose God. God did not create us to be robots, but gave us free will to accept this wonderful free gift of eternal life with Jesus. So even though God’s greatest desire is to be with us in heaven, He gives us freedom to reject His offer. God has given us the ability to choose.

Hebrews 11:24-25 (ESV)
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

So, here is Moses, who grew up as a prince of Egypt, and did not have to suffer like the Hebrew slaves, but he intentionally chose to suffer. That’s what Jesus did, right? Jesus chose to suffer for our sake on the cross.

Decades ago, I was a guest speaker at a large youth group event, and one of the youth group teachers asked me this question: “If God has already predestined us and chose us before the foundation of the world, then why do I need to pray, since God already knows everything?” My response was this: “Yes, God knows everything from the past, present, and the future, but you and I don’t know the future. That is why we have to constantly seek God to hear His voice.”  

Listen, every living thing has DNA (a complex molecule that contains all the information necessary to build and maintain a living organism). We didn’t discover the structure of DNA until the early 1950’s. So for thousands of years, no one knew what it was. So, what I’m trying to say is that it is our job to decode (to take out, extract) what God has already encoded for us to find. It is our job to search and find through the Word of God to decode, search, and find what our purpose is, and what is God’s will for me. Yes, God has predestined the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, so it is our job to extract and decode what God has encoded.

So the next question is, what did He choose us for?

Ephesians 1:4 Amplified Bible
just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love

God will not force you to choose God, but He will choose those who want to be chosen to be with Him in eternity. Can you just imagine being at a gathering over a meal, only to have some people who don’t want to be there? In fact, they hate being next to you. How did that turn out? God is just selecting those who want to be with Him.

And the word “Holy” simply means: consecrated, set apart for Christ, and purpose-driven for God’s will. Here is the definition of Holy in the context of "Being Holy."

• An unrighteous person becomes righteous, not that you are perfect, but simply because you surrendered your heart to God.
• Unworthy sinners are declared worthy, not because of you, but because God calls you worthy. When you are “In Him” or “In Christ,” you are worthy.
• We are not perfect because of us, but we are perfect in righteousness and blameless because when we submit to God, we are set apart, or positioned to be Holy and Blameless before God. This is the gospel message. This is the good news that we need to share with others.

Colossians 2:10 Amplified Bible
And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].

Listen, you are not good because of you; you are made complete through Christ. So, when you are in Christ, regardless of predestination, God is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you.

Ephesians 1:5 (ESV)
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

When we think of the word “adoption,” we can’t think of this through our current understanding of this word. We have to think of the people who are reading this letter at the time they were living.

In Rome, when you are a citizen, a father can kill his natural children, and some did. But to adopt someone was a very difficult and very expensive process. You had many meeting switch a judge, and it was an intense process. But once you are adopted, you have every right to inherit whatever your father’s inheritance, resources, and even his love.

Here’s the crazy thing: when you are adopted, the father can not kill the adopted child. The father can kill his naturally born children, but not his adopted child.

This is wild, right? So, when the Christians in Ephesus hear this, they understand what this adoption meant. He is saying, you will have the inheritance of our heavenly Father, and that no one, not even your earthly father, can take away your heavenly blessings. This is the “adoption” into Christ. When you are adopted into Christ, no one can take that away from you. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Before being sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit, you must hear the “Word of Truth,” and then you can choose to either receive the free gift of salvation or not.

• If you do choose salvation or to be born again, and you genuinely believe in Him, then you will be sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

My friends, if there was ever a time to celebrate, Ephesians 1:13 is what you need. When you hear the truth and believe in the truth, you will be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

But what does being sealed with the Holy Spirit mean?

In the ancient Near East, you had a “signet ring.” For example, the king would write a very important letter to someone, seal it with his signet ring, and only the recipient could open it. If anyone else were to open it, then basically, you will be in jail or dead.

So the seal sealed the letter. So, to a Christian hearing this saying: God has chosen us to receive this important and precious letter, and only believers can receive it. And the seal is by the blood of Jesus, and you simply believing in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and no one can take it away.

So, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us is a form of identification, a seal that demonstrates that we belong to God.

Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

So when we choose God, we belong to Christ, then we have the Holy Spirit living in us as a seal, a mark of identification.

Romans 8:9 (NLT)
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

It is impossible to claim that you belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that you and I are secure in Christ.  This is sealed by the promise of God.

So, how do you know that you are truly sealed by the Holy Spirit?

1. Do you obey God’s Word?
2. Do you love God and serve His people?

Paul summarized the Christian life in one sentence.

Acts 26:20 (NLT)
I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.

The Holy Spirit, as a seal, provides us with the confidence that we belong to God and that our salvation is secure, and no one can take that away from us.

So, how can you be saved?

Romans 10:9-10 Amplified Bible
because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

Let me close with this. Why did God choose the nation of Israel? Out of all the nations He could have picked from, God chose the nation of Israel?

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (NLT)
“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. [Meaning God is the God who keeps His promises] That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

How do you know that you are chosen? How do you know that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit? Love God. Obey His commands, and serve His people. God has chosen each of you, sealed you by the Holy Spirit, and given you a DNA in your body with the purpose of doing His will.

Church Scripture Verse for today:

Haggai 2:6-9 (ESV)
For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”


How do you move forward in life when there is so much discouragement?

Let's begin with the first temple destruction as our backdrop.

586 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10-13), we see the destruction of the First Temple (Solomon’s Temple). Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon.

You need to remember that Nebuchadnezzar sought to make the kingdom of Judah a vassal state (a subordinate state that must support a more powerful country or empire). They provide military support, finance, protection, and security. And Jerusalem was one of the best real estate properties because of its location on a trade route.

So everyone wanted this property: Egypt, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. And when the Babylonians became an empire, they conquered Judah.  And tens of thousands of Israelites were taken to Babylon. But it was also during the captivity that many prophets would proclaim that one day, the Jews would come back to their homeland and live in a new Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 29:10 (ESV)  
“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

So there was hope, and, historically, just as the prophet Jeremiah foretold, it happened as God said it would. The Babylonian Empire was overthrown by the Persians. You had Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, who ended the Babylonian dynasty. And on top of that, what the Persians did was to allow any Israelites to go back to their homeland. But you are allowed to go back under one condition.

Ezra 1:1-3 (NLT)
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!

So, here is a gentile king who wants God’s house rebuilt in Jerusalem. This is an important note: one of the main reasons people will return to Jerusalem is to rebuild God’s Temple. So, exactly after 70 years, Cyrus the Persian King allowed the Jews to be freed. So, on average, about 40,000 to 50,000 people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

And this was called the second exodus. The first exodus was when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Through Moses, they were set free, made Jerusalem their capital, and built the temple there. The second exodus is somewhat similar in that the Jews were exiled to Babylon but were later freed to return to Israel. And one of the key figures that led the second exodus was a man named Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel
- Descendant of King David
- Leader of the first group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem
- New Governor of Judah
- Oversee the rebuilding of the temple

Now, from Babylon to Israel is about 900-1,000 miles across hot deserts and cold nights, and the terrain is very difficult to travel. But the men, women, and children, and all these people, are very excited to go back and start rebuilding the temple.

Remember, the temple is their identity. It’s who they are as a people. Without the temple, their identity as Jews becomes meaningless. Because the temple is the place of worship, and all their animal sacrifices are made for the forgiveness of their sins (atonement). It is where God dwells, like in ancient times.

And, when you have that kind of excitement, the 900 to 1,000 miles is not far. Remember that most of them are walking. The travel becomes short because your heart is eager to encounter God again.

So here are the Israelites, who arrive in Jerusalem around 536 B.C., and they start laying the foundation for the temple, but all of a sudden, they stop rebuilding it. The question is why?

Time Line
536 B.C. - Foundations of the temple laid in Jerusalem
16 years - They stopped building the temple.
520 B.C. - The Prophet Haggai enters the picture

Now, in order to understand the book of Haggai, we also need to know the book of Ezra. Because the book of Ezra is like a commentary on the book of Haggai. So, when we read through Ezra, it explains a lot about Haggai.  

Now, with that said, here is the question: “Why did they abruptly stop building the temple?” For 16 years, the temple rebuilding remained dormant, with no construction. What happened?

So, what we are going to do today is to do two layers of understanding. What is going on on the surface, and what is going on in the hearts of the people?

Haggai 1:3-4 (ESV)
Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house [He is talking about the temple] lies in ruins?

Haggai 1:3-4 (NLT)
Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?

What is going on? What are paneled houses?

The Hebrew word for panel is sāp̄an pronounced saw-fan'  meaning covered with boards or panelling. [Remember, in ancient Israel, the outside of the homes was not made of wood. In fact, the inside and the outside were made of stones and mud. Only the wealthy homes had wood on the inside.]

What the people were doing was getting hold of this expensive lumber, such as cedar, cypress, and olive trees, meant to rebuild the interior of the temple, but they were using it to rebuild the interiors of their own houses.

You have to remember that when many of these people came out of Babylon, there were some pretty wealthy people. Some of the Jews in Babylon became wealthy, and when they returned to Jerusalem, they built their homes with expensive lumber.

They were misplacing their priorities and started putting God second.

Haggai 1:5-6 (ESV)
Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

Haggai is basically saying, “Listen, because you put yourself first, you will never be fulfilled. You have planted a lot for harvest, but you have little to show for it. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!”

Haggai is saying, “You have misplaced your priority. You bought this expensive wood meant for God’s house, but you used it first to build your own home. For 16 years, God’s house has not been rebuilt, but instead, you guys have been building your own homes. What is up with that?”

So what Haggai is actually saying is that there is a correlation: when you deny God the resources first, you will find your own resources lacking. In other words, “You were lacking materially because you were denying God His rightful things first.” Haggai told the people, "Place your priority on God first, and I will take care of all your needs."

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

When we seek what God wants for His kingdom first, then He will take care of all our needs. So, at any time you feel that things are not working out the way you have planned or hoped for, seek the Lord and prioritize Him above all else. And here is another thing for you to consider: when things don’t work out the way you planned, it may be because God is trying to get our attention.

There were so many times when it didn’t work out as I hoped, and I would go to the Lord, “God, it's not working out! Why?” And He would reveal to me why things didn’t work out. When things are not working out as you hoped, consider making God your first priority and allow Him to speak into your heart. Because God is most likely trying to tell us something very important.

So here are the Israelites, the people have misplaced their priorities for 16 years. The temple of God lay in ruins while they went about their own business, building their homes and livelihoods, and they misplaced their priorities.

Now, there is another element to the people in Haggai’s time as to why they stopped building the temple for 16 years. And I feel this is where most of us fall into this category. The question again is: Why did they stop building?

Before we get into this, it is important to know something about Ezra. The key advantage for us is that the book of Ezra provides context for what was happening. Here is why they stopped building for 16 years.

Ezra 4:1-2 (ESV)
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.”

Now remember Zerubbabel, who is the leader of the second exodus and the new governor of Judah. In verse 1, it says, “adversaries” of Judah. Which means that these “adversaries” are actually enemies of the Jews. So these enemies are going to try to manipulate to get into a position of power, and they said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him.”

This was just a manipulative way to get their favor and position. So Zerubbabel caught onto it and, in verse 3, responds.

Ezra 4:3 (ESV)
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

But these adversaries, or enemies, didn’t stop there; they were very persistent. Have you ever had that, where people just push you and push you, till you break, right? And that is what they are waiting for. They want to see you break and get destroyed. Remember, the enemy's goal is always to steal, kill, and destroy.

Ezra 4:4-5 (ESV)
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Here are the adversaries of Judah; they were relentless and kept “discouraging” the people of Judah for many years. Can you imagine someone just constantly discouraging you for 16 years? You're going to feel like you have no life. You just want to give up.

Or maybe some of you feel like your life is constantly in situations and circumstances that aren't working out for you, and you feel discouraged. And then you end up getting depressed, and anxiety in life starts to grow.

Oh! They didn’t just stop there. There was more. It wasn’t just about discouragement; they sent counselors to frustrate the people of Judah. The counselors today are attorneys. The adversaries sent lawyers for many years to stop them from building the temple. In essence, they hired lawyers to issue a legal injunction to prevent the Jews from building the temple of God. Now, when the enemy would spend their own money to stop you, that’s when you know things are getting really bad.

So here are the Jews with major discouragement, and on top of that, they brought attorneys into this situation. And when you thought things couldn’t even get any worse, it got worse. After Cyrus, another king of Persia, Artaxerxes, came to power, he didn’t know what Cyrus had written about the Jews' rebuilding of the temple. So these adversaries wrote a letter to Artaxerxes about the Israelites.

Ezra 4:11-16 (ESV)
(This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. [The letter is saying, once they rebuild this temple, they will not pay any money to Persia] Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. 16 We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”

You know, if you say something loud enough and long enough, and you hear it many times, you're going to start believing in what you hear. They were using words like “rebellious and Wicked City, and you will not get your possession.” You’re going to get emotional with that kind of writing. So here is Artaxerxes who reads this letter and goes, “O.k.! You guys need to stop rebuilding right now, or all of you will be destroyed!”

Ezra 4:23-24 (NLT)
When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building. So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.

Here is an army from Persia with a massive strength, and they forced the Jews to stop rebuilding the temple of God. Later, a new king of Persia comes to power: Darius. He then recommits to rebuilding the temple.

Ezra 6:6-8 (NLT)
So King Darius sent this message: “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates River—stay away from there! Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work. “Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted.

Darius is like, “I’m going to pay for the construction of the temple. So go build the temple!” Wow! What a huge encouragement, King Darius. But the people were not rebuilding the temple? Why? Remember, the people were discouraged for 16 years by the adversaries, lawyers, and a letter from Artaxerxes. All these things were happening outside of their control.

The people were really discouraged. What if this happens again? Or, what if another letter from the king comes? So, many what-ifs and many doubts, and just the spirit of discouragement was upon the people.

So this was the perfect time for Haggai to step in. Knowing that the people were going through such difficult and hard times, it was in such a time as this and in God’s perfect timing that Haggai would say these words.

Haggai 2:4-5 (ESV)
Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.

You know it’s one when King Darius says to go and rebuild, but it’s so much more powerful when God says, “I am with you” and “do not fear for I am with you.”  

When God says, “Be strong,” he is not saying that you should become stronger. When God says, “Be strong,” He is saying, I am going to give you my divine strength. When you are discouraged, you need my divine strength to carry on, and rely on me, and fear God.

He is saying, “I want you to trust me, and depend on my divine strength, so that you can complete your calling in life.” So, when He is saying, “fear God,” He is not saying, be afraid of me; He is saying, can you revere God and respect Him so much that you allow God’s divine strength to take over your spirit.

In the prophet Zechariah’s visions, he encourages the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, with these words.

Zechariah 4:6-9 (NLT)
Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” Then another message came to me from the Lord: “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.

Jeremiah 29:10-14
“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.


Let’s do a short study on the prophet Jeremiah.
 
Jeremiah was the “weeping prophet” because he lived in conflict over his predictions of judgment by the invading Babylonians.
 
Why was this judgment coming upon God’s chosen people? Here is the spiritual condition of the Israelites.
 
Spiritual Condition of Judah

• Idol Worship
• Sacrificing children to the god Molech 
• Running rampant with injustice and sin

The prophet Jeremiah was so saddened by what the Israelites were doing because they kept breaking their covenant with God.
 
Jeremiah 7:8-10 
“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal [Child Sacrifice], and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?
 
Jeremiah uses the word “abominations,” and in Hebrew it is “tôʿēḇâ,” pronounced to-ay-baw, meaning something very disgusting.
 
Meaning, what you are doing is very disgusting to the Lord, and God is not pleased. The Prophet Jeremiah is very upset with Israel for turning away from God. So Jeremiah is warning people to turn away from their wicked ways.
 
Let me ask you a question. When someone gives you a warning, is it because they hate you? No! It is because they desire for you to change. Once, when my son was young, I told him not to put anything into the outlet or he would get a shock. Well, he didn’t listen and got a lesson of a lifetime. Now, I love my son, so I gave him the warning first.
 
So, God is a God of grace, so he sent people like Jeremiah to warn for decades that people should turn away from their sins. So, when God gives you warnings, it is because He loves you and desires for you to change and return to Him.
 
That’s what repentance means. The word “repentance” means “change of mind” or “change of direction.” You were headed toward darkness, but God desires that everyone turn to Him and come into His loving arms. 
 
But the Israelites kept rejecting the prophets and all their warnings. They would not listen to them. So Jeremiah tells them, if you're not going to change, here are the consequences:
 
Jeremiah 21:6-7 
And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. Afterward, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’
 
Once again, God did not have to give warnings; He could have destroyed the city for their disobedience. But because our God is a God of grace, He sends, through all the prophets, warning after warning with people like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and the list goes on.
 
But because they rejected God’s warning, Jeremiah’s prophecy became true. The Babylonians came, took many of the Israelites, and brought them to Babylon, where they were to be for 70 years in a foreign land, away from their homeland.
 
Jeremiah was the “weeping prophet” not because he was right, but because his predictions came true, and Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of his own homeland.  
 
Jeremiah is saddened because he loves his people, and he wants the best for them, and that’s God’s heart. Yet because of their disobedience and rejection of God’s warning, they were exiled to Babylon.
 
I want to go back and get to know Jeremiah better. I want you to know his calling and the purpose for which God called him into this ministry.
 
Jeremiah 1:9-10 (NLT) 
Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”
 
This is Jeremiah’s calling in life. God is saying, “Jeremiah, this is your divine mission. I have chosen you to Judah and beyond to all the nations of the world about my coming judgment, but also about my grace.
 
God’s like, “Jeremiah, this will be very hard for you, but you need to do this as a messenger for God. You will have a very tough life, because you will have to speak the truth.” Speaking the truth is one of the hardest things to do, and Jeremiah was called to it.
 
So, when God was talking to Jeremiah about “you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow,” it was because Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period marked by the rise and fall of empires like Assyria, and later by the fall of Babylon itself and Egypt as well. There will be geopolitical shifts in which governments are thrown, destroyed, and overthrown.
 
So what the Lord was showing to Jeremiah was that there is going to be some significant shifting going on around you, but you also have to uproot, tear down, destroy, and overthrow the corruption and the sin that is inside of Israel and in the hearts of men. And if you don’t deal with this, you will eventually see the outside structure be completely destroyed. Jeremiah even predicted that Jerusalem itself would fall into the hands of Babylon.
 
Jeremiah 39:1 
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it.
 
So here are the people who have been taken into captivity by their enemies. Remember, they have lost their homeland. They are heartbroken. They are depressed and discouraged. They are angry and bitter. “God, where were you when I needed you?” They are heartbroken because they do not believe that God has a plan and purpose behind all these things. They are lost and hopeless.
 
So here are the thoughts of many people: 

• What do you do moving forward? 
• What will our future look like? 
• How will we live? 

When you are in a very difficult situation in your life, how often do you say, “Yes, God has an amazing purpose and plan for me!” Let’s be real and honest. When you lose everything, you are upset and discouraged. And, remember, they are no longer living in their promised land. The land that they worked hard for. They now live in a faraway land, far from their homeland and their temple.
 
To the Jews, the temple was their identity, and it defines who they are. All their sacrifices and offerings are for the temple. You lose the temple, then you lose their identity. Now that they are far away from their temple, they have no identity of their own.
 
But God, knowing all this and, because He is sovereign, the past, present, and future, tells us that you will “build up” and “plant.”
 
Jeremiah 1:10 (NLT) 
Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”
 
But the question is, how would God build up and plant when you have a lot of people forcibly moved from Jerusalem to Babylon? How is God going to rebuild the people of Israel? That is the billion-dollar question?
 
Here is Jeremiah in Jerusalem. He sends a letter to all the surviving people who were exiled in Babylon. And remember that everything Jeremiah said came true, so those who are in exile are looking to Jeremiah for advice and direction. Because it is in such a time as this that they need answers to the question: What do we do next? What is our next step? How are we going to live? What is our future vision? So, he writes a beautiful letter of encouragement.
 
Before we read the next verse, I want you to keep this in mind. So, whether it's good or bad, you are in a season of life you might not want to be in. So, how do you make the best out of the situation you are in?
 
How do you turn the worst days of your life into the best season?
 
Jeremiah 29:4-6 (NLT) 
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
 
Jeremiah is telling his people, you are in the season of life and the place you don’t want to be in. He is telling the people, “While you are here, make this season the best of your life. Don’t turn this season of your life, the worst of your life, but turn your worst season into the best life.” Listen, “You are where you are, so make the best of where you are, and start rebuilding your life again!”
 
So, he is telling the exiled people, “Go and look for a job. Work and make a living. And if you're single, look for a wife, plan to stay there a long time, and have children. Go and multiply! And be a good dad and mom, husband and wife.Make yourself productive in the season of life you are in! Help in the synagogue! Participate and help in the church! Do whatever you can to be productive!” 
 
You will be in Babylon for 70 years! So, in the season you are in, whether it be good or bad, go and make the best season of your life.
 
Jeremiah is telling the people, “You are in a tough situation. Your life is not working out the way you planned or hoped for. So instead of being discouraged and depressed, go and rebuild! Make your season the best of your life, while you are where you are living.” 
 
Then Jeremiah does something interesting. He takes you to the next level. This really shook me up inside. Let’s read what he says next. 
 
Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT)  
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
 
“Lord! My enemy, the Babylonians, are the ones who captured me, my family, and my friends. They are the ones who tortured us and killed so many of my people. And now you are asking us to ‘work for the peace and prosperity of the Babylonians? You are asking us to pray for the welfare of our enemies, and that will determine our own welfare?”
 
I’m trying to wrap this in my mind: “When you pray for the welfare of your enemy, then that will determine your own personal welfare!” 
 
How do we begin the process of rebuilding? How do you start the process of reconciliation? How do you reconcile with someone who has hurt you? Or, you might have hurt the other person. How do you begin to rebuild?
 
Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD” (ESV).
 
I was being reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:43-48 
 
Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT) 
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
 
I have to be honest with you guys, and this was very hard for me. By the way, this was long before I became a pastor, and I was running a business. So long story short, there was this man who stole a lot of money from me, about $100,000. I was able to find out where he lived in New York City. 
 
Keep in mind, when your mind is not sound, when there is a lot of hatred and bitterness, you might do crazy things. So, either I find him and kill him, or just let everything go, and let God determine the plan for our family. As a genuine believer in God, how will you decide? How do you begin the process of rebuilding when you lose everything? And then on top of that, you have a lot of anger and bitterness in your heart?
 
Because of this man, I lost my business, we lost our house, we have no more money, and we have no career. Remember, my identity was tied to my business, and this man stole all that from me. And remember, I had three small kids at that time. I had anger and bitterness.
 
So when God says to “pray for the well-being of your enemy and peace and prosperity for the Babylonians,” it is tough to do. But God says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)
 
So, how do you begin the process of rebuilding?
 
Pray for the blessing of your enemy? I am where I am because God taught me this principle of “blessing those who hurt you.” That’s what Jeremiah 29:7 teaches us.
 
Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT)  
And work for the peace and prosperity [blessing] of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
 
If I had not learned from the Word of God, I would have done something I would regret for the rest of my life.
 
Now, as I ponder through the Jeremiah passages, everything was starting to make sense. In the season of your life that you are in, make the best out of the worst situation, and pray for your enemy and blessings for them, so you will be blessed. Now with that in the background, Jeremiah 29:11 will make sense.
 
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
 
The word “plan” in Hebrew is maḥăšāḇâ, pronounced makh-ash-aw-baw', which means thought, device, plan, and purpose.
 
The word “thought” is used 28 times, while the word “plan” or “purpose” is only used 6 times. It means this: God is thinking about you so often that He is thinking about you from the beginning, the middle, and the end. God is thinking about you from the beginning, the middle, and the end. Then Jeremiah 1:5 started to make sense.
 
Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
 
Now the Israelites are in Babylon because of their disobedience to God, but in His grace, says, I am thinking about you for a specific plan for your future. I knew you before you were born, and I have been thinking about you, and I have devised a plan for your welfare.
 
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
 
Now, I have to be honest with you, when we lost everything, and I came to this verse, I would pray, “God, provide us with money!” But that is not what it actually means. So what does this “welfare” mean?”
 
The word “welfare” in Hebrew is šālôm, pronounced shaw-lome’, which means peace, completeness, wholeness, soundness, and welfare.
 
The word peace is used 175 times, while “welfare” is used 5 times. So what the Lord is saying to the Israelites is that with the season you are in, make the best of it, and pray for the peace and well-being of your enemy, and I will bring about peace and wholeness to your life.
 
When you do these things, you will have “shaw-lome’”, the peace that you have always wanted to have. You could have wealth and health, but if you don’t have peace in your heart, you will not have any soundness in your mind, and there will be no “completeness.”
 
Many years ago, when I was young, my friend and I worked on a thousand-piece puzzle together. We had one major problem: we were almost done, but missing about five pieces of the puzzle. We looked all over, and we couldn’t find it. This thousand-piece puzzle was incomplete, and it drove me crazy. You're almost there, but you're not there, leaving you with unfulfilling emotions.
 
So when God says that I have a welfare for you, he is telling us:

• He is telling us to “build your home,” and “go make babies.” 
• “I want you to pray for peace and the prosperity and blessing of your enemy.” 
• “And I have a plan of peace, wholeness, and feelings of completeness.” 

All of your 1,000 puzzle pieces will be there. And Jeremiah 29:12-14 continues.

Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NLT) 
In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”
 
Just within these three verses, God has made six promises. Anytime you see the word “will” next to God, that means this is a promise from God.
 
The Promises of God

• I will listen when you pray.
• I will be found by you when you search for me wholeheartedly.
• I will end your captivity. 
• I will restore your fortunes.
• I will gather you.
• I will bring you home again. 

 
In Closing, what is our vision for 2026? Rebuild 
 
Jeremiah 29:4-6 (NLT) 
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
 
Let’s begin the process of rebuilding by blessing one another, for God’s promises will be fulfilled! 
 
Question to You: How can you rebuild your church, your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, your family, and your friends in this season of life? 
 

Today, we're going to journey through the book of Esther. The Book of Esther is a story where the name of God is never mentioned, yet the hand of God and His fingerprints are everywhere on every page. While the scheme's enemy moved in the shadows through Haman, God was quietly and intentionally orchestrating His plan through ordinary people placed in extraordinary positions.
 
Esther—an orphan, an outsider, and a young woman with no royal pedigree—was divinely positioned in the palace for such a time as this. Her journey teaches us that God prepares His people for difficult assignments and that He is always at work, even when we cannot see Him, hear Him, or feel Him.

A bit of background and context:

Esther is married to King Xerxes, the king of Persia. One of the king’s officials, Haman, becomes enraged when Esther’s cousin Mordecai refuses to bow to him. In his anger, Haman devises a plan and persuades the king to issue a decree calling for the destruction of all the Jewish people.

While Esther remains safely inside the palace, Mordecai brings her the devastating news. He challenges her with a powerful question—“Perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” He urges her to step into the risk, to use her position to intercede for her people.

Esther responds in obedience—but not recklessly. She calls for three days of fasting and prayer, asking the Jewish people to seek God with her before she approaches the king, knowing that doing so could cost her life.

There are many lessons we can learn from the Book of Esther, but today we will focus on three key truths and lessons learned from Esther’s defining moment in Esther 4:12–17, when she steps fully into her God-given purpose with courage, faith, and conviction.

Esther 4:12-17
When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Mordecai sends word to Esther with urgency. In vs 5 Esther calls for Hathak, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her - Hathak was a Crucial Critical Communicator (trusted, faithful, truthful, and intentional confidant).
 

• Crucial Critical Communicators 
  • Operate with the Word of God purely as their filter. They don’t sow seeds of discord, spread suspicion of offense, or use gossip as an avenue to pray for you. 
  • They speak life, peace, truth, and only the Word. They build you up and create a community of unity. 
  • Crucial communicators know this:
    • If God can trust YOUR mouth and YOUR words, He can trust you with HIS assignment.
• Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  
  • Your words are not always just for YOU!  

When Mordecai tells Esther what is going on, he doesn’t flatter her or shield her from reality—he gives her truth that activates her calling. He speaks truth to her—truth that pierces through fear, comfort, and hesitation.

Mordecai says,
“Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Sometimes one conversation can shift your faith to overcome your fear.

• Esther may have had favor, but she needed Mordecai’s wisdom and wise counsel.
  • This is a reminder that…
    • Even Queens need guidance, and even the favored need accountability.
    • Esther had influence but needed to walk with integrity.
    • Esther had a crown, but she needed conviction and covering.

 
God will place Mordecai’s in our lives—voices that call us higher, voices that remind us who we are and whose we are. Who are the wise Mordecai voices in your life?

Here’s the takeaway from this truth:
You can’t wear a crown on your head if you’re still carrying a chip on your shoulder.
To embrace purpose and calling, we must let go of fear, insecurity, offense, and excuses. Purpose requires Preparation. The Lord can’t trust you with His assignments and His next steps if you're harboring or holding on to bitterness, pride, or resentment.

Mordecai’s words ignite something in Esther. This conversation gave her the confidence to do hard things. And yes—we were created by God to do hard things and even impossible things.

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." ALL things include HARD things and IMPOSSIBLE things!

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Mordecai’s words, delivered through Hathak, needed to be heard and understood. They needed to be received with clarity and faith. They were the very words the Lord used to awaken the call on Esther’s life. After this conversation, the Lord gave Eather a plan.

• Before Esther acts, she prays. 

• Before she speaks, she fasts. 
• Before she moves, she surrenders.

She says in vs 16,
“Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa… and fast for me.”

She knows the people had already been praying, but she calls for focused prayer—because the assignment requires direct favor AND focus.

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease”

This is what was taking place during Eather’s 3 days of fasting and prayer. This is Surrender. During this time of prayer and fasting, God is revealing Himself to Esther.

You have to completely surrender to the Lord. Completely void of all of yourself and full of all of the Lord!

Esther understood something powerful:

• Divine assignments require divine preparation.
• When God communicates, there is no confusion. 
  • 1 Corinthians 14:33 Amplified “for God [who is the source of their prophesying] is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order. As [is the practice] in all the churches of the saints (God’s people),

Even when we don’t see Him working, He is working. Even when we don’t feel Him, He is working.

The strategy the Lord gave to Esther was not manipulation—it was consecration, it was surrender!

• After three days of prayer and fasting, she does something courageous: She approaches the king uninvited, risking death.
• There will come moments in your walk with God where your obedience will feel risky. Where stepping into purpose requires stepping out of comfort. Where faith demands courage.
• But like Esther, prayer prepares you to walk in rooms that fear tells you to avoid. The Lord will give you favor to walk into rooms that the world tells you weren’t built for you, but in fact God created those rooms for you to boldly walk into as he affirms and awakens your calling.
• We need to remind the enemy that he can't break something he didn't build.

After Esther prays, after Esther fasts, after Esther surrenders, Esther boldly steps into her assignment with one of the most courageous statements in Scripture:

The last part of vs 16 says “I will go to the king… and if I perish, I perish.” - Perish means to die. Purpose always requires movement. There comes a moment where Esther must move.

This is more than courage—This is commitment to the call and is a consecrated conviction. This is a woman stepping fully into the calling God placed on her life. This is not a statement of despair or a nonchalant reaction; it is a declaration of absolute trust in God. Her obedience becomes the turning point in this chapter and in this story. Esther’s words mattered and carried weight for Mordecai and the Jewish people who came together.

One woman’s commitment to the call changed everything.

• Your “yes” to God still has that kind of power.
• Your obedience can break generational cycles.
• Your faith can open doors for others.
• Your surrender can shift atmospheres.
• Your courage can change future outcomes.

Matthew 5:37 “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’

Here are 3 things your commitment to the Lord can do.

Esther understood the law:
No one—not even the queen—can approach the king without being summoned. The penalty is death unless the king calls for you.

So when Esther says, “If I perish, I perish,” she is acknowledging that obedience may come with a cost. Obedience demands sacrifice.

Sometimes your obedience will cost you:

• Relationships
• Your Comfort zone 
• Reputation
• Control
• Your job
• Familiar environments

 
But obedience to God is always worth the cost.

• Purpose requires a price. 
• Calling requires courage.
• Destiny requires dying to self.
  • Paul encourages us with this in 1 Corinthians 15:31 

In vs 16, Esther says, “Fast for me… I will go,” the people had to rise up with her. They didn’t question the request; they, too, were obedient and knew the commitment to the call. It sparked a boldness in them that may not have been there before.

Esther’s decision:

• Awakens a nation
• Strengthens a discouraged people
• Unifies a community
• Breaks the spirit of fear

Your commitment always impacts more than just you. Your step of faith may be the very thing that unlocks strength in someone else.

• Someone is watching your walk. 
• Someone is waiting for your YES!!

When a leader commits to the call, others find the courage to follow. When a believer commits, others find faith to stand.

Revelation 12:11 ESV “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

As mentioned before, the Book of Esther never mentions the name of God—yet Esther acts as though He is standing right beside her, BECAUSE He was. He was in the palace with Esther and at the Gate with Mordecai.

This is faith at its purest:

• Esther commits to the call without visible reassurance. She steps forward without audible confirmation, and she obeys even when God seems silent.
• Esther’s moment of commitment becomes the moment heaven moves.
• It wasn’t until Esther said YES that God began unraveling Haman’s plans.

 
Her YES:

• Shifted the king’s heart
• Exposed the enemy
• Reversed the decree
• Elevated Mordecai
• Preserved a nation

One yes in the hands of our powerful God can change everything.

Here’s the truth: God will not force you to commit to Him—He invites you. It's a beautiful invitation.  

Esther teaches us that God does His best work behind the scenes. And sometimes, the greatest expression of faith is the willingness to say: Lord, even when I don’t see it or feel it,

I KNOW YOU ARE WORKING!

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
 
God positions His people on purpose and for his purpose.

• Like Esther, you are not where you are by accident. You are there for such a time as this. 

 When God gives a great assignment

• He gives great preparation, great grace, great strategy, and ultimately, He gives great victory!!!
• Your Heavenly Father is fighting for you and advocating on your behalf!

Don’t Forget:
 
Psalms 103:1-5 “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

How will you know if you are making the right decision?

Joseph the Carpenter

The Bible tells us that Joseph was a carpenter, meaning that he worked with wood and stone. And Joseph has most likely established himself as an honest, hardworking man of good standing.

So, here is Mary, walking through the town. You can hear the whisper, the unsettling noise of the people, and the crowds start to form to make judgment upon her. You will also have the gossip go all the way to Joseph’s ear. He can’t believe it! “Mary would not do such a thing! I know Mary, and you all know Mary! We all know Mary! She is the kindest and gentlest lady! She would never do anything wrong against God!”

So a lot is going through Joseph’s mind. So I can imagine Joseph ran over to see Mary himself to confirm whether what people were saying was true. And when he arrives, he finds that Mary is pregnant.

What will you do? (Are you seeing the emotional chaos going through his mind?)

Now Joseph is a Jew, and since childhood, he has understood the religious laws of the time, so some of those laws may have come to mind. What does the law say when you find your wife pregnant or having committed adultery? Let’s consider what might be going through Joseph’s mind.

Deuteronomy 22:13-14 (NLT)
“Suppose a man marries a woman, but after sleeping with her, he turns against her and publicly accuses her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘When I married this woman, I discovered she was not a virgin.’

Deuteronomy 22:20-21 (NLT)
“But suppose the man’s accusations are true, and he can show that she was not a virgin. The woman must be taken to the door of her father’s home, and there the men of the town must stone her to death, for she has committed a disgraceful crime in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her parents’ home. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.

Remember, you probably had some of Joseph’s friends, “Hey man! This is what God says. You have to consider this.”

Deuteronomy 22:22 (NLT)
“If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die. In this way, you will purge Israel of such evil.

So, here is Joseph. Could this be the law I was supposed to use? If he is not thinking of this one, then the next one is it?

Deuteronomy 22:23-24 (NLT)
“Suppose a man meets a young woman, a virgin who is engaged to be married, and he has sexual intercourse with her. If this happens within a town, you must take both of them to the gates of that town and stone them to death. The woman is guilty because she did not scream for help. The man must die because he violated another man’s wife. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.

So, here is Joseph. “You know the law, and you know the truth, but how will you make a decision that is right?”

Joseph is in a very difficult dilemma.

Now, we know that a person’s character in how they process their thinking determines their outcome. For example, if you have good character and are a person of integrity (let your yes be yes and no be no), your outcome will be a wise decision.

So, what is the character of Joseph like? This is what the Bible tells us.

Matthew 1:19 (ESV)
And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Matthew 1:19 Amplified Bible
And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly.

So, the character of Joseph is that he is a just and righteous man, and his integrity is that he does not want to expose Mary to public shame, and he just wants to send her away quietly with a divorce.

Remember that a righteous man is someone who makes their heart right before God, but what is a man who is “just”? That is a great question, so let’s look up the original language in Greek.

The word just in Greek is dikaios pronounced dik'-ah-yos, meaning righteous, observing divine laws, virtuous, and keeping the commands of God.

In other words, Joseph is obedient to the law while also committed to justice and mercy. And there lies the battle in Joseph’s mind. He knows the law and that God is a God of mercy.

How can these two things align? How will Joseph make the right decision? You have the truth and know the law, but how will you make the right decision?

If he divorces Mary, then she will be shamed for the rest of her life. And worse yet, maybe even be stoned to death.
If he stays with Mary, then they are both living a shameful life.

So, here is Joseph, who wants to obey the law and has a heart of compassion for Mary. How will you decide?

Matthew 1:19 Amplified Bible
And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly.

Wait a minute! Where did Joseph get this idea from? How did he get to that conclusion - to send her away and divorce her quietly? He found the answer in God’s Word. This is why you always have to read the Bible in context, not just a few verses. So here is Joseph, and he continues to read.

Deuteronomy 24:1 (NLT)
“Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house.

So, this is how Joseph knows the law and yet can still give Mary a quiet departure without shaming her in public. My friends, when you need to make a “right” decision, it is always best to seek the entire Word of God.  

Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Listen, when you have a heart of obedience, and you live your best righteous life, God will appear to you, as He did with Mary. And the same thing happens to Joseph. Because Joseph was a just and righteous man, and he listened to the entirety of God’s Word, this is what happened.

Matthew 1:18-23 (ESV)
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

The angel only appeared after Joseph made the right decision in his heart. My friends, when your heart is constantly making things right before God, you will encounter God.

After Joseph had a dream encounter with the angel and was told what to do, he immediately did it. I love Joseph. He is a man of action.

Matthew 1:24-25 (NLT)
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. [That’s a person of integrity]

What an obedience to the Lord! He didn’t wake up saying, “This was a bizarre dream! Or was this dream really from God?” In fact, Joseph just got up and took action. “Mary, I know that you are pregnant and you have the Son of the Most High! You will be my wife. I don’t care what others say about you or think of you. You will be my wife!”

You have to remember that Joseph has been agonizing over the situation with Mary. And every time God appears to Joseph in a dream, Joseph responds. Four times Joseph receives divine instructions, and four times he obeys instantly.

Take Mary as your wife - check
Flee to Egypt by night - check.
Return when Herod dies - check
Go to Galilee, not to Judea - check

Joseph's faith was not verbal; he was a man of action. Joseph's obedience to God shaped history. Yes, Mary gave birth to Jesus, but it was Joseph who paved the way.

How will you know if you are making the right decision?

How will you know if you are making the right decision?
 
Everyone here at some point has to make an important decision, but how do you know whether you will make the right decision? Especially, when you have to make a critical decision that will affect not only yourself, but also your reputation, and the life of someone you love and care for. How will you know if you are making the right decision?
 
So, we are going to find out how Joseph and Mary made a critical decision that made Christmas. 
 
Let’s begin with this question: “How did Joseph and Mary meet?” Have you guys ever thought about that? How did Joseph get engaged to Mary?  
 
Background
 
In the first century, Jewish marriage customs were very different. You don’t fall in love with another person and get married; your father goes around and looks for your future mate. In biblical times, people were married in their teens. So Mary is about 13-14 years old when she is betrothed, meaning she is engaged to be married. 
 
In ancient Israel, being betrothed or engaged actually meant you were married. You have a contractual obligation between the two fathers. You just don’t live together or have sexual relations till after their ceremonial wedding. The ceremonial wedding is where you invite all your friends and family and celebrate the contract as the final piece of the engagement. So being betrothed or engaged was actually a certificate of marriage.
 
And typically, you would find your future husband or wife within the clan or tribe. If you're in the tribe of Levi, then you would find your spouse in the tribe of Levi. If you're in the tribe of Benjamin, then you would find your spouse in the same tribe. 
 
So if the father set you up for marriage, then that was your future spouse. Now, what is interesting is if you had a son, then it was the son’s father who would pay the dowry to the father of the bride. This was a traditional wedding contract, in which you pay in cash, with anything valuable, or for some kind of service. What is interesting is that this is still practiced in many parts of the world. 
 
Now, let’s get into the story of Mary. 
 
Luke 1:26-33 (ESV)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
 
Here is Mary, about 14 years old, and engaged to a man named Joseph. And God tells Mary that she is the favored one to be selected to give birth to the “Son of the Most High.” 
 
Why did God choose Mary?
 
Always remember that God has reasons for choosing the times, places, and people involved in His redemption plan. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus 700 years before His birth.
 
Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) 
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
 
There are many reasons for choosing Mary to give birth. 
·  She was in the right lineage. 
·  She was from the right town called Nazareth.
·  She was engaged to a man whose heritage required him to visit Bethlehem at just the right time (Micah 5:2). 
 
For today, though, I want you to focus on Mary’s character. 
 
Luke 1:34-38 (ESV)
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
 
Mary was not shocked by the angel. She was not scared that she encountered something supernatural. She actually had a conversation with the supernatural.  When the angel appeared to her, it seemed as if Mary was used to supernatural occurrences. She was not shocked by the appearance. She was more concerned with what the angel said. 
 
Luke 1:28-29 (NLT)
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
 
She wasn’t afraid of the angel, but she was just confused and disturbed by what the angel Gabriel said. What this means is that she must have had frequent encounters with either angels or with the supernatural works of God. This means that at her young age, she had a good relationship with God. When you have a deep relationship with God, you encounter the supernatural things of God regularly.
 
So her confusion and disturbance are due to what the angel said, “Greetings, favored woman!” She is thinking, “Why am I the favored one, right?” “Out of all the young ladies you could have chosen, you chose me?” Listen, even with her confusion, her response was amazing because she knew this was from God. 
 
Luke 1:37-38 (ESV)
For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
 
The word “servant” in Greek is doulē pronounced doo'-lay, meaning a female slave or bondmaid. This term indicates her willingness to serve God at all costs. 
 
This is Mary’s character, that she didn’t argue with the angel. She didn’t say, “Well, let me pray about.” What I love about Mary is that she believed in God’s Word and had the faith to act on that belief. Now it’s one thing to believe in God, but it’s a whole new level when you act upon your belief. That’s why she says, “I am the servant of the Lord,” “I will serve you at all costs.”
 
Remember in Luke 1:36, where the angel tells Mary that her relative Elizabeth, in her old age, has also conceived a son. We also know that Elizabeth was barren, or that she couldn’t have children. But God gave her a child in her old age. So Mary decided to see Elizabeth, her cousin.
 
Now, from Nazareth to Judea, where Elizabeth is, is about 80-90 miles of travel. So this is about a week's worth of travel. Mary is most likely carrying provisions for travel, such as a basket of food, water, and a mat to sleep on. Also, some scholars suggest that young ladies, like Mary, didn’t travel alone; they had other ladies or older women travel with them. I'm imagining a conversation between Mary and another woman. 
 
Questions like:
·  Where are you going? 
·  Who are you meeting with? 
·  Are you engaged or married? 
·  Who is your husband? 
 
“Yes, I am going to Judea. I am meeting up with my cousin Elizabeth. And, yes, I am betrothed to a man from my town in Nazareth, and his name is Joseph.” 
 
I assume she hasn't told her she is pregnant. How do you tell someone that you are pregnant by the Holy Spirit? “Oh! By the way, God is the father of my child. I am carrying the Son of the Most High.” She would be like, “O.K.! I am going to start walking in the other direction.”
 
Mary needs encouragement and confirmation to comfort her soul. Remember, she is still living in the flesh, and she is a young lady. So here comes the comfort, and a sign from God. 
 
Luke 1:39-41 (ESV)
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
 
What the “filling of the Holy Spirit” means is that the more you submit to God, the more God fills you with His presence. And, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not about feelings or dramatic manifestations of power, but it's about living in step with God’s will through the Spirit’s power. That’s why the Bible tells us to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). “God, whatever you have in plan and whatever the outcome is, I surrender my heart to you. Even if you don’t want me to have a child, I will give you my heart.” The filling of the Spirit is about submission to God’s will.
 
Mary is in her first trimester when she walks from Nazareth to Judah, a distance of about 90 miles. I was thinking, how bad can her first trimester be? Physical changes in the first trimester.
 
·  Morning sickness (Nausea)
·  Food aversion (You stay away from certain foods). 
·  You're tired more than usual, feeling fatigued. 
·  Emotionally sensitive: (Your emotions may feel a little all over the place during your first trimester.) 
·  Bloating, constipation, and a need to pee more than usual. 
 
So, Mary is going through all these mental emotions and physical challenges, and she needs to hear something that will comfort her soul. 
 
Luke 1:42-44 (NLT)
Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
 
Mary hasn't told Elizabeth that she is pregnant. She needs confirmation from the Lord that what she just received is truly from the Lord. Remember, she is still 14 years of age and dealing with emotions and physical changes. Her heart is good with God, but she still needs supernatural confirmation. And, as soon as she sees Mary, she says, “Your child is blessed by God.” 
 
When they use the word “blessing,” it is not used as “Congratulations on your baby,” it means “a divine favor of God.” And in this blessing, this divine favor, correlates with her faith, “You are blessed because you believed in the Lord.”  So, blessing is related to believing in the Word of God. 
 
If there was ever a time when Mary needed confirmation from the Lord, then this was it. Mary needed to hear these words from her cousin. She needed to hear from God, and God spoke through Elizabeth. 
 
Listen, my friends, when you walk with God, life can be challenging, but by the end of the walk, you will know it was worth it. God will give you the peace and confirmation in your heart, and through people like Elizabeth. 
 
And that is why Mary responded. 
 
Luke 1:46-49 (NLT)
Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
 
Is this not one of the most comforting from the Lord? When Mary needed to hear words of confirmation, God spoke them through Elizabeth to give her strength. 
 
Questions To Consider: 
- Can you serve the Lord, whatever the costs will be?
- Was there ever a time you needed to witness a supernatural work in your life?
- Was there ever a time you truly needed to hear from God clearly?

Church Scripture Verse for today: 

Matthew 2:1-6 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Questions for you to consider:

How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth? 
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?

Let's go into the Word of God.

Matthew 2:1 (ESV)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem

What does the word "Wise Men" mean in Greek?

Wise Men in Greek is magos, pronounced mag'-os, given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, sorcerers, etc.

Matthew 2:1 (NIV)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

In another version, we get the word "wise men" as "magi." So we get the word “mag-os” or “magi” and with the words “magician” or “magic” and “magistrate” (one who governs). So moving forward, I will be switching the word “wise men” and “magi” back and forth.

At the height of the “wise men's” power, they were a very powerful group. They weren’t just priests and astrologers; they were the ones who could determine who would be the next king. That’s how powerful they were. That’s why they showed up to King Herod. “Hey, we are looking for the king of the Jews! And we want to worship Him.”

I want to take you back in time to help you understand how these wise men became so powerful. Are you ready? Let’s go back in time.
 
There was a scene in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonian Empire, had a troubling dream. So he summoned all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers and said, “I had a bad dream, and I want you guys to tell me what that dream is and interpret it for me. And if you don’t do that, you will be killed.” 

In Babylonian religious beliefs, dream interpretation is so vital that it can mean life or death. Because if the king made a wrong decision, then that could be the end for his kingdom.
 

• Kings would make political decisions or military decisions based on the dream interpretations.

So dream interpretation is a vital part of how the Babylonians did it. Now, it’s one thing to interpret a dream, but it's a whole new level to know what that dream is.
 
Daniel 2:4-5 (NLT)
Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble!

Now, remember back in ancient times, the king had absolute rule and authority over everything. So none of the wise men could figure out what the dream was.
 
So, here comes the order.

Daniel 2:12-13 (NLT)
The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends.

Quick history: Israel was split into two nations. You had, in the north, Israel, and in the south, you had the land of Judah. And the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, refused to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. So Nebuchadnezzar sends his army, and they take Jerusalem. And among those captured was a young man by the name of Daniel.

So the command was given to kill all the wise men, and everyone is in panic. But Daniel goes to his friends and says, “Hey guys, let’s pray together and seek after God’s mercy.” They go into prayer, and God reveals the entire dream to Daniel.
 
Daniel 2:24 (NLT)
Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.”

So here is Daniel, he receives the entire dream from God, and then on top of that, he interprets the dream.
 
Daniel 2:27-28 (NLT)
Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

Now, we know that Daniel eventually becomes the chief of the Magi and the chief of all the wise men: “He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men” (Daniel 2:48).
 
Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.” [What is interesting is that later on, you will see one of the wise men give frankincense to Jesus. So the incense was a sign of divinity.]

Daniel 2:47: The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

So, with that said, Daniel had a significant influence on the wise men and on the future of all the wise men. Now this is where it starts to get interesting.
 
We know that it was about 605 BC when the Babylonian army came and took thousands of the Jewish people to Babylon. Furthermore, they didn’t just take the people; they also took many of the ancient Hebrew scrolls. So, in Babylon, you had tons of Hebrew texts stored, and the Magi had access to all of the ancient texts, studied them, and learn what they had to say.
 
As they studied the ancient text, one of the main prophecies they found concerned a Messiah who would appear in the future and be a savior of the world. Remember that because of Daniel and the Jews in Babylon, you had generations and generations of Magi who studied all of astrology and science, but they were also more sensitive to the Jews' prophetic texts.
 
So what are some of the Scriptures of the Jewish text?  Here are just a few.

Numbers 24:17 (ESV)
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

The prophet Isaiah said about Jesus, “He shall be crushed for our iniquities, our sins.” (Isaiah 53:5). And another one.
 
Isaiah 60:1-3 (ESV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

So, we are seeing a relationship between star, light, brightness, and all of them pointing to the glory of God. Isn’t this interesting?
 
Here are these Magis who have studied the ancient text of the Jews and have studied intently to see what kind of light or star it’s going to be, like the “glory of God.”

But how would these Magis know what to look for? How would they know what kind of star or light or brightness this would be? Because every night, all the stars are bright. So how would you know what the differences are?
 
Remember that these Magis have studied the Hebrew text. They would probably remember something from the text, like Shikinah's glory. When you look at the “Shikinah Glory”, you would know that this can only come from God.

What is a “Shikinah Glory?”

The word shekinah is the Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” signifying a divine visitation of the Lord God's presence or dwelling on this earth. [In other words, when “Shikinah Glory” happens, you will know that it is God.]

What would that look like? The Magis have read about it in Exodus 13:20-22, when the Israelites were wandering in the desert: you had the pillar of cloud (visible by all the people), leading the people by day, and a pillar of fire leading by night. They witnessed the divine presence of God. They saw the “shekinah” glory of God in their presence.
 
Listen, my friends, when you seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will encounter the Sheinah Glory of God. You will witness the presence of an almighty God with you. But you must seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
 
Matthew 2:2 (ESV)
saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Notice that it says, “His Star” and not any kind of star, or the star, but God’s Star. So how is this star or a bright light any different than any stars in the heavens? Because when I look up at the sky, they all look the same.
 
So here is what some scholars are saying about “His Star.” Now, know that this is just a theory, but it sounds pretty credible. The two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, came into alignment, or conjunction, about three times in one year. And this has never happened before.

Remember, you have to see this through the lens of these wise men who have studied the skies every day. So they are the experts on the stars. To the Maji, Jupiter in Babylonian astrology represented Marduk, the supreme god, the king of the gods. And Saturn was called Kaiwanu, the star of justice and royalty, and Pisces. Pisces was the constellation (a grouping of stars on the sky as a figure or design) associated with the west, in the land of Syria, Palestine, and the land of the Jews.
 
So here are these wise men. They see a supernatural occurrence: three times in one year, the supreme god and the royalty of god aligned together, pointing to the land of the Jews. So to the wise men, this was impossible to ignore.

When you have the king of the gods meeting with the star of royalty, either you are going to wait and miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to know the truth of those prophesies, or you will follow “His Star” and find the King of the Jews.
 
What will you do?
 
How far are you willing to travel for the truth? 
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth? 
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?

From Babylon to Bethlehem

• Travel about or more than 1,000 miles. 
• Travel over hot, sandy deserts with strong winds. 
• Travel over sharp mountains. 
• Travel over rough and rugged terrains. 
• Bandits and Robbers at every corner. 

Now, this is only a traditional story from medieval times, so it’s not a true story of the three wise men. Nor is it biblical because the wise men in the Bible are plural. And when you are carrying a valuable item of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, you had to have guards, servants, and those carrying the supplies, and these wise men were very wealthy men. Some traditions tell us there were 12 wise men, not 3. Either way, you had a large caravan on a long journey.

Here are the names from medieval times.

Melchior (Mel-key-or) [Persia]: Depicted as an older man. He is the one gifted with Gold.
 
(Now, gold in ancient times was only given to the Kings. So Gold would represent kingship.)

Gaspar (or Caspar) [India]: Depicted as a young man. He is traditionally associated with the gift of frankincense.
 
(Earlier, we read about Nebuchadnezzar giving incense to Daniel. Frankincense was used in the temple of the gods, and it would have to be the purest of Frankincense because this would be a symbol of divinity. And this type of incense was very expensive, costing just as much as gold in the first century. And in the temple of Israel, this incense was used as a symbol of prayer rising to the heavens.)

Balthazar (Bel-ta-zar) [Arabia]: Depicted as a middle-aged man. And he gave the gift of Myrrh (embalming oil).

Embalming Oil: Now, this is very interesting because embalming oil is typically used for the death of a royal person, such as a king. (The use of spices for embalming was a common practice intended to honor the deceased and mitigate the odor of decay. Joseph, along with Nicodemus, prepared Jesus' body for burial.  John 19:39-40 states: "Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.)
 
So, can you imagine these men willing to travel a thousand miles over the hot desert by day, cold by night, through treacherous terrain, animals and insects that can kill you, and bandits and robbers at every corner. These men were willing to travel and give up everything they had to seek the king of the Jews.

How far are you willing to travel for the truth?
How deep are you willing to search to find the truth? 
Are you willing to sacrifice everything for the truth?

Because when you find the truth, John 8:32 gives us the answer.
 
John 8:32 (ESV)
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

And when these wise men encountered the King of kings, they became something different.
 
Matthew 2:10 (ESV)
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

Now, they didn’t see Jesus, but they saw the star and got excited. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the star or the bright light didn’t appear; that is why they asked Herod, “Where is the king of the Jews?” So by the time they came out of Jerusalem, the star reappeared and guided them to Bethlehem.
 
So, when they saw the star again, they were overjoyed, filled with joy, or exceedingly great joy. Meaning, there were no words to describe how happy they were to see the star, the Shikinah Glory of God. It was something that came from deep within.

All those years of studying the Jewish Scriptures and all those long nights of watching the skies in heaven, the ancient promise of a savior for Israel had been fulfilled. Their long quest of a thousand miles through hot deserts, cold nights, and escaping from bandits, but that wasn’t their joy.
 
Their joy was seeing God’s promise being fulfilled. They saw the Shikenah glory. When you witness this Shikenah glory, this is what will happen to you.

Matthew 2:11 (ESV)
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh.

Woshiped him in Greek is proskyneō, pronounced pros-koo-neh'-o, which means to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence.
 
My friends, these were the elite of the wisest men. The best of the smartest. They were wealthy and had everything they ever wanted, yet these powerful men humbly came before a little child and prostrated their bodies before the King of kings.

James 4:10 (ESV)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Luke 14:11 (ESV)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.