THE TREASURE MATTERS TO GOD!
Reading Ephesians Ch. 1v18-23.

Introduction:

There are two ways of being rich. One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with what you have. (Proverb).

May I be so bold as to ask today, as a believer, are you satisfied with what you have in Christ?

The story is told of a farmer who had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm, but with the passing years, the farmer began to tire of it. He longed for a change--for something "better." Every day he found a new reason for criticising some feature of the old place. Finally, he decided to sell, and listed the farm with a real estate broker who promptly prepared a sales advertisement. As one might expect, it emphasised all the farm's advantages: ideal location, modern equipment, healthy stock, acres of fertile ground, etc. Before placing the ad in the newspaper, the agent called the farmer and read the copy to him for his approval. When he had finished, the farmer cried out, "Hold everything! I've changed my mind. I am not going to sell. I've been looking for a place like that all my life."

James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited.

We cannot help but realise as we read through the first fourteen verses of Ephesians chapter one that as the people of God we are a most privileged and blessed people indeed. We have been brought into His banqueting house and his banner over us is love, wonderful love.

Eph. 1v3.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

Yet, like the farmer just mentioned we tend not to realise the benefits and blessings of what we have. We are prone to treat our spiritual resources like that moaning, miserable farmer. It’s amazing, it was only when the estate agent read back to him the advertisement that he realised the fullness of what he

all ready had. Such believers are in real danger of not realising the treasure they are to God. Because that beloved is what we are! As verse 14 reminds us, "we are His purchased possession." He paid an enormous price for us at that place called Calvary; He purchased us, not with silver or gold but with precious blood.

The book of Ephesians has been called, The believer’s bank, The Christian’s chequebook, and the treasure house of the Bible. This beautiful book reminds Christians of their great riches, their wonderful inheritances, and the fullness they have in Jesus Christ and in His church. It tells them what they possess and how they can claim their possessions.

But it also tells us something else right at the end of the chapter, v23.

"Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all."

This from Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones in his book on Ephesians Chapter 1.

"I agree with those who say that it also means that there is a sense in which we as the Church are His fullness. But let us be clear as to what this means. The Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God is eternally self-sufficient and independent and has no need of us. But when we think of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Mediator, as the God-man, as the one who has come to achieve redemption and to present His people to His Father, then in that sense He is joined to the body and needs it. A head alone is not complete. A head needs a body, and you cannot think of a head without a body. So the body and the head are one in this mystical sense. As such we Christian people are a part of ‘the fullness’ of the Lord Jesus Christ. End quote! Is that not just so amazing?

Allow that to sink in dear folks, without us Jesus Christ is not complete. So I believe I can say without any doubt, we are a treasure He will never misplace.

So from verse 18-23 The Apostle lays before us what the dear Lord Jesus wants us to understand about his priceless treasure and how much we matter to God.

1. He Examines The Greatness Of God’s Plan! v18.

"I pray that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

In our present day culture, the heart is most often thought of as the fountain from which our emotions and feelings flow. But the Greeks, and in fact others, considered the heart to be the place of knowledge, understanding, thinking and wisdom. It’s interesting, the Greek word for heart is the word " Kardia" and it’s in this way the New Testament uses the word. The word means the place from which our understanding and knowledge comes, it’s the seat of the mind and will and it could be taught what the brain could never know.

Emotions and feelings were connected with the intestines or bowels; the Greek word is "Splanchnon". Let me give you an example of this.

1 John 3v17. "But whosoever hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

The phrase "bowels of compassion" refers to affections and feelings, in fact that is of a truth the very seat of our affections and feelings.

Now I know it does not come across so good if we were to say to a loved one, darling, I love you with all my bowels. Now that, somehow just does not fit, so we say, darling, I love you with all my heart.

Think about it, when you go to meet a girl where do you get all knotted up, where do you get all emotional, where do you get all excited? Why in the gut!

That’s why, if you forgive the reference, you find yourself running to the bathroom so often before an interview for a job, or if you have to make a speech before a large crowd or if you are meeting an important person. You get emotional, you get excited, and you need the rest room!

If something happens to your children or loved ones, you become anxious, worried, concerned, where does it hurt? In the lower parts, to be blunt in the bowels and the kidneys. But we use the expression, the heart. Well it sounds

much better, does it not? But in fact the heart is the place of understanding, mind and will.

One of the great difficulties in the church at Corinth was just there, they relied so much on feeling, they were more interested in doing what felt right than in doing what God had declared to be right. Paul therefore speaks out with some force in 2 Cor. 6v11-13.

"O you Corinthians, our speech to you is candid, our heart is wide open. On our part there is no constraint in your affections. In fair exchange (I speak as unto my children), open wide your hearts to us."

In effect Paul was saying, I can’t take the truth of God from my (heart) mind and place it into your (heart) minds, because your feelings, your emotions are getting in the way. Instead of their emotions and feelings becoming more and more controlled by God’s truth, they allowed their gut feeling or their emotions to distort their understanding of the truth.

So Paul begins to pray that the minds of these Ephesian believers will be truly enlightened. Sure, emotions and feelings have a very important role in the Christians life, but they are to be relied upon only when guided and controlled by the scriptures. Which of course, we come to know and thoroughly understand only through our minds, that is why we are to "let the Word of Christ dwell within us richly" Col. 3v16.

When the Holy Spirit is given opportunity by the believer to work in the mind we are enriched with divine truth that is deep and profound, when doing its powerful work will control our whole being.

When Jesus walked and talked with the two disciples on the Emmaus road, their hearts (that is, their minds) burned within them; but it was not until their eyes were opened that they recognised Him. Luke 24v31-32.

Before the Spirit enlightened them they had the information but not the understanding; what they knew was perfectly true, but they could not by the power of their own minds grasp the meaning and significance of it.

So in this prayer Paul examines with the Ephesian believers the wonder and greatness of God’s plan for them and indeed for all God’s children who will surrender to it.

He wants them to understand the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

He prays that God would enlighten their understanding about these amazing truths such as election, predestination, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom, inheritance and the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit. And Paul is emphasising the wonder of this master plan of God for the redemption of mankind. His eternal plan is to bring men and woman back to himself through His Son, thereby making them the children of God.

You are not an after thought in the mind of God, he chose you before the foundation of the world eons before you would have opportunity to choose Him. Listen folks that’s who you are. And you matter to God! And it’s not until we truly grasp who we are and whom we serve that we will enjoy living an obedient and fulfilling life. Only when we fully understand that our lives are anchored in eternity will we have the prospective and motivation for a godly life while here on planet earth.

It’s God’s great plan for us that we be conformed to the image of His Son Rom. 8v29, that is the hope of His calling. It is such a wonderful truth that it requires the illumination of the Spirit for us to understand the magnitude of the blessing that is available to us.

Charlie Brown is at bat. STRIKE THREE. He has struck out again and slumps over to the bench. "Rats! I'll never be a big-league player. I just don't have it! All my life I've dreamed of playing in the big leagues, but I know I'll never make it." Lucy turns to console him. "Charlie Brown, you're thinking too far ahead. What you need to do is set yourself more immediate goals." He looks up. "Immediate goals?"

Lucy says, "Yes. Start with this next inning when you go out to pitch. See if you can walk out on the mound without falling down!" Take it one thing at a time and work on that. James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited.

2. He Explains The Greatness Of God’s Power! V19-20.

"And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places."

The Apostle’s next request and desire for the Ephesian believers is that they would understand His great power that will ultimately bring them to their inheritance in glory. And it’s once again very interesting the way he sets this out to them by letter. In the written word he uses four different Greek words to emphasise the greatness of God’s power.

A. The word "dunamis!"

From which we draw the word "dynamite" and "dynamo". Now here is a power that is given only to those who believe. Not only so, but this is all the power we are ever going to be given and indeed is all the power we need! It’s the "surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe" I mean you could have no greater power, you should want no greater power and it’s foolish to ask for more power. As a believer you have the surpassing greatness of God’s amazing power. We don’t need mystical experience or an additional work of grace; we have all we need for life and living for God.

The word "energea!"
This is the word from which we draw the word "working". Its is the idea of an energising force of the Spirit which gives believers the energy, the power, to work and live in an effectual way for the Lord.

The word "kratos!"
Paul uses the word "strength" here, which may also be translated "dominion"

1 Tim. 6v16 or "power" and if you notice in the text it’s the power of His might. In other words we don’t have to depend on our strength which weakens so often, we are given a strength which is from the Holy Spirit which cannot fail.

The word "ischus"
That’s the word the Apostle uses for "might" and that carries with it the idea of endowment. In other words we are given the kind of ability we could never achieve on our own. It is give like a gift at the New Birth when old things pass away and all things keep on becoming new.

Its interesting that Paul did not pray for power to be given to these believers rather, they would have an awareness of the wonderful and amazing kind of power they already had. When we read through chapters 4-6 of Ephesians we discover the Apostle encouraging them quite forcibly to use that power in fruitful living for the Lord Jesus Christ.

We don’t need to pray for power to evangelise, we already have that power.

Romans 1v16. The Gospel itself "is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes."

We don’t need to pray for power to endure suffering. As an introduction to mentioning the many afflictions he had to encounter, Paul reminded the Corinthian Church in 2 Cor. 4v7. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves."

We don’t need to pray for power to do God’s will. Phil. 2v13. "It is God who is at work in you." Paul says, "both to will and to work His good pleasure." Paul finished the work he had to do for the Lord with the strength given to him.

Col. 1v29. "Striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, as He was about to ascend into heaven. "But you will receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Acts 1v8. Our God "is able to do exceedingly above all we can ask or think, according to the power that works within us." Eph. 3v20. To ask God for more power is an affront to His Holy Name.

Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power. Charles Caleb Colton. Thus we must depend only on God’s power!

3. He Emphasises The Greatness Of God’s Person! V21-22.

"Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come; and he hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church."

Paul’s third request through prayer for the believers in Ephesus was that God would allow them understanding of the greatness of His person.

During Timothy’s ministry Paul puts pen to paper to help him through a very difficult time. He was being intimidated; he was being criticised, and was being totally discouraged by other Christians in the fellowship. 2 Tim 2:8-10.

"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.

Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

Remember the greatness of the person who lives within you Timothy, He was raised from the dead, He is seated at God’s right hand, He was born of the seed of David, as a man like us. He identifies with us, He understands us better than we do ourselves, and He sympathises with us in every respect.

He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!

He’s my Lord, He’s my Lord, He is risen from the dead and He’s my Lord!

As Peter said in his sermon to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius

Acts 10v36.

"The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)."

Jesus is Lord. This as we well know but so often forget is confirmed in Scripture consistently. He is Lord in judgement. He is Lord over the Sabbath.

He is Lord over all as I have just quoted. He is called Lord (kurios) no less than 747 times in the New Testament. The book of the Acts alone calls Him Lord 92 times, while calling Him Saviour only twice, yet we love Him so very dearly as our Saviour. Obviously in the beginning of the church era the preaching of the Lordship of Jesus was at the very heart of their ministry.

I believe it is very evident when Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church in

1 Corinthians 12v3. He is not just referring to saying the words, it must mean more.

"Wherefore, I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit."

I believe the text includes acknowledging Him as Lord by obedience to Him, by surrendering your will to His Lordship, by affirming Him Lord with both life and lip. Titus 1v16.

"They profess that they know God, but in their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

Now, this is not by any stretch of the imagination preaching a gospel of human works, No! No! No! a thousand times No! Why it’s the Holy Spirit alone that enables a believer to, by lip and life, confess Jesus Christ as Lord. "No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit."

Listen; listen, surrendering to Jesus, as Lord is no more a meritorious human work than believing on Him as Saviour. Neither act is a good deed done to earn favour with God. Both are the sovereign work of God in the heart of everyone who believes. And please allow me to say this with as much force as I can muster one without the other does not work.

Jesus could not be Saviour if He is not Lord of all you are and hope to be.

John Flavel, a 17th-century English Puritan said this.

"The gospel offer of Christ includes all His offices, and gospel faith just so receives Him; to submit to Him, as well as to be redeemed by Him; to imitate Him in the holiness of His life, as well as to reap the purchases and fruit of His death. It must be an entire receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ." End quote!

A.W. Tozer writes with the same thought in mind. "To urge men and women to believe in a divided Christ is bad teaching for no one can receive half of Christ, or a third of Christ, or a quarter of the Person of Christ! We are not saved by believing in an office nor in a work." End quote!

Beloved, He is Lord, and any who refuse Him as Lord cannot use Him as Saviour. All who receive Jesus Christ, as Saviour must submit to His authority, He and He alone has the right to reign over us as sovereign Lord.

So in emphasising the greatness of His person to the Ephesian Church Paul is reminding them, God gave Him as head over all things to the church and you are part of that all things.

This from Dr. Vance Havner.

"The birth of a child is an important event, but it takes twenty years after that to make a man or woman of that child. Evangelism is thrilling business but it is only the beginning. The believer must be developed as a disciple and a witness. On the Damascus road Saul started right: "Who art thou, Lord? Lord, what will you have me to do?" He began by confessing Jesus as Lord. Thomas cried, "My Lord and my God!" John Wesley tell us that several mornings after Aldersgate he awoke with "Jesus, Master" in his heart and mouth. The Holy Spirit had done His work. E.Y. Mullins says, "In applying for membership in a Baptist Church, faith in Christ and acceptance of His Lordship is a prime condition." End quote!

4. He Exclaims The Greatness Of God’s People! V23.

"Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all."

Beloved, it’s so true that the Church finds all its fullness in Jesus Christ, I don’t believe any would dispute that. But did you know that Jesus Christ finds all His fullness in the church, in us His people. That in effect is what our text is saying. As I explained at the beginning of this message, the head without the body is incomplete. It’s the church that brings completeness to Jesus Christ.

This, my dear brothers and sisters is a statement that should take our breath away. In fact I am certain we would think such a statement blasphemy or the word of a lunatic if it were found anywhere else but in the Word of God.

But these are the Holy Scriptures which our God has exalted above all His name and we take them as they are, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the living Word of the living God.

What a statement! We can scarcely comprehend the depths of such an amazing word and we certainly never exhaust it in exposition, in fact all we could do is touch the hem of the garment.

The Lord Jesus who fills all in all, who is higher than the high, who conceived and created the universe through His omniscient and omnipotent power, who is the object of angelic worship and the ceaseless theme of seraph song, is incomplete without us.

By the way beloved, this incompleteness is no trivial thing, such as when a man dresses for a formal occasion forgets his top hat. The Lord Jesus Christ is as incomplete without us as a head would be without its body!

As John Calvin said, "This is the highest honour of the church that until He is united to us, the Son of God reckons Himself in some measure incomplete. What consolation it is for to learn that not until we are in His presence does He possess all His parts, nor does He wish to be considered complete." End quote!

The point of this wonderful petition is that we might comprehend how secure we are in Christ and how much we matter to God.

Our hope is unwavering and immutable, we have an eternal inheritance, the power of glorification is invincible and is presently operative to bring us to glory.

If we saw the Church as she is in the most generous souls who live most truly the life of the Church, she would appear most beautiful in our sight, despite the human imperfections which are mingled with the activity of her children. We rightly lament certain blots, but let us not forget that if there is sometimes mud in the valley at the foot of the mountains, on the summits there is always snow of dazzling whiteness, air of great purity, and a wonderful view that ever leads the eye to God.

Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.

Many think the Christian religion has run its course, and that the gloom of Good Friday is now settling over the long history of the church. But they are wrong. The reality of the resurrection cannot so easily be undone. In truth, it is the world of unbelievers that remains on notice of judgement. Carl F. H. Henry.

Let this world be on notice, as the people of God we matter to God. We are precious in His sight, He has amazing plans for in the life that is to come and beloved we should rejoice daily as to whose we are and whom we serve!

Anyone can love the ideal church. The challenge is to love the real church.

Bishop Joseph McKinney.

When our City Hall was being steamed cleaned all around it was scaffolding and tarpaulin. When the work was complete and all scaffolding and tarpaulin removed that building was revealed in all its pristine beauty. One of these days all the scaffolding and tarpaulin of history and events will be removed from the church of Jesus Christ and she will be revealed before all heaven, all hell and all humans in all its pristine beauty and glory. Beloved, that’s who we are, we matter to God!

We are his Eternal Treasure, praise His Holy name.