Last week I went out to my shed to start my lawn mower. So there I am, tugging on the stubborn start cord, yanking my arm out of its socket, and coming to terms with the fact that my mower is ready for the trash heap. About this time, I notice this little baby squirrel sitting in the doorway of my shed watching me. He was holding his claw up in the air as if it were broken. He seemed malnourished. I don’t know where he came from or how he got there. Did his momma have a nest in my shed? Did he fall out of the tree? Was he abandoned because of his injured claw? Certain species of animals abandon their injured young.
I tried nudging the little guy out of the doorway into the yard, but he was so disoriented by his new surroundings that he just stood there shaking. So I scooped him up and called a friend who rescues wild animals. She’s been nursing him back to health and will eventually reorient him to the divine order of things.
In my daily devotions I have been doing a very slow read of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Instead of flying through fifty books of the Bible, I’m drilling down as deep as I can into a few. It occurred to me that ever since our fall from grace, God has been working, most recently through his Son Jesus Christ, to reorient us back to the Divine order of things. We are to be living at a higher level. This is a level which is far above the rooftops and the insane pace of life that we have chosen for ourselves. Yet, we're living beneath our potential. At times we're barely conscious of what our lives should be and can be.
So in Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) Paul pens these incredible words, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." I’d suggest that these words represent a radical departure, a radical reorientation, from the way our friends, our culture, and our world tell us to live our lives.
Reoriented Toward Praise
Paul writes, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' I was flipping through the latest Reader’s Digest and they had a list of some of the classic headlines that have appeared in the Onion, a publication that satirizes America. My favorite was, "134 Year Old Man Attributes Longevity to Typographical Error." But another read, "Miracle of Birth Occurs for 83 Billionth Time."
Even though these headlines are fiction, they say something about the way we view life. Some look at the gift of life, in all its beauty and sophistication, and say, "I’m a typographical error. I’m an accident. I’m here by chance. The great expanse of nothingness belched, and that is why I exist. The miracle of birth is nothing more than an abortable process of our evolutionary development." But others can look at gift of life, in all its beauty and sophistication and say, "Praise God."
Which kind of person are you? Do you worship and praise the living God, the alpha and omega, the creator of the universe, and the giver of life? For the Christian, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the starting place. In the beginning, God created!
About fifteen years ago Orel Hershiser was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They had just won the World Series and he had been named the most valuable player. A television camera showed him in the dugout just before the ninth inning started, leaning against the wall with his lips moving. On the "Tonight Show", Johnny Carson asked him what he had been saying. "I wasn’t saying anything," Orel responded. "Well, then, tell us what you were doing," inquired Johnny. Finally Orel replied, "I was singing." Johnny said, "You were singing? I didn’t know you were singer. Come on, let’s hear it!" And Orel said, "Nah. I don’t want to." But the audience clapped and said, "Yeah! Let’s hear it! Wooooh!!!!" Reluctantly, Orel started to sing. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!" Johnny Carson was speechless. The whole audience was dead silent. Then one person stood up and started clapping. And soon, the whole audience joined in applause.
The most valuable player praised the most valuable God and Father. Some get it, but some choose never to see it. Romans 1:19-20 (NIV) says of those who refuse to see, "what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.”
Yet for the Christian, the starting place is praising the God and Father of Jesus Christ.
Reoriented Toward Lordship/Authority
Paul mentions the God and Father, "of our Lord Jesus Christ." This past week Conan O’Brien was interviewing the politically incorrect Bill Maher. Their conversation turned away from politics, as Bill Maher expressed his vision of a "more hip" America. He described an America without religion, without the word of God (the Bible), an America without Christians, and an America without God. He described an America where people could freely smoke pot, where the Janet Jacksons of our world could go uncensored, and where people wouldn’t bat an eye over a governor having a homosexual affair. Like a snake shedding its old skin, our nation would slither out of its confining religious heritage and truly be free, meaning that we could say anything we want and live in any way we please.
It’s interesting that we have two different perspectives in conflict here. The Bill Mahers of the world believe that the greatest freedom is found in overthrowing the traditional notions of morality, which are grounded in God’s character. Freedom is synonymous with sexual immorality, exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones, degrading our bodies and smoking pot. Freedom would mean forsaking God’s laws! The thought is that if only God would get out of the way, then we would be truly happy.
But then there are those who rightfully see such thinking as utter foolishness. Freedom and happiness are a byproduct of surrendering to Christ’s authority. We are happy and free to the degree that we surrender to Christ’s authority! There isn’t a single command in all of scripture that if followed, will not lead to both greater freedom and a more full life. Does sexual immorality lead to a better life? Does fornication? Does adultery? Does lying? Does slandering? Does laziness? Does overeating? Does lust? Does stealing? Does gossiping? Does worrying? Does disobeying your parents? Does cheating on tests? Does viewing pornography? Does workaholism? Does greed? Does filthy language? Does carousing? Does holding grudges? Does seeking revenge? Does embittering your children?
The righteousness of God, found by living within God’s boundaries, is what brings true freedom. Adam and Eve had the most freedom and happiness when they were free to eat of any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They lost their freedom and happiness when they usurped God’s authority and violated the boundaries that God had set for them.
For the Christian, the starting place is with God and the guiding authority is the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's authority doesn’t squeeze the joy out of life. His authority unleashes greater freedom and happiness. His command brings life to those dead in sin.
Reoriented Toward Hope
Paul mentions God has, "blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Listen to Paul describe what a life oriented toward the lesser reality of "now" looks like. He writes these words not out of a spirit of arrogance, but with tears. In Philippians 3:18-21 (NIV) he writes, "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things."
Notice the characteristics in reverse order. So many people are not glorifying and praising God, but are seeking glory in themselves and for themselves in their shame. So many people are not rooting their moral choices in the character and righteousness of Christ. Instead, they are making their appetites and passions their guiding authority. If it feels good, do it. If sin looks appetizing, feast! Life is more exhilarating east of Eden than within the Garden of Eden and in God’s presence. And last, for so many people their destiny is destruction. They oppose the name of Jesus Christ. Their minds are on earthly things. There is no greater reality beyond earth. There is no concept of heaven and life hereafter. It is depressingly sad.
It's depressing to see people grasping this life, this material world, their health, their loved ones, and their memories, fearing that this earthly life is all there is. They fear that there is nothing more, that there is nothing beyond the grave, and that there isn’t also a heavenly reality.
A few weeks ago we had gathering of friends and family here at the church for Pete Dinardo. Pete discovered that he had cancer few months ago and that his time here was being cut short. I asked him what he thought about everything, but he could only think about living. He had a vision of heaven. He praised God’s name and thanked God for the strength he had received and he expressed his desire to be with God in heaven for eternity. For Pete, there was peace. There was promise. There was hope. There was assurance. This morning Pete has complete victory over the power of death. He’s with God.
But I’ve seen what life is like for those with a different perspective. There isn’t peace, but there is anxiety. There isn’t promise, but there is doubt. There isn’t hope, but there is despair. There isn’t assurance, but there is fear. They're defeated! In Philippians 3:20 (NIV) Paul writes, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Let me mention one last thing about these words in Ephesians 1:3.
Reoriented Toward Abundance
Paul mentions God has, "blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." There are those who live their lives out of scarcity and out of a sense of lack and famine. This sense of lack is constantly reinforced by commercials and advertising. Their bodies aren't as healthy and strong as they used to be. They say, "If only I had health, strength, then…" They're dissatisfied with their pay, their investments aren’t growing, there may not be enough to retire on, and there are so many bills. They say, "If only I had more money, then..."
Their marriages are conflicted. Their children are in rebellion. There are scars from the past, like a father-wound or a mother-wound. They say, "If only I had better marriage and family, then…" Their scheduler is worn out from overuse, the pages filled with endless commitments. Be here, do this, do that, go over here, don’t forget this. And they say, "If only I had more time, then..." They're bored. Life is dull and lacks meaning. They say, "If only I had a purpose." Their minds are burned out, they are overwhelmed with stress, and they cannot think clearly. They're making poor choices. "If only I could resolve this. If only I had more wisdom. If only I could be loved. If only I could break that habit, change my character, forgive that person, get a better job, or develop better friendships, then..."
So many people today live out of their scarcity, focusing on their needs and on what they lack. The famine within their souls is so great that they become a broken record. "If only, if only, if only, if only I were blessed in a certain way. If only I had more of this and that."
In contrast, the Christian has every spiritual blessing in Christ. Instead of scarcity or lack, there is abundance. There is contentment. There is fullness. There is life. There is generosity, service, and sacrifice. There is selflessness. There is a completely different orientation than that of those suffering the famine of endless "if onlys." So Ephesians 1:3 represents a radical departure, a radical reorientation away from the way our world tells us to live.
Our world tells us to glorify ourselves. Our world tells us to be an authority unto ourselves. Our world tells us that this life is all there is and that there is nothing beyond the grave. Our world tells us that we lack all that is needed to be complete and truly blessed.
Ephesians 1:3 is about discovering the life that is truly life. But it is also about a choice. If you are worn out by living life the way the world tells you to live, why not live life the way God intended you to live it? Life in Jesus Christ is truly a blessed life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" You must take the step to get in Christ and to be radically reoriented to the divine order of things. You must get on a different path than the one you have been walking on.
You must choose a new starting place. Start by praising the name of your creator, seeing God the Father as the source of life and everything that is good. You must choose a new guiding authority by embracing Jesus Christ as the Lord and the sole authority of your life, choosing the freedom and happiness of righteousness. You must choose a new life reality by setting your mind on heavenly things, on the life in Christ that transcends the grave and destroys the power of death. You must choose a new source of prosperity by receiving every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus so that you lack nothing in your spiritual soul and are free to give.
If you're ready, it all begins with a conversation. Why not come forward and receive Christ with a repentant heart, through faith, confessing his name, and pledging your life to him in baptism?
Prayer.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."