TITLE: God Has a Guarantee on You

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TITLE God Has a Guarantee on You

• TEXT Ephesians 11-14
• THEME You should feel confident because God
  permanently secures your position in Him.

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• There have been times in my own spiritual life
  when I have related to God exactly the way Quincy
  relates to us or Mike did to God Timid,
  cowering, wanting to run away, yet afraid of
  being abandonedand not having a clue about what
  it means to be part of God's family. Like Mike
  and Quincy I have shared those fears and I
  suspect there are many here this morning who have
  done the same.

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Why should you feel secure in your position in
Christ?
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I. You've were on God's mind before the beginning
of time.
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Ephesians 13-5

• 3 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. 4
  For he chose us in him before the creation of the
  world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In
  love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship
  through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his
  pleasure and will

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I. You've were on God's mind before the beginning
of time

• A. God loved us and chose us before the world
  began. (4)

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A. God loved us and chose us before the world
began. (4)

• The point here is that God choose us before
  the world began. It was not based on a whim. It
  is not influenced by the emotion of the moment.
  It was settled long before you were ever born.
  Our security is determined by the fact that He
  choose us apart from any influence other than his
  love for us.

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I. You've were on God's mind before the beginning
of time

• A. God loved us and chose us before the world
  began. (4)
• B. God loved and chose us to be holy in his
  eyes. (4)

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I. You've were on God's mind before the beginning
of time

• A. God loved us and chose us before the world
  began. (4)
• B. God loved and chose us to be holy in his
  eyes. (4)
• C. His plan has always been to adopt us into
  his own family (5)

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• Adoption wasn't just a case of childless
  parents choosing to provide a home for a
  parentless child. That was only one aspect of it.
  Adoptions also frequently occurred for business
  or political reasons, and it wasn't at all
  uncommon for one grown man to adopt another grown
  man to ensure that his wealth and power were
  passed on in the way that he intended it to be.

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• Adoptions were irrevocable. In fact, a man
  could disown his birth son, but could not disown
  his adopted son. It was a permanent relationship.
  Paul said, "You've been adopted into the family
  of God. Get comfortable you're here to stay."

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I. You've were on God's mind before the beginning
of time

• A. God loved us and chose us before the world
  began. (4)
• B. God loved and chose us to be holy in his
  eyes. (4)
• C. His plan has always been to adopt us into
  his own family (5)
• D. All things happen exactly as he decided
  long ago. (11-12)

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Ephesians 111-12

• 11 In him we were also chosen, having been
  predestined according to the plan of him who
  works out everything in conformity with the
  purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who
  were the first to put our hope in Christ, might
  be for the praise of his glory

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D. All things happen exactly as he decided long
ago. (11-12)

• God knew that you would be where you are today in
  your job, in your relationships, in all areas of
  your life. He knew you would be here. For some,
  it's been a rough ride. There have been mistakes
  and disappointments along the way, and you've
  fallen short of God's glory more times than you
  want to admit. Many of you have many regrets
  many of you have wanted to give up many times.
  But God's love for you has never changedYou have
  been on his mind from the very beginning.

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• The message of Ephesians is that God accepted
  you into the body of Christ not because he had
  to, but because he wanted to.

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Why should you feel secure in your position in
Christ?
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II. You belong to God, and that will never
change.
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Ephesians 16-11

• 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which
  he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In
  him we have redemption through his blood, the
  forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
  riches of Gods grace

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Ephesians 16-11

• 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and
  understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery
  of his will according to his good pleasure, which
  he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect
  when the times reach their fulfillmentto bring
  unity to all things in heaven and on earth under
  Christ.

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II. You belong to God, and that will never change

• A. His adoption of us is accomplished through
  His grace. (6)

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II. You belong to God, and that will never change

• A. His adoption of us is accomplished through
  His grace. (6)
• B. He purchased our freedom through the blood
  of his Son. (7)

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II. You belong to God, and that will never change

• A. His adoption of us is accomplished through
  His grace. (6)
• B. He purchased our freedom through the blood
  of his Son. (7)
• It refers to buying back an itemor more
  specifically, a personthat would otherwise be
  lost, taken prisoner, or destroyed. The word
  means, literally, "ransom." It is used to
  describe the purchasing of freedom for a slave, a
  prisoner of war, or even one condemned to die.
  When the ransom is paid, the prisoner is set
  free.

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II. You belong to God, and that will never change

• A. His adoption of us is accomplished through
  His grace. (6)
• B. He purchased our freedom through the blood
  of his Son. (7)
• C. The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will
  give us everything He promised. (13-14)

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Ephesians 113-14

• 13 And you also were included in Christ when
  you heard the message of truth, the gospel of
  your salvation. When you believed, you were
  marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy
  Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our
  inheritance until the redemption of those who are
  Gods possessionto the praise of his glory.

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Guarantee

• "Guarantee" is a business term that refers to
  pledge money or earnest money that is paid up
  front to ensure that full payment will be made
  later. It's like a depositPaul is saying that
  the Holy Spirit is that deposit, that guarantee.

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Philippians 16

• Being confident of this, that he who began a
  good work in you will carry it on to completion
  until the day of Christ Jesus.

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John 1028-29

• 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall
  never perish no one will snatch them out of my
  hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is
  greater than all no one can snatch them out of
  my Fathers hand.

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Why should you feel secure in your position in
Christ?
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III. You have everything you need

1. A. God has blessed us with every spiritual
   blessing (3)

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Ephesians 1 3

• 3 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.

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III. You have everything you need

• A. God has blessed us with every spiritual
  blessing (3)
• B. He has showered his kindness, wisdom,
  understanding and knowledge on us. (8)

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2 Corinthians 98

• And God is able to bless you abundantly, so
  that in all things at all times, having all that
  you need, you will abound in every good work.

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APPLICATION

• God isn't mad at you. He isn't disappointed in
  you. He isn't sorry that he chose you. He didn't
  choose you because you had to, he chose you
  because he wanted to. And if he had to do it
  over, he would choose you again. Why? Because you
  have been on his mind from the very beginning.

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Catherine Marshall

• "Kenneth, do you remember when you were
  youngerwhen you used to play so hard, you would
  be too tired to undress yourself, but just fell
  asleep in my bed? In the morning you would
  awake to find yourself in your own bed in your
  own room?

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Catherine Marshall

• Your father had come with his strong arms and
  carried you there. Death is like that. You will
  wake up to find yourself in your own room where
  you belong, because Jesus cared and carried you
  with his strong arms."

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