15 March, 2016
Topic: The riches of Christ
Speaker: Marc Radar
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
Joel Osteen is heavily criticized, especially
by evangelicals, for prosperity gospel, which reduces bible to the
materialistic blessings and reading the bible in very literalistic ways.
This passage talks of incomprehensible
riches, the rich resources of God, applying into our salvation. Another words,
if God is seated on the penthouse, we’re not on the lobby, but on the penthouse
with Jesus.
This is not to be read in a prosperity
gospel type of way. But if prosperity gospel has difficulty with suffering, we
have trouble dealing with power.
We received the revelation of the riches in
power and resources of God.
In chapter 4-5, Jesus takes these principles
of rich resources and applies it to the mundane activities of everyday life,
such as husband wife relationships.
Leaving church buildings to go where the
people are: do we have any languages of power and resource in our mission? What
do we expect of God at the end of our ministries?
V5 Paul says before we made the conscious
decision to accept Jesus, we were dead. Paul expects that people will come from
the dead to life; orphans to sons and daughters of God.
The resources God gives us demands a
return. Sometimes our expectations are so low that we are like the servant who
buried the talent under the ground. (Refer to the Parable of the Talents, Matthew
25:14-30).
When we have low expectations, we do not get
disappointed. Whereas prosperity gospel is on the opposite end of the spectrum with
an unrealistic expectation.
We have a vision of renewal of everything
in Christ, which require great power and resources. When our expectations are
disappointed, we should turn to God and ask, “will you give us more power?” As
we serve, and meet people where they’re at, we should still be drawing
resources on God, which is available through Christ.
When the work of God is complete, we don’t
just go, “that’s pretty alright, 6/10”. We will forever praise the name of our
God, for what He has done!
It’s not about water views and fancy cars,
but the outpouring of the work of God in our lives.
We are recipients of all that God has
revealed in Christ, power found in the name of Jesus, and we shall never be the
same.
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