Eph. 1:3-14 - Blessings of Being Connected

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

The enthusiasm of Bob Dylan in that song about the salvation we have in the blood of Jesus

is shared by the Apostle Paul in our passage this morning.

Last week we started a study in the book of Ephesians,

and just as soon as Paul has said hello, he launches into a hymn of praise to God.

He writes for 12 verses.

In the Greek it's all in one sentence.

One big, long sentence.

In English we break it up a little bit for readability,

but I hope as I read it this morning you'll still hear Paul gushing with joy and excitement

as I read Ephesians 1 verses 3 to 14.

Ephesians 1:3–14

Ephesians 1 at verse 3.

This is God's holy word.

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 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 we have redemption through His blood,

the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace,

which He lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight,

making known to us the mystery of His will,

according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ,

as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in Him,

things in heaven and things on earth.

In Him we have obtained an inheritance,

having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things,

according to the counsel of His will,

so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.

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.

The grass withers,

the flowers fade,

but these words of our God will indeed stand forever.

Join me now as we pray and ask Him to teach us.

Indeed, Father,

blessed be Your name.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us so richly in every way.

What an amazing passage.

What a great chance to remember together and rejoice in what You've done.

Father, You know that our hearts can't even contain it.

That our minds are too weak to understand.

That my words are too feeble to even describe what it is that You've done.

And so, Father, I pray that You would speak.

Holy Spirit, would You open our eyes and our hearts to see wonderful things

in this, Your Word.

Please, please teach us and change us.

We ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

While I was in seminary,

my wife worked at Washington University in St. Louis.

One of the things she did was plan events,

and she helped organize one time a very large dinner

to honor distinguished alumni of the university.

It was a big night.

A thousand people were going to be in attendance.

Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City,

was the keynote speaker.

And all these distinguished alumni were coming back

to be honored by the university.

Now, Christy had offered to work the event,

which meant that she could be at the ticket table out front.

She might get a plate if they had some left over,

or she might not get to eat at all.

But for sure, what that meant with Christy at the event for the evening

was that I was in a really bad spot.

I was home on the couch with probably frozen pizza

as my best bet for the evening.

This was a huge, huge deal,

and we had no right to be at the dinner.

Then we got our big break.

We found out that one of the distinguished alumni honorees

was Jim Barker, the president of Clemson University.

Christy and I had just come from Clemson

and knew the Barkers a little bit while we were there,

so I found that out,

and I emailed Mrs. Barker and said,

Christy will be there that evening.

She would love to be able to say hey to you.

If y'all can look for her at the ticket table,

you'll probably see her on your way in.

And thought nothing else of it.

And two days later,

the lady in charge of the event came to Christy

and said,

I got a call from Mrs. Barker today.

They'd like for you and Will to be their guests at the dinner.

They'd like for you to sit with them.

All of the sudden,

we went from on the couch with frozen pizza

and at the ticket table to table number two,

right up front for the whole night.

My name tag that night read Will Spink,

but it was only as guest of Jim Barker

that I could be seated at that dinner.

In fact, the people at my table figured that out quickly.

They were,

why are you here?

You know, let's see.

You're Will Spink.

Now, who is that?

Oh, guest of Jim Barker.

Oh, right, right.

So all night, that's what I went through.

Oh, you're just with him.

Yes, we're with him.

President Barker had earned the honors

that he was receiving that night,

the chance to be at that dinner.

And only as I was connected to him,

could I enjoy the food,

the company,

the other wonderful parts of that evening.

That's exactly what the Apostle Paul

is about to talk about

as he details every spiritual blessing

we have in Christ

because of our connection to Jesus.

And it's so important for us to see this this morning

because it's easy to focus on ourselves

and to feel like frozen pizza Christians,

for lack of a better word.

You've felt this way before.

Like, you know, you're a Christian,

maybe, I hope,

but only worthy of eating frozen pizza on the couch,

not steak at table number two.

Compared to others around you,

you feel on the outside,

insecure,

maybe not sure you really belong,

a second-class Christian,

if you even are one at all.

I mean, think about it.

You haven't really done enough

or been good enough.

The people around you

don't seem to be converted to Jesus all the time.

There's that huge moral failure you've done again.

And then last night,

you lost your temper with your family again.

Certainly, of all people,

you're not really, really in.

Someone else knows more.

Someone else has done better.

And so we don't think

we'll get God's love and attention.

He's probably not interested in us,

only the really spiritual people.

They'll sit with Him.

We'll eat frozen pizza on the couch.

You felt that before?

The Ephesians may have felt that way.

They may have had similar struggles.

Here they are in the midst of this city

that is rampant with immorality

and the worship of other gods.

And here's this little fledgling church.

The city of Ephesus is not repenting

and turning to Jesus immediately.

Maybe they really were a second-class church.

Lots of new young Christians,

you know, many of them Gentiles.

They really didn't,

they weren't steeped in how to do church.

Probably they didn't do things well.

Maybe numerical growth

wasn't what they'd hoped it would be.

Was God really caring for them?

Could they really count on Him

to continue to do that

in the midst of a city like this?

Would He really care about people

in a place that disdained Him?

Maybe some of them or all of them

felt like frozen pizza Christians.

And so Paul begins his letter

by saying to them and to us

that Christianity and your story in it

is not about what you do for God.

It's about what God has done for you.

He says that the blessings you have from God

are not ribbons you've earned

for your own performance.

It is every spiritual blessing

coming in Christ.

You're blessed over and over and over

because you're connected to Him.

Listen, our access to God

is based on what God has done for us,

not what we do for God.

Let me repeat that.

Our access to God,

our relationship with Him,

the interaction and engagement we have,

the blessings we receive from Him

are based not on what we do for God,

but on what He has done for us.

That's the good news of this passage.

Life is not all about you.

It's all about Him and His glory.

So what has God done?

What is it that He's done for you?

How has He blessed us in Christ?

This passage is so rich,

we could sit here and marvel at it all day.

Some of you think I'm about to.

But let's look at it in three parts

for just a few minutes.

The first part,

the Father's plan.

An anchor in eternity past.

Look at verses 3 through 6 of this passage.

Blessed be the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who's blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing

in the heavenly places,

praising Him.

What is it that He's done?

Even as He chose us in Him

before the foundation of the world,

that word chose

is the word in the Greek

from which we get the word elect.

He chose us.

He picked you.

He wanted you.

He moved towards you.

He intentionally did something.

In love,

He predestined us.

He's up to something.

Before you were even

a twinkle in your mother's eye,

before the foundation of the world,

God is setting His love upon you

and He's got a plan for it.

For what?

To what end?

What's His plan?

Why was He choosing you?

Two things at least here.

Look in verse 4.

The perfect record.

He chose us that we should be what?

Verse 4.

Holy and blameless before Him.

Not a passing grade.

Not merely tolerable to God,

but holy and blameless.

Perfect.

A perfect righteousness

that of course is not coming from us,

but from Jesus.

Perfect righteousness.

What else did He plan for us?

Verse 5.

He plans for a new family.

He predestines us for adoption

through Jesus Christ.

He wants us to be a part of His family.

Don't miss this.

Do you hear what He's doing?

He's decided He wants you in His family.

You're welcome in.

You belong.

That was His plan all along.

You're not just invited, you see,

to come off the sofa

and to bring your frozen pizza

into the banquet hall

and wander around the back

and watch and peer.

And I wonder about all those people

enjoying the wonderful meals up front.

You're invited to come

to the Father's table

because you're connected to His Son

and have actually become a son.

He's brought you into His family.

What a great comfort and security that is.

The God of the universe,

before you even existed,

intentionally purposes in His will,

plans for you to have a perfect record

and a new family.

His family.

He plans for you.

Listen, if that's His plan,

you can count on it.

He's God.

He's in charge.

He's loved you since before

the foundation of the world.

That's an anchor that will hold

that you can count on.

And then verse 6 reminds us

all this good stuff that He's doing

is He's doing it for us.

It's actually to the praise

of His glorious grace.

Not to our credit, right?

Predestination, for example,

is a source of glory to God

and comfort for God's people.

Not a topic for debate and controversy.

That's what it's become for some of us.

Listen, God says,

this is all about the praise

of my glorious grace

and how wonderful I've been to you.

How much I love you.

How magnanimous I am

and how comforted and secure

you can be

because of who I am.

You can be confident in His love.

Secondly,

we have the Son's sacrifice.

The cross

in human history.

Before the foundation of the world,

God makes a plan

and the Father having made this plan for us,

someone's going to have to execute it.

Someone's going to have to make this happen

and the Son volunteers.

I'll go.

Listen, we're not talking about

a distant deity

who's fatalistically and whimsically

just ordering all the events

of human history.

That's not the picture we have of God

before the foundation of the world,

is it?

When God chooses to save,

it costs Him His Son.

It costs Jesus His very life.

That's why this redemption is costly.

It's a costly redemption that we have.

Verse 7,

how is it described?

In Him we have redemption

through His blood.

The very blood of Jesus,

the perfect Son of God,

is the purchase price.

Redemption refers to

buying something back.

Like purchasing someone's freedom

out of slavery.

Buying it back.

And when God plans for us

to be in His family,

He had to buy us back

at the cost of the perfect Lamb.

Not with perishable things

like silver or gold

that we were redeemed,

but with the precious blood

of Jesus Christ.

That's what happens on the cross.

The Father who loves you

and wants you in His family

says,

I've got to purchase you

and it costs my Son His life.

As a result of that,

we receive what?

Full forgiveness.

Another spiritual blessing.

There's starting to be

a laundry list here.

Full forgiveness.

Look at verse 7.

We have redemption

through His blood,

the forgiveness

of our trespasses.

And this means that

our slate that's dirty

and that's smudged

is wiped clean.

Our sin and guilt

wiped away completely.

Not just some of our sins,

but notice full forgiveness.

Keep reading.

On what basis are we forgiven?

To what extent?

According to the riches

of His grace

which He has lavished upon us.

Riches lavished upon you.

Do you know what that feels like?

I like to eat,

so I pictured Christmas

at Grandma's house.

We were just there recently

and here's what it went like for us.

My girls would go to get dessert.

They'd find the cookies

in the cookie jar

and they'd eat a couple

or three

and they'd run out

and they'd say,

there's no more cookies left.

And we'd say,

perfect.

You know, we're through.

And Grandma says,

oh no,

oh there's plenty more

in the back room.

Let me go get you

some more cookies.

And we're like,

oh, Grandma,

two or three cookies

was enough.

And they get some more

and so, you know,

an hour or so later

you're sitting there

watching the television

and your kids come out

with a bowl of ice cream.

Grandma, ice cream?

I thought we'd run out of that.

We emptied that carton last night.

I had two more cartons

in the freezer

outside in the garage.

We got some more out.

They're having ice cream.

It runs out

but there's always more.

You never run out.

Always more.

Always given generously

until you're completely full.

That's lavish, right?

That's what it looks like

to have riches

lavished upon you.

That's what Christmas

should be like

especially for kids

who can still eat that much.

Have you had the riches

of God's grace

lavished upon you?

Poured on you

to overflowing

over all your sins?

The worst things you've done?

The biggest failures

to perform

where you left things undone?

The things you've never

told anyone else about?

The thoughts in your heart

you're embarrassed

you've ever had?

Hasn't He lavished

forgiveness on us?

Hasn't He done that?

What a great blessing that is.

Full, full forgiveness.

A great gift.

So the Son accomplishes

the Father's ancient plan

in real space

and time of human history.

But does it get to us?

The cross still seems

like a while ago.

Is it going to actually

get to us?

Is it going to be ours?

There's all these blessings

and the Holy Spirit

makes sure of that.

Finally, in this passage

we read of the Spirit's seal.

A stake in eternity future.

The last part of this passage.

Notice especially verse 13.

When we heard and believed,

we were sealed

with the promised Holy Spirit.

Now before we talk about

what the Holy Spirit does for us,

can we just notice for a second?

All three parts of the Godhead

working together.

God working in concert.

All three with unique roles.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Father planning to love and save.

The Son taking on flesh

to sacrifice and redeem.

And now we have the Spirit

applying that purchased salvation

to those whom the Father

has chosen

and for whom the Son

has died.

Because the word Trinity

is not actually in the Bible,

people sometimes suggest

that the Bible doesn't teach

about a triune God.

It's been suggested again recently.

That maybe Jesus

isn't really divine.

That these are things

we're making up.

This is a great example

of the Bible teaching

about the Trinity.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

working together.

They've come together

on this project.

What's the big project

they're partnering on?

All three of them

working together.

To what end?

It's securing our adoption

and our eternal salvation.

That's what they're up to,

isn't it?

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

together.

And so the Holy Spirit

comes and guarantees

that we have a certain

inheritance.

That's what it looks like

for Him to be a seal.

Look at verse 11.

God hasn't just adopted you

with the possibility

of taking it back.

In Him we've obtained

an inheritance

having been predestined

according to the purpose

of Him who works all things

according to the counsel

of His will.

You want to know

what's going to happen?

When this guy decides

it happens,

he works all things

according to the counsel

of His will.

This plan is not tentative

or tenuous.

He's written you in permanently

with the riches

of His kingdom

belonging to you.

He's engraved you

on the palm of His hand.

He's not changing His mind.

The Holy Spirit

is the one who seals,

validates,

authenticates

that we are indeed His.

The heir of the cattle

on a thousand hills.

We have a stake

in eternity future.

Something that we can count on.

And then there's

eternal security.

The Spirit is described again

in verse 14

as a guarantee.

The Holy Spirit

who is the guarantee

of our inheritance.

When you hear guarantee,

think of the down payment,

the deposit,

the promise of eternity

because we have

the Holy Spirit

in us now.

So this is not

social security

which may be there

in 30 or 40

or 50 years

but may not.

This is eternal security.

an inheritance

that cannot perish

or spoil or fade

because the Holy Spirit

lives in us

and assures us

that we'll obtain

the inheritance

until the day

He claims us as His own

and we receive

the fullness

of the coming kingdom.

Everything that God

has for us.

It's also interesting

in these verses

if you look

in this last section

Paul actually

changes some pronouns.

What does he mean

when in verse 11

he says,

in him we.

We, he's talking

about us Jews.

Paul was a Jew.

In him we've obtained

an inheritance.

Look at verse 13.

In him you also,

you Gentiles,

you also when you heard

and believed,

received the Holy Spirit.

So you get to verse 14

and whose inheritance is it?

Ours.

The Jews and the Gentiles.

We and you.

Our inheritance.

Whatever your background.

Regardless of your

religious pedigree

or your performance.

God has secured eternity.

He's the one who's done it.

So just take a look back

at your story for a minute.

What is it that

establishes your access with God?

What's the currency

of your relationship

with God today?

What is it that determines

whether you're on the couch

with frozen pizza

or at table number two?

What is it?

There's an anchor

in eternity past

all the way back

before the world existed,

before you existed,

that the Father loves you

and has a plan

before you existed.

That there's a cross

in human history,

time and space,

where Jesus comes

and purchases you.

This is actually the one place

you might have showed up.

That's the place

we should have been, right?

And Jesus alone

on the cross

in our place

purchases our redemption.

And then in eternity future,

already,

God's gone ahead of us.

The Holy Spirit there

knocking a stake in,

sealing us

and saying,

I'm preparing for you

a seat at a feast

that you've not arrived at yet,

but I've got it

in place for you.

Just notice two things

about this.

First of all,

what we said earlier,

the Godhead working together,

Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit,

all three of them

working for you.

And secondly,

the fact that you're not there.

You weren't there

before the foundation

of the world.

You weren't there

on the cross.

You're not there

in eternity future yet.

If you feel second class,

held at arm's length

from God,

then you're reading

the wrong story.

You're reading the one

about yourself

and about how you're doing

and what things look like

around you.

Hear the old,

old story again.

All three persons

of the Godhead

doing this for you.

He's just that good.

His grace really is

that amazing.

That's your story.

Two points of application

for us this morning

based off of phrases

that are repeated

in this passage.

First,

in light of

all of this that's true,

all these blessings

God has for us,

so what?

Well,

we have a new focus.

When Paul talks about

the process of our salvation,

who's the focus on?

You've probably picked up

on this as we've read

several times.

Who's it all about?

It's about God

and His glory and praise.

It started in verse 3.

Blessed be,

not you and me,

blessed be the God

and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ.

It's going to be about Him.

Verse 6 says,

to the praise

of His glorious grace.

Verse 12,

we actually exist

to the praise

of His glory.

Verse 14,

the whole passage

closes to the praise

of His glory.

From beginning to end,

it's about His glory.

And that's our chief end,

right?

The glory of God.

Our lives

are about His glory,

not our own.

Not about winning

the game of life.

It's about God's glory,

even before it's about

these wonderful things

like our security

and comfort.

How can that be?

That doesn't seem

to make sense.

When I first think about it,

how can it all be about God,

actually be a benefit to me?

Here's how that works.

When it's about His glory,

when God is made great,

we're not made irrelevant.

It leads to our comfort

and security

because our salvation

starts and ends

with Him

and His work.

So if it wasn't ours to earn,

it's not ours to lose either.

When He gets the glory,

when His grace is magnified,

when God becomes big

and strong

and powerful,

we then revel securely

in a God who loves us,

who's purchased us

and will never let us go.

When the one who's holding you

is strong

and loves you,

you're safe, right?

If the person holding you

is strong

and loves you,

you're safe.

It's all about His glory

and that's good for us

because He loves us.

The problem is

we're so obsessed

with ourselves.

We can't stop focusing

on ourselves,

what we look like,

how we perform,

what our reputation is,

how comfortable we are.

We'll even ask God

to serve those things,

won't we?

To make us more comfortable,

to help us look better.

And the irony is

when we focus on ourselves,

things actually turn out

worse for us

because we miss

all these blessings of God

because they're found

in Christ,

not in self.

we miss out

when we do well

and when we do bad.

Just think about

some of the places

we look for these blessings.

Where do we often

look for security?

In money?

Even when we do

really well,

what happens when

we get a lot of money?

Things could change.

You don't know

how long it'll last.

I mean,

the stock market

could change.

There's some security there

but I better get

a little bit more.

This is eternal security

in Christ.

It happens when we fail.

What do we think

when our relationship

with God,

when our adoption

becomes based on our performance

and we fail?

And we start thinking

maybe He doesn't love me.

Maybe He won't hear my prayers.

I've been such a failure.

In both of those cases,

our focus is on ourselves

rather than on the glory of God

and the riches of His grace.

What would be different for you

if your focus was reoriented

from your glory to His?

What would change?

How you invest your money?

Where you spend your time?

What else would change?

What would you start doing

if that were true?

What would you stop doing?

Where could you trust

and rest and relax

where now you feel insecure

and anxious?

If it was really true

that it wasn't about

how many national championships

you won

and how successful you were

but that He has won

and that He's chosen you

to be on His team.

If His reputation

really mattered more than yours.

If His glory was really

more important

than your comfort.

Wouldn't our lives look different?

If we really believed that

and took that seriously?

It's about Him.

Secondly, we have

a new name tag.

At least ten times

in this passage

the phrase

in Christ

or something similar

in Him

through Jesus Christ

appears over and over.

In twelve verses

for a phrase like that

to be repeated

ten plus times

is really

something stark

that we ought to notice.

Our connection to Jesus

our union with Him

is highlighted

because it's the basis

for all of these blessings, right?

None of the rest

of this glorious passage

happens without that.

And so for us

the vital question is

do you know Him?

Do you know Him?

What do I mean

when I ask a question

like that?

Do you know Him?

It's an issue

of our defining identity

of our connection

of what's on our name tag.

Under your name

does it read

in Christ?

Does it read

guest of Jesus?

The question is not asking

do you know about Him?

Have you heard about Him

from a distance

or studied about Him

up close?

It's do you know Him?

Are you in Him?

Have you in desperation

claimed His record

as your own

and trusted Him

as your only hope?

I'm not asking

do you go to church

more than your co-workers?

Do you pray

more than your family members?

Do you know more theology

than your friends?

That's not the question.

This passage is asking

are you in Christ?

If so

all the blessings of God

are yours.

One more picture of this

from a guy

who is even worse off

than I was

with frozen pizza

on the couch.

His name is Mephibosheth.

Try saying that

even once.

Mephibosheth.

His story is in

2 Samuel 9.

King Saul

and his son

Jonathan

have died.

David has become

king of Israel.

Jonathan had been

David's best friend.

Had earned

David's affection.

And so David asks

is there anyone

left of Saul's house

to whom I can show

kindness

for Jonathan's sake?

He loves Jonathan

so much

he wants to

show kindness

to someone

for Jonathan's sake.

and he's told

there's one

but he's crippled

in both feet.

He's not worthy

to even

come in the palace.

Perhaps

he's a threat

to David's power

as an heir of Saul

still alive.

Listen to what happens

in 2 Samuel 9.

Mephibosheth

does come

to King David

and David says

to him

do not fear

for I will show

you kindness

for the sake

of your father

Jonathan

and I will restore

to you all the land

of Saul your father

and you shall eat

at my table

always.

And Mephibosheth

bows down

to David

and says

what's your servant

that you should

show regard

for a dead dog

such as I?

And the king

called Ziba

Saul's servant

and said to him

all that belong

to Saul

and to all his house

I've given

to your master's

grandson.

son.

And so Mephibosheth

ate at David's table

like one of the king's sons.

So Mephibosheth

lived in Jerusalem

for he ate always

at the king's table.

Now he was lame

in both feet.

Lame in both feet.

A self-described

dead dog.

But Mephibosheth

was connected

to Jonathan

wasn't he?

And because of

Jonathan's merit

Mephibosheth

always ate

at the king's table.

If they wore

name tags back then

I am certain

that his would have read

son of Jonathan.

Mephibosheth

son of Jonathan.

Southwood

Jesus has done

immeasurably

more

than President Barker

for me

or Jonathan

for Mephibosheth.

President Barker

earned me a seat

at an honored table

for one night.

Jonathan earned

for Mephibosheth

a seat

at the king

of Israel's table

for the rest

of his life.

Jesus

has earned

for us

for those

who are united

to him

a seat

at the king

of kings table

for the rest

of your life

and for

all of eternity.

He's done

that for you.

Does your name tag

read

guest

of Jesus?

That's the only way

to receive

every spiritual blessing

to have

a perfect record

a new family

costly redemption

full forgiveness

a certain inheritance

eternal security

and

and so much more

that's just

in this one chapter.

If you're in Christ

you've done nothing

to earn

your seat

at the table.

God chose

the you

that is in Christ

before the foundation

of the world

before you

did any better

or tried any harder

rejoice

he loves you.

If you're not

in Christ

you can do nothing

to earn your seat

at the table.

There's nothing

you can do.

Believe in him.

Cling to him.

Ask for his record

instead of yours.

dead dogs

second class

believers

repeated failures

the good news

of the gospel

is that it's not

about you

it's all about him

and he loves you

and welcomes you

to this table

in Christ

to this table

that he set

before you

and he welcomes you

in Christ.

I want you

to hear

the words

of institution

of this table

from 1 Corinthians 11

Paul says

I received

from the Lord

what I also

delivered to you

that the Lord

Jesus on the night

when he was

betrayed

took bread

and when he

had given

thanks

he broke it

and said

this is my body

which is for you

do this

in remembrance

of me

and in the same

way also

he took the cup

after supper

saying

this cup

is the new

covenant

in my blood

do this

as often

as you drink

it

in remembrance

of me

for as often

as you eat

this bread

and drink

the cup

you proclaim

the Lord's

death

until he

comes

y'all

this is

the Lord's

table

it's not

a Southwood

table

or Presbyterian

table

if it was

a Southwood

table

you might

qualify

I might

have a chance

but it's

not

it's the

table

of the

holy

glorious

perfect

king

of kings

and

Will Spink

on his

own

has no

chance

to be

at this

table

with the

imperfections

on my

record

and yours

no chance

but the

guest of

Jesus

is guaranteed

a seat

here

always

always

because of

his

perfect

record

if you've

despaired

of your

own

credentials

and trusted

in his

come

come

and eat

dead

dog

crippled

in both

feet

your new

name tag

says

in

Christ

you

always

eat

at the

king's

table

and if

you're

not

in

Christ

if you

don't

know

him

I'd

encourage

you

not

to

come

to

this

table

but

I'd

encourage

you

this

morning

imagine

what

if

your

record

and

the

imperfections

you're

aware

of

and

the

things

you

regret

and

wish

hadn't

been

a

part

of

your

story

what

if

all

of

that

could

be

wiped

away

your

imperfect

record

gone

and

you'd

be

handed

a

perfect

record

that

doesn't

take

months

of

rehab

and

trying

to

earn

things

better

trying

to

clean

it

up

and

build

your

resume

he

does

it

all

for

you

he

can

do

it

right

now

in

this

moment

you

can

ask

him

he

can

scribble

guest

of

Jesus

on

your

name

tag

in

this

moment

in

permanent

you

can

feast

with

him

forever

won't

you

trust

in

Jesus

pray

with

me

and

we'll

come

to

this

table

Jesus

thank

you

thank

you

all

the

blessings

that

we

have

are

because

of

you

your

body

and

blood

have

bought

us

what

a

great

precious

price

that

is

for

our

redemption

would

the

taste

of

your

body

and

blood

on

our

lips

assure

us

of

the

father's

full

forgiveness

and

the

eternal

welcome

that

you

have

earned

for

us

we

ask

in

your

name

amen

the

Lord

Jesus

on the

same

night

in which

he

was

betrayed

took

bread

and

when

he

had

given

thanks

he

broke

it

as

I

ministering

in

his

name

break

this

bread

and

he

gave

it

to

them

and

said

take

and

eat

this

is

my

body

broken

for

you

do

this

in

remembrance

of

me

in

the same

manner

after

supper

he

took

the

cup

and

after

giving

thanks

as

has

been

done

in

his

name

he

gave

it

to

his

disciples

and

said

take

drink

all

of

you

this

is

the

blood

of

the

new

covenant

in

my

blood

take

and

drink

the

body

and

blood

of

Jesus

given

for

you

come

all

of

you

rejoice

feast

come

trust

him

and

eat

and drink

to

his

glory

the

host

team

members

will

usher

you

forward

and

back

to

the

tables

and

we

will

feast

together

for more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org

our

and

you

you

you

you