Ephesians 1:7-10 (New International Version)
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[a] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."
James: This morning Clive and I want the truth of these verses to come alive for you. We want to touch on three things this morning. We want to touch on REDEMPTION. We want to touch on THE COST. We want to touch on the MYSTERY.
These verses tell us that we have redemption and forgiveness of sins. Redemption is an interested word because it can also mean ransom. Now who do you pay a ransom to? In certain politically unstable countries in S. America executives were captured and taken away into the jungle by rebels, and they were held for a ransom. This means that unless the oil company that they worked for, or their families paid money, this executive would be held captive.
This is like us. We were held captive by our sin. Now to demonstrate this Clive is going to perform a trick for us.
Now Clive you say that you are an escape artist. Yes?
Clive: Yes that is correct.
James: And you are prepared to show us this feat this morning.
Clive: Yes - prepared. Like a car racer driver with flame resistant underpants.
James: (confused look) Okay. Well I have here something called a straight jacket. And you'll see that when we get this on Clive that he will be quite bound. (puts on jacket and buckles up - talks as he does this) Now boys and girls this is what it is like for us. We were bound up in our sin. And what sorts of things capture us and hold us? (writes sins on pieces of paper and sticks to jacket).
How do you feel Clive?
Clive: Very good thanks.
James: Would you like an orange?
Clive: Oh yes please
James: Explanation of Straight Jacket
In Jesus Christ we have been redeemed!! Meaning: We have been delivered!!
What have we been delivered from? Let me explain: 3 things:
1. Sinful nature:
Think of the size of your bedroom. Some of you have BIG bedrooms, some of LITTLE bedrooms, some of you maybe even have to SHARE your bedrooms. I had to share bedrooms with my brother. He would sleep walk and try to climb into my bed, anyway that is another story.
Think of being locked in your bedroom for a week. All of your activity for the week would be limited or bound by the amount of space you have in your room. In the same way until Jesus Christ sets us free we are bound by our natural desire to do what is wrong. We cannot step outside of a life of sin until Jesus opens up for us the door of forgiveness through which we are set free to chose not to sin.
2. World:
Have you got everyone in a pool to run as fast as they can around the outside of the pool creating a current? And then when you have the water swirling you reverse direction and try to move against the force of the current you created or you just relax and let it pull you along.
There are many people in this world who try to find meaning and purpose in life apart from God and it is like they are all running around the outside of a pool creating a current by their momentum. Just like the beach ball caught up in the pool current we created cannot move against the current unless we help it we get caught up in this current and God reached down through Jesus and delivered us.
3. Satan:
How many of you have witnessed the feeding of the lions at the Vancouver Zoo? It strikes fear in us to see how they devour the meat. The Bible says that Satan is like a roaring lion roaming to and fro seeking whom he may devour. Just like trying to wrestle a lion, on our own we are helpless against the power of Satan. But Jesus has defeated Satan and delivered us from his power.
We are redeemed!! We have been delivered!!
But we still live in these bodies, we still live in this world, Satan continues to try to tempt us and hurt us and it is hard not to be attracted and trapped by what this world and Satan offers.
Clive: Hey, that reminds me of the story of a monkey.
James: Explanation of monkey story:
The simple point is this: You must decide to let go of what is wrong so that you can live in the freedom that Jesus Christ purchased for you.
Clive: Summary: And so we have talked about what we have been redeemed from. Now, we want to try demonstrating for you the COST of our redemption.
The Tim bit Giveaway: Peanut Allergy Disclaimer
Clive: Leading
James: Doing pushups
James: Explanation of Tim bit Giveaway
Hmmm those Tim bits were good weren't they? Jesus offers us forgiveness and like the Tim bit it is a free gift we enjoy. The price Jesus paid to offer us forgiveness was not 10 pushups or even 1000 pushups. He allowed His body to be stripped, beaten, and nailed to the cross where He died to forgive us. The cost Jesus paid to forgive us was not sweat but His blood. He died to forgive us and that is the cost that God set and Jesus paid to set us free to obey Him.
Clive: Summary: And so we have talked about what we have been redeemed from, the COST of our redemption, and now finally before we wrap up, the MYSTERY of redemption.
James: Ephesians 1:9 "And he[a] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,"
James: Now Clive I understand that you know a few cool tricks that you would like to show everybody here today. Is that right?
Clive: Yes, yes, that is absolutely correct. A few tricks, yes.
James: Now who would like to come up here and help Clive out with his first trick? BRING UP ONE VOLUNTEER.
Clive: performs the ball trick.
James: ahh yes, yes, now Clive is just getting warmed up. This next trick will surely astound you.
Clive: performs the handkerchief trick.
James: Now this is a great mystery. How does Clive get the handkerchief to disappear in his hand and AMAZINGLY reappear...? Now let's get Clive to do this again. Okay Hot Shot show us this trick once more!!
Clive: performs the trick one more time.
James: What a mystery!! How does he do this? Clive won't you reveal to us the secret of your trick.
Clive reveals to the people the secret of the trick.
James: Explanation of the trick
Our redemption, or God paying the price to forgive our sin through Jesus on the cross, is a great mystery. Now Clive's trick once he revealed it to us was very simple. It was a mystery because it was a secret. In the same way our redemption is a mystery not because it is hard to understand like the bonus math problem on a test but in that it remains a secret to us unless God reveals it.
And so, just as Clive revealed to us the secret of his trick, God has revealed to us the secret of what He did for us through the death of Jesus on the cross. Let me show you my cool key chain light I got for Christmas. With this cool little light I can find the lock on our van in the dark because it illuminates the lock for me. In the same way God has illuminated our minds so that we can see what He has done for us. In His grace God opens our eyes to see what He has done for us.
If God has revealed to you the secret of the cross the only way to respond is to accept His gift of forgiveness he offers you and then live a life of love and gratitude expressed in the freedom of obedience.
If God has not revealed to you the secret of the cross you need to ask Him to open up your eyes and reveal to you the secret of our redemption through the cross.