In this sermon, Dr. John Kyle explores the profound mystery of God’s sovereign will, emphasizing the Christian’s privilege to glorify God in all aspects of life. Using the life of Joseph as a powerful illustration, Dr. Kyle unpacks the unshakable truth that God’s purposes are accomplished even through human fallibility and sin. Be inspired to embrace your calling as a spiritual watchman, sharing the good news of Christ boldly and living faithfully in a world that desperately needs His light.
Welcome to Expository Truths, where we exalt Christ by bringing clarity of truth through the scriptures with Dr. John Kyle, pastor of Faith Community Church in Vacaville. As Christians, we’re called to know the truth and be able to proclaim it. We can know truth when we know the Word of God, which is precise, without error, and powerful and effective for both salvation and spiritual growth. Enjoy digging deeply with Dr. Kyle as he takes us verse by verse through the powerful book of Ephesians, giving us a marvelous summary of the good news of Christ and its implications for our daily lives.
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Please turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1, verses 11 and 12. Ephesians 1, 11, and 12. The letter of Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul to the faithful saints living in the city of Ephesus. Paul wrote this while he was under house arrest in Rome in about A.D.
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And he wrote it to lay a proper doctrinal foundation for these believers so they could then live out those doctrines for the glory of God. We now find ourselves in the doctrinal section of this book that’s found in chapters 1 through 3. It’s very interesting because this doctrinal section begins with one single sentence in the original language, the Greek, a sentence that consists of 202 words, and a sentence that’s 12 verses long, verses 3 through 14. More than anything else, this is an attempt to use a whole lot of words to praise God for His divine plan. And it’s as if Paul can’t contain the love and the praise that he has for God. So he just rattles off these 202 inspired words that are filled with incredible truths about what God has done for the believer. And it’s only at the end of verse 14 that Paul stops and takes a breath. Up to this point, Paul has praised God for choosing us for himself, for predestining us for adoption, for making us acceptable in the beloved, for redeeming us, for forgiving us of all our sin as believers, for showering us with undeserved grace, and for ensuring for us that the best really is yet to come, all of which are incredible reasons to praise God. But look, there’s more. There’s more, verses 11 and 12. Look, in him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. Now here we see some more amazing reasons to praise and to bless our amazing God. Look, first, in him we have an inheritance. The second way of looking at this is also biblically true, and I think this is what Paul is specifically referring to here in verse 11, that we in Christ have obtained an inheritance. Another great reason to bless God today, Peter tells us that our future inheritance is reserved in heaven for us. The word reserve means to keep an eye on, to keep something in view, to attend carefully and to watch over it. And here we find that our inheritance is being kept, held, and preserved for a definite purpose and for a suitable time. Interesting to note that the word reserved is in the perfect tense, which pictures a reservation made in the past. See, from God’s perspective, our reservation in heaven was made before the foundation of the world. But from our human perspective, it became a reality when we first believed. And this reservation is being held for us until our homecoming arrives. So it’s safe to say that our eternal inheritance as believers is secure. See, we can count on what’s waiting for us there. And that should bring great comfort and peace to our souls. And it should also cause us to bless and praise our amazing God who has so graciously given us these things. Think about it. Soon you’ll be home. That’s a fact if you’re a Christian. Soon this life will end and then glory. Soon your inheritance that’s being guarded will be yours. Soon eternal bliss will be your reality. Soon heaven. Soon. What else matters in light of that? That reality should fill us with constant praise for our amazing God. Why else should we praise and bless our God? Second, because He predestined us according to His purpose. Now that’s already been mentioned in verses 4 and 5, so why mention it again? Again. Because it’s so good. Because it’s a great reason to give praise and blessing to God. Many people today don’t think it’s a good reason to praise God, and the last thing that they want to do is talk about this doctrine, but that wasn’t Paul’s perspective at all. Not at all. He exalts this doctrine and he praises God for it, and so should we. Now question, why would he do this? Answer, because. That’s why. According to his purpose. Or as Paul already said, according to the good pleasure of his will. So why? Here’s why. Because he wanted to. because it pleases God. That’s a deep thought. As one noted, the picture here is not of a grim Lord watching over the execution of his predetermined plan, but of a smiling father who is to be praised. He enjoys imparting his riches to his children. That’s right. So this act of free love is grounded totally in God himself, freely from his own goodwill. He wanted you. He wanted to save you. He wanted to adopt you as his own. And while this isn’t an indictment on those that he didn’t choose to predestine, it’s simply pointing out the blessings on those that he did choose and predestine, and also on the greatness of his love in doing this for undeserving sinners like us. This is a deep doctrine that God has figured out perfectly, but it is a biblical doctrine. Again, that God before the foundation of the world chose to make certain individuals the objects of his unmerited favor or special grace. That’s done not because of anything that we would do, but because of his sovereign will. God could have chosen to save all men and He could have chosen to save none, but He instead chose to save some and leave the others to the consequences of their sin. God gets all the credit for those who are saved and those who reject Him are fully accountable for their rejection. Now, one of the main reasons that people find the doctrine of predestination and unconditional election so offensive is because it entails a very real possibility that a lost loved one may not be one of the chosen ones. But please remember that no one seeks God unless God seeks that person first. Yes, there is no hope for our lost loved one unless he or she is chosen. But guess what? He or she may be one of the chosen ones. And in hoping and praying for the salvation of your loved one, would you rather put your hope in the possibility that your loved one will come to God on his own or in the possibility that God will sovereignly bestow his amazing grace on them? God, our God that we know, our God that we know, who is so good and gracious and kind and loving. And for me, as I look at this, this is how I look at it, that God put my children in my family for a reason. And he put all the specific lost people who are in my life for a reason. Why? So they can see and hear the truth of God and be saved from the wrath to come. And then I trust the Lord with the rest. Another reason that many people recoil from embracing this doctrine is that if it be true, then God has created myriads of people who have no chance at salvation. That He created them just so He could destroy them. But we need to give our sovereign God a bit more credit. And woe to us if we sit in judgment of Him. According to the Bible, God doesn’t send anyone to hell because that person is non-elect. No. He sends them to hell because they are sinners who willingly rebel against Him. Every human deserves God’s wrath and God would be just to send all human beings to hell. So is it wrong for God to send rebellious sinners to hell? Everyone is responsible and everyone is accountable for their lives and for their choices. Another objection to this doctrine is that it kills missions and it kills evangelism. Answer, no it doesn’t. Not in any way. God uses means to bring His people to Himself and the means He uses is you and me. What a privilege. See, God has many people out there who will be saved from the wrath to come. But how is that going to happen? By His people sharing His good news with the lost souls around them. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and people won’t be saved unless they hear the Word of God. How will they hear? Us! Telling them! And not only is it our privilege to be used by God in that way, it’s our calling, it is our responsibility. Reminds me of the watchman in Ezekiel. Remember that? In Ezekiel 33, we find that a watchman was called to stand on the city wall and watch for danger. If he saw danger, he was called to blow the trumpet of warning. If he blew the trumpet and warned the people, then any danger that came is on their head because they had been warned, they just didn’t listen. But if he saw danger coming, he didn’t blow the trumpet and warn the people. Well, any danger that came to the people is on his head because he didn’t sound the warning when he was supposed to sound the warning. Well, God tells Ezekiel that he was a spiritual watchman for the people of Israel. And just as Ezekiel was called to be the watchman for the people of Israel, so are we all as Christians to be watchmen for the many lost souls around us. Jesus makes that clear in the Great Commission and in his call for us to be salt and light in this world. See, we in Christ have a responsibility. We have a calling. And when we sound the warning by word and by deed, then our responsibility is met. But when we don’t, we aren’t living up to our responsibilities as spiritual watchmen. Now, I can’t save anyone. God is the one who saves, but I can sound the warning. I can and must preach the good news of Christ to those around me. And good news, some will come to Christ in saving faith. I don’t know who they are, God knows, but some will come. See, the Father has given the good shepherd a flock of sheep. And the entire flock hasn’t yet been brought into the fold. So there’s more out there who will come in. Maybe it’s your child. Maybe it’s your spouse. Maybe it’s your lost friend. Maybe. And I say, God put you in their lives for a reason. See? God has given us a responsibility of being the means of sounding the warning. It doesn’t squelch evangelism. It propels it forward. One other objection to this doctrine is that it seems inconsistent with the gospel’s promises that whosoever will may come. And whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. But that objection isn’t true at all. No, this doctrine definitely does not contradict these gracious promises. Whosoever will may come. That’s true. However, it’s also true that no one will come unless the Father who sent Christ draws him to Christ. Why is anyone willing? It is God who works in you, both the will and the work for his good pleasure, Philippians 2.13. Why does anyone put his faith in Jesus? By grace you have been saved through faith, and that’s not of your own doing. It’s a gift of God, Ephesians 2.8. The call is to embrace what the scriptures plainly teach, even when we can’t wrap our minds around all of it. And God doesn’t need us to defend him. No, our call is to trust him. As one noted, Predestination was never meant to be a doctrinal club used to batter people into acknowledgments of God’s sovereignty. Rather, the message of God’s love preceding our accomplishments and outlasting our failures was meant to give us a profound sense of confidence and security in God’s love so that we will not despair in situations of great difficulty, pain, and shame. And that’s right. And great praise should be given to God because of this truth. Third reason to bless and praise God from these verses, because God works all things according to the counsel of His will. How many things? Some? All things. Look, God knows what He’s doing, even with you. In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul said that God has determined people’s pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. That tells us that God is sovereign, that God reigns over His world, and that God is in full control. That means that an all-wise, sovereign God has a predetermined plan for this world, and that God is in control of the rise and fall of nations and cultures. See, He orders it, He decides what’s going to happen, He arranges it all. That means that God has determined where people will live and how long they will live there. He also determines the geographical boundaries of every nation. Now, when theologians speak of this truth, they refer to the hidden counsels of God. That means that what God is doing in history isn’t always directly revealed in Scripture. Many times we look at the world scene and things seem haphazard, as if there’s no guiding principle. But looking back, we can see the invisible hand of God at work, Raising up one nation, one leader, one army, and bringing down another. As one said, history is his story. That means that he has a final say in every battle, every ruler rising to power, every coup, every election, every pandemic, and every government edict. We generally don’t see the big picture as it unfolds before us. Sometimes we don’t even see it when we’re looking back. But scripture assures us that even in those events that seem to be out of control, God is at work behind the scenes and nothing, nothing, nothing is out of his control. Nothing. See, biblically, we serve a sovereign God. A.W. Pink says this about the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God may be defined as the exercise of his supremacy. Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, he is the most high Lord of heaven and earth, subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent. God does as he pleases, only as he pleases, always as he pleases. None can thwart him, none can hinder him. His own word expressly declares, my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure, Isaiah 46.10. He does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand, Daniel 4.35. Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that he is on the throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things after the counsel of his own will. I say that’s well said and that is biblically accurate. God is sovereign. But look, at the same time, humanity is fully responsible and fully accountable to God. See, God’s sovereignty doesn’t cancel out human responsibility, not at all. And the fact that sin exists at all proves that not all things that occur are the direct actions of God, even though we serve a sovereign God. And while God made humanity with the possibility of sinning, God is not the author of sin, even though God is a sovereign God. Biblically, God doesn’t lead anyone into sin. God never tempts anyone to sin. And God hates sin. And yet, God is still God overall, using all of it for His eternal and sovereign purposes, even the evil that men do. See, sin is still sin, and evil is still evil, but God is greater than the evil. And God is determined to, and He will, accomplish His sovereign purposes through it all. So look, sometimes in his sovereignty, God chooses to allow things that he doesn’t directly cause. That’s called God’s permissive will. We see this in the story of Joseph, remember? Joseph… One of the sons of Israel is betrayed by his other brothers and sold into slavery. He ends up in Egypt. After serving in the house of Potiphar, he is unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife and he’s thrown into prison. Ultimately, he’s delivered from prison by God and he’s raised up to be the one through whom God rescued Israel and blessed the nation during the famine. Later on… Joseph’s brothers showed up in Egypt and they stood before Joseph, whom they didn’t recognize wanting food. In Genesis 45, 4, Joseph said to his brothers, come near to me, please. And they came near and he said, I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you. to preserve life. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. Isn’t that amazing? And then in Genesis 15, 20, he adds, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. You see that? Joseph’s brothers sinned, and they are responsible and fully accountable for their sin. Yes, they are. But God in His sovereignty fulfilled His good purposes through it, even through Joseph’s brothers’ sin. So biblically, God is sovereign, God is in control, God reigns supreme, and nothing can hinder His plan. And at the same time, man is responsible and accountable for all his actions. This tells us that God knows what He’s doing with all this. And even sin can’t hinder the plan of God. How does He do it? That’s beyond us, right? But the Bible is clear. This means that we can trust God for all things because He’s already handled our biggest problem, sin. See, we in Christ cling to the conviction that the God who rules the world is the same loving and compassionate Father who in Christ has forgiven us of all our sins, has accepted us and adopted us as His own children, and who will receive us with joy into His eternal presence forever. Our call is to trust Him. God is in charge. God knows what he’s doing. This isn’t out of his sovereign care and his plans will be accomplished for us. What hope and what another wonderful reason to praise and bless our amazing God. Fourth reason to bless your God, because we can give him glory. Verse 12, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. Now question, who are those who first trusted in Christ? Remember Acts? They were Jewish believers, right? Come on, you with me? Come on, okay, good. People who came out of a Jewish background, they were the first people to become Christians and to put their saving faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. So does this then mean that only Jewish believers should be to the praise of His glory? No, because in the next verse, verse 13, which we’ll look at next week, Paul says, in him you also trusted, referring to Gentile believers. So every Christian, Jewish Christian, Gentile Christian, every Christian can and should be to the praise of God’s glory. Paul just named the Jewish believers first because they were the first to come to saving faith in Christ. But mark this, every Christian is to live for the praise of God’s glory, including you. And the question is, do you? Look, the chief aim of every Christian is to glorify God, to exalt God, to lift God high, to please God in every way possible, to proclaim and display His glory through us. Why? Because He alone is worthy, and because we love Him as our all in all. Anyone? Anyone? Right? I mean, this is why. Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to Him. 2 Corinthians 5.1. See, everything else is secondary to Him. Houses, money, kids, even your own happiness. God’s glory is more important. That’s why Christians stay in suffering and pain even when they could get out of it and make life a lot easier on them. Why? Because God’s glory is more important. So they obey God and lose their job for God. They obey God and lose their friends for God. They obey God and remain in that hard marriage for God. They quell their sinful urges and fight for holiness for God, even when it would be much easier to give in for God. Because Christians understand that life is now about glorifying God and living for His pleasure first because that lasts, that matters, that has eternal value, and that honors the one that you love the most. So I guess the question is, who are you glorifying today? What are you glorifying today? What a thought. We can actually glorify and bring pleasure to the God of all creation. Think about that. You can honor him with your life by your actions. You, the Lord God Almighty, you. That’s a good reason to praise and bless God because this is the highest privilege that there is. So how can I do this more in my life? Well, in our men’s theology study, MacArthur lists a few ways that we in Christ can glorify God. By one, living with purpose for the glory of God. Two, confessing sin. Three, praying expectantly. Four, living purely. Five, submitting to Christ. Six, praising God. Seven, obeying God. Eight, growing in faith. Nine, suffering for Christ’s sake. Ten, rejoicing in God. Eleven, worshiping God. Twelve, bearing spiritual fruit. 13, proclaiming God’s word. 14, serving God’s people. 15, purifying God’s church. 16, giving sacrificially. 17, unifying believers. 18, proclaiming salvation to the lost. 19, shining Christ’s light. And 20, spreading God’s gospel. What about you? That ought to keep us busy for a while, right? That ought to keep us busy for a while. One said, the glory of God needs to be a Christian’s consuming quest. That’s absolutely right. And the question is, is it? Because it should be. I mean, look at who he is and look at what he’s done for you. You should be heading for hell right now. You should have no hope right now. You should be wallowing around in that sin right now. Some of you shouldn’t even be on this planet right now. Look what He’s done for you. May God speak to our hearts today and may we continue to bless and praise Him for the many great things that He’s done for undeserving sinners like us. Give Him glory today. Amen.
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Thanks for joining us for today’s exposition from the book of Ephesians on expository truths with Dr. John Kyle. Continue on with us next week at this same time. And to find this sermon in its entirety as well as other sermons, visit vacavillefaith.org. Faith Community Church seeks to exalt Christ by bringing clarity of truth through the scriptures with a commitment to glorifying God through the pure, deep, and reaching message of the gospel through faithful exposition. Pastor John is the preaching pastor at Faith Community Church of Vacaville. a seminary professor, and a trainer of preaching pastors overseas. Join Faith Community Church for worship Sundays at 9 and 1045 a.m., located at 192 Bella Vista Road, Suite A in Vacaville. To learn more, visit vacavillefaith.org or call 707-451-2026. That’s vacavillefaith.org.
