“There is Only One Gospel”  

**INTRODUCTION

Welcome to “Key to the Kingdom.” My name is Bret McCasland. As a Christian, do you ever wonder if there is something else you need from God to make it in this world? You wonder if you have everything the Lord makes available to those who are part of His family, or is there something that is being held back? Those are good questions to consider. And when we make the decision to give our life and our allegiance to the Lord, we want to be sure of our salvation. We want to know the Lord not only provides for us now, but also for all eternity. In our lesson today on “Key to the Kingdom,” we will take a look at some things the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter called Ephesians. In it we will find that, in fact, God does provide everything we need. We already have it and nothing else is needed. Realizing that, it allows us to live with confidence and assurance. We can live a joyful life in the Lord knowing that our life in Him is complete. I trust you will stay tuned to this station for the next few minutes as we consider those things. I encourage you now to open your heart and your Bible as we study together.

**LESSON

A few people I know are part of a very large family. There are some 8 to 10 people all living with under the same roof. In fact, my great grandparents had 12 children. Now, that's hard for me to imagine. You may know of some large families, yourself. In fact, you might even be part of a large family and you know what it's like to live with a lot of other people. But there is one family that is bigger than any physical family here upon this earth. It is the family of God. Certainly, I do not know how many people are in God's family. In fact, only God knows. But I do know this: Those family members are those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God's one and only Son. And here is the most beautiful thing about that family; others are continually being invited to be part of it, and there is always room for more. The Apostle Paul wrote these words in Romans 8, verse 29: “There are many brothers in God's family.” The writer of Hebrews 2 and verse 10 points out God's family consist of many sons. And it's not just males who are in God’s family. Females are part of the family, too. Paul stated it this way, in Galatians 3 verse 27: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are one in Christ Jesus.” You know, no matter who we are, no matter what our nationality might be, everyone is invited to be part of God's great big family. And when that happens, we begin to take on the identity of His son, Jesus Christ. We are taught in the Bible to walk in His footsteps. We then begin to imitate the One who has saved us. We receive many blessings and many promises. In fact, all of those who belong to God's family lack absolutely nothing. God's children have everything we need in order to live a very blessed life. In the letter we call Ephesians, found in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes to some people who belong to God's family, and they live in a city called Ephesus. Now, Ephesus was a very important city in the first century. In fact, it is still an important city with lots of history. Located on the southwestern edge of what is modern day Turkey, it was a major city for those who were traveling in and around the Aegean Sea. It was the capital of the Roman province of Asia, and the population of Ephesus in the first century approached 500,000 people. The wealthy civic leaders sought pleasure in things like the occult or sexual immorality and even the worship of various gods and goddesses. It was home to the Temple of Artemus, which was one of the Seven Wonders in the ancient world. There was even a large outdoor amphitheater that was capable of seating some 24,000 people. Needless to say, Ephesus attracted a variety of people. Well, the Apostle Paul visited Ephesus, according to Acts chapter 18. He shared with many people in that city the Good News message of Jesus Christ, and many people responded to it. They became Christians. They were added to those who were being saved. They were part of God's family. A few years after that, he then wrote a letter encouraging those Christians to remain faithful to the Lord. He also reminded them of the many blessings and privileges they have as God's children in His family. And in that letter, he reminded those original readers of their status in God's eyes. He reassures them they had every spiritual blessing God was able to give to them, those who were in His family. Well, as Paul writes that he does so out of his own appreciation of the salvation he himself has received. And he reminds these people their significance is found in Jesus Christ alone. After a few words of greeting in the first chapter, he begins in verse 3 with a list of blessings, a list of promises, a list of reassurances that they are part of God's family. But it's interesting to look at the original language. He begins in verse 3 and he does not end until verse 14. It is as if he is writing one sentence and he cannot find a stopping place because there are so many good things to identify. Well, we will pause in the midst of this message, in the midst of this one long sentence. But I want to begin reading here in the first chapter, beginning with verse 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. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.> That is just a part of the list of the many blessings that God gives to those who are His family members. These blessings are distributed to every man and woman and child who are part of His family. And Paul, in this message, reminds those people of how truly blessed they are, how fortunate they are to have such spiritual blessings. Now, here's the key I want us to remember; those same spiritual blessings are given to every child of God, today. There is no difference between the blessings these Christians here in Ephesus receive some 2000 years ago and the blessings that we receive as a part of God's family, even still today. There are four passages, or four words in this passage that resonate with me. They grab my attention. Here they are; chosen, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven. Now, those are big words, aren't they? And those are very important words. To be chosen is to be part of a team, and we know what that looks like in the athletic world, don't we? Someone chooses us to be a part of that team, and so we, along with others, are called team mates. We work together in order to accomplish something good for our particular sport. There's another word there adopted. I know of several people who have adopted children into their home, one or perhaps more. And they come into that family and they receive every right and every privilege that the other children in that family might enjoy, but they are adopted. Here's another passage: Redeemed. Perhaps you know someone who has been released from being incarcerated in prison. Maybe they have served their time. Perhaps an amount of money was paid so they could be set free and no longer incarcerated, and now they are out. They have been set free. They are redeemed. And then the other word that I want to notice is they have been forgiven. You know, that's a good thing, isn't it? From time to time, we all mess up. We all make mistakes. We say or do things we should not do or that we do, and we really shouldn't do them. But we are forgiven. In other words, we are given a second chance. You know, we like those four words, don't we? We are familiar with those blessings, and God offers the very same thing spiritually to those who become part of His spiritual family. And as we receive those spiritual blessings, as we receive the salvation that comes through God’s son, Jesus Christ, we then become one of His sons or His daughters. We become one of His children. We are part of His family. And all of that happens as a result of being set free from our sin. For we know that Jesus Christ died upon a cross. And as He gave His blood, as He died on our behalf, He removes the curse of sin. He allows us the opportunity to experience something we would never experience otherwise. And as we put our faith and trust and obedience in Him, it is then that He receives us with open arms. He welcomes us into that family. In fact, we are forgiven of the sin in our life as if we had never even committed that sin in the first place. Well, that's just the first part of this one long sentence here in Ephesians chapter 1. Let's continue on with verses 11 through 14. <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, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In Him, when you believed, and were marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession -to the praise of His glory.> Well, Paul repeats the words chosen and predestined, but then he also adds the words included and marked; and those are words that also make one feel very special. They make us feel as if we are wanted; that we have been selected, that we have a special mark upon us, that we belong to God and He belongs to us. As we read these words, just like the early Christians there in the city of Ephesus read them, they make us feel that we are worth something to God, that we are very special in His sight, that we belong to Him. We are a part of His family, and we are connected through His son, Jesus Christ. We are connected because of what Jesus has done on our behalf, and we have received that free gift of eternal life. We've received a free gift of salvation. You know, by using all of these words, Paul goes to great extremes to identify those who are in God's family. We are special. We are identified as God's children. And that should make us feel humbled. It should make us feel like we are worth something, even in the midst of a world that often times make us feel as if we are not. And these are just some of the blessings that God gives to those who are a part of His family. He gives them to everyone who puts their faith in His one and only Son. When I read this list, I realize that I do not have to do anything to earn these blessings. I don't deserve these blessings. God simply gives them to me. They are God's gift to me because I'm in His family, and I did not do anything to deserve them. And these gifts come as a result of God's great love. It means I don't have to do anything to be accepted by God because I already am. As a child of God, I have everything I need to make it in this world, spiritually. And so God's work in me is complete. I lack nothing. I am loved by God more than I will ever know. And there is absolutely nothing I could ever do to make God more, to make God love me more than He already does. You know, according to Paul's own words here, we notice these blessings are lavished up on us. We see that there in verse 8. They are lavished upon us. God gives us them in great amounts. He is extravagant in His gift giving, to the point He even goes overboard. He pours out His blessings. He pours out His grace into the lives of His children in great abundance. You know, I can see why Paul had a hard time finding a place to stop as he wrote these 11 verses. This is quite a list, isn't it? These are some wonderful blessings. They are God's provisions, even though we don't deserve them. We know that we did absolutely nothing to earn them, and God graciously gives us all things. As God's children, today, we are highly favored in God's sight, according to verse 4. And since that is true, we ask ourselves the question, what else is there to do? What else do we need? And the answer is absolutely nothing. When I think about this list and when I think about what God has already done for me, I consider it somewhat of an inheritance. These are the realities of God's grace. They are poured out to all who are in God's family, and it is an inheritance that cannot be taken away. And one of the most amazing things about the inheritance is that we can receive and enjoy it, even now. We do not have to wait for a relative to die in order to receive it. But then again, Somebody has already died. He is another family member. He is Jesus Christ. He is God's one and only Son. He is our elder brother, as we might refer to Him. Jesus died upon the cross. He shed His blood when He died so that this very thing could happen to all who are in God's family. Through that Jesus purchased our salvation. Through His death on the cross He paved the way for God to pour out, in abundant measure, all of these blessings and all of these promises and all of these benefits. And there is coming a time when all of God's children will experience those blessings in an even greater measure; and that will be the day when the Lord returns to bring together all of His family members. One thing more Paul points out in this passage. To help us know that this inheritance is for real, God has given to us His Holy Spirit; and that is a deposit or a guarantee. It is the promise, the down payment, that something greater is coming. And now we can live our life being filled with the Holy Spirit, knowing that that God dwells within us; and that is the continual and daily reminder that we belong to God and He belongs to us, that we are a part of God's family and we can enjoy the blessings now, and also anticipate the time when we will enjoy them for all eternity. Yes, the Holy Spirit lives within us, and that is a most encouraging and comforting thought. Children of God know there is a final inheritance waiting for them that will far surpass anything we could even think about today. What Jesus did upon the cross unites people from all parts of the world into God's family. And Paul identifies it as the Body of Christ or the Church, there in chapter 1, verse 23. As Paul reminded his original readers in Ephesus, so too he reminds us with these words in verses 13 and 14; that we all come into the family the same way. We believe the Good News message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe on Jesus as God's one, as God’s one and only Son. And we believe that He made the sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, giving His life so that we could live eternally. From time to time, I go to a gym in order to work out. I try to stay in shape. I try to take care of my physical body. And I get on one of those treadmills and I begin to exercise and go just as hard and as fast as I possibly can. But then, invariably, somebody else comes in and they are working harder and they are pedaling faster and they are staying on the treadmill longer than I, and I can't keep up. And then I finish, I get off and I realize, well, I've got to come back and do that two days later all over again. And sometimes that's the way people feel in regards to their salvation. They think they have to keep on earning it, they have to keep on working hard to receive it and it's never enough. And yet, that's not the truth at all. That's not what we read here in Ephesians chapter 1, is it? Our trust in the Lord is in the Lord and not in our own efforts. And we know that what God has done for us is sufficient. We have everything we need in Jesus Christ. We have all of the blessings and all of the benefits to enjoy the abundant life He freely offers. And there is no need to wish for something better, for something more. There is no need to keep on begging God for additional blessings because He has already given to us and made available to us, through His son, Jesus Christ, everything possible. Do we sometimes fail to realize the wonderful spiritual blessings God always provides? We may be too busy asking for more and we fail to recognize God's goodness. We might even fail to say thank you. Hopefully not, but hopefully we are aware of and remember well the goodness of God. On a regular basis, I see people seeking an identity. They are looking for some kind of identity recognition or acceptance by other people. They focus on their problems. They feel rejected. They feel overlooked. And yet in Jesus Christ, we are accepted, we are loved, and we find in Him our full identity of who we are, how we are a part of God's family and we receive everything God has in store for His children. And in the Lord there is grace, there is forgiveness, there is mercy, there is goodness and kindness. There is every spiritual blessing any of us will ever need. And it is good to know we don't have to go looking for our identity in any other source, in any other person, in any other religion. If we are part of God's family, we know who we are and we know what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. Today, I really hope you are a part of God's family. And remember there is room for everybody. And He continually invites all of us to be a part of His family. I also hope you never forget about the many wonderful and amazing blessings you have as a child of God. But more than anything else, I hope you remember that you are somebody special and God loves you very much.

**VIDEO CLIP

I live in a city where there are a variety of restaurants from which to choose, and I like that. I like to have a number of choices when I go out to eat. In this town there are places where I can get American food and Asian food and Mexican food and even food from India. And I like that. And I want to go to different places and try different kinds of food. But there are some communities and towns in which there is not a variety of choices. And you go to one place and that's it, or maybe two and that's it, and you have to eat what they serve, very limited. When I think about that, I realize there are lots of options out there when it comes to spiritual matters, lots of philosophies and lots of teachings that teach various things. And lots of people have lots of choices. But the Bible teaches us there's only one. There is only one way to Heaven. There's only One who provides the way to eternal life, and that is Jesus Christ. We are told in Acts chapter 4, verse 12, there is no other name under Heaven by which we can be saved; and that is the name of Jesus. We like choices when it comes to places to eat. But there is only one choice, there is only one way that leads us to eternal life with God. And I hope we make that choice, it's the only choice to make, Jesus Christ and the salvation that He offers to us through our faith and our trust in Him. I hope today that you have made that choice; that you recognize that Jesus, indeed, is the only way that can lead you into a right relationship with God the Father.  

**CONCLUSION

Thank you for your interest in today's program. Isn't it wonderful to think about the many blessings we enjoy in Christ Jesus? We have everything we need and nothing else can be added to it. As a child of God, there cannot be anything better than being chosen, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven. I hope that describes your life. I hope you not only can enjoy these great blessings, but are also thankful and appreciative of them. If you want to know more about having a relationship with the Lord, perhaps we can help. I invite you to visit our website; it is keytothekingdom.com. There you will find this lesson along with many others. They can all be downloaded in a variety of formats without any charge and without any obligation. Free Bible studies, short devotional thoughts and one-minute along with two-minute inspirational thoughts are also available. Other information is on the website as well. It is certainly our privilege to share these messages and we hope they bless and encourage you. Again, I want to say thank you for choosing to be part of today's program and please consider joining us again next time as we continue to study the Bible on “Key to the Kingdom.”