Thesis
Ephesians 1 declares that before time began, God chose and adopted us into His family — not because of anything good in us, but because of His own goodness and grace. Being 'in Christ' means we have been made holy (set apart for God's specific person and purpose) and equipped with every spiritual blessing, including the Holy Spirit and an eternal inheritance. That identity demands a response: wholehearted, faithful obedience — giving Jesus total access to every area of life as we anticipate the day He returns to set all things right.
Key points
- 1
God chose us before creation — not because of our goodness, but because of His
- 2
To be 'holy' means to be set apart for a specific person (God) and a specific purpose (His glory)
- 3
Being a faithful follower of Christ means picking up the cross of obedience and giving Jesus total access to every area of life
- 4
As believers, we have dual citizenship — earthly and heavenly — and access to spiritual blessings the world cannot have without faith in Jesus
- 5
God's plan is that at the right time Jesus will return, bringing everything under His authority and delivering believers into their eternal inheritance
- 6
The Holy Spirit living in believers is God's guarantee of the promised inheritance and our secret weapon for daily life
- 7
Paul's prayer is that believers would grow in the knowledge of God — and going into a new year without drawing closer to Jesus would be a wasted year
Outline
Introduction: The Big Idea of Ephesians 1
Pastor Brent introduces the book of Ephesians and frames its central question — 'What does it mean to be in Christ, and what does that demand of me?' — landing the big idea that God has a plan and that plan includes you.
Chosen and Adopted: The Personal Story
Through a personal story about his stepfather's unconditional love, Pastor Brent illustrates that God chose us before time began — not because of our merit, but because of His character and nature.
Holy and Faithful: Identity and Its Demands (Ephesians 1:1-2)
The words 'holy' and 'faithful' in verse one anchor the message: being holy means being set apart for God's person and purpose, and that identity demands faithful, fully surrendered obedience — picking up the cross and giving Jesus total access.
Dual Citizenship and Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
Believers hold dual citizenship — earthly and heavenly — and enjoy spiritual blessings including eternal life and an intimate relationship with Jesus that should never be taken for granted.
Grace, Not Cancel Culture (Ephesians 1:4-8)
God's grace — giving us what we don't deserve — is contrasted with cancel culture. Using David and Paul as examples, Pastor Brent shows that God calls rather than cancels, choosing people despite their past because He is good.
God's Plan: The Return of Christ and Our Inheritance (Ephesians 1:9-14)
At the right time, Jesus will return and every knee will bow under His authority. Believers are included in this plan through an eternal inheritance and the sealing of the Holy Spirit as God's guarantee.
Paul's Prayer: Growing in Knowledge and Hope (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Paul's prayer for spiritual wisdom, knowledge of God, and confident hope challenges believers to prioritize growing closer to Jesus in the new year, standing on the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.
Conclusion and Call to Surrender
Pastor Brent summarizes what it means to be in Christ — chosen, adopted, set apart — and what it demands: complete surrender. He invites listeners to give Jesus every hurt, worry, and area of life.
Memorable moments
God did not choose you because of your goodness. God chose you because of his goodness, because it's in his character and it's in his nature
I'm so grateful that we don't serve a God who cancels us, we serve a God who calls us
Paul wasn't selected because he was a good guy. Paul was selected because God is a good God
if on that vision board and in the goals that you wrote down did not include you growing closer to Jesus, you might as well throw them all away
This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms
To be in Christ means that in God's plan, I have been chosen. I have been adopted, and he deems me to be holy, which means I have been set apart for a specific purpose and a specific person, and the purpose is to give the person glory, which is him
Application
Pastor Brent's call to action is straightforward and urgent: because God chose you, adopted you, and set you apart before creation began, the right response is total surrender — not giving Jesus some of your life or parts of your life, but complete and unreserved access to all of it. As you step into a new year, let growing in your knowledge of God be the non-negotiable on your list. Lean into the Holy Spirit as your daily guide and secret weapon. Place your hope not in people, places, or circumstances, but in a Jesus who never changes and never fails. And live with the awareness that He is coming back — which means every day is an opportunity to be a faithful follower who picks up the cross of obedience and walks closely with Him.
