Date:   11/22/09

Text:   Ephesians 1:15-23

Title:   Thanks for No Things

Theme: Since God has given us all the heavenly blessings, we are to give thanks for them.

Introduction:

  On the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day, we worshipped in a church in San Diego . The pastor made a very succinct observation of the American Culture. On thanksgiving day, we count our blessings one by one. However, the next day, the black Friday, we buy, buy and buy. Our gratitude is often defined and confined by what we can see and touch. As we enter the last week of 2009, it is inevitable that we begin reminisce of the events of this. The news media is beginning to provide us with a list of most important events in 2009, or in this decade. I think, individually, we too have a personal list, a list of events that we are thankful for, or for that matter, how we wish 2010 will be different. This is one reason that this morning I want to share with you a message I preached in the chinese service on the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day.

No doubt, 2009 will be remembered as the year when US is being thrown into the worst recession in recent years. Even though experts have told us that the recession is officially over, yet we question, whose recession is over. Some may be wondering what is there to give thanks for? I came across this article:

  If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over you, a place to go home to, you are richer than 75% of the world population.

  If you have money in the bank, cash in your wallet, spare change at home, you are among the top 8%.

  If you wake up this morning with more health than sickness, you are more fortunate than the one million who died this week.

  If you have never experienced the danger of battle, loneliness of prison, agony of torture and pangs of starvation, you are way ahead of the 500 million people.

  If you can come here and worship without the fear of interruption and harassment from authority, you are in better situations than the billions who cannot. We thank God for these blessings.

  However, having said that, we also need to ask this. If our thanksgiving is confined by what we have, house, car, job, health and families, what about those who have little or nothing? Over one month ago, we had dinner with an out of town friend. He shared with us some of his experience in Guangzhou . One evening as he was taking a walk, he saw a mother and child looking for food in garbage cans. This scene sickened him and cost him a night's sleep. Even as he was sharing, his eyes were tearing. If our thanksgiving is focused on the visible and tangible things, how do we explain thanksgiving to this mother and child?

  When we turn to the scriptures, we see plenty of examples of God's people giving thanks to God for the great harvest they received. Yet on the other hand, there is also praise when one finds oneself in the vortex of violence, despair and suffering. Praise and thanksgiving are offered to God for the non-tangibles, the things we cannot see. Helen Keller, the famous blind educator once said, “The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even touched; they must be felt with the heart.” You see, what is essential is invisible to the eye.

  In today's text we read, we notice that when Paul thought of the church in Ephesus , he thanked God for them. We also notice that his thanksgiving is not about the tangible; their meeting place or how big the church is. Instead, Paul gave thanks for the non-tangible things, the no things. So let's take a closer look at the invisible, non-tangibles things that we can thank God for.

I •  We are to thank God for the good name of his church on earth.

Vs.15-16, “ 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ” When Paul heard of the good reputation of the Ephesians church; their faith in Jesus and love for others, Paul thanked God for them. We don't hear this too often, right? Very often I heard people telling me, pastor of such and such church just quit, that church had a split, some people left and started another church; or the pastor of that church had a big fight with the deacons; did you hear about the big pow wah in that church? We hear plenty of these stories. Yet, the story Paul heard of the church at Ephesus was how they expressed their faith in Jesus through loving one another.

The believers at Ephesus had complete trust in Jesus. They trusted him in the good times and the bad times. The trials, persecutions did not cause them to be drifted away from God. They also loved one another. They reached out to care for the sick, visit the lonely and forgotten ones. They bore one another's burden. The church was a community where they loved God and men. Their faith in God was expressed in their love for men. Words spread and reached Paul and he thanked God for them.

This also tells us something about what is truly important in life. It is not having that real nice car, the immaculate house, recognition in the society, straight A's, a super bright child who goes to college at 14. From this seemingly simple verse, we learn that what is important is an unwavering faith in God and loving people around us.

Over two months ago, after the burial of Fengling, at a dinner, one of her friends from Shanghai said, “I am here for just a few days, but from what I heard and saw, I think I am captivated by the Christian faith. After I go back, I will definitely look into this.” We can thank God for the good reputation because believers have shown their faith in God in actions of Love.

Vs.17-18, “ 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ” God gave us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so our eyes can see. This is a reference to the spiritual eyes. What can we see?

First, we can know God. Without God opening our eyes, we cannot come to know God. Besides, the truth about God has already been revealed to us in nature and in written words. In a recent book introduction are these words: Truth is always revealed. And we need God opening our spiritual eyes to see the truth he revealed to us. Without God's revelation, we cannot know God.

  Secondly, when our eyes are open, we can see the hope in our calling. What is this hope? From Paul's writing in the preceding verses, this hope is about the world being under our Lord Jesus Christ, and that we belong to him forever. God is just, gracious, sovereign, and saving. Since this is the hope embodied in our faith, then the world is not senseless. Even though there are times when it is very difficult for us to make any sense out of what is happening around us. We cannot understand why a young girl of 7 had to contract that terrible tumor and died so young. We cannot make sense of the killing of a young wife and mother by her husband whom none of us could ever foresee. We cannot understand why out of the blue trials and difficulties would come upon us. We cannot understand why a seemingly normal college student would quit school and have no motivation whatsoever except to spend time before the computer, playing games. Its all pretty senseless, right? However, when I believe and know that all is under my Lord's sovereign rule, then it is different. When I understand that I can only see a limited segment of time, while the lord sees the entire span. As long as God sees and understands, even if I don't, it's ok. This is what brings hope to us.

  Thirdly, when our eyes are open, we can see the rich and glorious inheritance. This is interpreted by many scholars that since we belong to God, he has given us all the heavenly resources. The inheritance will include God's mercy, providence, provision, promise and eternal life. This is much better than the stocks we own, the money we have in the bank. We know first hand that money cannot resolve marital conflicts. Money cannot bring healing into hurts and damaged relationships. Money cannot help us solve many of the problems we experience in life. Money cannot give us the security we need to travel through this life. God's promises assure us that he is always by our side, and will guide us through those treacherous waters in life. God's promise of his provision will assure us that he will provide us with what we need. His mercy and grace assure us of the forgiveness of our sins. His unconditional love for us gives us the assurance of our value before him. We don't need others approval or to please those important persons in life in order to feel valued, for we are already very precious in God's eyes. For this we are thankful.

III •  We are to thank God for his power among us.

In vs.19-23, Paul tells us another non things for thanksgiving. “ 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. ” He is thanking God for his great power. This is the power that raised Jesus from the dead. It is this power that will manifest in the believers' lives.

A few months ago, we had the opportunity of talking to a friend and caught up with different news about friends we knew in Taiwan . There was this particular professor who was our neighbor. Later I found out that she was a very devout Buddhist. Whenever this friend would meet this professor, she would always talk to her about Jesus. To the point that when they met, and before anyone uttered a word, this professor would say, “Don't talk to me about Jesus, I don't want to listen to you.” Then sometime later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This made my friend even more eager to share the gospel with her. And it was always the same response: don't talk to me about Jesus. Few years ago the two met again. The first thing this professor said, “don't talk to me about Jesus, for I am already a Christian.” Only God's power can change a person. Only God's power can turn someone so deeply devoted to one religion, away from the idol and worship Him. Only God's power can change a person with little self confidence and poor self image into a person of strength.

In recent Sunday School classes, some of us have been discussing what about our idols. Yes, we may not own a clay statue at home. However, isn't it true that whether we are in the east or west, the most popular idol is self. We worship ourselves. We self-congratulate our achievements. We feel that we can accomplish anything we set our eyes on. Sometimes I feel, including myself, we pay lip service to asking God to help. So often if we are to take away God in our lives, we will still function quite well. We feel we can do anything. We are so indulged in ourselves that we don't experience the reality of God's presence in our lives. God's power seems so far and foreign to us.

There is one particular therapy for Autistic children. An autistic child usually focuses on one particular dimension of life. Such a child can be so focused on a habitual activity or a familiar object, that it can become his/her entire world. So in this therapy, the bottom half of the child's eyeglasses is clouded, while the upper part is clear. This will force the child to look up; to take his eyes off of his little world and to consider a greater and wider world.

Isn't this true in life? When we face those dead ends, it forces us to lift our eyes away from ourselves and look upwards. Trials, setbacks and disappointments in life are God's way of clouding our eyeglasses so we can lift our heads and see and experience His power.

Conclusion:

Early on in Israel 's history, there were several festivals being observed. Among them were the “the Feast of the Harvest” and “the day of the first fruits” The purpose of these celebrations were to recognize the Lord as the provider of all crops and as the One who deserves the first fruits of all produce. This was the time when they gave thanks to God for the harvest from the field. There are similar traditions in many different cultures. In our Chinese culture, whenever there was good harvest, the kings would offer thanks to the divine in heaven. The August Moon festival is a celebration of the fall harvest. However, in Israel 's history, there were times with no harvest.

In Habakkuk 3:17-19, “ 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, ” No grapes, no fruits on the fig tree, no olive oil, no harvest in the field; no sheep and no cattle. There were no things to give thanks for. Now what? Then in vs. 18-19, “ 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. ” He thanked God for the salvation; he thanked God for strength to stand and walk in the high and dangerous places. The prophet gave thanks for the no things. He gave thanks for the unseen things. For they are just as real, or more real than the grapes, the oil, the harvest, the cattle and the sheep.

In the well known fairly book, The Little Prince, the fox character is saying goodbye to the little prince, and as he leaves he says, “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” The little prince repeats so that he will be sure to remember: What is essential is invisible to the eyes. This is what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. ”

2009, or this past decade, has not been the best of times. We saw the tripling of oil prices; unemployment rate hit 10% and the bankruptcies of Kmart, GM and Chrysler and Lehman Brothers. Time magazine calls it a decade from Hell. We may have experienced the fleeing nature of the tangible things, including human life. We recognize how feeble and finite we are, and there is little that is under our control. At last, this decade is over and we look forward to a brighter new decade. However, events that occurred this past decade, in both our country and personal life, are God's way of making us wear those special eye glasses; so that we are forced to lift our heads and look upwards. As we look up, we'll see that the intangible, unseen and untouchable world is just as real, if not, more real than the tangible and touchable world around us. In reality, the intangible and unseen world is the real world, having eternal value.