You're listening to Mountain View Church Audio, Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City, Whitehorse, UConn. Here's this week's message.
Cause all that I have is a hallelujah, hallelujah. And I know it's not much, but I have nothing else but for a king. Except for a heart singing hallelujah, hallelujah. I've got one response, I've got just one move. With my arms stretched wide.
I will worship you. So I throw up my hands, praise you again and again, because all that I have is a hallelujah, hallelujah. And I know it's not much, but I've nothing else fit for a king, except for a heart singing hallelujah, hallelujah. Oh, don't you get shy on me Lift up your song Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs Get up and praise the Lord Oh, come on, my soul Oh, don't you get shy on me Lift up your song Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs Get up and praise the Lord
Oh, come on, my soul. Oh, don't you get shy of me. Lift up your song. Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. So I throw up my hands. Praise you again and again. Cause all that I have is a hallelujah. Hallelujah. And I know it's not much. But I have nothing else fit for a king.
Except for a heart singing hallelujah, hallelujah.
What if gratitude wasn't just a feeling, but a reflection on your identity? Hi, my name is Byron, and I'm the Filipino pastor of Mountain View Church. To connect with us, I would like to invite you to visit our site at mountainview.church.com. We are now in week two of our series, Identity Found in Him. Last week, we learned from Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1, verse 1, that believers are called saints and faithful in Christ Jesus.
Those are the identity Paul called the Christians or the believers. Our identity is not based on what we do, but on who we are in Him. And it's about our connection with Christ. Today, the journey continues. In Ephesians 1, verse 3, Paul takes even deeper. He reminds us that we are already blessed.
Not because of what we have or what we see, but because of who we belong to. . . . .
Port in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time. to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him, who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquired possession of it to the praise of his glory. God bless.
Ephesus was a wealthy, influential city, home to the temple of Artemis. Those of you who know the history, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. People there worship idols. They seek fortune and practice magic. But here, Paul wrote to remind the believers that the true riches are not in gold, not in power, not in the world, but in your relationship with Christ. So imagine he was in prison when he wrote this.
Yet, he begins his letter not with complaint, but with praise. Even in prison, Paul was overflowed with gratitude. Why? Because he understood that true blessing is not found in possession. It's found in a person. And who is the person? Jesus Christ. So today, let us unpack the truth within this verse. Together as we learn how to live blessed and thankful in Christ. The title of this message is
So the first truth from this verse is that we are blessed by the Father. So you see, Paul starts with worship. And he said, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He begins by blessing God himself, the giver, not asking for more, but thanking for what already is. So the word blessed here in Greek, means to speak well of or to praise.
Paul is saying, let's give praise to the one who is the source of every good thing. James said in his words in chapter 1 verse 17, every good and perfect gift is from God above, coming down from the Father of lights. So, our first identity truth is this, all blessings flows from the Father's heart. So, think of a stream flowing from a mountain. You cannot have water without the source. In the same way, every blessing we experience flows from God.
our unchanging source of life and goodness. So now think, reflect. Do I bless God only when things go my way? Ask yourself. Do I bless Him because of who He is? What shall we do then? This week, begin each day not by asking God, but by adoring Him. So instead of asking Him for anything, just say, Father, You are good. Whatever comes today, I bless Your name. Now that we know the Father is the source of every blessing, Paul shows us how those blessings reach us.
And you know how? And that's through His Son, Jesus Christ. That's why the second thought it says, we are blessed in Christ. As if we continue in this word, in this verse, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. So this is the heart of the verse. Our blessings are found in Christ. That phrase, in Christ, appears over 30 times in the book of Ephesians, reminding us that everything God gives comes through our relationship with Jesus. Remember, through our relationship with Jesus.
So how can we have a relationship with Jesus? My friend, the greatest blessing you can ever receive is not money, it's not success or fame. It's salvation through Jesus Christ. Maybe you have experienced many things in life. You think you have everything but still feel empty. Maybe you are searching for peace or joy or meaning of life and none of that satisfies you. Today,
Jesus invites you to come to Him, to have a relationship with Him. He is the source of every true blessing. You know why? Because 2,000 years ago, He gave His life on the cross so that you and my sins can be forgiven and you and me can have eternal life. If you want to receive this greatest blessing, you will have a new life in Christ. So if you want that blessing, you have to accept Jesus into your life. You must have a relationship with Christ.
It's very simple. I will invite you to say this prayer from your heart. Lord Jesus, I thank you for loving me. I confess that I have sinned against you. I have sinned, Lord, in my thoughts, in my words, and in my actions. Lord, forgive me. And I believe, Lord, that you have forgiven me. Lord, I want you to change my life, Lord, and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Lord, I also...
and trust to you my life. From this day onward, Lord, you will be my God and my Savior. From this day onward, Lord, I will live for you. Thank you for saving me and for making me truly blessed in you. And I thank you, Lord, for giving me this opportunity to have a relationship with you so that I can enjoy your blessings. In Jesus' name. Amen. If you prayed that prayer,
Heaven is rejoicing. You have just received the greatest spiritual blessing that is salvation in Christ. So you see, those are the blessings Paul has spoken that you cannot see, you cannot touch, but you have it when you have a relationship with Christ. So now, you are a child of God. You have now a relationship with Christ and you have free access to His spiritual blessings. And what makes it joyful and thankful is that in 2 Corinthians 5, 17,
Paul says, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. You see, with that prayer, with that submission to Christ, with that surrender to Christ, you are now a new creation. And in Acts 17, 28, it adds, in Him we live and move and have our being. Paul doesn't say some blessing. He says every spiritual blessing.
So that means not only salvation, which you received just now if you say that prayer, not only that spiritual blessing you will receive, but you will receive also forgiveness, peace, joy, purpose, strength, and most especially eternal life are all included in our spiritual inheritance. Imagine this. You have a bank account full of riches, but you can never access it. That's how some Christians live. We are rich in Christ, but we are unaware of it.
You don't have to beg for blessings. They are already yours in Christ. Now, you have to ask yourself, am I living with the confidence that everything I truly need is already found in Jesus? Do you have that confidence? If not, stop comparing your blessings to others. Every day you say to the Lord, Lord, thank you for every spiritual blessings I already have in you. Thank you for the peace. Thank you for the joy, the grace, and eternal life. So, we sing.
We have the source of the blessing, which is the Father. And the means of that blessing to flow to us is in Christ. But there's one more truth. What is the purpose of this blessing? We are blessed for a heavenly purpose. That's truth number three. Because Paul still said in Ephesians 1, verse 3, the heavenly in the heavenly places. That's what he said. Paul reminds us that our blessings are heavenly, not temporary.
They are meant to shape our hearts for eternity, not just to make us comfortable here on earth. And Paul said in Colossians chapter 3 verse 2, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. And also Matthew in chapter 6 verse 20 tells us that store up treasures in heaven. We are blessed to reflect heaven's values, to live for what lasts forever, not for temporary. Example, there's a missionary may give up wealth or comfort to serve others. You see?
To the world, they look at the missionary like a loser. But in heaven's view, that missionary is rich beyond measure. And if it so happens that you are that missionary, if people will see that you are a loser, they are wrong. Because you are rich beyond measure. And for you, my friend, ask this. Am I using my blessings for God's eternal purpose? To help others, share the gospel, and build this kingdom?
This week, ask the Lord, Lord, how can I use what you have given me to make an eternal difference? My friend, use your time, skills, and resources to bring others closer to Christ. So as Paul begins this section of Ephesians, he reminds us our blessings are not random or temporary. They are spiritual, eternal, and rooted in our relationship with Christ. In other words, how can we live with gratitude? You see, even from a prison cell, Paul couldn't stop praising.
inside the prison cell where people, most of the convicts, probably they are blaming others or blaming their lives or probably they are sad or they are desperate. But Paul, no, he did not stop praising God because he understood that being in Christ changes everything. Our identity, our perspective, our purpose, it changes everything. So remember, As a take home, remember these three things. You are blessed by the Father, your source of every good thing. Second, you are blessed in Christ, your connection to every spiritual gift. And third, you are blessed for a heavenly purpose, your calling to live for eternity. Don't wait for your situation to change before being thankful. Whatever is your situation, if you are in Christ, you are already blessed. Let us pray. Father, thank you for your blessings.
which are beyond what we can see. Thank you for every spiritual blessing that already ours in Christ. Teach us to live thankful, to bless you daily, and to use every blessing for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
Following shortly is our weekly updates and please stay tuned. Good morning, Mountain Viewer. My name is Haley. I'm letting you know about the next Young Adults event, which is for anyone ages 18 to 35. That's happening for this month, October. It's going to be happening on a Sunday afternoon, next Sunday, October 19th. We're having a backyard fire. We're going to have a wiener roast, hang out, spend some time in community. It's going to be happening from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 85B 11th Ave East. So that's a home in Porter Creek. And we look forward to seeing you there. Bring a friend, bring a chair, and bundle up, dress warm, and we'll have a nice afternoon together. Hope to see you there. If you have children, I encourage you to bring your children to our base camp.
Children's program either 9.30 or 11am every Sunday. Or you can download the lessons online at mountainview.church.basecamp. We have also a program for your teenagers, the Mountain View Youth Group, which meets every Sunday evening from 6 to 8pm. For more info, visit mountainview.church.basecamp. If you have Filipino friends and relatives, I invite you to bring them every Sunday at 3 o'clock for Tagalog worship. Kita-kita po tayo.
For our discussions and prayer focus, please gather around with your family and friends and ask, when was the last time you praised God simply for who He is, not for what He gave? How can you make this a habit in your prayer life? Then pray that God will teach you to live thankful, to bless you daily, and to use every blessing for His glory. And last but not the least, next week, we'll continue our series, Identity Found in Him, and discover even more of who we are in Him. Until then, remember, you are blessed and thankful in Christ. God bless you.