1.  What God did for his Son (Jesus):  vs. 20-22

    1) Raised him from the dead.  (vs. 20)

    2) Gave him kingly rule to him.  (vs. 20b-21)

    3) Made everything subject to him.  (vs. 22)

II. Why God did this:

    so that Christ could fill all things.  (vs. 23)

"He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe."  Ephesians 4:10

     through the church!  (vs. 23)

IV.  Ways the church is to accomplish this:

    1) by being a community of prayer (vs.16)

     2) by being a community which seeks to know God intimately.  (vs. 17)

     3) by being a community which brings hope to the world.  (vs. 18)

"We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed  in our body." 2 Corinithians 4:10

INTRODUCTION

• What's a Mother?  (A tribute to mothers)
• Who's a Mother?
• Why does God Create Mothers?

Isa 49:15-16  "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

I.  Life before Christ:

a) Submersed in sin. (vs. 1-2)
    Rom. 8:6-9

b) Subject to Satan. (vs. 2-3)
    Eph. 6:12, Jn. 12:31

c) Sentenced to hell. (vs. 3)
    2 Thes. 1:7-9

a) made us alive. (vs. 5)

b) set us free. (vs. 6)

c) shows us immeasurable kindness. (vs. 7)

    We must:

a) Cherish Him.  (2 Tim. 4:8, 1 Cor. 16:22)

"Yet I hold this against you:  You have forsaken your first love.  Remember the height from which you have fallen!  Repent and do the things you did at first.  If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."   Revelation 2:4-5

b)  Serve Him. (vs. 10)

I. Israel

a.  a chosen people.

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God.  Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession." Deut.14:2

b.  a redeemed people.

"But now, this is what the Lord says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.'"  Isaiah 43:1

c.  a people to dislay God's glory.

"He said to me, 'You are my servant, Israel, in which I will display my splendor.'"  Isaiah 49:3

      Formerly:
      a.  separated from God.
      b.  non-citizens.
      c.  without hope.

III.  Through Christ we are called to:

      a.  a new relationship.  (vs. 14, 18)
      b.  a new society.  (vs. 19)
      c.  a new building.  (vs. 22)

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."  2 Cor. 5:18