The Cure for Inferiority Complexes
Intro:
1. What is an inferiority complex? Everything is against me. Everything in my life is going wrong. I can’t do anything right. I always make wrong choices.
a. Life does get tough. Things do go wrong.
b. You’re in a hurry & all the signals are red.
c. You’re about to go on vacation & you’re summoned for jury duty.
d. You lose your job about the time your car breaks down & your wife leaves you.
2. Your career comes to an end.
a. ILL: SFC at Ft. Rucker who committed suicide.
b. ILL: My active duty career ending at Ft. Ord.
3. When life makes you think you’re in the gutter - you need to remember who you were created to be!
Ephesians 1:3-14
I. v3-6 - God, the Father’s, Plan for You
A. v3 - God intends for you to be blessed.
1. Blessed (εὐλογέω) = worthy to be spoken well of.
2. God intends for you to be a spiritual blessing to others on earth.
3. God wants you, as a redeemed person, to be the showcase of God’s intention for mankind.
4. You are the pinnacle of God’s creation & He brags on you! ILL: God bragging about Job (Job 1 & 2).
B. v4 - God intends for you to be holy & blameless.
1. Holy (ἅγιος) = separate - different from ordinary things - set apart for a divine purpose.
a. This word described an object dedicated to the Greek gods. So these objects were different from the ordinary.
b. You are not to be like the world - but different from the world in the ways you behave.
c. You are not to be politically correct to fit in but to be godly enough to make a spirit-
ual influence on the people around you.
2. Blameless (ἄμωμος) = without any blemishes.
a. To the Jews, before an animal could be used as a sacrifice on the altar, it had to be inspected by the priests.
b. It had to be perfect. If it had any blemishes it would be disqualified to be an offering to God.
c. Rom 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.
3. How has God made this possible for you?
a. v7 - He provided for your past - by forgiving your sins.
b. v13-14 - He provides for your present by indwelling you with His Holy Spirit.
c. He will provide for your future by glorifying you. Col 3:4 - When Christ, who is your life,
appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
C. v5 - God intends for you to live as adopted children.
1. ILL: Roman Adoption.
a. The adopted person was considered a new person beginning a new life & was not respon- sible for past debts.
b. He was the property of his new father!
2. I Pet 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
D. v6 - God intends for you to live as ones who have received grace.
1. Grace is unmerited favor. Lord Jesus provided that grace to you when He died on the cross!
2. ILL: Mary Fitzpatrick. (Amy Carter’s private nurse in the White House was a convicted murderer!)
II. v7-14 - God, the Son’s, Provision for You
A. v7 - Lord Jesus provides for you redemption.
1. Redemption (ἀπολύτρωσις) = release affected by the paying of a ransom.
2. The idea - a slave is purchased from the slave block.
3. Jesus paid the ransom for you when He died on the cross.
B. v8-10 - Lord Jesus provides for you an abundant life.
1. Having wisdom & understanding the mystery of His will - this is abundant life.
2. v9 - Made known (γνωρίζω) = (related to γινώσκω), knowledge gained by personal experience. The abundant life is something he wants you to personally experience!
3. v10 - Lord Jesus has everything in control. There is no such thing as luck for the Christian!
a. Epicurus: “God regards nothing but leaves all things to chance”. This is false!
b. What the world calls luck - the believer calls God’s grace!
C. v11-12 - Lord Jesus provides for you an inheritance.
1. I Pet 1:4 tells us the inheritance is kept in heaven & will not perish, spoil or fade.
2. Col 3:24 says it is a reward for surrendering to the Lord.
3. The ones who are predestined to receive this inheritance are those of us who “hope in Christ” - those of you who have chosen Jesus as your Lord.
D. v13-14 - Lord Jesus provided for you His seal.
1. v13 - Who are the sealed? Those who heard the gospel, the word of truth, & believe.
2. v13-14 - What is the seal? God’s down payment, the indwelling of His Holy Spirit you received when you are baptized (Act 2:38).
So - what do you remember when you get down on yourself
& think you’re worthless?
You are a jewel in God’s jewelry box yet to be polished!
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