A Note from Michael Gossett
Chosen to Worship
Worship is the unavoidable posture of every human heart. The question is not whether we worship but whom we worship and why. Theologian Harold Best rightly said, “We are unceasing worshipers.” Created in the image of God (Ref. Genesis 1 on the Imago Dei), our hearts are tuned toward praise, even in our rebellion. Augustine recognized this restlessness of the soul in his Confessions: “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
The Bible does not begin with a command to worship but rather with a world in which God is supremely worthy of worship. In Eden, Adam and Eve walked with God in joyful communion. In Exodus, God delivered Israel to “serve” Him in worship (Exodus 7:16). In Revelation 5:12, the saints and angels gather around the throne declaring, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!”
This narrative throughout Scripture is centered on worship. It is the central organizing principle of the Christian life. The Reformers were part of reclaiming this by crying, Soli Deo Gloria, which means to the glory of God alone. Worship is not a musical preference on Sunday nor is it just part of our Sunday morning routine. Worship is life. Worship is essential. It is the telos, the end, and the aim of salvation.
In Ephesians 1:1-14, Paul does not just instruct the church at Ephesus, he erupts! The longest sentence in the New Testament is not a command or a parable but rather a hymn. It is a Trinitarian, doxological, Christ-centered, salvation-saturated hymn. Each word is meant to awaken us to the sheer magnificence of God’s work in Christ.
Worship in view of Grace
In the opening verse, Paul opens with reverent and rich doxology that is really an explosion of praise that centers the believer not on who they are but who God is. In Ephesians 1:3, it says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word, “blessed” here is eulogētos, from which we get our word “eulogy.” When we think about eulogy, we think about words that are said at a funeral service. It can bring somber and challenging memories and emotions, but eulogy means words of praise. This means that before we can begin living for Christ, we must first bless the God who has blessed us.
Paul is reminding us that the foundation of the Christian life is not our striving but God’s giving. He has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” In other words, our worship is a response to divine generosity.
In the early church, worship was never about ambiance, volume, or musical preference. It was about reverence, truth, and communion with the living God. By the second century, the Didache recorded instructions on how Christians gathered to read Scripture, sing Psalms, pray the Lord’s Prayer, and share in the Lord’s Supper. Worship was structured around the Word and Sacrament.
The Reformers worked tirelessly to return to this Biblical pattern. John Calvin insisted that all worship must be governed by the Word of God and centered on Christ. Anything that elevated human preference over divine instruction was to be rejected. “Nothing is more perilous to our salvation,” he warned, “than the corruption of true worship.”
We must recover this vision today. Worship is not about scratching a spiritual itch. It is the lifeblood of the believer. It is the eternal occupation of the saints, and it begins with beholding the God who has saved us.
Chosen By Grace
Ephesians 1:4 says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…”
There are some who really get bent around the axle when it comes to Ephesians 1:4. I tend to agree with Charles Spurgeon, who said, “If God hadn’t chosen me before I was born, I’m sure He would have never done it afterward.” This is not making light of the doctrine of election, but it surely shines a bright spot on the true elements that we know are biblical. Election has a way of humbling us. It has a way of dismantling pride and it reminds us that we brought nothing to our salvation except the sin that made it necessary.
This is clear in Scripture. Romans 3 makes the case rather plainly. No one is righteous, not even one. No one can manufacture or fake righteousness. This is clear. However, this is not meant to produce speculation or fear, but rather to produce assurance and worship. In the early church, election was tied to divine foreknowledge and grace. Augustine solidified the doctrine in his disputes with Pelagius, insisting that even our faith is a gift from God. The Canons of Dort in 1619 responded to the Arminian challenge by affirming that God “out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His own will,” chooses His people.
From all of this…. Lets maintain a posture of understanding: We are finite attempting to understand that which is infinite. Paul talks about the “mystery” of the gospel. What we know is that by Grace you have been saved, not by works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 1:5 also sheds light on this by helping us understand that those God chose, he moved from Orphans to Heirs.
From Orphan to Heir
Ephesians 1:5 says, “He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ.”Adoption is one of the most tender and powerful metaphors in Scripture. It means that God not only forgives us but welcomes us into His family. He gives us His name, His inheritance, and His Spirit.
In Roman culture, adoption was a legal transfer of sonship. An adopted son became the rightful heir, with all the privileges of birth. Paul is saying that this is what God has done for us. He has not just tolerated us but embraced us as His own children. John Owen called it “our highest privilege” and distinguished it from justification. J.I. Packer revived this emphasis, stating that “the entire Christian life has to be understood in terms of adoption.” If God has adopted you, He will never disown you. You are no longer a spiritual orphan. You are a beloved son or daughter of the King.
Knowing this, it should truly fuel our worship with intimacy and security. When we gather to sing, pray, or sit under the teaching of God’s word, we do so not as distant observers but as dearly loved children. We came not with fear of rejection but with joy in full access. When we cry “Abba, Father,” it is the Spirit of adoption within us responding to the Father’s love (Romans 8:15). Worship becomes deeply personal because we are not outsiders looking in. We are sons and daughters celebrating the love of the Father. In adoption, we have been given a family, a name, and a future. So our worship must be marked by gratitude, warmth, and holy confidence.
Worship Freely in Redemption
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood.” Redemption means liberation through payment. In the biblical sense, it refers to the deliverance from sin’s penalty by the blood of Jesus Christ.
The core of redemption is understood in the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement. Christ bore our punishment in our place. He satisfied divine justice on our behalf. He paid the price we could never pay.
Anselm of Canterbury (11th Century) clarified it further in Cur Deus Homo, explaining that satisfaction must be made for sin. The Reformers also preached that Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place. Some critics have falsely accused the Lord of divine child abuse. Instead, we must recognize it for what it is, divine love. “He was pierced for our transgressions” according to Isaiah 53:5. He paid the highest price to bring you back into communion to Himself.
This should radically transform the tone and content of our worship. We don’t sing generic songs about vague spirituality. We must recognize that we gather together because our right to do so has been purchased by Christ Himself. We sing about anthems of deliverance and hymns that are stained in the blood of Christ. The price Christ paid was not in silver or gold but in His own blood. How can we remain indifferent when we know what it cost to save us? True worship is not casual but rather it is costly to the Son of God. It comes from hearts pierced by the reality of the cross. When we consider our redemption, our worship should rise with awe, with gratitude, and with an urgency to proclaim that Jesus is worthy of everything.
Our Worship is Sealed
Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is not just a gift to live in us to make us better people. He is the guarantee. In salvation, the Spirit regenerates (John 3), indwells (1 Corinthians 6:19), and seals (Ephesians 1:13). This sealing signifies ownership, protection, and permanence.
This is how we have come to understand the doctrine of perseverance of the saints. Those whom God saves, He keeps. The Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance. The New Testament does not envision a revolving door type of salvation. It teaches a secure salvation rooted in God’s eternal promise.
If you have ever doubted your standing before God, remember: the Spirit Himself bears witness with your spirit that you are a child of God. You are not hanging by a thread. You are held by the seal of the Spirit.
Knowing we are eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit brings stability, comfort, and depth to our worship. We do not praise the Lord in hopes of gaining love from Him or acceptance from Him. We worship knowing He has permanently marked us as His. The Spirit’s indwelling confirms that we belong to God and guarantees that our future inheritance is secure. That kind of assurance drives deeper worship and keeps us from approaching God flippantly or fearfully. We come boldly but reverently, knowing we have been sealed by grace. Every time we gather, we do so under the authority of that seal, and every song we sing is a reminder that the God who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Live a Life of Worship
In the first century, Ephesus was saturated with idolatry. There were temples, statues, cults, and Roman Imperial worship. Today, our idols have different shapes but the same spiritual power. Career, comfort, control, beauty, fame, and political identity all compete for our allegiance. But remember, you have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, and sealed, and your worship belongs to Christ alone. He is not one of many saviors, but He is the only Savior. And He alone is worthy our lives.
To live as a worshipper in a world of idols is to daily reaffirm the worth of Jesus above all else. It means we gather not because of habit, but because our hearts have been captivated by His grace. It means we sing not out of duty, but out of delight. It means we confess, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). Real worship resists cultural conformity by proclaiming the exclusivity of Christ. It reshapes our habits, reorders our loves, and rekindles our hope. In a world of counterfeit glory, worship is our declaration that only Jesus is Lord.
Doxology for Today
Paul concludes his opening song with a refrain that should echo daily in our lives: “To the praise of His glory.”
Why did God choose you? To the praise of His glory.
Why did Christ redeem you? To the praise of His glory.
Why did the Spirit seal you? To the praise of His glory.
This is also why we gather, why we die to ourselves daily, and why we press on…. To the praise of His glory.
The depth of your worship will always be the result of rightly seeing Christ.
A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, help me to see you clearly today according to your word. Open my eyes to your truth as I study your Scripture, pray fervently, and depend on you deeply. I realize that I can do nothing to earn or gain righteousness, and my life is in your hands alone. Thank you for your grace and the mercy you bestow on me daily. You alone are worthy of my worship. Forgive me when I make worship about me, or when I am distant from you, or slow to worship you. Rid my life of idolatry and keep my footing on your word. Today I bless you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This Sunday at Green Acres:
LUKE
“The Purpose of Christ” – Luke 4:38–44
Come join us this Sunday as we continue our journey through the Gospel of Luke. In this week’s passage, we’ll see Jesus move from the synagogue to the sickbed, from casting out demons to quietly slipping away to pray. Through it all, we discover something powerful: Jesus came not just to heal bodies, but to proclaim the Kingdom.
Whether you’re searching for hope, healing, or purpose, come and hear the good news of a Savior who sees, speaks, and sends.
We’ll save you a seat. Bring a friend. Let’s worship the One who came to seek and save.
Come to worship at Tyler or Flint at 9:30am or 11:00am and Español at 11:00. We also have Connect Groups that are essential for your growth in Christ that meet at 8:00am, 9:30am, and 11:00am. Come and join us!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett