A Life Work (Ephesians 2-3)

Table of Contents

Introduction

God's Life-Giving Work (Ephesians 2:1-10)

1)Text

2)The Way We Were (2:1-3)

3)Made Alive In Christ, Raised With Christ (2:4-7)

4)Saved By Grace For Good Works (2:8-10)

5)Principle

God has a purpose for every believer's life.

6)Illustration

7)Applications

Do you know what works God created you to do and are you doing them?

How do you know that the works you are doing are “good”?

Unity In Christ (Ephesians 2:11-3:13)

1)Text

2)Gentiles Brought Near (2:11-13)

3)Peace and Reconciliation to God By the Cross (2:14-18)

How often do I get outside of my comfort zone? Not that often.

How often am I asking God to stretch me so that it's undeniably Him and not me that comes through?

Who am I hanging out with? Is it anyone? Is it only those just like me? In my same social-economic status? Of the same color skin? With the same family background? Why is that?

4)One Single Dwelling: Jews and Gentiles (2:19-22)

5)Mystery: One Body, All Heirs: Jews and Gentiles (3:1-6)

6)Mystery Revealed In the Church (3:7-10)

7)In Christ We Approach God Confidently (3:11-13)

8)Principle

Barriers between Christians are man-made and have no place in Christ's church.

9)Illustration

Power Through Prayer (Ephesians 3:14-21)

1)Text

2)Family Name Derived From the Father (3:14-15)

3)Paul Prays For Strengthening and Filling (3:16-19)

What types of prayers characterize you: ones that deal with physical or ones that deal with spiritual needs?

What type of requests are you more apt to give: ones that deal with physical or ones that deal with spiritual needs?

4)Glory to God in His Church and in Christ Jesus (3:20-21)

When was the last time you prayed for something that stretched you? Something that pushed beyond the vague or trivial?

5)Principle

Prayer may stretch a Christian but it can never stretch God.

Conclusion

Introduction

There's something nice about working on a project, seeing it come to completion, and knowing you did a good job. There's a certain satisfaction in knowing you accomplished something. And I believe that is part of what God put into humanity – a creative ability to build something, solve a problem, prescribe a correct treatment, repair an automobile, landscape a yard, build a house, etc. All these types of work are from God and we receive a degree of pleasure when the job is completed well.

Unfortunately this same sense of achievement is corrupted by our sin nature. Somehow we believe that we must work and play a part in our salvation. Look at every world religion and you will find this to be true. Every religion except Christianity where Jesus tells us that “No man comes to the Father except through him.” “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He is the author and perfecter of faith and salvation is only through him.

God's Life-Giving Work (Ephesians 2:1-10)

1)Text

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

2)The Way We Were (2:1-3)

Dead in transgressions and sin.

Running with the devil. Like it or not, those who are dead (separate from Christ) have the devil as their master. He's the one at work and he wants you to feel good about yourself as it relates to your own goodness.

Following our own natural inclinations. Perhaps even natural cravings, but corrupted by the sin nature.

Object of wrath.

3)Made Alive In Christ, Raised With Christ (2:4-7)

Because of God's great love, rich mercy...

Paul doesn't say, “because of our great potential for good” or “because of our great striving for excellence” God...

He says in verse 5, God did all this “when we were dead in transgressions”.

Paul points out the means of our salvation not to make us feel good about ourselves, but that we might see the incomparable goodness of our Savior.

Being dead in sin is not an admirable quality, but it is an undeniable reality apart from the grace and mercy of God.

Maybe you had an opportunity to reflect on your status before Christ this past week. I know I did.

I was a privileged person: I grew up in as a pastor's son. I knew the Scriptures. I heard the gospel. I experienced being in church every Sunday.

But I was rebellious at heart. My sin nature had cravings that I wanted to fulfill. And as a result, I spent 10+ years of my life pursuing everything life had to offer. I indulged in every type of depraved activities. And I experienced the emptiness that life apart from Christ has to offer.

It was a dead life with only death awaiting and after that, the wrath of God.

But God...because of His great love and His rich mercy...He made me alive in Christ. He raised me.

Your story may be different. You may have come to Christ at a young age. But none of us can ever say that we were not dead in transgression and sin.

And no one can ever legitimately say that it was anything but the love and mercy of God that brought them to the place of Salvation.

4)Saved By Grace For Good Works (2:8-10)

Until God does a work in you, there are no good works to do.

There are so many religions in the world that try to appease their god by what one does. But because that is the natural bent of fallen man does not make is right.

In fact, it is dead wrong.

This is a case where the “good works” I do can hurt me since I think my works produce righteousness.

This was the problem the Pharisees and Scribes had (see example from Luke's Gospel)

It's God's work that saves.

It's God's works that He has for the saved to accomplish.

Satan's twist: from saved by God's grace for good works to work by God's grace for salvation.

Warning: Never work for God because of guilt (this is a wrong motivation). Never do it in order to make yourself right with God (this is impossible).

Do you ever feel like you are just too inadequate for the work God has called you to do?

Well let me give you a little encouragement here...you are inadequate. But so am I.

Remember: God does not need us in order to get work done.

Remember also, our inadequacy is no excuse for doing a lousy job.

Inadequacy as an excuse may even be a veiled sense of pride – thinking the work is about me.

5)Principle

God has a purpose for every believer's life.

6)Illustration

This week...(sorry, you had to be there:)

7)Applications

Do you know what works God created you to do and are you doing them?

How do you know that the works you are doing are “good”?

Unity In Christ (Ephesians 2:11-3:13)

1)Text

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

2)Gentiles Brought Near (2:11-13)

Circumcision vs the uncircumcised. Neither one of these physical attributes brought one closer to God.

But one of these (circumcision) was a place of privilege. The covenants and the promises were theirs.

Many within the covenant community were lost, certainly, but they were near in the sense that they had the opportunity to hear Scripture.

Look at what verse 12 says about the former Gentile predicament.

Look at the “but now” statement in verse 13.

In Christ comes the fullness of God's presence; what the Old Covenant could only foreshadow.

3)Peace and Reconciliation to God By the Cross (2:14-18)

Peace is written all over this section, 14-18. It's affect is that there are no longer Jews and Gentiles. In fact, national heritage, ethnicity, race, color, all distinctions are immaterial in relation to who we are in Christ.

Both Jew and Gentile enter into this one body in the same way. Both had exactly the same need of Christ and the work that His blood alone could accomplish.

All other forms of peace are superficial. They are a matter of compromise and concessions.

But in Christ, there should be nothing to divide. We are reconciled to God which brings meaning, purpose, and hope to this life.

We are now able to live a life of faith and love. So love should characterize the way we treat others.

But too often, I think, we surround ourselves with the type of people that we find easy to love. Those that are “like” us in many ways. Or won't test our ability to be unified.

We don't open up our lives to others and expose ourselves – especially as men. We don't want the vulnerability. And so we go on through life with very superficial interactions that never allow the opportunity to let down the guard. To show who I really am inside.

I am as guilty as any of you are, even more, perhaps.

Ask yourself these questions:

How often do I get outside of my comfort zone? Not that often.

How often am I asking God to stretch me so that it's undeniably Him and not me that comes through?

Who am I hanging out with? Is it anyone? Is it only those just like me? In my same social-economic status? Of the same color skin? With the same family background? Why is that?

[Illustration: Last year a friend invited me to go to a rescue mission. What an eye-opening experience for me. What a great way for me to get outside my comfort zone.]

4)One Single Dwelling: Jews and Gentiles (2:19-22)

Think of this. We are a building that God is making. And the building must be suitable for Him to dwell.

If there are barriers due to race, color, status, economics, how can God dwell there. When I have barriers between myself and other believers, then I necessarily raise barriers between myself and God.

Check out verses 19 and 20. He uses all these terms that generally point to those allied together around a common national origin:

Not aliens, or foreigners, but citizens and members of God's household.

All of these are terms that point to things that unify a people.

All of this is built on the same infallible foundation: Scripture, the apostles and prophets. And all they have written (by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) squares with and lines up to Christ, the Chief Cornerstone.

5)Mystery: One Body, All Heirs: Jews and Gentiles (3:1-6)

After all, we all have the same inheritance.

We make a big deal about distinctions here on earth but all believers in Christ are heirs of the same inheritance.

6)Mystery Revealed In the Church (3:7-10)

7)In Christ We Approach God Confidently (3:11-13)

8)Principle

Barriers between Christians are man-made and have no place in Christ's church.

Sometimes God's work for us is to step outside the comfort zone and into the real world.

9)Illustration

The “bubble” where I live...

Power Through Prayer (Ephesians 3:14-21)

1)Text

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

2)Family Name Derived From the Father (3:14-15)

We have a name. It's derived from God the Father.

And it is to the Father that Paul addresses his prayer on behalf of the Ephesian Christians.

They were not Christians because of any practices they did, but because of their adoption into God's family through the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray. In that prayer, he told them to address the the Father – praying to the One in heaven who is holy. The One whose kingdom we are a part of and whose will we want Him to fulfill. We want that will to be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven.

3)Paul Prays For Strengthening and Filling (3:16-19)

This is the One who has all power to carry out His will and who has all resources at His disposal.

But Paul does not pray for any types of temporal things here for these Christians. Instead, he hones in on the importance of their inner being.

The spiritual needs.

• Strengthening their inner being (16).

• The indwelling fullness of Christ in His people (17).

• Established in love (17) [Like a plant: rooted and established]

• To grasp the infinitude of Christ's love (18).

• To experience (know) his surpassing love (19).

• To be filled with God's fullness (19).

What types of prayers characterize you: ones that deal with physical or ones that deal with spiritual needs?

What type of requests are you more apt to give: ones that deal with physical or ones that deal with spiritual needs?

I wonder what God like to hear more of? I wonder what He is more concerned about, our comfort or our conformity?

4)Glory to God in His Church and in Christ Jesus (3:20-21)

God can and does do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

When was the last time you prayed for something that stretched you? Something that pushed beyond the vague or trivial?

Mary and I have been talking about that. How often our prayers are so small. So superficial. So inept in relation to what God can and will do.

You receive not because you ask not.

Ask anything according to my will and it will be done for you.

When God answers prayers that have no other explanation than “this must be the hand of God”, who gets the glory? God does.

He delights in achieving the impossible.

5)Principle

Prayer may stretch a Christian but it can never stretch God.

God's Plan (Ephesians 1)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Our Redemption (Ephesians 1:1-10)

1)Intro Material

2)Greeting and Introduction (1:1-3)

Apostle Of Jesus Christ By God's Will

To the Faithful Ephesian Saints in Christ

Praise God For Blessings

When was the last time your thanked God for one or more of your spiritual blessings in Christ?

3)Chosen For Holiness, Predestined For Adoption (1:4-6)

How's your family likeness? How could it be improved?

4)Redemption: My Sin, Christ's Blood, God's Grace (1:7-8)

5)Mystery Revealed In Christ (1:9-10)

Are you part of the all things united in Christ?

6)Principle

The redeemed have always been part of God's plan.

7)Illustration

God's Glory (Ephesians 1:11-14)

1)God's Will: Chosen and Predestined (1:11-12)

2)Included In Christ: Heard, Believed, Sealed (1:13-14)

3)Principle

The redeemed are God's possession and heirs in Christ.

We are redeemed by God so that we might bring glory to God.

4)Applications

When was the last time you did something for no other reason than to glorify God?

Christ's Authority (Ephesians 1:15-23)

1)Paul's Continual Prayer (1:15-16)

What's your response when God brings someone to your mind? What would happen if you prayed for them?

2)Wisdom and Revelation: to Know God and His Power (1:17-19a)

What are you doing in order to get to know God better?

What are you doing that might be hindering your knowledge of God?

What are you doing with your knowledge of God?

3)Christ's Power and Authority (1:19b-23)

How well would you say you are at following your head (Christ)?

4)Principle

God's plan is to bring everything under Christ's authority.

Conclusion

Introduction

Planned something but it didn't turn out like you expected or it didn't turn out at all – it never happened.

Dreams, plans, goals, all of these things are part of our makeup as humans created in the image of God.

Sometimes there are things beyond our control keeping us from accomplishing our plans.

Thankfully, God doesn't have that problem. It's impossible for something God determines will happen to not come to pass.

Our Redemption (Ephesians 1:1-10)

1)Intro Material

Repeated words and phrases are all over this chapter:

all, every

purpose, will, predestined, chose (before creation)

in him, in Christ, in the One he loves

grace

glory and praise

Paul is writing from prison (perhaps from Rome or maybe en route to Rome)

2)Greeting and Introduction (1:1-3)

Apostle Of Jesus Christ By God's Will

This is Paul's signature to his letter and it is very similar to most of his inscriptions.

It points out his office, apostle. He was one sent out on behalf of Jesus Christ.

And this, by the will of God. This was God's plan and will for Paul (and as we will see, before time began).

To the Faithful Ephesian Saints in Christ

Paul packs a lot of information into just a few word. From this phrase we know that he is addressing the Ephesians (and probably some of the surrounding area).

In addition, he acknowledges their faithfulness and their position in Christ Jesus. There faithfulness was in fact a sign of their position, in Christ – it was not a means of maintaining or remaining in Christ.

Praise God For Blessings

When you think of blessings, what do you generally think of? I know I often think of things like: freedom, good job, loving wife, my children, my grand daughter, etc.

But Paul points out, beyond these things, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ.

This is an amazing fact. The fact of the matter is, apart from Christ, we have no spiritual blessings. We are dead spiritually apart from Him.

But we, once enemies of God and deserving condemnation by God, are blessed spiritually in every way. Our position is no longer an enemy, but one in which we have representation in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus.

Paul calls us to praise God for all of this, and rightly so.

When was the last time your thanked God for one or more of your spiritual blessings in Christ?

3)Chosen For Holiness, Predestined For Adoption (1:4-6)

These spiritual blessings we have in Christ are not just a new and novel item on God's agenda for time. They were part of His plan before time.

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

As Paul points out, in eternity past we were chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless in his sight. God didn't wait until we reached some milestone of goodness (that would never happen).

He chose us for the purpose of making us holy and blameless in Christ. And this was before the foundation of the world.

Add to that the fact that he predestined us (or decree before hand) that we would be adopted as sons through Christ. This was an act of the love of God on the elect.

He makes us holy and blameless and then adds the title of adopted son to us.

Now are you starting to get a small glimpse of the spiritual blessings in Christ? I know I am.

This adoption means that rather than an enemy of everything God stands for, I am now a member of God's household. I have a family name now. I have a heritage and an inheritance. I have a purpose for my life – to live for the family.

And I should, over time, take on family likeness. Not only am I positionally holy in Christ, but my life should begin grow in holiness. I should love God's law and seek to live according to His law. That's a mark of the family.

All of these things Paul has been telling us were part of God's plan – it was His purpose and will that brought them about. It has always been His plan.

5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

This holy, blameless and adoptive state didn't come into view only after the fall of humanity in Adam and Eve. It wasn't even after man's inability to keep God's covenants prior to the New Covenant. As Paul puts this, it was God's choosing and predestination before creation.

Paul says that these things are to the praise of his glorious grace. They highlight the glory of God in His unmerited favor poured out on those who used to be objects of wrath. What a reason to praise God!

Once again, Paul states that these things were afforded us, for no other reason than God's purpose being fulfilled in Christ alone.

How's your family likeness? How could it be improved?

4)Redemption: My Sin, Christ's Blood, God's Grace (1:7-8)

Now Paul moves from pointing out the spiritual blessings of holiness, blamelessness, and adoption and into the means by which we become holy, blameless, and adopted.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Again, it is in Christ. And he uses a word, redemption, to highlight what took place.

Redemption carries with it the sense of buying something back. To repurchase something. There was a price that had to be paid for you and I to be brought from an unholy state to one of holy and blameless adoption.

Adam's race was created in perfection but sin put all descendents of Adam in slavery and captivity.

It is through Christ's blood that redemption comes. The sin we were held captive to has been forgiven. This is not a trivial matter. It is an extremely deep subject.

Christ's blood satisfied God's justice for the sins of His people. And all of this came to us as a lavish act on God's part – an act of grace lavishly poured out on the cross but planned in eternity past.

5)Mystery Revealed In Christ (1:9-10)

This act of God was one of wisdom and understanding – God's wisdom.

9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (NIV)

To past generations it was a mystery. Even the prophets, who wrote about the suffering servant, did not understand how it would come to pass and who the Spirit of God in them was pointing to. But God orchestrated everything necessary to bring it to pass in His time.

This mystery was made known in the fullness of time in the person of Jesus Christ. And as Paul says, it is God's plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth in him.

Are you part of the all things united in Christ?

6)Principle

The redeemed have always been part of God's plan.

7)Illustration

Sometimes we think of things happening in our lives as a coincidence. Some things may well be. But when it comes to hearing and understanding the gospel, that is never a coincidence.

I know a number of people who have told me they sat in church all through their growing up but never once heard the gospel. Not until some time later on in life.

Now that does not mean that the gospel was never presented (it may not have been) but it requires God to enable you and me to see and hear the gospel.

None of us are here tonight by chance. Perhaps you are here and have never acknowledged your own sin. The fact that your are a sinner before a holy God. And there is nothing you can do to change that.

But did you know, God's plan in eternity past was to take care of that sin in Christ? That He provided everything you need to be made right and holy before God? And that even your presence in BSF on 3/5/2012 is part of His means of calling you into a relationship with Him through His Son.

If you have any questions about where you stand in relation to God, please feel free to talk with me after class or find your group leader or talk with any of our leaders.

God's Glory (Ephesians 1:11-14)

1)God's Will: Chosen and Predestined (1:11-12)

(ESV) 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

(NIV) 11 In him we were also chosen (or made heirs), having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

One gets the idea that there is nothing that could stop what God has determined will happen.

This inheritance was predestined by him in accordance with his plan. In other word, He is going to carry it out in the way He has already determined it will happen.

Paul goes on to say that he works out everything in conformity to his will. Nothing can go against God's will.

And what is the end result of all this? God's glory is revealed in a doxological fashion. It is to the praise of God's glory.

His glory is revealed resulting in praise to God.

2)Included In Christ: Heard, Believed, Sealed (1:13-14)

Paul then moves to the way in which God realized this in the believers in Ephesus:

• The word of truth, the gospel of your salvation

• Believed in Christ of the gospel

• Sealed with the Holy Spirit

Paul tells us, in Romans 10:17:

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ

Our faith is not blind but in fact is grounded in the truth of the gospel. The spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms in Christ. His blood shed for our redemption and forgiveness of sins.

Just prior to verse 17, Paul says these words in 14-15:

14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

This is a work of God from first to last. He willed it, accomplished it, offers it, enables it, and guarantees it.

• He willed it, (Chosen and Predestined)

• accomplished it, (Redemption in Christ blood)

• offers it, (Grace lavished on us through the gospel)

• enables it, (Faith in the work of Christ)

• and guarantees it (Sealed by the Holy Spirit)

All of this to those who don't deserve it.

If that is not a reason to praise God, I don't know what is?

The ESV puts verses 13-14 like this:

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guaranteed of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Our guarantee of ultimate possession of our inheritance is held in the person of the Holy Spirit. He seals us with God's mark of ownership.

I think that is why the NIV puts the text this way:

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession – to the praise of his glory.

Either way, God is to be praise. We are His possession and His seal is on us. We will one day possess our inheritance and the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of that truth.

3)Principle

The redeemed are God's possession and heirs in Christ.

We are redeemed by God so that we might bring glory to God.

4)Applications

When was the last time you did something for no other reason than to glorify God?

Christ's Authority (Ephesians 1:15-23)

1)Paul's Continual Prayer (1:15-16)

Paul uses this prayer without ceasing theme in a number of places.

Romans 1

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

In 1 Thessalonians 5

16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In 1 Thessalonians 1

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

[Read Ephesians 1:15-16]

I bet Paul spent many hours on his knees. And when he was not on his knees, he may have been walking or working or sitting in a prison – wherever he was, when God brought one of the churches to mind, Paul prayed for specific needs in those places.

Notice here that Paul takes the opportunity to point out the things he has seen of this church, their faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints and uses it as an opportunity to thank God.

As he's already mentioned, the work in this Ephesian group is a work of God and He is the one to be thanked for it. It was part of His eternal plan and it is being carried out in time.

What's your response when God brings someone to your mind? What would happen if you prayed for them?

2)Wisdom and Revelation: to Know God and His Power (1:17-19a)

Paul wants the Ephesians to have wisdom and revelation:

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Paul's primary concern is that God's revelation of himself may lead to a deeper knowledge of God in the Ephesians. This is something that all of us needs. When a clearer view of God and his character is known by God's people, then naturally we begin to put everything else in life in its proper perspective.

When we know God, we begin to better understand who we are and what our role is in God's purpose for this short life we are living. And with that knowledge, coupled with God's wisdom, we make the best use of our time, talents, and treasures. We are concerned about the effectiveness of our lives and we modify our lives in order to please Him.

The larger (and more true) our view of God, the less consumed we tend to be with self.

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

We were called by God into a hope. And often we lose sight of that hope, but it's always there for God's people. We just need our eyes adjusted sometimes so that we can see that hope and refocus.

Illustration: I caught myself this week getting excited about some future possibilities. I think I do that often, perhaps too often. And when I do, sometimes those possibilities (or the things I am looking forward to) overrule my mood or sense of happiness and purpose.

What if instead I started to put that same energy in looking forward to the hope I have in Christ. There would be no disappointments in that type of hope!

We have an inheritance in the saints. It's a glorious inheritance. As the writer of Hebrews puts it, the saints in the Old Testament were aliens and strangers on this earth. They were looking for a better home. And along with us (and us with them) we have an eternal inheritance together.

This will be brought to pass by God's great (incomparably great) power. Not only is God's power for us in this life, but when Christ returns, the power exerted to raise Jesus from the dead will also raise all those of us who are dead in Christ as well.

What are you doing in order to get to know God better?

What are you doing that might be hindering your knowledge of God?

What are you doing with your knowledge of God?

3)Christ's Power and Authority (1:19b-23)

19b That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Christ's position is the most exalted position of authority there is. Christ position of authority is in the heavenly realms – the very term Paul used to describe our spiritual blessings in verse 3. Those blessings are in Christ in heavenly realms – he is the source of all our spiritual blessings.

In Ephesians 2:6, Paul tells us that we too are seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. This is a present reality:

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

This position of authority Jesus has, is a present reality. Look at verses 21-23 to see the extent of that authority:

21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

This is some extremely lofty language Paul is using here.

First of all, notice Paul's use of the word all and every.

He is above all rule, authority, power and dominion. If you are a history buff, and I am not, think of the greatest world leader who ever lived or the greatest conqueror (past or present). They are nothing in comparison to Jesus. Their authority, no matter how vast, is nothing in comparison to Christ's authority.

There is none, has never been, and never will be any power, dominion, rule, or authority that surpasses his.

Add to that the titles that one might hold. Maybe it's letters after a name or before the name. Multiplied titles even. All of the world's titles are nothing in comparison to those given to God's Son.

This concept of placing under his feet goes to illustrate the extent of his authority and dominion.

When he walked the earth, he came as a servant of all. He even stooped to wash his disciples' feet on the night in which he was betrayed. Even the one who would betray him by the power of Satan – his feet were washed by Jesus. Add to that the fact that everything that brought corruption to the created order was placed on the sinless Lamb of God.

He was made sin though not sinful – having no sin of his own. What a lowly and despised position. But the power of God elevated him from such low position to one of supreme exaltation.

The ESV puts verses 22-23 like this:

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.

Jesus is the head of his church. Not a denomination or any individual church. Paul is not talking here about the Ephesian church. But rather the Ecclesia, the called out ones.

This is the church built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Sacred Scripture) with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.

All those who are in Christ are part of his church, also called here, his body. We have a function in this world and that is to follow our head – the exalted Christ.

How well would you say you are at following your head (Christ)?

4)Principle

God's plan is to bring everything under Christ's authority.

Conclusion

The best path to successful plans is to make plans the line up under God's plans. His plans cannot fail.

Titanic

I just read a great, short, article that talks about the narcissistic tendencies in our society, but more importantly how that same tendency is infiltrating our churches and causing us to be conform to the culture rather than transforming the culture. I highly recommend reading this short article.