Introduction to Ephesians (3 things)…

• The whole counsel of God

• Our desire is to teach through the whole Bible Genesis to Revelation
• Acts 20:27 – “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”
• Having finished Galatians – we will now move on to Ephesians…
  
• 1^st – The city of Ephesus…

• Ephesus was the largest and most powerful city in Asia-minor (modern day Turkey) – picture…
  • The city was a very wealthy city – with a population of over 300,000 people…
  • They city sat at the cross roads of two main trade routes in the Roman Empire…
  • By land they were half way between Macedonia (Greece) and Alexandria (Egypt)
  • By Sea – the city was on the Adriatic Sea – part of a major trade route to Rome…
  • It was a major hub of commerce flowing from the east to west in the Roman Empire
• The city was located between two mountains – about 4 miles from the sea…
  • The city streets were lined with marble – the ruins are still there to this day…
  • Walking down the street you would pass monuments like the Celsus library – picture…
  • Open markets – with the names of the stores carved in stone – public bathrooms!
  • They had hot and cold running water inside of the houses (fed by hot and cold springs)…
  • Towards the end of the road – there is the theatre – that holds 25,000 people – picture!
  • The point being it was a VERY wealthy / VERY powerful / VERY influential city…
• In fact it had one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world – temple of Dianna / Artimus…
  • When people think of a Greek Temple – Parthenon still standing today in Athens – picture…
  • The temple to Dianna was twice as high – eight times as large (bigger than NFL stadium)…
  • Artimus was the daughter of Zeus – and was said to have fallen from the sky to Ephesus…
  • It was likely a meteor – with bumps all over it – they worshiped and made a temple for it…
  • Dianna was the goddess of fertility (many breast) – making Ephesus a very immoral place!
    

• 2^nd – The history of Paul in Ephesus…
  • Paul first visited Ephesus on his 2^nd missionary journey – Acts 18
    • Apollos along with Aquila and Pricilla – had already started the church…
    • Paul was asked to stay on and teach – but he declined promising to return later… 
  • Paul then returned to Ephesus on his 3^rd missionary journey – stayed for 3 years…
    • When he got to the church – Acts 19 – he noticed a problem – no power…
    • Paul asked if they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit – ‘Never heard of Him’…
    • He asked how they had been baptized – ‘with the baptism of John’ – repentance…
    • So Paul prayed over them – and they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit…
  • Paul worked while in Ephesus – Acts 20:34 – likely making tents…
    • People would steal his sweatbands – Acts 19:12 – and be healed by them!
    • God was doing a work with Paul – so people started to try and ‘duplicate’ the work of Paul…
    • The 7 sons of Sceva tried to cast out a demon out in ‘Paul’s name’ – Acts 19:13…
    • The demon answered – ‘Jesus I know  / Paul I know – but who are you…’
    • And the demon possessed man jumped on them – beat them – and they fled naked!
    • Amazed – people took their ‘bad’ books and burned them – worth 50,000 pieces of silver!
  • A revival was coming to Ephesus – people were getting saved…
    • As a result – a certain idol maker named Demetrius – was losing a lot of money…
    • People were no longer buying his little idols – so stirred he the up the multitudes…
    • 25,000 people gathered into a riot in the theatre – ‘great is Artimus of Ephesus’…
    • Paul wanted to go in and preach to them – but his friends rushed him out of the city!
  • After which Paul went to Jerusalem to attend Pentecost – Acts 20
    • It was there Paul was arrested – and spent 2 years in prison in Caesarea…
    • At the end of the book of Acts Paul ‘appealed’ to Caesar – and was sent to prison in Rome…
    • While there Paul wrote four letters – Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon…
    • This letter to the Ephesians was then delivered by Tychicus – Ephesians 6:21-22
      
• 3^rd – The outline of the book of Ephesians…
  • Outline – we will TRY to cover about ½ a chapter each week…
  • Chapters 1-3 – The doctrine of the blessings we have in Jesus Christ…
  • Chapter 4-6 – The practical duty we have in following Jesus Christ…

The Blessing of God… vs. 1-14 (2 things)

• 1^st – Introduction (patented greeting of Paul)… vs. 1-2
  • 1^st – Paul – the same Paul who whose life we followed from Acts chapter 13 to 28…
• Paul wrote 13 book of the New Testament (14 if you include Hebrews)…
  • The ‘epistles’ or letter of Paul can be broken up into 3 different categories…
  • 1^st – the three larger letters by Paul – Romans / I & II Corinthians…
  • 2^nd – the 6 smaller letters written to various churches…
    • The larger books have 13-16 chapters / these average between 4-6 chapters
    • Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / I & II Thessalonians…
  • 3^rd – The Pastors Epistles – I & II Timothy / Titus / Philemon
• An Apostle – the word simply means someone who is ‘sent out’ to preach the Gospel…
  • The picture is that of an ambassador – a representative of God to the world…
  • Sent out to share the Good News – the hope of salvation through Jesus!
  • Paul was called to be an apostle – by the will of God!
  • The calling of an Apostle is still alive in the church today – Ephesians 4:11…
  • God ‘sends us out’ to tell others – our family – friends at work/school about Jesus!

• 2^nd – Written to the saints in Ephesus – AND the faithful in Jesus Christ…
  • The letter was not just written to the Ephesians – it is written to all believers!
    • Ephesians was not written to correct problems in the church (like Corinth or Galatia)…
    • It was written in stead as an encouragement to all believers!
    • Ephesians is written to us – a book to strengthen our walk in Jesus!
  • Not that they did not have problems – John the apostle addresses them in Revelation…
    • Revelation 2:4 – “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
    • Ephesus was a great big church – with a lot of wealth / and a lot of power…
    • The danger when everything is going right – it is to forget about Jesus…
    • I think of some of these HUGE ministries today – 15,000 people on Sunday morning…
    • They pastors write books – ‘Purpose Driven Life’ – telling people how to be blessed…
    • Forgetting that being blessed is now about what we do – but whom we know – Jesus!
      
• 3^rd – Grace and Peace to you…
  • Paul wrote the book to give ‘grace and peace’ to those who read it!
  • Before we were saved – we lived in certain expectation of God’s wrath and judgment
  • There was no peace in our lives – only the fear of death – and punishment…
  • Hebrews 10:27 – “There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.”
  • But when we have the Grace of God – the free gift of salvation – we have peace with God!
  • You cannot have true peace – rest in the knowledge we are forgiven – without grace…
    
• 2^nd – We HAVE been blessed (a single sentance)… vs. 3-14 (3 things)
  • We have already been blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in heaven…
    • It is not that God will one day give us all the blessings of heaven…
    • II Peter 1:3 – “His divine power HAS given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”
    • God has ALREADY given us everything we need to be able to live a holy / righteous life!
    • Maybe you are like me – you wonder many days if you can really live for Jesus…
    • With all the temptation in this world – as many times as we seem to make mistakes…
    • Is it really possible to live a holy / righteous life for the Lord – and if so HOW!
    • Paul gives us the answer – YES – because God has already blessed us with all we need…
  • 1^st – We have been blessed by the Father… vs. 3-6
    • Blessed because the Father chose us – before the foundations of the world…
      • A hard concept for us to comprehend – God chooses those who go to heaven…
        • John 15:16 – “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…”
        • It does not seem fair to us that God chooses who gets to go to heaven…
        • When you got / or will get married – who chose the woman you married…
        • Would you have liked it if someone else made the choice – of your wife…
        • It seems fair that God would also get to choose whom He spends eternity with…
      • God chooses based on His foreknowledge…
        • Romans 8:29 – “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined…” 
        • God is eternal – which means He has no beginning or end – Revelation 1:8
        • God does not have an endless amount of time – God is outside of time!
        • God sees all of time – from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 all at once!
        • Isaiah 46:10 – “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done…”
        • If you knew a woman would say no if you asked her to marry you – would you ask
        • If you knew a beautiful woman would say yes – would you wait…
        • In a sense God ‘cheats’ – He knows every ones choice before they every make it…
        • God sees EVERYTHING – He knows exactly who will believe in/receive Jesus…
        • So He chooses those who He knows will choose Him!
      • What if you do not want to choose to believe in Jesus…
        • Then you are not one of those whom God has chosen to be saved – to go to heaven
        • You might say – ‘but I want to go to heaven’ – then choose to believe in Jesus
        • When you do you will find out – God had already chosen you!
      • God choose us – to change us – Ephesians 2:10 
        • We are clay on God’s potters wheel – He desires to make us His masterpiece!
        • It is not something that happens in a moment – the very day we are saved…
        • But He is shaping and molding us so that we become more like Jesus…
        • Romans 8:29 – “Predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
    • Blessed because the Father has chosen to adopt us – by Grace…
      • We did not earn our adoption – it was a gift that God gives to those He chooses…
        • Adopted not by accident (like having a baby) but chosen to become His children!
        • And heirs to all that He has – joint heirs with Jesus Christ – Romans 8:17
        • That means God desires to give us EVERYTHING – His KINGDOM – Luke 12:32
        • To the extent we will even sit on Jesus throne with Him – Revelation 3:21
      • God picked us – knowing everything about us – to be His sons…
        • I know how much of a challenge I can be – how many times I make mistakes…
        • I am always amazed – that God also knowing exactly who I am – still choose me!
        • We care blessed because God choose us – and He made us His kids…
        • He began a good work in our lives – and He will finish what He started!
        • Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”
  • 2^nd – We have been blessed by the Son… vs. 7-12
    • Blessed because Jesus has redeemed us from sin / destruction…
      • At the cross – Jesus took on Him the crushing weight of the sins of all men…
        • It was there that God unleashed His entire wrath against the sin of men…
        • The price of forgiveness was enormous – it cost Jesus His life!
      • Jesus paid a debt He did not owe – cause we owed a debt that we couldn’t pay
        • I Peter 1:18-19 – “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you… the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.  He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
        • Now when God looks down on us – He sees us are perfect / no more sin!
        • We are blessed because Jesus has washed away every sin we ever committed!
    • Blessed because Jesus made known to us the mystery of His will…
      • His good plan and purpose – that when THE ‘Times’ are completed…
        • Jesus is going to gather – at His 2^nd coming – all things together IN HIM…
        • Jesus will rule – till He brings an end to every authority and power – Psalms 8:6
        • All nations / all kingdoms / all men / even satan and his demons – Philippians 2:10
      • Finally Jesus will put Himself under God the Father – I Corinthians 15:28…
        • Then God will be all in all – His creation back to the way He originally intended…
        • No one wants to be one the losing side of a battle – we want to win…
        • We are blessed because we are on the right side in this war…
        • Though there are many battles we still have to fight – in the end – WE WIN!
  • 3^rd – We have been blessed by the Spirit… vs. 13-14
    • Blessed because He has sealed us – until the redemption of the purchased possession…
      • If you are going to buy a property – but don’t yet have the money – you leave a deposit
      • It is the guarantee that you will for sure be back to finish what you started…
    • Jesus bought and paid for us with the cross – I Corinthians 6:20
      • And He has gave us His Holy Spirit – as a ‘down payment’…
      • It is His guarantee He will be back for us to finish the work of ‘adopting’ us as His kids!
      • Until the adoption is complete – and we are in heaven – He ‘seals’ us with His Spirit…
      • It is the same ‘seal’ God uses to bind satan for 1000 years – Revelation 20:3

Blessed because we are sealed God – till the day we arrive in heaven as God’s kids!

And even though they have been saved for many years – they have not matured…

All they have is their unchanging rules – the problem is they do not change either!

They are under the curse of the Law – and cannot grow in Christ…

Christ became cursed for us…

Deuteronomy 21:23 – “He who is hanged is accursed of God.”

If a man commits a sin deserving of death – he is to be hung on a tree…

To let others see his fate – and discourage them from following his example…

Because anyone who hangs on a tree – is cursed…

We were all deserving of death – we were all under the curse of the Law…

We all should have been hung up on a tree – we should have paid our penalty…

Jesus took our curse – He put Himself in our place – He hung on the Cross of Calvary…

So that we could receive the blessings of Abraham – the promise of the Spirit!

Jesus was put up for the whole world to see the consequences of sin – death…

So that the whole world might believe – and be saved through His sacrifice!