Video teaching coming soon
There is no online teaching for this study yet, but the written notes and any available study resources are still below.
These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
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…
- 1st – 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…
- The 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!
- 2nd – The history of Paul in Ephesus…
- Paul first visited Ephesus on his 2nd 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 3rd 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
- 3rd – 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)
- 1st – Introduction (patented greeting of Paul)… vs. 1-2
- 1st – 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…
- 1st – the three larger letters by Paul – Romans / I & II Corinthians…
- 2nd – 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…
- 3rd – 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!
- 2nd – 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!
- 3rd – 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…
- 2nd – 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…
- 1st – 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…”
- 2nd – 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 2nd 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!
- 3rd – 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!