3ABN Sabbath School Panel

Paul and the Ephesians

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: SSP

Program Code: SSP230026S


00:01 Hello Friends, welcome to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:02 I'm John Lomacang
00:04 and we want to thank you for joining us
00:05 for this Third Quarter Lesson Study
00:07 entitled simply: Ephesians.
00:09 It's a six-chapter book
00:11 but it's so much deeper than just six chapters
00:14 and this first week is entitled: Paul and the Ephesians
00:18 and if you'd like to follow us,
00:20 go to: 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com
00:22 download a copy or better yet,
00:24 go to the local Seventh-day Adventist church
00:26 and tell them... 3ABN sent you.
00:28 But whatever you do, stay tuned
00:30 for this beginning walk-through the book of Ephesians.
00:32 We pray that you'll find Christ in the beginning...
00:35 center and the end.
00:36 Join us now for 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:41 Music...
01:11 Lomacang: Hello Friends, welcome to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
01:14 I'm John Lomacang,
01:15 thank you for taking the time to join us
01:17 and if you've joined us each month,
01:18 we want to thank you for being dedicated to following us
01:22 and praying for us as we pray ourselves
01:25 whenever we get a Sabbath School Lesson to tackle
01:27 and this Quarter is the book of Ephesians.
01:30 Dr. John McVay is the author and the central contributor
01:35 to this Lesson
01:36 and it's phenomenal how a book that's only six chapters long
01:40 could have so much depth to it
01:43 which is the focal point of the inspiration behind it.
01:46 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. "
01:48 Before we go into the Lesson any further,
01:50 I want to introduce you to our panel,
01:52 which you may know most of our panelists
01:54 maybe as family members...
01:56 you may have rubbed shoulders with them
01:58 or they may have come to your church
01:59 but right to my immediate left is Ryan Day.
02:01 I call him the Singer in Israel Evangelist Ryan Day,
02:04 good to have you here, Ryan.
02:05 Ryan: Always a blessing to be on 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
02:07 I'm excited to study the book of Ephesians
02:09 and I have Monday's Lesson
02:10 entitled: A Riot in the Amphitheater.
02:13 Lomacang: A riot? wow! Ryan: Hmmm... hmmm...
02:15 Lomacang: Shelley Quinn... the lady from Texas
02:17 who has so many hats,
02:18 always good to have you on the Panel, Shelley.
02:20 Shelley: It's always a joy to be here
02:21 and mine will be: Hearing the Letter to the Ephesians.
02:26 Lomacang: Okay, and John Dinzey, Head of 3ABN Latino.
02:30 Good to have you here today.
02:32 Dinzey: It's a blessing to be here as well
02:33 and I believe this is going to be a life-changing study for us
02:37 and hopefully for everyone
02:39 and I have Wednesday and it's Ephesians in Its Time.
02:43 Lomacang: Okay and Jill Morikone
02:45 our Vice President of 3ABN.
02:48 Always good to have you... good to have you at the helm,
02:49 God is working through you in a wonderful way.
02:52 Do you have any list for us today?
02:53 Jill: We have a list.
02:55 We're going to hopefully get through 16 points.
02:57 I don't know if that will happen.
02:59 I have Thursday, A Christ-saturated Letter.
03:02 Lomacang: Wow! wow, well, Johnny,
03:04 would you begin by having a prayer for us this morning?
03:06 Dinzey: Sure. "Our loving heavenly Father,
03:10 we come before Your throne of grace
03:13 with great need of your Holy Spirit.
03:15 We pray, Lord, that as we have emptied ourselves of self,
03:18 that Your Holy Spirit will fill us
03:21 and we ask You Lord to bless us with the words
03:24 and the message that Your children need.
03:26 We pray, Lord, for a blessing upon all
03:29 and we thank You for the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
03:31 We pray that it will continue to
03:33 be a blessing to Your children all around the world.
03:36 We ask in Jesus' holy and blessed name,
03:39 amen. "
03:41 Panel: Amen.
03:42 Lomacang: Yes, I want to just extend a thank you
03:44 to Dr. John McVay.
03:45 I was...
03:46 we were in the Northern California Conference together.
03:48 He was at the Pacific Union College
03:49 and a Pastor there in the Northern California Conference.
03:52 Now, the President and Professor of Religion
03:56 at Walla Walla University
03:57 and I see his style weaved through the lesson
04:00 but much of it is about God's Word
04:02 and we thank him for that.
04:04 And, we're going to start on week number one,
04:06 Paul and the Ephesians.
04:08 Want to share some foundation,
04:10 you know, the focus of the book of this study
04:13 or the book of Ephesians particularly,
04:16 is how to follow Jesus in trying times
04:18 and we are definitely living in trying times.
04:21 Can I get an "Amen" from my choir?
04:23 Panel: Amen, amen... hmmm... hmmm.
04:24 Lomacang: We're living in trying times,
04:26 I mean, that's an understatement
04:27 to say that the times we're living are trying times.
04:29 And there are five particular insights
04:32 that Dr. McVay brings out in the very beginning of Ephesians
04:36 before we actually get to Lesson Number one which is Sunday
04:40 and we'll talk about that in a moment.
04:41 First of all, the condition.
04:42 He says, "Ephesians... the book of Ephesians,
04:45 was written primarily to the church at Ephesus
04:47 to reveal their condition...
04:49 to reveal how their condition relates to their strength
04:53 when they face challenges
04:55 and in every generation...
04:57 you know, the people of that generation...
04:59 they had their last days.
05:00 You know, even the very first church... the church of Ephesus,
05:02 they had their last days
05:04 and even Peter when... on the day of Pentecost,
05:06 when the Holy Spirit was poured out, he said,
05:08 "This is what the Prophet Joel spoke...
05:10 what happened in the last days. "
05:12 So, we're living in... as I would refer to it...
05:15 our last days,
05:16 hopefully... the last... last days.
05:18 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
05:19 Lomacang: But Paul talked about how he was concerned
05:22 about the condition of the church of Ephesus
05:24 and it's amazing, this was the very first church.
05:27 Also, the location of the church of Ephesus.
05:29 The Apostle Paul was writing from prison
05:32 and his focus was to encourage the church and the members
05:36 not to lose heart
05:38 and then he did four metaphoric comparisons.
05:41 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
05:43 Lomacang: He talked about the Christian church in four ways:
05:44 One: it is the body of Christ,
05:46 secondly, it is the bride of Christ,
05:49 thirdly, it is the living temple
05:51 and fourthly, it is the army of Christ.
05:54 And that's even true today
05:56 when we read about Revelation 12:17,
05:58 the dragon is at war with those who keep the commandments of God.
06:01 So, we are, in fact, an army.
06:03 Panel: Right.
06:04 Lomacang: Never go into battle without your sword.
06:06 Panel: That's right.
06:08 Lomacang: We are an army.
06:09 Then, fourthly, the purpose of the message.
06:10 He speaks especially to the people
06:12 in a generation
06:13 where the church of Ephesus was in a city that was huge
06:16 and there were a lot of allurements
06:18 in this very popular Roman province.
06:20 Actually, in an area now we know as Asia Minor.
06:24 But it had a lot of allurements.
06:27 Not too long ago, I was in New York City,
06:29 and Ephesus was probably like a small New York City
06:33 where the church was distracted by the society
06:36 in which it exists.
06:37 Now, those of us here in Thompsonville...
06:39 you know, we only get distracted by the gas station
06:41 or by Dollar General.
06:43 But it's quite a different story
06:46 when you try to be at church in New York City
06:48 or Los Angeles or Detroit
06:49 or Miami or any major metropolis
06:52 or Singapore.
06:54 Any large city around the world,
06:56 the allurements are great.
06:57 You leave church and on the way to church and back,
07:00 you hear the sound of music... the traffic...
07:02 you pass the malls... the theaters...
07:03 it's all around us
07:05 and the church of Ephesus was challenged by its society.
07:07 But he pointed out the central figure
07:10 for the church of Ephesus is Christ.
07:13 Panel: That's right.
07:15 Lomacang: And that central figure... Jesus Christ
07:17 remains the central figure to the church in every age.
07:20 Panel: That's right.
07:21 Lomacang: And he encouraged the church members
07:23 to not only become significant in their acceptance of Him,
07:27 but to stay relevant in the last days
07:29 to engage in the mission of the church...
07:32 become active members.
07:34 And also, as they prepared for the return of Jesus Christ,
07:37 to live out their hope.
07:39 You know, we sing that song: We have this hope.
07:41 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
07:43 Lomacang: But what is the hope if you don't live it out?
07:44 To live out the meaning of your... of your religion...
07:46 to live out the meaning of your Christianity,
07:48 to allow Christ to enter every... every area of your life,
07:52 so that you can find in Him the meaningful relationship...
07:55 so that when He comes,
07:56 that's not the first time you meet Him.
07:59 You meet Him on your daily Bible studies...
08:00 your knees when you pray. Panel: That's good.
08:02 Lomacang: You meet Him in the miracle moments of your life
08:04 when things happen that you just think about,
08:06 you know, God was in that moment.
08:09 The introduction to Sunday is:
08:11 Paul, Evangelists to the Ephesians.
08:15 Ryan: That's right.
08:16 Lomacang: Evangelist to Ephesus and this is Sunday
08:17 if you want to turn there with us
08:19 if you have your Sabbath School Lesson
08:20 and I'll read the intro very briefly,
08:22 "In the Epistle to the Ephesians,
08:24 Paul tells us about the Ephesians...
08:26 first of all... themselves.
08:27 Years after the exciting events of the early days
08:30 of the Christian mission to Ephesus,
08:32 the Ephesians struggled with their significance
08:35 of their Christian faith. "
08:36 And the first caution... and I think this is true today,
08:38 don't base your faith on excitement.
08:41 Panel: Hmmm... yes.
08:42 Lomacang: Because a lot of churches today
08:44 and this is something that is a caution
08:45 to those of us who embrace the remnant message...
08:47 the everlasting gospel.
08:49 So many churches are building their...
08:51 their church services around excitements.
08:54 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
08:55 Lomacang: And it's becoming more like icing on the cake
08:59 rather than a good solid meal. Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
09:02 Lomacang: And so many churches are now
09:04 going after the excitement of religion
09:06 rather than the dedication of religion.
09:08 Why was that so significant?
09:09 Ephesus was a large city...
09:11 a population of about 250 people
09:14 and in this particular setting,
09:16 one of the richest cities also,
09:18 it's one of the richest cities
09:20 and it was a city that had a lot of god worship...
09:25 not heavenly God...
09:26 but many, many gods.
09:27 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm.
09:29 Lomacang: Artemis, also known as Diana to the Romans
09:31 was the supreme object of worship in that city
09:35 and, you know, when you think about your Christian walk,
09:37 what is the supreme object of worship in your life?
09:40 Is it your religion?
09:42 You know, religion could become a form of worship
09:44 and we could miss Jesus.
09:45 Is it the fabric of your church?
09:47 Is it the music in your church?
09:48 Is that the form and focus of your worship?
09:51 Is it your significance of prophetic understanding?
09:53 If any of your focuses are not Jesus Himself,
09:57 it is a distraction.
09:58 And in that city,
10:00 her worship was the focus of civil ceremonies,
10:03 it was also the focus of the athletic games
10:05 they gave for the praise in the athletic games.
10:08 And most of the annual celebrations,
10:10 were focused around Diana or Artemis as I mentioned.
10:13 And so, let's go to Acts chapter 18...
10:15 let's lay some foundation.
10:17 Acts chapter 18 verses 18 to 21,
10:19 and the question that Dr. McVay poses in this Lesson:
10:23 "What does Paul do on his first visit to Ephesus
10:26 at the end of his second missionary journey?"
10:29 Let's look at Acts chapter 18 verses 18 to 21,
10:31 it says, "So Paul still remained a good while.
10:35 Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed to Syria,
10:40 and Priscilla and Aquila were with him.
10:44 He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea,
10:47 for he had taken a vow.
10:50 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there;
10:53 but he himself entered the synagogue
10:55 and reasoned with the Jews.
10:56 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them,
11:00 he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying,
11:03 'I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem;
11:08 but I will return again to you, God willing. '
11:11 And he sailed from Ephesus. "
11:13 Now, some things that he did here, you might think,
11:16 "Wow did...
11:18 did they have to record the forensic parts of his life
11:19 by getting his hair cut?
11:21 Or this is something significant
11:22 because it was a part of his dedication...
11:24 part of his vow he made with the Lord?"
11:27 He cut his hair as an act of re-dedication
11:29 and also as a point of seeking guidance from God,
11:33 he was about to go to a people that had flat-out denied Jesus,
11:37 His Messiahship... His divinity...
11:39 and Paul was going to Jerusalem to the feast
11:42 not because of...
11:44 of the significance of continued feast and their relevance,
11:46 but he knew that a large contingency of Jews
11:50 would be there
11:52 and how can you go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
11:54 without going to their feast?
11:55 So, he went there to still hope...
11:57 to present to them Christ and Him crucified.
12:00 Also, when you think about it, let's go to Acts chapter 19,
12:04 what happened after Paul returned from that missionary journey?
12:08 It says, "And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth,
12:12 that Paul, having passed through the upper regions,
12:16 came to Ephesus.
12:18 And finding some disciples... "
12:21 You also find out in Acts chapter 20,
12:23 how long he stayed there.
12:24 Let's go to Acts chapter 20 and verse 31,
12:27 it says, "Therefore watch,
12:30 and remember that for... " how many years?
12:32 Panel: Three...
12:33 Lomacang: "three years I did not cease to warn everyone
12:36 night and day with tears. "
12:38 Now, Dr. McVay brings out this point, it says,
12:41 "The apostle makes a significant time commitment to Ephesus,
12:44 with the intention of firmly founding Christianity there.
12:48 Luke shares the strange story
12:51 of seven itinerant, Jewish exorcists in the city.
12:55 mingling the names of both Jesus and Paul
12:58 in their incantations
13:00 proves to be a misguided venture for these exorcists. "
13:03 And this is a long story,
13:05 I may not be able to do all of it before we go to Ryan
13:08 but let's go to Acts chapter 19 verses 13 to 20,
13:11 and I read verses 18... well, let me just go...
13:14 Acts chapter 19 verses 13 to 20
13:15 and I'll switch after this one.
13:17 "The some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists
13:20 took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus
13:24 over those who had evil spirits, saying,
13:26 'We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches. '
13:29 Also, there were seven sons of Sceva,
13:31 a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
13:34 And the evil spirit answered and said... "
13:36 this is amazing...
13:37 "Jesus I know and Paul I know; but who are you?"
13:41 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
13:42 Lomacang: Which means, if you don't have a personal relationship,
13:44 I cannot witness to you in Ryan's experience
13:47 or anybody else's.
13:49 I got to know Christ for myself.
13:51 After that... "overpowering them
13:53 and prevailing against them,
13:55 so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
13:58 This became known both to all the Jews and Greeks
14:00 dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all,
14:03 and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
14:06 And many who had believed came confessing
14:08 and telling their deeds.
14:10 Also, many of those who had practiced magic
14:12 brought their books together
14:14 and burned them in the sight of all.
14:15 And they counted up the value of them all,
14:18 and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
14:21 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. "
14:25 On that note, I give to you, Ryan.
14:27 Ryan: All right, thank you so much, Pastor
14:28 for that great foundation.
14:29 I'm Ryan Day, I have Monday's lesson,
14:32 entitled: A Riot in the Amphitheater
14:34 and, of course, this is diving into Acts chapter 19
14:38 and the first part of Acts chapter 20,
14:39 and I like how the lesson actually provides a...
14:43 a timeline of... of Paul's connection to Ephesus
14:47 and I just want to read that...
14:49 it's highlighted there in the... in the lesson
14:51 but you can see there that in A.D. 52 approximately
14:54 Paul's initial brief visit,
14:56 he goes to Ephesus for the first time
14:57 and you read about this in Acts chapter 18
14:59 verses 18 to 21.
15:01 But then, by the time you get to A.D. 53 to 56,
15:04 this was actually Paul's three years spent in Ephesus
15:07 in his missionary time there
15:09 ministering and preaching
15:11 and sharing the gospel there in Ephesus,
15:13 and then, of course, A.D. 57, while at... is it Miletus?
15:17 how do you say it? Miletus? Lomacang: Miletus.
15:18 Ryan: Miletus... okay...
15:20 while at Miletus, Paul meets with the elders from Ephesus
15:23 and that is recorded in Acts chapter 20 verses 17 to 38
15:26 and, of course, by A.D. 62, we see
15:29 some ten years later after he had that encounter in Ephesus,
15:32 Paul composes a letter to the Ephesians
15:34 probably from the confinement of Rome.
15:37 And so, our lesson actually opens up with this story
15:40 in Acts chapter 19,
15:41 of this great riot that took place in the Amphitheater there
15:46 in Ephesus
15:47 because Paul was preparing to leave...
15:49 he was planning to go on and move on
15:51 into Macedonia and on to Jerusalem
15:53 and, of course, he would eventually end up in Rome.
15:55 But after... while Paul is there and he's preparing to leave,
15:59 one of the Townsmen was a silversmith by the name...
16:02 by the name of Demetrius... he stirs up the folk
16:05 and he begins to... you can read the story for yourself,
16:08 I'm not going to read all of it,
16:09 I mean, we can read some pieces here,
16:11 but it's quite interesting, we read the story
16:13 and he stirs up the people, he says, "Look, Folks... "
16:14 he says, "we've got this incredible
16:17 economic way of living
16:19 and we're making money and... "
16:21 a part of this, of course, is creating these little gods...
16:24 he was a silversmith so what he would do
16:26 as... as kind of an honor
16:28 or a... a praise to the goddess Diana,
16:31 a silversmith, he would make these little relics
16:33 and these little statues of Diana
16:35 that people would purchase
16:36 and they would put it in their home
16:38 and they would create little home shrines and...
16:39 this was a very big business for the goldsmiths
16:41 and the silversmiths
16:42 and the blacksmiths and all these different people
16:44 and so it's... it's actually highlighted in verse 27
16:46 as he is speaking and stirring up the crowd,
16:48 speaking of Paul... he highlights Paul.
16:50 He says, "This guy has stirred up trouble,
16:51 he's causing a problem to our business.
16:53 It says, "So, not only is this trade of ours... "
16:56 this is verse 27, in Acts chapter 19,
16:58 "So not only is this trade of ours
17:00 in danger of falling into disrepute... "
17:02 disrepute... it says,
17:03 "but also the temple of the great goddess Diana... "
17:06 which is also Artemis
17:07 "may be despised... " yeah, "may be despised
17:11 and her magnificence destroyed,
17:13 whom all Asia and the world worship. "
17:15 They have to understand
17:16 this was their greatest god among many gods.
17:19 They had many, many gods...
17:20 this was like polytheistic culture
17:24 but Diana, of course, was a goddess of fertility,
17:27 she was a goddess of sexual immorality
17:30 and this often led the people to practice in such things
17:33 so, Paul had to deal with this while he was at Ephesus.
17:35 He preached against it,
17:37 he evidently discouraged the people
17:40 from worshipping these gods...
17:41 and worshipping the one true God
17:42 and here Demetrius... he's...
17:44 he's bringing it to their attention
17:45 and he stirs up the people.
17:46 They basically rush the amphitheater
17:49 and they're inside this amphitheater
17:52 just... you know... again... causing a ruckus, you know,
17:54 and crying out, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"
17:57 And eventually, the whole city
17:59 just turns into this rioting scene
18:01 of which eventually
18:02 one of the local city clerks had to quiet the crowds and say,
18:05 "Look, Guys, you Guys are getting out of control,
18:07 while Paul may have done some of these things,
18:09 you know what?
18:10 We still worship this goddess Diana...
18:12 everything's going to be okay,
18:13 if you have a problem with Paul,
18:15 take him to court and deal with him there,
18:16 but stop stirring up the people. "
18:18 So, it caused a great issue.
18:20 This story reflects of the struggles and the
18:22 the trials that Paul had to endure
18:25 while he was there.
18:26 Again, not to say that he...
18:28 that his work there
18:29 and his gospel preaching was in vain,
18:31 but these were some of the challenges
18:32 that he had to deal with...
18:34 a culture that was so steeped in polytheism
18:36 and false idol worship so much
18:38 that by the time you get to Ephesians chapters 1 and 2,
18:43 and onward,
18:44 he's writing this letter to the Ephesians
18:45 and he's expressing his concerns
18:47 even as he's leaving... he's left Ephesus,
18:49 he's writing this letter to the leaders at Ephesus,
18:53 and he's sharing his heart with them.
18:54 For instance, if you go to...
18:56 it's actually in Acts chapter 20, my apologies,
18:59 so, Acts chapter 20 and we're actually in verse 25 and onward,
19:02 notice what the Bible says here,
19:04 this is in the aftermath... after he's left Ephesus
19:06 and he's now sharing his heart with the people
19:08 and his concerns about what he has
19:10 in concern for the people once he leaves...
19:13 because Paul has worked hard to establish order...
19:15 to establish a church there
19:17 that's going to reach this culture...
19:18 this backwards culture
19:20 that's so steeped and drowning in...
19:22 in polytheistic false idol worship,
19:25 so, there in verse 25 of Acts chapter 20,
19:27 he's writing and speaking to the church at Ephesus,
19:30 he says, "And indeed, now I know that you all,
19:32 among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God,
19:34 will see my face no more. "
19:36 So, he's preparing to leave.
19:38 "Therefore I testify to you this day
19:40 that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
19:41 For I have not shunned to declare
19:44 to you the whole counsel of God. "
19:46 But then, he really opens up with his concerns.
19:48 He says, "Therefore take heed to yourselves
19:50 and to all the flock,
19:52 among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,
19:54 to shepherd the church of God
19:56 which he purchased with His own blood.
19:58 For I know this, that after my departure
20:01 savage wolves will come in among you,
20:03 not sparing the flock.
20:04 Also from among yourselves men will rise up,
20:07 speaking perverse things,
20:09 to draw away the disciples after themselves.
20:11 Therefore watch, and remember... "
20:13 as Pastor read earlier...
20:15 "watch and remember
20:16 for three years I did not cease to warn everyone
20:18 night and day with tears. "
20:19 This was Paul's concern.
20:21 "Look, I'm going to leave, we've started a good work here,
20:23 but don't think for one second that after I leave
20:26 that the devil's not going to send in his tares
20:28 and they're going to begin trying to divide the flock
20:31 and to cause trouble and to, you know, divide the church. "
20:34 And I have to just stop here and just make the point
20:35 that... I don't think that there is a pastor
20:38 that has ever existed
20:40 that... that had a church district or a church
20:42 that has not experienced this very thing over the years.
20:46 There has never been a church that has went
20:48 untouched by the devil's plans
20:50 to divide and to conquer that congregation.
20:52 And so, these are issues that we also have to pay attention to
20:56 very much.
20:57 Now, it's interesting that the Monday's lesson
20:59 ends up with this question.
21:01 It says, "What do you think Paul would warn
21:02 our church about today, and why?"
21:05 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
21:06 Ryan: And as I got thinking through...
21:07 there's many things I'm sure Paul would see
21:09 going on in the church today
21:11 that he would probably warn of...
21:12 I just wrote down a few here that kind of...
21:14 got me... got me reflecting and thinking
21:16 of some of the challenges that we may deal with
21:18 in the culture that we're living
21:20 and in the society that we're living in
21:21 and how the devil is trying to divide our church
21:24 and the mission of our church
21:25 and to keep it from being accomplished.
21:27 For one thing, it would probably warn us
21:29 from falling into the pit of legalism.
21:31 That seems to be a very strong...
21:33 I mean, there's many minds within the church
21:35 that have this idea that they feel like
21:36 they can work their way to heaven,
21:38 that.. that... while the law of God does plays an important role
21:41 in the overall plan of salvation,
21:42 they believe that it's about what you do
21:44 rather than who you know
21:46 and who you know changing what you do
21:47 and so, Paul would probably warn of that,
21:48 "Don't fall into that pit of legalism...
21:50 yes, the commandments are important...
21:51 yes, the law is important
21:53 but don't come to the point
21:54 where you think you can add to what Jesus has done"
21:56 and we're going to see this actually, come back up
21:58 in the book of Ephesians as we study through.
22:00 He would probably warn of
22:01 drifting into the sea of compromise
22:03 and perversion of the freedom God has given us.
22:06 In other words, this... this do what thou wilt mentality.
22:08 It's the extreme opposite of the legalistic approach
22:11 where people tend to fall into
22:12 and slip into this mindful thinking of...
22:14 "You know what?
22:16 God loves me, you know, love... love... love...
22:17 grace... grace... grace...
22:19 you know, as much as I sin...
22:20 they manipulate Paul's words...
22:22 as much as I sin, God is just pouring grace on my life,
22:24 and there's nothing that I can do
22:25 that can separate me from the love of God. "
22:27 That's true if there's nothing that can separate us
22:29 from the love of God
22:30 but there are things such as sin that can separate us from God
22:33 and we certainly want to make sure that doesn't happen.
22:35 I believe Paul would also warn
22:37 not to allow spiritual tunnel vision
22:39 on one minor issue
22:40 clouding out of vision from the weightier matters
22:42 such as the three angels' messages
22:44 we are called to preach but some people
22:46 get caught up in these other things
22:47 and they cause division in all these other areas...
22:49 the divisions in the church in general,
22:51 I believe that this is a time in which we are living
22:53 in which the church is divided more than ever.
22:55 And, of course, this is because the devil is...
22:58 he's... he's got wrath
23:00 and he knows he has but a short time
23:01 as the book of Revelation tells us
23:03 and so, he is launching an all out total onslaught
23:05 on the church to keep us divided
23:07 and keep us segmented and fragmented and not together.
23:10 He would also probably say,
23:12 "Check your spiritual temperature,
23:13 don't fall into that Laodicean mindset
23:17 that many people have,
23:18 you know, make sure that you are fully grounded and rooted
23:20 in Jesus Christ... "
23:21 and probably... last but not least,
23:23 he would probably say, "You know what?
23:25 Do regular oil checks. "
23:27 Panel: Laughter.
23:28 Of course, I'm referencing the oil of the Holy Spirit.
23:31 We are living in the last days
23:32 where we, more than ever, need the Holy Spirit.
23:34 We are told and we are counseled
23:36 that in these last days that we are living...
23:37 that the Spirit of God daily
23:39 is being withdrawn from this planet
23:41 not because God wants to leave us...
23:43 not because God wants to leave us comfortless,
23:45 because He doesn't...
23:46 but because of our choices
23:48 and because of our quenching...
23:49 our resisting of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds,
23:51 in our homes and with our choices,
23:53 and in our daily lives,
23:54 God's spirit is being withdrawn from this planet.
23:57 So, I believe Paul... this great Evangelist...
23:59 this powerful man of God, Pastor,
24:01 I believe he would echo that message...
24:03 do regular oil checks...
24:05 make sure you have the oil and the spirit
24:07 and much of it in your vessels ready
24:10 to go out to meet Him when the times of trouble come
24:13 and the end of this world is fast approaching,
24:15 that you make sure that you are in harmony
24:17 with the gospel of Jesus Christ,
24:19 that you are rooted and grounded on the rock of Jesus Christ
24:21 and that you are full of the Holy Spirit.
24:24 Panel: Amen, amen.
24:25 Lomacang: Thank you so much, Ryan, wow!
24:27 What a start to our lesson,
24:28 first lesson... we are getting started,
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25:10 Lomacang: Now we're going to go to Shelley Quinn
25:11 which has the lesson entitled:
25:13 Hearing the Letter to the Ephesians.
25:15 Shelley: Amen, thank you so much for that foundation.
25:19 We are going to spend a whole Quarter on six chapters
25:22 but my lesson today is to give you an overview
25:26 of those six chapters in ten minutes.
25:29 Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians
25:31 while he was imprisoned.
25:33 He gave it to his faithful minister
25:36 who was a beloved brother named Tychicus.
25:40 So, Tychicus takes this letter to the Ephesians.
25:44 This was a big event...
25:46 I mean to have Paul's personal representative come
25:50 to give this letter.
25:52 As we have looked, influential men in Ephesus
25:57 were introducing false doctrines.
26:01 So, what Paul does... I love the book of Ephesians,
26:05 the first three chapters are theological in nature,
26:09 how Christ made them rich,
26:12 they... they were ignorant of their riches.
26:15 But then, the last three chapters
26:18 provide practical advice for Christian behavior
26:22 and together these six chapters go from eternity past
26:26 to eternity future.
26:27 So, the theology of chapter one... he opens up
26:30 speaking of the riches and the blessings
26:34 that Christians have in Christ.
26:36 Ephesians 1:3 is one of my favorite verses.
26:38 It says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
26:43 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
26:48 in heavenly places in Christ. "
26:51 What are those spiritual blessings?
26:54 Adoption...
26:55 Acceptance...
26:57 Redemption...
26:58 Forgiveness...
26:59 Wisdom...
27:01 Inheritance...
27:02 The Seal of the Holy Spirit...
27:03 Life... grace... and citizenship.
27:05 It's amazing!
27:06 He says in Ephesians 1:7,
27:08 "In Him we have redemption through His blood,
27:10 the forgiveness of sins,
27:12 according to the riches of His grace. "
27:16 So, as children of God,
27:19 we become the chosen.
27:21 We are predestined to become like Christ.
27:27 Redemption in Christ is the inheritance that we have.
27:32 We have many resources in Christ
27:35 then Paul goes on in Ephesians 1:17
27:38 to pray this prayer for Christ-focused wisdom.
27:43 He's praying for them that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ
27:47 the Father of glory,
27:48 may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
27:51 and the knowledge of Him,
27:52 that the eyes of your understanding
27:55 would be enlightened;
27:56 that you may know what is the hope of your calling,
28:00 what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance
28:04 in the saints,
28:05 and the exceeding greatness
28:08 of His power toward us who believe,
28:11 according to the working of His mighty power.
28:15 What is that mighty power?
28:17 It's the Holy Spirit working in us.
28:19 The theology of chapter 2:
28:22 Paul speaks to new life in Christ.
28:28 He's saying, "You are one spiritually dead,
28:30 now you are exalted with Christ. "
28:33 Ephesians 2:8 through 10,
28:35 "For by grace, you have been saved through faith,
28:38 and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
28:41 not of works, lest anyone should boast. "
28:43 Then he goes on, he says,
28:45 "We are Christ's workmanship.
28:47 We're God's work of art created in Christ,
28:52 'for good works,
28:54 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. '"
28:59 So, the theology of chapter 2 is talking about unity in Christ.
29:03 God's creation of the church of Jews and Gentiles
29:08 who are brought together
29:10 by our being united with Christ to ease our peace.
29:15 Now, theology of chapter 3
29:18 speaks of God's fullness for the church
29:22 and the mystery of God's plan is revealed
29:26 and I love this prayer,
29:27 probably my favorite... one of my favorite Scripture passages,
29:31 that Paul is praying for the Ephesians to experience
29:36 the love of God.
29:38 He says in Ephesians 3:16 through 21,
29:41 "I'm praying that He would grant you,
29:44 according to the riches of His glory,
29:46 to be strengthened with might
29:49 through His Spirit in the inner man,
29:52 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
29:57 that you will be... "
30:00 and any time you see "that"
30:01 there is... that's a purpose statement.
30:04 So, I want you to be strengthened
30:06 with the Holy Spirit in your heart...
30:08 what's the purpose?
30:11 So that Christ can dwell in your heart through faith.
30:14 What's the purpose?
30:15 "that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints
30:18 what is the width and length and depth and height...
30:22 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;
30:26 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. "
30:30 Oh! are we filled with the fullness of God?
30:33 Ah... he says, "Now to Him
30:36 who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
30:38 above all that we ask or think,
30:40 according to the power... His power that works in us,
30:44 to him be glory in the church
30:46 by Christ Jesus to all generations,
30:49 forever and ever. Amen. "
30:51 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
30:53 Shelley: Now, these are these rich theological themes
30:57 saying, "Hey, you're blessed with every blessing
31:02 in the heavenly realms through Christ,
31:03 wake up... recognize who you are.
31:06 Know your identity in Christ. "
31:09 Jill: That's right.
31:10 Shelley: And then, after those first three chapters,
31:13 he switches to practical Christianity.
31:18 In chapter 4, he begins with God's plan for the church
31:22 that it includes that faithful living
31:25 includes holding on to
31:28 and nurturing Spirit-inspired unity
31:33 as Christ endows us and builds His church.
31:38 You mentioned how divided things are in our world today.
31:42 This is not God's way.
31:44 God wants unity...
31:46 he presents...
31:48 in fact, Paul presents the church as a living organism...
31:52 as the body of Christ
31:53 and he says that all parts are related and independent...
31:58 that Christ is the Head
32:00 and we are to follow God's pattern and principles
32:05 as members of the church
32:07 not grieving the Holy Spirit.
32:09 When we are fighting and dividing and backbiting,
32:13 we're grieving the Holy Spirit of God.
32:16 The practical Christianity of chapter 5
32:20 is God's standards for faithfulness in the church.
32:24 He says, "Walk worthy of your calling
32:28 in unity... in love...
32:31 living in the light of God's Word. "
32:34 "Walk as children of the light... " He says,
32:38 we... light represents the truth... the character of God.
32:42 We are to avoid darkness, Paul says.
32:47 Avoid those things that are done in evil.
32:50 Walk in wisdom filled with the Holy Spirit
32:53 and he starts to transition...
32:56 to tell us how to practice
32:59 Christ-shaped lives in Christian households
33:03 and he talks about the covenant relationship of marriage
33:08 and he compares the church to the Bride of Christ
33:12 and gives God's standards for authority and submission
33:16 for all members
33:18 and particularly husbands and wives and households.
33:20 Now, real quickly.
33:22 Chapter 6: Practical Christianity...
33:26 he's talking about submission of children to their parents...
33:30 employees to employers...
33:31 and he transitions to God's provisions.
33:35 Oh, we love chapter 6, don't we?
33:37 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
33:38 Shelley: For his children's spiritual battles.
33:41 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
33:43 Shelley: God provides efficient spiritual armor
33:45 through His Word and by His Spirit
33:47 and we stand together now, Paul says
33:50 as the army of God
33:52 and he explains that the believer's warfare
33:57 what it is... and what is the believer's armor.
34:02 He says, "Finally... "
34:03 this is Ephesians 6:10 through 12,
34:05 "Finally, my brethren,
34:07 be strong in the Lord and in His might.
34:09 Put on the whole armor of God
34:12 that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. "
34:14 Our... we know that... he says,
34:17 "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
34:20 but against principalities,
34:22 against powers,
34:23 against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
34:28 against spiritual hosts of wickedness
34:32 in heavenly places. "
34:34 So, he is appealing
34:36 for vigilant
34:41 resistance to the devil
34:43 to put on the full armor,
34:45 then he appeals for vigilant prayer in the church.
34:48 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
34:49 Shelley: It's interesting.
34:51 The word "riches" is used five times in Ephesians.
34:54 The word "grace" is used twelve times...
34:58 "glory... " nine times,
35:00 "fullness" or "filled" six times.
35:03 And the key phrase, "in Christ"
35:06 is used eleven times.
35:09 Christ is the head...
35:11 the center and the circumference of the church.
35:14 Panel: Hmmm... amen.
35:15 Dinzey: Amen, praise the Lord.
35:17 What a wonderful book is the book of Ephesians!
35:20 The Holy Spirit has put together a wonderful book for us to study
35:24 and so, I have Wednesday's portion,
35:27 my name is John Dinzey.
35:28 The title is: Ephesians in its Time.
35:31 This takes us already into Ephesians chapter 1,
35:36 verse 1, let's begin there.
35:38 It says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
35:41 by the will of God,
35:43 to the saints who are in Ephesus,
35:46 and faithful in Christ Jesus. "
35:48 Let's move to verse 2,
35:50 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father
35:53 and the Lord Jesus Christ. "
35:56 So, we see here in the beginning of Ephesians chapter 1 verse 1,
36:01 that Paul is identifying himself.
36:04 He says he is an apostle
36:07 and normally when you say "apostle"
36:09 people think of the twelve disciples...
36:11 they are the apostles.
36:13 But here, Paul is recognizing himself as an apostle.
36:16 He has divine credentials
36:18 and what is an apostle?
36:20 It comes from the Greek word, "Apostolos"
36:23 which means a delegate and ambassador of the gospel
36:26 and it says, officially a commissioner of Christ,
36:30 but also, it's a messenger... he that is sent.
36:34 So, you and I can also be sent as Paul
36:38 but Paul is recognizing that he has not claimed for himself
36:43 that he is an apostle.
36:44 He has been selected by God.
36:47 He has divine credentials.
36:49 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
36:50 Dinzey: I like to point you to the book of 1st Corinthians
36:54 chapter 15
36:55 because it's very interesting the way
36:58 that it introduces to us what Paul says.
37:01 He says concerning himself
37:02 and he sets the background there by talking about Jesus
37:06 how Jesus was resurrected and He was seen
37:08 by 500 people as it says in verse 6,
37:12 1st Corinthians 15:6,
37:13 let's read verse 7 and onward,
37:15 "Afterward He was seen by James,
37:17 and then by all the apostles.
37:19 And last of all, He was seen by me also,
37:23 as one born out of time.
37:26 For I am the least of the apostles,
37:28 and I am not sufficient to be called an apostle
37:32 because I persecuted the church of God.
37:34 But by the grace of God
37:38 I am what I am,
37:40 and His grace which was toward me
37:43 has not been without fruit;
37:45 but I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet...
37:48 yet, not I, but the grace of God in me... "
37:52 Panel: Amen... amen.
37:53 Dinzey: "or with me. "
37:55 So, he's recognizing that God has selected him...
37:57 he's recognizing that he persecuted the church...
38:00 he's recognizing that he is...
38:01 he has these divine credentials.
38:03 So, because he has the grace of God, he labored
38:07 and we should consider this as well.
38:10 We have been selected.
38:11 Some people have been selected from some horrible backgrounds
38:15 but the grace...
38:17 where sin abounds, the grace of God more bounds
38:20 and this is a wonderful thing to consider
38:22 and he says that he's an apostle of Jesus Christ
38:25 by the will of God.
38:27 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
38:29 Dinzey: And that is his... his credentials.
38:32 He is coming... sent by God.
38:34 Now he writes... it says,
38:36 "To the saints who are at Ephesus. "
38:38 Wait a minute...
38:40 you know you... you hear sometimes of a...
38:41 a very popular denomination,
38:43 that they have these meetings and eventually, they...
38:45 they call... they... they name somebody a "saint. "
38:48 But Paul is saying,
38:49 he's writing to the saints in Ephesus.
38:51 Really a saint is one who is...
38:53 has dedicated his life to the Lord.
38:56 He has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ
38:58 and he is willing to follow Him.
39:00 So, Paul is recognizing, "I'm writing to the saints. "
39:04 And then he says, "to the faithful in Christ Jesus. "
39:08 Ah, my Brothers and Sisters, you are saints...
39:11 you have been called of the Lord to be faithful
39:13 by the grace of the Lord in Christ Jesus.
39:17 "Saints" come from the Greek word: "Hagios"
39:20 which means: somebody that is pure morally,
39:23 we are only pure morally as Jesus comes into our hearts
39:26 and we are... need to recognize we are saints.
39:30 We have been selected from the world...
39:31 we are supposed to be lights in the world...
39:34 and this is our calling.
39:36 Ah... beautiful things that are written here,
39:39 he says, "Grace and peace. "
39:41 We all need grace.
39:43 Panel: Amen.
39:44 Dinzey: We all need peace
39:45 and Paul is saying to the Ephesians,
39:47 "grace and peace... "
39:48 and by the way, he's writing to the Ephesians
39:49 but wait a minute...
39:51 He's writing to us as well.
39:53 Panel: Amen.
39:54 Dinzey: We need to recognize that this letter
39:55 was for the Ephesians but it's for the saints.
39:57 We are saints in Christ Jesus.
40:00 This letter is for us.
40:02 This letter is... has so much beauty...
40:05 so much information for us
40:07 that if we study with a prayerful attitude,
40:11 our lives are going to be transformed.
40:14 We are to understand that as you have heard,
40:16 "By grace, we are saved through faith. "
40:20 A beautiful, beautiful book in the Bible,
40:23 Ephesians.
40:25 So, we're going back to the question
40:26 that is in the beginning of the lesson,
40:28 "How does Paul begin
40:30 and end his letter to the believers in Ephesus?"
40:33 And what do we learn about his deepest desire for them?
40:36 Let's go ahead and read in Ephesians chapter 6
40:40 verse 21... beginning there,
40:42 "But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing,
40:47 Tychichus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord,
40:51 will make all things known to you;
40:53 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose,
40:56 that you may know our affairs,
40:57 and that he may comfort your hearts. "
41:01 We'll come back to that.
41:02 And it says in verse 23, "Peace to the brethren... "
41:05 again he brings out peace to the brethren.
41:08 "And love with faith, from God the Father
41:11 and the Lord Jesus Christ. "
41:13 You see similarities in the beginning of the letter
41:15 and in the end of the letter of Ephesians,
41:17 "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ
41:21 in sincerity. Amen. "
41:24 So, here he says, "Comfort your hearts. "
41:26 He has sent Tychichus to comfort your hearts.
41:29 Do we need to be comforted?
41:31 Yes, we do.
41:32 And the Word of God brings comfort to us.
41:35 God is the God of all comfort
41:38 and, you know, we do ourselves much harm.
41:41 We kind of... I say we punish ourselves
41:44 by not dedicating time to the study of God's Word.
41:47 Stop punishing yourself.
41:49 Go to the Scriptures... study
41:52 because there the Lord is going to lift you up
41:55 and He's going to give you hope.
41:57 Let's continue here,
41:59 and it says in Ephesians 6:23,
42:01 "Peace be to the brethren,
42:03 and love with faith. "
42:05 this is Paul's desire that they have peace...
42:08 that they have the grace of the Lord,
42:10 that the love of God dwells in them
42:12 and it's beautiful, you read that Scripture
42:14 that you may know what?
42:15 The love of God which is...
42:17 oh, it's... depths and heights,
42:19 this... we're going to look into that later on in this...
42:23 in this study.
42:24 Here, we continue...
42:26 I need to read something from the Lesson,
42:29 Dr. McVay wrote something wonderful here
42:31 that I'd like to bring out.
42:33 It says, "At the outset of the letter, Paul identifies himself
42:36 as the author. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 1,
42:38 Near the middle of the letter,
42:40 Paul again identifies himself by name, labeling himself
42:43 'the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles,'
42:48 that's Ephesians chapter 3 verse 1,
42:50 which introduces a personal reflection on his work
42:54 as an apostle.
42:56 Near the end of the letter,
42:57 he again refers to his imprisonment
42:59 in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 20,
43:02 and concludes with personal words. "
43:04 Now, he brings out... Dr. McVay brings out
43:08 that some scholars deny that the letter was written by Paul"
43:13 but... Paul wrote the letter,
43:15 it says so in the beginning.
43:17 He says here... Dr. McVay,
43:18 "It is important to note
43:20 that the epistle clearly lays claim to Paul as its author.
43:24 Most Christians accept, and rightly so,
43:27 Paul as the author. "
43:28 And Paul is the author.
43:29 Of course, backing up... it's through the Holy Spirit
43:34 that Paul was able to write this letter.
43:37 Now, something is brought out in the lesson
43:39 which is very important as well
43:41 and it's... have a question here,
43:43 "How does Paul worry about the effect of his imprisonment
43:47 will have on believers in Ephesus?"
43:49 Ephesians chapter 3 verse 13, notice this,
43:54 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart
43:58 at my tribulations for you,
44:00 which is your glory. "
44:02 You know, Paul was a servant of the Lord.
44:06 Paul was an apostle chosen by the Lord
44:09 but he also counted it a privilege
44:12 to suffer for the Lord.
44:14 and sometimes as we look at our fellow believers
44:18 and we see them going through things,
44:20 some people may be discouraged
44:22 as they see things happening to God's children.
44:25 But God is working out something
44:27 that we may not see on the surface.
44:30 God is all wise... God is all-knowing...
44:34 and He knows what is best for each and every one of us
44:37 and we need to understand that it says in Romans 8:28,
44:39 "All things work together for good
44:42 to them that love God,
44:44 to them that are the called according to His purpose. "
44:46 So, again from the lesson,
44:49 "Ephesians seems to share the same general timing
44:51 and circumstances with other letters Paul writes from prison,
44:55 like Colossians and Philemon.
44:57 Also, considerable time seems to have passed
45:01 since Paul's ministry in Ephesus. "
45:04 So, this letter of Ephesians...
45:07 this book of Ephesians has a lot in store for us.
45:10 I encourage you to study and take in,
45:13 you may want to highlight some of these verses
45:15 and commit them to memory
45:16 and one of those you should commit to memory is...
45:18 of course, is, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8,
45:21 "By grace, we are saved through faith,
45:23 that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. "
45:26 Panel: Amen.
45:27 Jill: Amen, thank you so much Pastor Johnny...
45:29 each one of you,
45:30 what an incredible start to one of my favorite books.
45:34 I love Paul's writings...
45:36 I think Paul and John are my two favorite authors
45:39 from the New Testament.
45:40 I love his writings and Ephesians is an incredible book,
45:43 one of those prison epistles
45:45 written during Paul's first imprisonment there in Rome.
45:49 My name is Jill Morikone.
45:51 I was so excited... I forgot to give my name
45:53 and on Thursday, we will look at Ephesians:
45:55 A Christ-saturated Letter.
45:57 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
45:59 Jill: Now, Shelley, you referenced the phrase: in Christ
46:02 taking place eleven times throughout the book of Ephesians.
46:06 We're going to look at
46:08 sixteen times
46:10 where we see the phrase either "in Christ"
46:13 or "in Him" referring to "in Christ"
46:18 and there's more but we're just going to...
46:20 we don't know if we'll get to all of it
46:22 but we'll get to what we can.
46:23 To me the beautiful thing about this book
46:26 is that it's all about Jesus.
46:28 Panel: Amen... that's right.
46:29 Jill: From the start to the end...
46:30 the center and circumference is the Lord Jesus Christ
46:34 and we'll discover this as we go through
46:36 and unpack this "in Christ" or "in Him" phrases.
46:40 So, we're starting in Ephesians 1, verse 3,
46:43 read there with me, Ephesians 1:3,
46:45 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
46:49 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
46:52 in heavenly places... " what's that word?
46:54 "in Christ. "
46:56 Takeaway Number 1:
46:58 Blessings... the spiritual blessings that we discover
47:02 as we unpack the book of Ephesians,
47:04 they come in Christ.
47:06 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
47:07 Jill: Sometimes we seek for blessings apart from Christ.
47:09 We think, "Oh yeah, I can get blessings...
47:11 I can get... "
47:12 No... only... they only come through Christ...
47:15 in Christ.
47:16 Panel: That's right.
47:18 Jill: Let's look at the next verse,
47:19 Ephesians 1 verse 4,
47:20 "just as He chose us... " what's that word?
47:22 "in Him... " that's in Christ...
47:24 "before the foundation of the world,
47:26 that we should be holy and without blame
47:29 before Him in love. "
47:30 Takeaway Number 2:
47:32 Holiness comes from being in Him
47:35 or in Christ.
47:36 Ryan talked about the legalism that we see prevalent
47:40 in certain denominations.
47:42 We think... we can become holy in our own strength.
47:45 We can become holy in our own works
47:48 no...
47:49 holiness comes from being in Christ.
47:51 Let's read verse 7, we're in Ephesians 1 verse 7,
47:54 "In Him... " that's in Christ...
47:57 "you and I have redemption through His blood,
48:00 the forgiveness of sins. "
48:03 Takeaway Number 3:
48:04 Redemption and forgiveness comes in Him.
48:08 There is no other name given among men
48:12 whereby we might be saved but the Lord Jesus Christ.
48:15 Panel: That's right, amen.
48:17 Jill: We can't be saved through trying harder,
48:18 we can't be saved through penance.
48:20 We can't be saved through climbing the stairs on our knees
48:24 or through some sort of physical torture.
48:26 We can't be saved through Buddha or Hindu or any of that.
48:30 We are saved... redemption comes through Jesus Christ.
48:34 Panel: Amen. Jill: Let's read verse 10.
48:35 Ephesians 1:10,
48:37 "that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times
48:41 He might gather together in one all things in Christ,
48:45 both which are in heaven
48:46 and which are on earth... in Him. "
48:49 Unity in the church...
48:51 unity in the family...
48:52 unity in society only comes in Christ.
48:56 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
48:58 Jill: Takeaway 4: Unity comes in Christ.
49:00 You know, 1st John 1:7 says,
49:02 "if we walk in the light as He is in the light,
49:04 we have fellowship with one another... "
49:06 koinonia... Pastor Johnny,
49:08 and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
49:10 cleanses us from all sin.
49:12 So many times, we seek unity apart from Christ
49:15 and we say, "Why aren't we getting along with people?"
49:17 "Why is there friction in a relationship?"
49:20 "Why is there angst?"
49:21 We only have spiritual fellowship
49:24 when we walk in the light
49:26 and the other person walks in the light as well.
49:29 In other words, if you are in Christ
49:31 and your spouse is in Christ,
49:33 you can have unity and harmony
49:35 in that relationship.
49:38 Unity in the church...
49:39 in the workplace...
49:41 in the home...
49:42 comes in Christ.
49:43 Panel: Hmmm...
49:45 Jill: Let's go down to verse 11,
49:47 Ephesians 1:11,
49:48 "In Him... " in Christ...
49:50 "also we have obtained an inheritance. "
49:55 Takeaway Number 5:
49:56 Eternal life... that inheritance to the saints...
49:59 it comes in Christ.
50:01 We're only saved...
50:03 we only have hope of eternal life in Christ.
50:06 Go down to verse 12,
50:07 "that we who first trusted in Christ
50:11 should be to the praise of His glory. "
50:14 That reminds me of 1st Peter 2:9,
50:17 what does that say?
50:18 "We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood... "
50:20 God's own special people
50:21 that we should proclaim the praises of Him
50:24 who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
50:29 What does that mean?
50:30 This means that you and I can only witness...
50:34 we can only share what God has done
50:38 when we are in Christ.
50:39 Takeaway Number 6:
50:41 Witnessing comes in Christ.
50:44 You ever wonder why there's no more fruit
50:48 from your labors?
50:50 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
50:51 Jill: Maybe we're not in Christ.
50:53 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
50:54 Jill: You know, I love that quote
50:56 and I can't remember it exactly now,
50:57 but the church... the early Christian church in Acts...
51:00 if the Holy Spirit was removed
51:02 what would have happened?
51:04 Their work would have fallen apart.
51:05 The 95 percent of the work would have...
51:07 would have dissipated.
51:09 But today, if the Holy Spirit were removed,
51:12 almost everything we have... our plans and our programs
51:14 and "church" as we look at it
51:16 would continue the same
51:18 because we are not witnessing as we should
51:21 in Christ.
51:23 Let's look at verses 19 and 20,
51:25 I think Shelley read this before, Ephesians 1:19 and 20,
51:28 "what is the exceeding greatness of His power... "
51:31 that dunamis... mighty working power...
51:33 "toward us who believe,
51:34 according to the working of His mighty power
51:36 which He worked in Christ
51:39 when He raised Him from the dead
51:42 and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places... "
51:46 the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead...
51:49 the same Power that seated Him
51:50 at the right hand of the Father in heavenly places,
51:53 that miracle-working resurrection power
51:56 you and I can have in Christ.
51:58 Panel: Amen... hallelujah.
52:00 Jill: Takeaway 7: Resurrection power comes in Christ.
52:04 Now, we're going over to Ephesians 2 verses 5 and 6,
52:07 Ephesians 2:5 and 6,
52:09 "even when we were dead in trespasses,
52:12 made us alive together with Christ...
52:16 by grace, you have been saved,
52:17 and raised us up together,
52:19 and made us sit together in the heavenly places
52:21 in Christ Jesus. "
52:23 Without Christ, you and I would not be made alive,
52:26 we would not be raised from our death in sins.
52:29 We would not sit in heavenly places.
52:31 Takeaway Number 8:
52:32 Salvation and transformation only comes in Christ.
52:38 Let's read the next verse,
52:39 Ephesians 2 verse 7,
52:41 "that in the ages to come
52:43 He might show the exceeding riches of His grace
52:46 in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. "
52:50 Takeaway Number 9:
52:51 Grace...
52:53 kindness comes in Christ Jesus.
52:56 Verse 10, Ephesians 2 verse 10,
53:00 "For we are His workmanship,
53:03 created in Christ Jesus for good works,
53:07 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. "
53:11 Takeaway Number 10:
53:13 Sanctification... what we call "good works"
53:17 only comes in Christ Jesus.
53:20 You know, so many times as Christians,
53:22 we believe we are justified by faith.
53:24 Jesus saves us by grace through faith
53:26 and then, everything else is up to us
53:28 and we somehow have to become sanctified by our own works
53:33 but here it says, "Those works are created in Christ Jesus. "
53:37 Sanctification... the good works in the life of the Christian
53:42 come when you are in Christ Jesus.
53:45 Let's jump down to verse 13, Ephesians 2:13,
53:48 "But now in Christ Jesus
53:51 you who once were far off
53:53 have been brought near... " or given access to God
53:57 "by the blood of Christ. "
53:59 Takeaway 11:
54:00 Reconciliation... restoration comes in Christ Jesus.
54:05 I love that.
54:07 The first part of Ephesians 2
54:08 is all about vertical reconciliation...
54:10 reconciling us and God.
54:11 The rest of it is horizontal reconciliation...
54:15 us and other people.
54:17 Reconciliation... restoration of relationships
54:20 comes in Christ Jesus.
54:22 Let's go to Ephesians 3 verse 6,
54:24 "that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body,
54:28 and partakers of His promise in Christ
54:31 through the gospel. "
54:33 All... both Jews and Gentiles
54:35 now have access in Christ.
54:39 We're going to skip number 13 and we're jumping down to 14,
54:42 we're in Ephesians 4 verse 15,
54:44 "speaking the truth in love,
54:47 may grow up in all things into Him
54:49 who is the head, even Christ. "
54:51 Growth comes in Christ.
54:55 We only grow when we are in Christ.
54:58 You cannot grow apart from Christ.
55:01 Verse 20, Ephesians 4:20 and 21,
55:03 "you have not so learned Christ,
55:05 if indeed you have heard Him
55:07 and have been taught by Him,
55:09 as the truth is in Jesus. "
55:11 Takeaway Number 15:
55:14 Truth comes in Jesus.
55:16 So many times, we teach the doctrines.
55:18 We teach what we believe is the truth
55:21 and we even push it
55:22 but we push it apart from Jesus.
55:24 Truth has to be centered in Jesus.
55:27 You can only share the truth in Jesus.
55:29 Panel: Amen... amen... wow... amen.
55:32 Lomacang: Did you cover all 16?
55:33 Jill: No... 14...
55:35 Lomacang: Oh wow!
55:36 I'll give you the time to cover those last two.
55:38 Ryan, what's your final closing thought?
55:40 Ryan: You know, I just want to remind everyone
55:42 check your oil... check... do an oil check
55:45 John chapter 16 verse 13 reminds us that...
55:47 the Spirit of truth when He has come...
55:49 He will lead and guide us into all truth
55:51 and that's what He's going to do
55:53 through this powerful study of the book of Ephesians,
55:55 so, check the oil and make sure
55:56 you're being led by the Holy Spirit.
55:58 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm...
55:59 Shelley: You know, I believe that Paul's practical advice
56:02 for walking in a way worthy of the Lord
56:06 and is... and unity in the church is only possible
56:10 when we understand what we have in Christ...
56:13 the adoption... the acceptance...
56:14 the redemption... forgiveness...
56:15 wisdom... inheritance...
56:17 the Seal of the Holy Spirit
56:19 life... grace and citizenship...
56:21 know who you are in Christ, then you can walk with Him.
56:25 Dinzey: Amen... amen.
56:26 Well, Paul... desire for the Ephesians...
56:29 I desire for you and we desire for you
56:32 Ephesians chapter 1 verse 2,
56:34 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father
56:37 and the Lord Jesus Christ. "
56:38 Lomacang: Jill, give us the last two.
56:40 Jill: Last takeaway is Ephesians 4 verse 32,
56:43 'Be kind to one another,
56:45 tenderhearted,
56:46 forgiving one another,
56:47 even as God in Christ forgave you. "
56:50 The final takeaway is that
56:52 you and I can only forgive other people
56:54 when we are in Christ.
56:57 Panel: Amen.
56:58 Lomacang: All 16, right? Panel: Laughter.
57:00 Lomacang: Thank you so much.
57:01 Wow! we're just getting started
57:03 and we found that the book of Ephesians
57:06 is a book that has propped itself up...
57:08 open the doors and said, "Come on in
57:10 and let us find out who we are in Christ...
57:13 in Him... in Jesus. "
57:15 The beginning...
57:16 the middle...
57:18 the end.
57:19 The full circumference of this book
57:20 is all about Christ.
57:22 This is the "grace" book.
57:23 This the book that enables us.
57:24 He can do more than we can ever ask or think...
57:27 this is all in Ephesians
57:28 and we're going to continue on our next lesson which is:
57:31 God's Grand, Christ-Centered Plan
57:32 but here's a thought to remember
57:34 as we close out this one,
57:36 Dedication is not a matter of chance but a matter of choice.
57:40 Panel: Hmmm...
57:42 Lomacang: What we become is not the focus of our destiny
57:44 but the product of our journey.
57:46 We pray that you'll continue pressing toward the mark
57:50 for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
57:54 Join us next week for Lesson Number 2
57:56 and another...
57:57 Dr. John McVay has a lot more and so does Christ.
57:59 We'll see you then.


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Revised 2023-10-09