Ephesians 1:3

 

Ephesians 1:3

Praise God from Whom all Blessing Flow

 

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 

 

         1.      Praise God the Father

a.       How can Jesus who is God Himself have a God?

                                                              i.      Christ has a God experientially in order to identify with you and me

1.      Philippians 4:20 

2.      John 20:17 

                                                            ii.      Just like you and me Christ calls out to His God in time of suffering

1.      Matthew 27:46 

                                                          iii.      Christ must submit His will to the Father just like you and me

1.      Luke 22:42 

                                                          iv.      Christ is the perfect representation of His God

1.      John 1:14 

                                                            v.      Christ is the most precious gift God the Father can give us

1.      Romans 8:32 

                                                          vi.      Christ is the path by which we are reconciled back to God

1.      Ephesians 2:16 

        2.      Who through Jesus has blessed us with all spiritual blessings

a.       What kind of blessings do I receive in Christ?

                                                              i.      You are no more a stranger to God

1.      Ephesians 2:19 

                                                            ii.      You have been given immortality

1.      1 Corinthians 15:42-44

                                                          iii.      Nothing has been held back from you

1.      2 Peter 1:3 

         3.      In the heavenly places

a.       Christianity is inherently spiritual, while we may receive physical blessing from God, it is so much more than mere temporal gifts

                                                              i.      Colossians 1:13-14 

Lions & Lambs | John Lovell

Ephesians 1:2

 

Ephesians 1:2

Unlikely Gifts

 

Eph 1:2  Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

          1.      The Believer has Been Given Grace

a.       When we were born, we were not God’s friend but His enemy

                                                              i.      There is no peace with others when we are at enmity with God

1.      James 4:1-4 

                                                            ii.      Christ died for us when we were His enemy

1.      Romans 5:6-8 

                                                          iii.      The grace given to us in Christ changes who we are

1.      Ephesians 2:1-6 

        2.      The Believer has Been given Peace

a.       Christ’s death and resurrection for us gives us peace with God

                                                              i.      Romans 5:1 

b.      Christ’s death and resurrection brings us back to a unity with God

                                                              i.      Ephesians 2:14-17 

        3.      These Gifts Come from God the Father

a.       We often imagine that God is the one that is angry, and Jesus is the one that is forgiving, but Paul is insistent that the Father and Son are united in the work of our salvation

                                                              i.      John 3:16 

        4.      These Gifts Come from the Lord Jesus Christ

a.       One must recognize the divinity and Lordship of Christ as Savior before one can receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit longs to give us.

                                                              i.      Romans 10:9 

                                                            ii.      1 Corinthians 12:3 

Ephesians 1:1b

 

Ephesians 1:1b

An Unlikely Recipient

 

Eph 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 

 

        1.       You are the Recipient

                                                              i.      We talked about Paul last week and how he was chosen by God for a special purpose, but he was not the only one, you are too!

b.       You are set apart for God’s Purpose

                                                              i.      Ephesians 1:4-5 

c.       You Are a Saint

                                                              i.      One can tell a lot about a believer by the way that he or she refers to others in the body of Christ. Have you ever asked yourself how Christ would refer to the other members of our church?

                                                            ii.      The word for saint comes from the Greek root word which means holy.

a.       This is not the only time Paul uses this term in reference to believers. He refers to Christians as saints 39 times in the NT and 9 times in the book of Ephesians

2.       This is a work that is done by Christ - Ephesians 5:25-27 

3.       This is a work done by you - Ephesians 4:23-24 

4.       This is a work done by others - Ephesians 4:11-12 

d.       You Are Faithful

                                                              i.      Not only are you a saint, but you are also faithful. Do you consider most believers that you interact with as faithful? I am sure if you really thought about it, you would be surprised as to how much God uses the people around you to be a blessing.

1.       You are faithful because of the patient work of God in your life

a.       1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 

2.       You are faithful because of God’s faithfulness to you

a.       2 Timothy 2:12-13 

3.       You are faithful because of the ministers who have faithfully explained the word to you

a.       Ephesians 6:21 

4.       You are faithful because you cling to the faith that was given to you

a.       Hebrews 10:23 

5.       You will be faithful in the midst of dark times

a.    Revelation 2:10-13

Ephesians 1:1a

 

Ephesians 1:1a

An Unlikely Author

      

      Eph 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 

 

         1.      Paul is the Author

a.       Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ

                                                              i.      Paul was a bit of a walking contradiction

1.      He was a Roman citizen

a.       Acts 22:25 

2.      He was Jewish

a.       Acts 22:3 

3.      He was also a Pharisee

a.       Philippians 3:4-6 

4.      He also persecuted the church

a.        Galatians 1:13-14 

b.      Paul was called to be an Apostle by God Himself

                                                              i.      He was given Apostolic authority

1.      1 Corinthians 15:6-9

                                                            ii.      He was made Apostle to the Gentiles

1.      Galatians 2:6-8 

                                                          iii.      He led with humility

1.      1 Thessalonians 2:6-7 

                                                          iv.      He helped build the foundation for the Church

1.      Ephesians 2:19-20 

                                                            v.      He was chosen by God before the beginning of time to be an Apostle

1.      Understanding the two wills of God is important

a.       The revealed will of God

                                                                                                                                      i.      1 Thessalonians 4:3 

                                                                                                                                    ii.      1 Thessalonians 5:18 

b.      The decretive will of God

                                                                                                                                      i.      James 4:13-14 

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Isaiah 46:9-10 

Introducing Ephesians (Archived)