9.02 Captical C Church: Intro to Ephesians (Ephesians 1.1-6)
Unlike many other New Testament letters Ephesians speaks more about God’s intentions for the universal or invisible church, than issues in the local church. It’s our prayer that as we begin to study God’s intentions for the entire people of God, we will gain a greater understanding of our role as a local congregation.
9.09 The Mystery of God’s Will: The Unity of All Things (Ephesians 1.7-10)
On the cross Jesus accomplished an incredible work, redeeming us from sin through his blood. Put Paul says that the mystery of God’s will is brining all things in heaven and earth together under one head (or in unity) in Christ. What Jesus did on the cross has already happened. What will happen when the times reach their fulfillment is yet to come? As followers of Jesus, how should we live in the in between?
9.16 The Mystery of God’s Will: Chosen (Ephesians 1.11-14)
This is one of the most controversial passages in Ephesians because Paul uses the big “P” word… predestination. So what exactly is Paul getting at here? As our guest speaker Jody Owens explains, “This passage is not as tough as it may first appear. To understand what Paul is saying to the Ephesians all you have to do is recognize some important details in the text and completely change your worldview.” He’s only half joking. As we dig deep into the text Paul’s message to the Ephesians and to us becomes clearer.
9.23 The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance (Ephesians 1.15-23)
In 1.15-23 Paul bursts into an extended prayer for his listeners. He praises God for their love for all the saints, and then prays that they will grow in the knowledge of God. Paul explains that one way they can grow in the knowledge of God is through an understanding of the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints. Essentially, Paul says if you want to know God better, you have to know his people—the Church—better.
9.30 His Incomparably Great Power (Ephesians 1.15-23)
Last week we began discussing Paul’s prayer in 1.15-23. It’s one long, extended sentence in the original language, one interconnected prayer for his readers and at the heart of the prayer is the plea that they will come to know God better. One way Paul says they will know God better is through an understanding of His incomparably great power for us who believe. What power is Paul talking about? What does that power look like? How does it function? And maybe even more importantly what is that power NOT?