Another Ephesians Part 2 "Vindication"
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
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:
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Introduction
Introduction
Ephesians is Paul’s least personal letter. He doesn’t really introduce himself fully, he doesn’t defend his rights as an apostle, even though he writes from a Roman Prison. Why? He doesn’t have to. These saints have moved on.
1. The Ephesian Saints Were Content With Who They Were.
1. The Ephesian Saints Were Content With Who They Were.
They were following Christ in the Message of the Hour, not a particular ministry or style of preaching.
When Joshua came into the land, each tribe had to be content with the land they were given.
So, Ephesus here sets us like Joshua, positionally. You notice, Joshua, after crossing over the land, and taking the land, then he divided the land. “Ephraim here, Manasses here, and this one here, Gad here, Benjamin here.” He divided the land.
And notice! Oh, this just burns our hearts! Each one of those Hebrew mothers, giving birth to those children, she spoke the very place, in her labor pains, where they would be positioned in the promised land.
Watch when they, each one of those mothers, when she called out, “Ephraim,” when she was in labor, positionally placed him where his feet was setting in oil. Just exactly every one of them wherever they were at!
And Joshua, not knowing this, but by inspiration, led of the Holy Spirit, after being into the promised land, give each man his promise, exactly what the Holy Spirit promised through the birth back there.
How that God has set some in the church, through the labor pains! Oh, they get tremendous sometime.
When a church is groaning under the persecution of the outside world, believing on the Lord Jesus, that the promise of the Holy Ghost is just as real to us as it was to Pentecost, how they groan and cry under labor pains!
But when they are born, and positionally born into the Kingdom of God, then the Holy Ghost has set in the church, some apostles, some prophets, some teachers, some pastors, some evangelists.
Then He’s give into there, speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues, knowledge, wisdom, gifts of healing, all kinds of miracles.
Now this is my purpose of doing this. The church is always trying to take somebody else’s corner. But don’t do that. You can never raise corn in Ephraim’s corner, if you’re Manasses. 60-0515E - Adoption #1
Lets see how Paul deals with a church that is trying to make carnal comparisons.
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
These are Christians “called to be saints”. They are sanctified, but the Ephesians are already saints. They are the faithful “in” Christ Jesus, baptized by one Spirit into the body.
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
The Ephesians were past this. Whoever God uses, that is who we want.
2. The Ephesians Did Not Attempt to Polish Up the Message with Intellectualism.
2. The Ephesians Did Not Attempt to Polish Up the Message with Intellectualism.
Apollos was a better speaker than Paul, and probably much better than Timothy. That didn’t make him right or wrong, but some are swayed by that.
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Perfect Strength by Perfect Weakness. Paul was a Theologian, but he aid that down to preach Christ.
3. The Ephesians could take the Meat of the Word.
3. The Ephesians could take the Meat of the Word.
Look at the contrast in 1 cor 3 and Eph 2.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Notice the difference:
Oh, what a time Paul had with these Corinthians. They were all seeking after different blessings, and spiritual gifts. And Paul had to speak to them as to children.
But when he come to the Ephesian church, he speaks to them in a different way. The church of Ephesus, they are a solid Gospel church. 55-1111 - Where I Think Pentecost Failed
If we notice, he couldn’t teach the Corinthians deep things. They were just a baby fashion. He couldn’t go to them in the great, deep, the messages that he did to the Ephesians and he did to the Romans, and teach to them the deep things, because they wasn’t able to take it.
They depended too much upon little sensations and little things like that. Just, “Well, praise the Lord, I got it! I had a revelation come to me. I had a psalm. I have a prophecy.”
And Paul said, “All these things will fail.” See? Every one of them, they’re just not to be trusted too much. 57-0414 - Corinthians, Book Of Correction
We notice Paul could teach the Ephesians there, how that before the foundation of the world, they were predestinated unto the adoption of the sons of God.
Now, the Corinthians didn’t know nothing about that. They had to have a little feeling, or something, little sensation, one this, that, and the other. And they depended on that. He couldn’t teach them the deep things. 57-0414 - Corinthians, Book Of Correction
Look what he taught the Ephesians:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Not fighting and fussing, not Pentecostal Babies making new denominations.
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
One church was seated together in Heavenly Places, another was divided over who was the best preacher.
There is no need for another Corinthians, but there must be another Ephesians. A People who can take the meat of the opening of the Word.
Lord, such strong teachings! It’s time this little church could take meat, and no more the milk of the Word. We been too much in the milk now, giving the baby his bottle. But we got to have strong meats, for the day is getting close.
Great perilous times are at hand, and more trouble laying in the road. And we know that there’ll never be better times. We know that we’re at the end. Times will continue to get worse and worse until Jesus comes, according to the Scriptures. 57-0915E - Hebrews, Chapter Seven #1
When Bro. Branham tried to explain his gift under the 2nd pull of his ministry, he was rebuked by the angel.
A Voice come, said, “You can’t teach Pentecostal babies supernatural things.” Said, “Now, let them alone!”
And just then He picked me up. He took me up, and sit me way up high, to where a meeting was going on. Looked like a tent or a cathedral, of some sort. And I looked, and there was a little box, like, little place over in the side.
And I seen that Light was talking to somebody, above me, that Light that you see there on the picture. It whirled away from me, like that, and went over that tent. And said, “I’ll meet you there.” And said, “This will be the Third Pull, and you won’t tell It to nobody.” 63-0324E - The Seventh Seal
The People that were on the earth then could not bear it.
There is today a church on the earth that can be fed strong meat, that church is not our church or some other local church, it is the Bride of Jesus Christ.
This is her vindication.
One morning the Lord woke me up, said, “Get up there in Sabino Canyon.” I took a piece of paper and my Bible. The wife said, “Where you going?” I said, “I don’t know. I’ll tell you when I come back.”
I went up in the canyon, climbed plumb up where the eagles was flying around. I was watching some deer standing there. I knelt down to pray, and raised up my hands, and a Sword struck my hand.
I looked around. I thought, “What’s that? I’m not beside myself. Here is that Sword in my hand; bright, shiny, glistening in the sun.” I said, “Now, there’s not people in miles of me, way up here in this canyon. Where could that come from?”
I heard a Voice, said, “That’s the King’s Sword.” I said, “A king knights a man with a sword.”
He, the Voice, come back, said, “Not a king’s sword, but, ‘The King’s Sword,’ the Word of the Lord.” Said, “Fear not. It’s only the Third Pull. It’s the vindication of your ministry.” 65-0725E - What Is The Attraction On The Mountain?
Notice, the very day when this messenger…Not when he starts on, but when he begins to declare his Message. The First Pull, healing; Second Pull, prophesying; Third Pull, the opening of the Word, the mysteries revealed.
No more, there is no more higher order to reveal the Word, than prophets. But the only way the prophet can be vindicated is by the Word.
And, remember, the Third Pull was the opening of them Seven Seals, to reveal the hidden Truth that’s been sealed in the Word. 65-0725M - The Anointed Ones At The End Time
There must be a Word Bride, another Ephesians.
Look how Bro. Branham began to talk to the church at the end of his ministry.
Now, then, if It was, Jesus was the fullness of God manifested. He was the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Therefore, when He came to the earth and was manifested in flesh, you were here in Him then, because He was the Word.
“In the beginning was the Word; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Word was made flesh. Therefore, you walked with Him, when you were in Him, when He was on earth.
You suffered with Him, and you died with Him. You was buried with Him. And now you are risen with Him, and manifested attributes of God, setting in Heavenly places; already raised, resurrected to new Life, and setting in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Oh, that means so much, nowadays, Church! That means so much to us, to see ourself positionally placed in Jesus Christ!
Now, if we are those attributes of God, we cannot live by creeds. We cannot live by denominationalism. We must live by the Word, because the Bride is a part of the Bridegroom, like any wife is a part of her husband.
Therefore, we must be that Word Bride. And what is that Word Bride? The manifestation of this hour, the Bride, not a creed or a denomination; but a living oracle of God,
a living attribute of God, displaying to the world the attributes of God, in the formation of the Bride that’s to be expressed in this hour that we’re now living. 65-1205 - Things That Are To Be
This is strong meat, but you can take it. This is your vindication.
Look, hurrying, there must come a true Seed. There has just got to be, because He’s coming for the Bride without spot or wrinkle. He is coming for it, a Word-vindicated Bride. 64-1212 - The Harvest Time
You will have signs and wonders, you will dream dreams and see visions, all of that is part of the Word, but your vindication is the manifestation of all of the Word.
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
If you were to come into a wedding reception, how would you know the Bride?
She is dressed in white and wearing a ring.
Her Election shows, and she is not debating the Word, she’s wearing it. Oh Word of Life Tabernacle, lets be that Bride!