Ephesians 1-2

Hook

Whats up everyone!

We’re so stoked to finally be back together after months of being a part. How many days do you think there’s been sense the last time we met? Any Guess? 119 Days! Thats crazy. Last time we met, John had dark hair and couldn’t do hardly anything. Now, John has blonde hair and can do slightly more...

Alright, so today we going to begin a series walking through the book of Ephesians. Because the Fall always has fewer youth group nights before Christmas break, we’re going to go kind of fast through the book. But there is so much happening in this book that we can learn from and apply. So I’m going to encourage you guys to just read this book over and over again over the next couple of months. If you wanna continue reading a chapter a day, just read Ephesians a few times in a row. Or read it paragraph by paragraph and really try to soak in the book while we go through this series.

Ephesians is a little bit different from some of Paul’s other letters. For instance, he wrote the letters to the corinthians because they were super messed up. And Romans has a ton of awesome theology for the individual believer. Ephesians was written to the church in Ephesus (which as a side note, whose been to Ephesus? I just think thats cool…) But it was written to the church there and contains a tone of theology for the church, for the body of Christ. There wasn’t really an issue that Paul was directly correcting the church in, rather, he was working out the theology of our faith and the implications that has on a gathered body of believers. When we talk about the church, what comes to mind? What is the church?

I like how the bible project sections off the book into two sections: The first half is chapters 1-3 and the focus is the Gospel Story and the second half is chapters 4-6 and focus on Our Story, that is, how the Gospel impacts our lives as followers of Jesus.

Today, we’re going to take a big picture look at the first two chapters of the Gospel Story section and the four movements within them. I’m going to highlight different verses in each section and we are going to pick at least one of them to memorize over the next two weeks. One of the hard parts about Paul’s writings, and I think especially Ephesians, is the fact that Paul writes really really long sentences.. So some of the verses I want to highlight might get cut off before the sentence actually ends, so if you want to memorize larger sections go for it! or you can choose to just memorize the verses that we’re going to highlight.

Section 1

In chapter one, we have the greeting of the book in 1v1-2 and then Paul quickly jumps into a poem in 1v3-14 about blessing God who adopted us into His family. So for those who have repented of sin and believed in the Gospel, Paul is showing that God has actually predestined them to do so and predestined them to join the body of believers despite their sin and brokenness because of His love and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Let’s read the section. Can I have one person read Ephesians 1:3-10 and someone else read v.11-14?

Ephesians 1:3–10 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Ephesians 1:11–14 ESV

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Great, So out of this first section, the verses I want to highlight are v5-7

Ephesians 1:5–7 (ESV)

In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

This is the starting point for each of us. To be a part of the body of Christ, this must be true of us.

How many of you are into sports, like watching professional sports teams? Let me preface this by saying there is nothing wrong with that, but I am not. I do not care about whatever professional football team or basketball team is playing. I don’t care about whatever pro athlete just did whatever thing. And where we are from in the states, that sometimes bad, because we are from the Seattle area where everyone loves the Seahawks and the Sounders. They even just got a new hockey team called the Krakens. And what kills me about it is when people talk about sports team as if they themselves are on the team. Oh the Seahawks are my team, we’re going to the championship for sure. I’m always thinking, no your not…your staying home on your couch!

I give this example because I don’t want us to view our faith as a sports team that we are watching. If you are a Christian, then that means that you are predestined to be adopted through Jesus according to the purpose of His will for a purpose. And we’ll see that purpose fleshed out more later, but ultimately our purposes as adopted sons and daughters is to play the game by praising God and helping others know Jesus to praise Him too.

Take Away

So from this first section, the highlight verses are v.5-7 and this week I want us to prayerfully consider how we might praise God and help others do the same. We’ll also talk more about that in small group.

Section 2

The next section is v15-23 where Paul gives thanksgiving and prayer to God. He is thanking God for the faith of the Ephesian believers and praying for them. This prayer is also a great model to us for how to pray for others! It’s also an example of one of Paul’s run on sentences… Can I have someone read Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15–23 ESV

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Take Away

If you are actually in the game, then that means that you have recieved this Spirit that Paul talks about. You have recieved the Spirit, have been sealed by the Spirit, and God has actually called you into this hope of relationship with Him. The highlight verse out of this that I want us to potentially pick to memorizing over the next two weeks is v15-17 and I want us to this week use this as a model to pray for each other, that we would all receive the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Section 3

The third section is found in chapter 2 v1-10 and has some pretty famous verses that you are probably familiar with. Can I have someone read Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Here, Paul is reminding the Ephesians how they were brought into the faith. They once were spiritually dead in their sin but because of the grace from God through Jesus, were made alive in Him. Not by anything they could do themselves, but by faith in Christ. And the outcome of receiving the gift of grace is that we now have good works to do for Him.

I think all of you here have basically been believers in Jesus for the majority of your life. So it may be difficult for you to think through a time in your life where you were spiritually dead. And that is a huge blessing! Praise God that you were all raised in Christian homes with parents who love Jesus and love you. But that doesn’t change the reality that at one point in time, you were spiritually dead. But because of Grace, you have been made alive in Christ and, like I mentioned earlier, have a purpose. God has prepared good works for you to do in your life that will honor and point praise to Him. To continue the illustration from earlier, you weren’t picked for the team to be a benchwarmer. You have a role to play in the body of Christ.

Take Away

The highlight verse from this section that I want you to consider memorizing over the next two weeks is v8-10. And I want us to all think through what it looks like to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us.

Section 4

The final section of chapter two is verses 11-22. Can I have someone read Ephesians 2:11-22

Ephesians 2:11–22 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Here we see Paul clarifying for the Ephesians that being made alive in Christ and receiving the free gift of grace means that they are now a part of the family. They are on the team. God doesn’t have just a bunch of adopted and estranged children, rather God has adopted children into one big family. I asked the question earlier, what is the church? And I want to reiterate that the church is both local, as in UCI or whatever church your family attends, and its universal, as in the Church that you are apart of is the same church that Paul and the Ephesians are a part of. And as members of the church, they are a part of the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God lives inside of His church. The temple is no longer a building where God dwells, now the temple is the physical body of believers were the fullness of God dwells inside for His glory.

Take Away

The highlight verses from this section v19-20 and this week I want us to meditate on what it means that you are a part of the same church that Paul and the other apostles and prophets are a part of and where Jesus is the cornerstone.

Conclusion

So now what I want us to do is split into small groups and walk through each of the highlight sections and talk through them. And then I want everyone to pick a memory verse from either one of the chapters, or one from each chapter. The highlight sections are suggested verses to memorize but feel free to pick a different verse if something else stuck out.

Let me pray for us and then we can split into small groups.