Ephesians 1:1-2

Incorruptible Love

Well let me just say that it’s so good to be back with you guys here! Claire and I had a great time together in Hawaii.

One of our favourite memories together is waking up and reading through this book we’re going to Study. Ephesians. Ephesians is the book in the Bible between Galatians and Phillipians

This starts our start of our Sermon Series: Incorruptible Love.

This wording comes from the final verse in this entire book. Ephesians 6:24 “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” Claire and I both read Ephesians and then we’d talk about it and pray through it. Instantly we both heard this phrase and thought oh yeah that’s the sermon title.

Love from Jesus is perfect. Incorruptible.

Can anyone in this room tell me of the breaking news that happened this week?

The Louvre is the world’s largest and most visited art museum, located in Paris, France, housing over 35,000 artworks including masterpieces like the Mona Lisa

A group of thieves, disguised (reportedly as workers) and wielding power tools, used a big lift to reach a window on the side of the museum. They got through the window, smashed display cases, and in just four to seven minutes made off with eight or more historic jewelry pieces. Some of these pieces are deeeply important to French history..

Reportedly these guys in broad daylight (Again in 4-8 min)

Stole jewlery worhth… how much do you think?

stole something worth around 100 million dollars worth of jewlerly.

And again. they did it during the broad daylight

As the Louvre is known as an incredibly valuable mueseum for the world…. Ephesians is the Christian version! It has been given such titles as the believer’s bank, of the Bible. This letter will tell Christians of our great riches, inheritances, and fullnesses in Jesus Christ and in His church.

I’m very excited to study this book together!

So let’s start this series in Ephesians

Ephesians 1:1–2 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

How we view ourselves

Ephesians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:”

We see at the start of this book, of this letter Paul is telling us who he is, and who he is writing too. He says he’s Paul an Apostle of Christ Jesus

What’s an Apostle?

One of my facourite commentaries explains an Apostle like this

Apostolos means “sent one” and in the New Testament is used as an official title of the men God uniquely chose to be the foundation layers of the church and the receivers, teachers, and writers of His final revelation—the New Testament.

Apostles do not exist today…. This was only a group of select men

What does he mean By the Will of God

Paul is simply telling us he’s an apostle doing the will of God. Or someone obeying God.

I love what Paul is doing here. Paul is a well educated man, however, he’s not introducing himself with his education. or how smart or qualified he is.

He’s not saying Dr Paul, (He’s not actually a Dr) or anything

He’s using the qualifications of him writing this letter of what God says he is. An apostle..

He’s also saying that though he’s writing this physically. It’s God’s will and it’s this divine cordination that God’s using HIm to write this…. and it’s God’s words

Now who are the saints in Ephesus that are faithful in Christ Jesus and what does this mean….

A saint simply means someone that is made holy. Every Christian is a saint because every Christian has been made holy through Jesus work on the cross for us. What is a saint someone who is faithful in Christ Jesus.

It’s someone who has seen this grace that Jesus has for us. He can make us holy, and set apart and they put there faith in Jesus for that act. They say Jesus is the only way I can be holy. I can’t be good on my own.

These are the people he’s describing. Faithful people who have put their faith in Christ.

Simply, the location of these people are in Ephesus.

Okay you might be saying to me. Sam why is this important. You might even read starts of these letters and read these greetings and think. What’s the point?

Paul is telling us 2 important things.

He’s telling us, how he views himself

When he talks about himself, he uses the title that God gave Him apostle, and he says by the will of God. Which means how he’s viewing himself is not under the qualification of the world, but of the qualification that this is God’s will!

When he’s talking about Himself and introducing himself. He doesn’t say I’m Paul and I’m a straight A student. I’m Paul and I’m Jewish. He’s saying this is what God wants.

Some of you when you think of your identity you think of, race or ethnicity, or a hobby or a gender.

Well I love all these things about you. I want you to keep these things, They’re secondary.

What matters most about you, just like it mattered to Paul is what he says about you. He either says two things about you, one your his son or daughter and that is the biggest privledge of your life.

or you’re not in his family…

Let me ask you. Actually think about it. When you’re thinking about yourself, how would you introduce yourself? Is the most important thing about you saying. I’m say a sinner that needs God’s grace. I’m Sam the sinner saved by grace.

This is key for us to understand. If we start viewing ourselves as other things first. That will be most important. Also all the other identity pieces is a waste of time If I say I’m Sam the star athlete. What happens if my knee breaks down.

The most important thing is that you view your identity how God views you… and how is that. God says that if you’ve believed in Him through faith. You are a saint. Or you’re justified. You’re just as if you never sinned! This is amazing.

Do you view yourself in light of that?

THe Apostle Paul says Philippians 3:8–10 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

When you view yourself, do you think everything else is loss for the sake of knowing Christ. Have you seen his grace and what he’s done in your life.

Or do you try and put other worldly identity pieces in place

If we’re a youth group that understands this. Then everything we do will be in light of that. We understand how we are. So we’ll live for God fully. We know where our identity is and our purpose is that!

Put your identity in what Christ has done for you

2. How we view others

Ephesians 1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We may not usually say this, but Paul is greeting the Saints in Ephesus in a typical way of greeting.

You notice with Paul he’s not saying. Wishing you good health, wishing those studies go well. Wishing that you and your friends have a good time at the birthday party.

He’s acknowledging the grace and peace that they have from God that unites them.

You notice what’s so special about Paul.

His identity, filled with Christ. He’s so obessed with thise grace we’ve recieved by from God. He can’t get enough of it. When we’re talking to people, or what consumes our minds isn’t these things. We’re thinking about The stresses of life. That thing that someone said to me that bothered me. Paul is always focused on God’s grace and peace on our lives.

How he views others. It’s with the grace and peace they’ve recieve from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. THat’s what he cares most about that the church in Ephesus is in right relationship with the Lord. He’s focused on the spirtual state of the important people in his life. Man, there’s too many people in this room that aren’t concerned that there friends/ families don’t know Jeusus. There’s way too many people that don’t care that everyone in their class is literally going to hell.

Is that what you think about when you think of others. Oh isn’t amazing they’ve experienced God’s grace in there life. Paul is always so focused on the things not of this world, but on the things of God.

I remember this one time when we were in primary school. This guy came and joined our class. Now, we didn’t have the biggest grade maybe about 40 people, so when there was somebody new we all noticed. This guy was from India and he told us all to call him Prince, claiming he was a rich prince from India. As we were all in grade 4 we kinda marveled at this guy, being like could this be?

For the first while we believed him, but then eventually we saw it… He wasn’t a prince, but he created this whole narrative/ story because he wanted to fit in and be cool.

Silly story, but we can all look at a time in your life. We messed up or made a mistake and you see why? Because we lost sight of where our identity should be. We tried to make our identity in fitting in or being cool.

Lilke Paul is explaning here we must keep God’s grace in our lives as the forefront most important thing about us. What does Paul mean when he’s talking about grace AND peace…

One importabt thing I didn’t tell you about Paul, is do you know where he’s writing this from? Jail. He’s writing this from a literal prison

Paul is saying he has Peacce? when he’s in jail? Man, our generation, we get anxious about tests, confronting people, you name it. Paul is talking about peace, and he has it even in prison….

How? Because what Jesus has done for him is so tied to his identity. Instead of saying poor old me I’m in prison, find a way to get me out of here… He says I have peace, because my purpose and joy is not taken away.

My purpose is, to glorify God. I have peace because my identity doesn’t get affected, where I live, what hardships are happening to me, because my identity is found in God’s grace, and what he;s done for me.

Have you experienced this grace and peace from God in your life? If you have, we should become more like Paul. More obessed with it, we view it as more important to us and to others.

If we’ve seen the grace and peace that God has given us… We see that as more important in our lives. Not just on an intelectual level, but in our hearts. We move our whole lives around this reality of who we are in Christ.

Applications:

Have you had God’s grace and peace in your life?

Right off the bat Paul is greeting the church with Grace and peace. I think these are awesome words that we love saying as Christians.

However have you really experienced God’s grace in your life? Do you realize that you’re a sinner. That needs God’s grace.

YOu and I are a mess. But GOd is so rich and loving he sent his son to die on a cross for us. We need GOd’s grace. Do you realize what a gift this grace is for you.

Some of you know it, but has it affected your heart. Is it the thing that marks you most in your life?

Right now in your heart are you filled with joy for what Jesus has done for you?

2. Where’s does your identity lie?

If you’ve seen God’s grace in your life like Paul did. That you desperately need God’s grace. Desperately.

You build your life around it. You make that your identity, what does that look like.

I want to live my life in obedience to Christ. I want to obey Him, because I’m madly in love with Jesus. Out of his love for me I want to obey.

Oh you can try and fight it and put discipline. You need to really experience his grace, and put your identity in it’s nothing I’ve done or what can do, but my identity is because of what Jesus has done.

If you’ve put your identity in God’s grace do you know what else you do? YOu share it with others. YOu live your life in light of it and then you share it with others.

I’d go as far and say, you say you’re a Christian, you identify as Christian. How come you don’t share it? Like look at this room, it’s feeling too empty. Bring a friend. Isn’t God’s grace in your life important, then why don’t you share it.

Let’s be like Paul, view our lives with Christ being our identity, the thing that marks us. Then, let’s view others the same.