God's Playbook

Introduction

Wow! What a year 2026 has already been?!?!?

I hope you didn’t miss it, but on January 1st we saw two miracles...1) Indiana football beat Alabama...2) By so doing...Indiana won its first-ever Rose Bowl!!!

If you grew up like me watching your dad listen to Indiana football...and only growing more frustrated by doing so...and enduring a lifetime of...at best...mediocre football...You’d think it was a miracle too.

The Indiana Hoosiers...could potentially be the National Champions in football! Wow! What a year!

Now there are other things going on in our world that we most certainly should be paying attention to.

Here in the western hemisphere...just yesterday...the extraction of the sitting Venezuelan President to the United States...leading to much unrest and uncertainty for that nation...

Ongoing war in the Middle East, Europe, Africa...

Imminent attack of China on Taiwan… (Xi’s new year’s address “reunification”; war drills)

I don’t know about you....but...by strict definition...that sounds like World War...without anyone calling it that.

I pray that miracle that is Indiana football....somehow translate into the mirale of world peace. By now...you all should know my view on world peacce with sinful humanity...it can’t happen until Jesus returns. The best you and I can do...is pray for peace...be watchful and pray for Christ’s soon return...and work for peace in our relationships and sphere’s of influence.

Book of Ephesians

Today, we begin a study of the entire book of Ephesians. This is a book that in some ways addresses the hope of world peace...but through the lens of God’s work in coming to us in Jesus Christ.

Liturgically, we are in the second Sunday of the Christmas season...a season of pondering the mystery and miracle of the incarnation of God in Jesus. And our reading today from Ephesians emphasizes the cosmic ramifications of this real-life...real human history...miracle of the incarnation of God in Jesus.

You can’t beat Alabama or win a football national championship without a good playbook. I’ve titled today’s message God’s Playbook because here in Ephesians 1 we see...through the Holy Spirit...the foundation of God’s Playbook....of why God chose to come to humanity...of how the Christ-event impacts you and me...as members of God’s family in Christ...

Every good Playbook must have a strong fundamental foundation.

God’s Playbook

Some of the earliest Christians theologians and scholars had this to say about Epehesians (and God’s playbook therein).

Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202)

“In this Epistle the Apostle sets forth the mystery of Christ, by which God gathers all things into one, both in heaven and on earth.” Context: Irenaeus repeatedly appeals to Ephesians—especially 1:10—in his doctrine of recapitulation, where Christ restores creation by summing it up in Himself.

John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

“This Epistle takes us up to heaven itself and shows us the Church as it truly is.” Context: Chrysostom preached an entire homiletical series on Ephesians, calling it Paul’s most exalted vision of the Church.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

“In no other writing does the Apostle more fully commend the grace of God.” Context: Augustine leaned heavily on Ephesians—especially chapters 1–2—in articulating grace, election, and divine initiative.

Theological Consensus Across the Eras

Across traditions and centuries, Ephesians is consistently described as:

Paul’s most cosmic letter

The clearest articulation of grace

The definitive theology of the Church

A heavenly vision shaping earthly Christian life

20th c. theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer add: “The Church is not an ideal; it is a reality created by God in Christ.”

Listen to Ephesians 1:3-14 again. Listen for the cosmic nature and consumation of all thigns in Christ...esepcially v.10.

Ephesians 1:3–14 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. 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.

That’s called a “doxology,” which literally means song of praise (we sing it in response to the proclamation of the word and the offering of ourselves in corporate worship). However...a doxology is a formal, theologically concentrated expression of praise to God that arises in response to God’s saving action and ascribes glory, honor, or power to Him, often marking a climax in argument, prayer, or proclamation.

In short:

A New Testament doxology is praise generated by revelation, not emotion.

What revelation prompted Paul’s doxology here? The Christ-event...the incarnation...the birth of Jesus...fully God...fully human.

Ephesians 1:3–14 is a single, extended doxological sentence in Greek. The repeated phrase “to the praise of his glory” functions as a refrain...after each emphasis of what God has done. (See screen. “To the praise of His Glory”)

Closing

The book of Ephesians is...in a sense God’s playbook for the Church. As we continue our study through this wonderful letter...let us keep in mind today’s message...the book’s foundation...namely praise to God for what God has done...particularly through his incarnation in Jesus.

We will continue to read words like ‘predestination’ and ‘election’, which are difficult words for some Christians to swallow. My father-in-law says a God that predestines people to salvation or hell is like a “Hitler” God...picking who will suffer and who won’t. Many share that view.

Scripture clearly teaches that even our righteousness is filthy rags before God. Nothing you or I do or don’t do...will ever affect God’s plan of salvation.

Our good works do absolutely nothing...to secure our salvation. The Christian always starts as Paul does in this letter. With praise to God...for what God has done...leaving behind any merit we think we have.

No one who says “I’m a good person” or “I’ve lived a good life...better than so-in-so”...deserves heaven. Only God’s saving grace (a free gift offered to all who will believe in Jesus) receives eternal salvation. Good works...or the praise on our lips...has nothing to do with us. It is our grateful response to what God has done....is doing...and will do in the future.

God’s playbook is founded on God’s saving work in and through Jesus, the Christ. And that is a playbook that will always remain undefeated.

All glory...honor...praise...and thanks...be to God...forever and ever...AMEN!