Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Book of Ephesians

The book of Ephesians can be

Last week in Youth I started a series in Ephesians about the spiritual blessing in Christ

It’s been a blessing for me to really study it out

Brief overview of Ephesians

Doctrine - Sons of God, forgivness of sins, salvation by grace dead in sin by mercy being made alive Christ, having access to the Father, salvation being available to all people, nothing can separate us from his Love.

Sons of God

Doing - Walking in humiliity, patience, unity, and love with our brothers, renewal of mind, putting off the old sinful man, doing away with sinful passions and desires, respecting those in authority over you, putting on the armour of God.

The second half of Ephesians is impossible without the first half

There is a phrase in the first verse of this book that sets the pace for the rest of the book.

And these words saturate the first half of the book of Ephesians.

vs.1 “in Christ Jesus”

vs. 3 “in Christ”

vs. 4 “in him”

vs. 6 “in the Beloved”

vs. 7 “in him”

vs. 9 “in Christ”

vs. 11 “in him”

vs. 13 “in him”

We are about halfway through the first chapter, and there are already 8 occurences of Paul stating we are “in Christ.”

Paul is trying to get something across to the Ephesian church

It is so important that we realize what it means to be in Christ, because, as Christians, this is the lens from which we are to view our entire life.

This is so important because this is the lens from which we are to view our entire life, both spiritual and material.

Secondly, it is so important that we realize what it means to be in Christ, because, as Christians, this is the lens from which we are to view our entire life, not just spiritually but materially as well!

What does It Mean To Be In Christ?

(vs. 3)

The believer who does not know his wealth in Christ will never be able to walk for Christ.

Our conduct depends on our calling.

Too many Christians live in chapters 1–3 and study the doctrines but fail to move into chapters 4–6 and practice the duties.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1992).

Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p.

535).

Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The believer who does not know his wealth in Christ will never be able to walk for Christ.

Our conduct depends on our calling.

Too many Christians live in chapters 1–3 and study the doctrines but fail to move into chapters 4–6 and practice the duties.

When we identify ourselves, we identify ourselves in Christ.

Our outlook on life needs to be viewed from the lens of our position in Christ!

How is your vision?

Wiersbe, W. W. (1992).

Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p.

535).

Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.When we identify ourselves, we identify ourselves in Christ.

Our outlook on life needs to be viewed from the lens of our position in Christ!

How is your vision?

Read (seated with Christ)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

What do you think it means to be seated in Heavenly places in Christ?

It is a spiritual picture..heres how!

Read (United in death and resurrection)

Baptism - A picture of the old

We have died with Christ, which means that the power of sin has been broken for those who believe.

Our “old man” was crucified with Christ.

That doesn’t mean that we don’t sin, but rather that the rule of sin has been defeated for us.

Bust just like we associate with him in death, we also associate with him in resurrection, which is a picture of a new life.

You see this echoed in Scripture (new creatures)

That doesn’t mean that we don’t sin, but rather that the rule of sin has been defeated for us.

Our normal pattern of life should now be progressive growth (sanctification) and conformity to the person of Jesus Christ.

Baptism - Picture of the old man that was gone under and died, and the new man resurrects.

(Jesus said)

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Adoption concept

As Christians we associate with Christ in every area of our life

That is what it means to be in Christ

Some people only understand in terms of forgiveness

So that’s two words in the first verse out of 155 total verses in Ephesians.

Spiritual Blessings (v. 3)

These spiritual blessings are what Paul goes on to explain in the rest of the chapter

These blessings are what we are going to expound upon

Blessings in the Father

Chosen us (vs 4)

Adoption as children (vs 5)

Accepted in Christ (vs 6)

Blessings in Christ

Redemption through His blood (vs 7)

Forgiveness of sin (vs 7)

The mystery of His will has been revealed (vs 9)

A spiritual inheritance (vs 11)

Sealing of the Holy Spirit (vs 13)

These blessings are ours in Christ!

Our position in Christ needs to be the lens through which we see everything

When you get this, and there is an unshakable confidence and faith in who we are in Christ, and the promises and blessing to us, it changes everything

How we view people, interact, see failure, etc...

…this is to be conceived, not chiefly in terms of the material gifts of which we think most readily, but in terms of the spiritual that transcend but include the material, for the true appreciation of the things we see is dependent on our enjoyment of the things of the Spirit.

Read again to segway into next section of the sermon

this is to be conceived, not chiefly in terms of the material gifts of which we think most readily, but in terms of the spiritual that transcend but include the material, for the true appreciation of the things we see is dependent on our enjoyment of the things of the Spirit.

In other words, your entire outlook in this life greatly depends on the rest, peace, and joy that is found in Christ and the spiritual blessings he has blessed us with.

Outlook

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Beauty is subjective, or beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

Example of Rachelle

She was so caught up in:

the beauty of his love for her

the beauty of his character

his heart and devotion to God

the spiritual and emotional connection they shared

She was so caught up in the unseen higher good that it was shaping the way that she even looked at him in the material world.

Maybe a better example to give would be Paul, the actual writer of Ephesians.

Do you know where Paul was when he wrote this book?

Mansion, beach, etc… (nothing wrong with having things, but our joy is not dependent on those things)

Not to mention all the other things that Paul had suffered preaching the Gospel of Christ.