1. The Power of a Preamble (Eph. 1:1-2)

LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

The Power of a Preamble

The Power of a Preamble

November 5, 2017

Dr. David S. Steele

Intro

A. “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic

defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

1. These are words that should be familiar to most of you this morning. Indeed, these are words that should be familiar to most Americans.

2. These are the words commonly referred to as “the preamble” of the United States Constitution. A preamble is defined as “a preliminary or

preparatory statement; an introduction.”

3. I think you’ll agree that this preamble contain some very important information that we dare not pass over. The preamble contains a set of

sweeping realities that affect everyday life, liberty, and even have a bearing on the freedom we enjoy today as we worship together in this place.

4. To jettison the preamble to the United States Constitution would be a terrible mistake.

B. Yet how often do we pass by the preambles in some of the books of the New Testament. As we begin a new series in the book of Ephesians this

morning, it would be easy to jettison the preamble in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. But as we will soon discover, such a decision would be a terrible mistake.

C. I want to invite you to turn with me to the book of Ephesians. While we will limit our study to verses 1-2 this morning, I want to begin by reading

to give you an overview of the treasure chest that we will explore together over the next several weeks.

1. Text - .

D. Ephesians - A Powerful Book

1. “Pound for pound, Ephesians may well be the most influential document in history.”[1]

2. It has been called “the crown and climax of Pauline theology,” “the sublimest communication ever made to men,” and “the consummate and

most comprehensive statement which even the New Testament contains of the meaning of the Christian religion. It is certainly the final statement of Pauline theology.”[2]

E. What do we stand to gain?

1. We will gain a greater God’s redemptive purposes for the nations.

2. We will gain a greater understanding of God’s love for us.

3. We will gain a greater understanding of the roles of the Trinity in salvation.

4. We will gain a greater understanding of the depth of our sin.

5. We will gain a greater understanding of the depth of grace.

6. We will gain a greater understanding of our position in Christ.

7. We will have a greater understanding of the mystery of the gospel and the role of the church. We will see that the church is not optional in God’s

mind. Rather, it is at the center of his redemptive purposes.

8. We will have a greater understanding of what it means to walk with God.

9. We will have greater understanding of the Christian life.[3]

a. Why worship? (1:3-14)

b. What should we pray for? (1:15-23)

c. How can we be unified (4:1-16)

d. How can we imitate God? (5:1-14)

e. What is God’s plan for marriage? (5:15-33)

f. What is God’s plan for parenting? (6:1-4)

g. How do we fight in the strength that God supplies? (6:10-24)

F. Before we dive into this incredible book, we need to look carefully at the preamble.

G. The title of the message is The Power of a Preamble

1. Verses 1-2 contain the preamble to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. What we will find in two short verses are words that pack a powerful punch.

2. I want you to notice the author, the recipients, and the motivation for writing the letter.

I. THE AUTHOR ()

A. PAUL

1. Background information

a. Paul writes his letter to the Ephesian believers in a Roman jail in A.D. 62[4]

2. An apostle of Jesus Christ

a. Apostle (ἀπόστολος) - a special messenger of Jesus Christ. The word comes from the noun apostellō - “to send.”

b. An apostle is an ambassador and is never greater than the one who sends him - in this case the Lord Jesus Christ. It also designates the

authority which those called to this office possess.

c. See the verb apostéllō in .[5] Apostello means “to send away for a stated goal or purpose.”

3. The biblical criteria for apostleship[6]

a. A physical eyewitness of the resurrected Christ (; ; Cor. 9:1; 15:7-8).

b. Personally appointed by Jesus Christ (; ; , ; ).

c. An apostle had to be able to authenticate his apostolic status with miraculous signs (; ; ; ; ).

“The New Testament apostles were recognized as the revelatory agents of God, and as such they possessed an unsurpassed level of authority in church history - an authority they derived from Christ Himself … To be an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ was a specific calling and a profound privilege - something far different from merely being a messenger sent from a local congregation. [Apostleship] was a unique office that encompassed a nontransferable commission from Christ to proclaim revelatory doctrine while laying the foundation of the church … Hence, the writings of the New Testament constitute the only true apostolic authority in the church today.”[7]

d. Our task, then, is to listen carefully to Paul’s words, to heed the Word of God and respond submissively to God.

4. Commissioned by the will of God.

a. Will (θέλημα) - “Desire or purpose.”

b. When it denotes God’s will, it signifies His gracious disposition toward something. Used to designate what God Himself does of His own good

pleasure.[8] says that God appointed Paul to be an apostle before he was born!

c. The will of God means the counsels or eternal purposes of God (; ).[9] So Paul the apostle is divinely commissioned by the

will of God. Such a special commission should cause the Ephesians to be eager to receive what God has for them in this letter.

d. Even though the letter is specifically addressed to the believers in Ephesus, it is also addressed to every Christ-follower. Therefore, we along

with the Ephesians should eagerly await to receive a blessing from God as his message penetrates our hearts. This fresh perspective should awaken our hearts and minds and motivate us to listen carefully to God’s Word.

Application

1. Are you ready to receive the Word?

2. Is your mind sharp?

3. Are your ears open?

4. Are you prepared to receive a blessing?

5. Are your prepared to obey when the Lord challenges you?

6. Are you in the “ready” position?

7. Is your Bible open?

8. Is your pen ready?

9. Do you have an attitude that is filled with anticipation?

II. THE RECIPIENTS ()

A. CHRIST-FOLLOWERS

1. The saints (ἅγιος) - Literally, “the holy ones.” Paul addresses his letter to the people of God. It refers to someone who has been made “holy” or

“pure,” someone dedicated to God.

a. “The Israelites … were called saints, because [they were] separated from other nations and consecrated to God. In the New Testament the

word is applied to believers, not merely as externally consecrated, but as reconciled to God and inwardly purified.”[10]

2. Peter also refers to Christ-followers as saints.

“but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”” (, ESV)[11]

3. In fact, the term ἅγιος is scattered throughout the New Testament.

“Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.” (, ESV)

“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” ()

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:” (, ESV)

“giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (, ESV)

“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” (, ESV)

“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” (, ESV)[12]

4. It would important to mention at this point that there are two kinds of people in the world: There are only children of wrath and children of God.

a. Children of the devil (). Children of the devil are unbelievers. These are people who turn away from God and reject the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for sinners. The Bible says that unbelievers have “gone astray” (). Every unbeliever is separated from God, without hope and without God in the world (). Such a person is under the almighty wrath of God (; ).

b. Children of God - saints.

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” (, ESV)

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (, ESV)

“that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,” (, ESV)

“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (, ESV)

c. I want to ask a question that deserves a careful answer: Are you a child of the devil or a child of God? Know this - there is no middle ground.

You cannot straddle the fence or hedge your bets with this question! The way you answer this question not only has practical implications today - it also has massive eternal implications. For every child of the devil gets exactly what he/she deserves - eternity in hell! But every child of God gets what Jesus earned for them - the very righteousness of Christ and the free gift of salvation!

d. Paul makes it clear that his letter is meant for children of God - the saints.

B. FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS

1. Paul describes the saints with a one-word descriptor - faithful.

2. Faithful (πιστός) - “Preserving faith, worthy of faith, or exercising faith … Here is is equivalent to believing.”[13]

a. “No man is … a believer who is not also a saint; and, on the other hand, no man is a saint who is not a believer.”[14]

3. The faithful are said to be in Christ.

a. Much could be said about this little phrase, “in Christ.” For now, please understand that all of the blessings that we presently enjoy and all of

the blessings to come are wrapped up in this phrase “in Christ.”

b. We get a taste of things to come in verse 3: “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 …”

C. LOCATED IN EPHESUS (Note Map)

1. Ephesus is a city on the west coast of Asia Minor. Located in the southwestern corner of present day Turkey.

2. It was the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor by Augustus (27 BC- AD 14).

3. It was the third largest city in the Roman empire with a population of about 250,000.[15]

4. It was a major commercial port and center of industry. It was also a popular tourist destination.

5. Ephesus was a city that was filled with paganism and idol worship.

a. Worship of Artemis (Diana), a goddess of fertility, magic, and astrology.

Animal bones have been discovered around the shrine of this deity, which reveals that sacrifices were likely. Inscriptions have been excavated that reveal Artemis as “savior.”

b. Other deities were worshipped in Ephesus and may have included at least fifty different pagan gods.

c. Gnosticism was very likely a prominent worldview in Ephesus (matter is evil and spirit is good).

d. Demonic activity was not uncommon in Ephesus.

e. So a whirlwind of pagan worldviews dominated the city landscape. This is where Christ-followers lived and worshipped and influenced their

culture for God’s glory.

Transition - We’ve seen the author, we’ve learned about the recipients. Notice, finally, the motivation for writing this letter.

III. THE MOTIVATION ()

A. A CELEBRATION OF DIVINE FAVOR

1. We refer to this as a celebration of divine favor because Paul uses two important words.

a. Grace (χάρις) - “Kindness or good will to someone.”

“God’s grace means God’s goodness [love] toward those who deserve only punishment.”[16]

“Grace is God’s free and unmerited favor shown to guilty sinners who deserve only judgment. It is the love of God shown to the unlovely. It is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against him.”[17]

b. Peace (εἰρήνη) - “Harmony, tranquility, welfare or wealth … to be free from worry.”

c. “This greeting celebrates how the gospel works. Grace comes first, and as it fills our lives through the Holy Spirit, it brings shalom - peace,

reconciliation, wholeness.”[18]

2. The grace and peace that Paul celebrates comes directly from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

A. There is power in this preamble!

1. The preamble comes from the pen of an author, divinely inspired by God and divinely sent from God. Indeed, this author has received a divine

commission from God himself.

2. This preamble is written to Christ-followers in Ephesus. But it is written also to every Christ-follower who will ever live. It is written to those who

are faithful in Christ Jesus.

3. And this preamble is a celebration of divine favor - and is written to bestow grace and peace directly from the hand of God.

B. I believe that it is possible that this book may impact you in ways that will change your life forever.

1. It will change your understanding of God’s purposes.

2. It will change your understanding of his grace.

3. It will enable you to go deeper into his grace.

4. It will equip you to be a man or woman of God in this generation.

C. Let’s pray together that Paul’s letter to the Ephesians will enrich us and encourage us at Christ Fellowship; that we would be emboldened to live the

Christian life for his glory and maximize our influence in our community!

[1] Klyne Snodgrass, Cited in Tony Merida, Ed. Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2014), 3.

[2] See R. Kent Hughes, Ephesians: The Mystery of the Body of Christ (Wheaton: Crossway, 1990), Loc. 133.

[3] Ibid, 4.

[4] See ; ; .

[5] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

[6] See John MacArthur, Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit With Counterfeit Worship (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013), 92.

[7] Ibid, 94-96.

[8] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

[9] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

[10] Charles Hodge, Ephesians (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1856), 3.

[11] Each time that Peter references the term holy, he uses the Greek, ἅγιος.

[12] Paul uses the term ἅγιος at least nine times in his letter to the Ephesians.

[13] Hodge, Ephesians, 3.

[14] John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul and the Apostles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, trans T.H.L. Parker (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 123. Cited in R. Kent Hughes, Ephesians: The Mystery of the Body of Christ (Wheaton: Crossway, 1990), loc 205.

[15] The population of Spokane is about 215,000.

[16] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 200.

[17] Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love (Colorado Press: Navpress, 1991), 22.

[18] Hughes, Ephesians, Loc. 216.