Blessings from God

Christopher Stephens

Ephesians W.N.B.C Study • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

Ephesians 1:1–14

God’s Grace

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A study based on Esphesians group study by N.T. Wright

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Intro

Have you ever told someone about an ordinary event and linked it to a larger issue?

Give background info from exegesis...

Have on screen Bible here

Paul’s prayer at the opening of this letter is a celebration of the larger story within which every single Christian story — every story of individual conversion, faith, spiritual life, obedience and hope— is set. Only by understanding and celebrating the larger story can we hope to understand everything that’s going on in our own smaller stories, and so observe God at work in and through our own lives. Before Paul tells the story, however, he introduces himself.

Why does Paul start with his credentials (v.1-2)?

An apostle of Christ Jesus- He is a special messenger from God through Jesus Christ

By the will of God- God wanted him to be who he currently is

V2- is all about community. They have something in common. They are FAMILY!

Before Paul will even come to a report of his specific prayers, he establishes what is after all the appropriate context for all Christian prayer, reflection and exhortation: the worship and adoration of the God who has lavished his love upon us. Why is God to be worshiped and adored in this way (v. 2-3)?

Exhortation- Argument () or advice intended to incite hearers to action. The ability to exhort or encourage to action is a spiritual gift () sometimes associated with prophets/ preachers (; )

Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., & Butler, T. C. (Eds.). (2003). Exhortation. In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 522). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Reflection- the production of an image by or as if by a mirror. a thought, idea, or opinion formed or a remark made as a result of meditation

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

God is to be worshipped in this way because He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

He gave us salvation, a standard to live by that is BENEFICIAL to us, and He will never leave us.

What has God done for us in and through Jesus the Messiah?

Blessed us- In verse 3 this word is literally pointing to benefits that He has given us through Jesus.

We have salvation, mediator (), empathy ()

What does it mean to be chosen by grace (v. 4-6)?

V4- God planned to use Jesus as a part of His plan before the foundation(creation) of the world.

Chose- to make a choice of one or more possible alternatives—‘to choose, to select, to prefer.’

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 360). New York: United Bible Societies.

To say that God chose us is to say that he preferred us with Him in comparison to the alternative.

V5-

predestined- to come to a decision beforehand—‘to decide beforehand, to determine ahead of time, to decide upon ahead of time.’

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 359). New York: United Bible Societies

v.6- grace is kindness shown.

Basically God made a decision to be kind to us.

We aren’t chosen for our own sake, but or the sake of what God wants to accomplish through us. In what ways might God want to bless (or how is he already blessing) others through you or your Christian community?

I believe that God is using me to bless those who come to Geek Squad with technical and spiritual issues.

I believe that He has a plan for a me as a youth minister stepping into the role of preacher.

What blessings have we received in Jesus (v. 7-8)?

Redemption through his blood- set free. But at the price of his blood.

Forgiveness of our trespasses- pardoned us of the things we had done wrong/broken commands.

He is rich in grace- He is wealthy in kindness. He lavishes (showers) it on us.

V8- He does it in a wise way

Paul says God gives us these blessings lavishly. How closely does “lavishly” fit the way you understand or experience God’s attitude toward you? Explain.

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 59.54 περισσεύω

to cause something to exist in an abundance—‘to provide in abundance, to provide a great deal of, to cause to be abundant.’

God gives me a wealth of kindness in a major way.

Family

Career

Church family

What is God’s big plan (v. 9-10)?

To unite all things in Him through Jesus Christ in heaven and things on earth.

How do you see the beginnings of this plan unfolding today?

Jesus and the plan of salvation are still being made known today.

Discipleship is the cause of God ruling on the earth.

Paul tells the story of the cross of Jesus in such a way that we can hear, underneath it, the ancient Jewish story of Passover. Passover was the night when the angel of death came through the land of Egypt, and the blood of the lam sprinkled on the doorposts rescued the Israelites from the judgment that would otherwise have fallen on them. Telling the story like this— the story of Jesus the Messiah, and the meaning of his death, told in such a way as to bring out the fact that it’s the fulfillment of the Exodus story— is a classic Jewish way of celebrating the goodness of God. Worship, for Christians, will almost always involve telling the story of what God has done in and through Jesus.

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What is our promised inheritance (v.11)?

How do we know we will receive this inheritance (v. 12-14)?

sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

Jesus promises the HS to the apostles

Peter shows how we get the Holy Spirit

Seal- to use a seal to close or to make something secure—‘to seal, to put a seal on, to make secure.’ V13

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 57.170 ἀρραβών, ῶνος

the first or initial payment of money or assets, as a guarantee for the completion of a transaction or pledge (in the NT ἀρραβών is used only figuratively in referring to the Holy Spirit as the pledge or guarantee of the blessings promised by God)—‘first installment, downpayment, pledge, guarantee.’

Down Payment- the first or initial payment of money or assets, as a guarantee for the completion of a transaction or pledge (in the NT ἀρραβών is used only figuratively in referring to the Holy Spirit as the pledge or guarantee of the blessings promised by God)—‘first installment, down payment, pledge, guarantee.’

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 59). New York: United Bible Societies.

The word Paul uses for “guarantee” here is a word used at the time in legal or commercial transactions. Suppose I wanted to buy a plot of land from you, valued at $10,000. We might agree that I would pay you the first $1000 as a “down payment,” guaranteeing the full sum to come in the future when the details were complete. The Spirit is the “down payment”: part of the promised future, coming forward to meet us in the present.

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 576). New York: United Bible Societies.

What difference does knowing you are to receive God’s inheritance in full make in your life?

Pray: Praise God for the blessings he has given you through Jesus the Messiah and the inheritance that you will receive in full someday.