Grace and Peace

God has an authoritative message for you.

God has an authoritative message for you.

In verse 1 we read

Ephesians 1:1 NKJV

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

The New King James Version Chapter 1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

Do you know what the word Apostle means?

Defend:

Explain: See Paul is an apostle. Apostle - that’s not a word we use today. If we had to find a word in our vocabulary like it we might use something like: ambassador, emissary, representative. These are people who are sent with an official message from their authority. ἀπόστολος literally means - “sent one.”

Orient:

God has an authoritative message for you today.

Explain:

Defend:

Illustrate: In the ancient world people had seals. The king would write a letter and send it to an official. He would melt some wax over where the letter was to be opened. Then the king would take the seal from around his neck or with his signet ring, and he would press his seal into the wax. He would then choose which messenger would be sent to deliver that authoritative letter. It was Paul who was hand chosen by God and sent by Jesus Christ to deliver this message to the Ephesians. And, we know that like in Colossians this letter was not only for that church alone but would also have been read to other churches as well.

Illustrate:

Explain: See the message to the church in Ephesus was not something Paul had made up. He wasn’t just going around Asia Minor, what we call Turkey today, on his own authority. When Paul was a Pharisee it was God who threw him down to the ground, blinded him with His glory, changed his heart, and gave him a commission to share the good news with the gentiles. It was Saul, a Jew of Jews, that Christ by the will of God radically changed. He had been sent from Jerusalem with official authority from the Jews to kill the church. Now God, in His infinite grace and mercy, made Saul do a 180. He was no longer to persecute the church but the least likely candidate was now to be the ambassador to the Gentiles. God had given him a commission - tell the Good News. This message is for you today.

Defend: Listen up. This message does not depend on me telling you it. This message did not depend upon Paul. The message you read in these words is an official declaration of the King of the universe. God almighty is talking to you in these pages. As we work through the book of Ephesians we will take sight of some of the most glorious truths of all the Bible. We will contemplate the riches of God’s eternal wisdom. We will pull back the curtain and get a glimpse at the eternal decree of election. We’ll peer into the grandeur of the love of Christ.

Apply:

Apply:

When I have doubts that this message is true I can remember that it is God’s word.

I can look back and think of a seal being place upon a letter and know that it was God’s authority.

Will you take what is in this letter as what it is - A Declaration from the king?

God greets you this morning with Grace

What does the word Grace mean?

Explain: God has declared two things in this passage to you. The first one is peace. God has by his own choice. By his own will. Out of His own good pleasure.

Illustrate

Defend

Apply

God greets you this morning with Peace

Explain

Illustrate

Illustrate

Defend

Defend

Apply

Apply

God has declared you Holy

Explain

Illustrate

Illustrate

Defend

Defend

Apply