Radical Redemption : the strengthening of the church

Paul the Diplomat

Were it not for being in and out of prison, Paul certainly would have been considered a great man of diplomacy. But the truth is that far more than he was concerned with diplomacy, he was focused on representing his Lord, Jesus Christ. As Paul began most of his epistles / letters, he did so with GREETINGS. Unlike the churches in Corinth, for example, Paul greets the church in Ephesus very positively.

He introduces himself as Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God. Paul was ever mindful that it was not by his merit that he served as he did.

He greets the church as the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.

Ephesus Role

Ephesus was an important city in the spread of the gospel. It was a wealthy commercial harbor. Paul stayed in Ephesus for 3 years, and the gospel spread out to all of Asia from there.

Paul was rejected by his countrymen, as he began teaching in the Jewish synagogue. So, he moved into the school of a teacher named Tyrannus. Many, who had been practicing witchcraft, burned their books of magical incantations, and were won to the worship of the true God.

Paul under Persecution

Paul wrote the letter to Ephesus, while under house-arrest. While in Jerusalem Paul was arrested under false charges. His trial was indecisive, but he was imprisoned for two years in Caesarea. Upon appeal, he was sent to Rome, where he remained under house arrest. He was allowed to receive visitors, and it was Tychicus who delivered the letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians Role

Paul's greatest writings on the church are in Ephesians. This book tells us what the church is in God's view, and what it ought to be in practice, before the eyes of men.

Intro Summary

What the Ephesian model really gives us is summed up by the old saying “you can't know where you're going until you know where you've been”. While the emphasis, in Ephesians, is on the church in general, it is worth saying that the “universal church” never sent a missionary or established a clinic. But understanding our position in the body of Christ only makes the local church stronger.

Key Question

So, what does the local church need to know, specifically from Ephesians, to be stronger?

We must understand His Providence | THE FATHER

WE ARE CHOSEN

v4. ...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world... This is the doctrine of election. It has been debated for years, and is difficult to wrap our brains around, but the good news is that we don't have to be able to explain everything. Who can explain the wonders of God anyway.

1 Cor. 1:26-29 says...

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

We are “chosen”, or ELECT. This refers to us as persons in Christ.

#. WE ARE PREDESTINED

v5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

PREDESTINED refers to our “purpose”. It is / was God's ultimate design that we be made known to Him through the person of Jesus Christ.

#. WE ARE ADOPTED

v5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Now “adoption” is a term most of us can relate to. Maybe you know someone who is adopted. Maybe you have adopted a child, or maybe you are adopted yourself. Adoption brings forth the idea of a surrogate; bringing a child into an atmosphere where they can be loved and taken care of.

But, in the New Testament, it refers to bringing a child into “adulthood” and all the privileges and blessings that go along with that.

Just as one is adopted into a family and given full privileges as a member of that family, so do we, as Christians, have access to the full privileges of Christ.

We must recognize that we are for His Pleasure | THE FATHER

v5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

We don't need to gloss over the point that ALL is for the glory of Christ and for His good pleasure. The rules are His, and we have a choice to follow them or we have the choice of disobedience.

We must give Him Praise | THE FATHER

v6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In and of ourselves, we are not acceptable, but in Christ we are made accepted! It's been said “...thank God I don't get what I deserve, what I've earned! For what I've earned is separation from God for eternity ...in a sinner's Hell! But through His grace, I've been redeemed! I'm purchased, paid for! I need do no more!

Romans 3:23 says 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

We must surrender to His Purpose | THE SON

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

* REDEEMED : We are redeemed through Christ' blood, shed on the cross.

And it is according to the riches of HIS grace

9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

As the world flounders around, trying to figure out what to do, when to do it ....Christ's plan is the same as it was from the beginning. He purposed, in Himself, the redemption of mankind.

10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

One day, God will usher in a new creation with all things united together, in Christ!

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

Christ will allow us, someday, to share in His glory!! Can you imagine?? What if Donald Trump or Bill Gates said “come on, all that is mine I'll share with you! I want you to have what I have!”

We must trust His Promise | THE SPIRIT

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

#. Signed: v13a says “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation;

James 1:22 says “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Sealed v13b says “..in whom also, having believed, you were sealed....

John 6:37 says “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

Delivered v13c says “with the Holy Spirit of promise,”

We are His Purchased Possession

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Christ's down payment is GOOD. He will not default. His item of creation will not be “re-stocked” on the shelf of life! Once the down payment is made we are PAID IN FULL, and when Christ comes again to receive His bride, we'll be caught up together in glory ..to the praise of His glory; once and for all!!

Application

You might say “...how can God love me that much? Maybe I was that valuable when I was born, but you don't understand what I've done, how dirty I really am.”

YOU WERE HIS PURCHASED POSSESSION LONG BEFORE YOU WERE BORN!!!

WE ARE LIKE GOLD

Does gold lose its value amongst the dirt, mixed in with iron ore, and other less valuable minerals? Of course not. It's value is not dependant on its circumstances or the realities around it. Its value is intrinsic