Eternal and Abundant Life-The Book of Ephesians

ETERNAL AND ABUNDANT LIFE: THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS Spring Valley Mennonite; September 20, 2020; Ephesians 1:1-6 Overview of Ephesians About 80 miles of here, in the town of Concordia, exists a true Kansas treasure: The Orphan Train Museum. Alice and I visited there this summer and learned the fascinating story of how orphan children from the New York City area found new families and homes, the majority in the heartland of our country. Between 1850 and 1929, over 250,000 children were placed. We found our visit to actually be inspirational, as the values which made our country great were stated in a covenant signed by every family which received a child. Among those items in the covenant was the requirement that the child would be taken to church and Sunday School every week! Consider this situation, which represents what many of these children experienced: You are an orphan child, wandering the streets of New York City. Your parents died soon after arriving in America, you do not speak English, and you have been left alone to fend for yourself. The year is 1850, and no one seems to care about you and the thousands of other abandoned children on the streets of New York. But the situation horrified one young minister by the name of Charles Loring Brace who suggested a bold solution to the problem. He established short-term orphanages for these children and then proposed to send these orphans on trains heading into the heartland of this great and compassionate nation, advertising ahead of time that anyone wanting a son or daughter could find one when the orphan train passes through? His solution began over 75 years of orphan trains. Many, though not all these children were formally adopted by their families. From such open homes came two governors, 20 United States congressman, and one Supreme Court Justice. In the state of Iowa, it's estimated that one out of four residents are related to the orphan train children. In your imagination, put yourself in the place of one of these orphans as the train comes to a stop in the town of McPherson Kansas. A childless wealthy middle- aged couple picks you out of the group, gathers your meager belongings, and leads you to a waiting automobile. After a short drive you arrive at a large farmhouse and are shown to your very own room. You are blown away by the obvious wealth and luxury on display, but even more importantly, the love in the eyes of these people warms your heart. Later, after the best meal you've ever eaten, the couple announces their plans to not only give you a home, but if you are open to the idea, they want to formally adopt you and make you heir to all they have! You have been blessed beyond your wildest dreams, not because you earned it, but because of the love and generosity of your new parents. That is not unlike the story found in the book of Ephesians, only the adopted orphan represents you and me, and the family into which we've been adopted is the family of God. God is giving us this letter as a statement of who we have now become, and of the incredible riches that we now possess as a member of our new family. We also now have a new role in life, with new responsibilities, and this letter gives guidelines on how to conduct ourselves as part of our new family which is called the church: Ephesians 1:5, "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of his will." The book of Ephesians is written to encourage us to partake of the resources and family privileges which come from our new adoptive position. This letter is brimming over with encouragement and enthusiasm. It is also intensely practical. Turn to the New Testament book of Ephesians and follow along as I read the first six verses of chapter 1. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter while a prisoner in Rome. He had a special affection for the people of Ephesus, as he had spent more time and energy there than in any other place. Paul spent at least three years ministering to this church. The pastoral mantle of leadership had passed to Timothy after his departure. And later on, the Apostle John would make his home in Ephesus. Unlike many other letters, Ephesians does not deal with particular problems of this church. Clearly, this was a letter which enjoyed wide circulation, as was most likely the intention of Paul, for many other churches were planted by the Ephesian disciples. The major East-West trade route leading to Rome passed through the city, resulting in considerable wealth and prosperity for the city. The city had stood for hundreds of years before the days of Paul, and when he was there, it boasted wide marble paved streets bordered by stately buildings of stone. But the greatest attraction and the focus of great civic pride was the magnificent temple of Artemis or, as the Romans knew her, Diana. This temple was four times the size of the famous Parthenon in Athens and was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Travelers and pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire traveled to see this awesome building and to worship at this great temple, already over 300 years old in the days of Paul. From this cosmopolitan center of paganism Paul spent three years establishing a mighty church which trained disciples. Acts 19:10 tells us that as a result of his daily teaching, "All who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." After being absent for several years from Ephesus and from the church established there, Paul wrote this great letter of great encouragement. This is epistle to which we turn our attention. To give us an overview, consider the structure of the book: I. SURVEYING THE STRUCTURE The Epistle can easily be divided into 2 sections, each three chapters long. The 1st 3 chapters tell us who we are in Christ; The 2nd three, how we are to live in the light of who we are. Another way to look at the letter is through three words; Wealth, walk, and warfare. The first three chapters talk about our wealth in Christ; chapters four and five and the first part of 6 tell us of our walk as a child of God, and from 6:10 on we are told of the warfare we face and how to stand firm in the strength of the Lord. In the period before the Japanese occupation of China in the late 1930s, a Chinese Christian known to the western world as Watchman Nee taught on the book of Ephesians. His teaching has been gathered into a short, but classic commentary on Ephesians by the title "Sit, Walk, Stand." This outline can correspond to the outline of "wealth, walk, and welfare." Nee observes that we sit secure in our family relationship to God, as stated in chapter 2 verse 6: "God raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus." Every Christian begins his spiritual life from this place of rest. In the second part of Ephesians, the word "walk" expresses how we are to live in the world, and the letter challenges us to display in our Christian lives conduct which is in keeping with our high calling. It occurs to me that this order, giving us foundational truth first, then establishing standards is the normal way God works. He explains himself clearly, then tells us how we are to live considering the truth we've been given. God reveals himself first, then asks us to believe. We are not asked to meet impossible standards, but rather are given the resources first, then encouraged to live in God's power. God saves us first by his grace, adopting us into his family, empowers us by his indwelling Holy Spirit, then explains how we are to live as a new family member. Back to Watchmen Nee's outline of Ephesians of "Sit, Walk, Stand"; in the third section of the book, beginning in the middle of the 6th chapter, we find the key to our attitude toward Satan and spiritual warfare contained in the word "stand", which expresses our place and attitude of triumphant victory over Satan. The final victory over Satan is assured. But until then, we are to stand firm, protected by the armor of God: Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." II. AN OLD TESTAMENT PARALLEL The book of Ephesians has been compared to the Old Testament book of Joshua: God gave the Israelites the land; they only needed to go into the land and possess it. The land was theirs by promise, but they had to move ahead in faith to possess what God had promised. Joshua 1:3: "Every place on which the sole of your food treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses." God gave it, but the Jews had to walk through the land and possess it. Likewise, in the book of Ephesians, we learn that God has redeemed us; now through battles with our enemies (the flesh, the world and Satan) we move ahead by faith to possess the abundant blessings of the Christian life. Like the success that Joshua found in battle, we can enjoy success in living as we utilize the resources God has given us. Our possessions "in Christ", those resources which have been given to us in the heavenly places, enable us to be victorious in our lives here and now. To quote Theodore Epp on this topic, "A soldier's success in battle depends on the resources available to him. If all the resources he has are what he is able to carry with him, he soon will be defeated. For him to have success in battle, the resources of the country he represents must be available to him while he is fight and he must us them to their full potential. So too, if the Christian is to have Victory in his spiritual battles, he must make full use of the resources which he has in Christ. The book of Ephesians reveals the intensity of the spiritual battle but also shows the resources that every believer has in Christ." Paul's intention is to strongly emphasize that God has much more in mind for us that simply to someday get to heaven: IV. GOD INTENDS FOR US TO LIVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE HERE AND NOW Some of Jesus' most precious words of promise are recorded in John 10:10 when He said, "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly!" Through the finished work of Christ, we have been given eternal life. But we have also been promised an abundant life. As eternal life comes from the finished work of Christ, the abundant life comes from the present work of Christ. In the routine of daily living, we can enjoy the overflowing life, experiencing the riches of the indwelling presence of God. As chapter 1, verse 3 states, We have been blessed with "...every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ". And this "abundant life" is the birthright of every believer, a life which is full, rich, meaningful, and victorious. Note that this abundant life does not mean an easy or comfortable life; it is a blessed life as God chooses to make it. The abundant, overflowing, satisfying life is the goal which the great Apostle had when writing this letter to believers. This can be the result of first grasping the truth of Ephesians, then applying it. Are you interested in experiencing all that God has for you? I sure am! To when our appetite for this series, let's quickly consider some of the: IV. SIGNIFICANT THEMES IN THE EPISTLE It becomes very evident as we begin to study this letter that a main theme is found in the words "in Christ." This term or equivalent terms, like "in Him" are found over 90 times in the book! Ninety times we are called to note that all the blessings of the Christian life, all the power, all the promises are found "in Christ." And because we as believers are "in Christ" we are to "sit and rest" in these truths. Another of the mighty themes is the truth of God's choosing of us to be part of His family "before the foundation of the world" (1:4). Because God calls us solely on the basis of His grace, mercy, and love we are totally secure within the family of God. To return to the illustration of adoption, God chose us before we even boarded the train! It was not because we earned His love, or desired His mercy, but solely because of God's undeserved favor-His grace. If time permits: (An illustration which illustrates justice, mercy and grace may open up our understanding of these three terms. A father had a son who had been disobedient. This being a major offense that the son had been warned against repeatedly, the father informed his son that he would receive ten swats with a paddle. He speaks to his son, "Son did we not agree that if you disobeyed, you would receive ten swats?" "Yes, Dad. Let's get on with it." Swat, swat, swat, swat, swat. "Go on Dad, let's get it over with." "That's all son; I'm finished." "But you said that 10 swats were what I deserved." "That's right: ten swats were what you deserved, but I'm only giving you five. Now sit here in your room and think about all this. 30 minutes pass, and the father comes and knocks on the door: "Son? Let's go get an ice cream cone!" The son can't believe his ears! Ice cream after he had been disobedient? The ten swats illustrate justice. That was the stated punishment for disobeying his father. But the father only gave him five swats: that is mercy, not giving the son all he deserved. But the ice cream? That was grace! The boy had not done anything to deserve it, rather he had been disobedient. But out of the love of the father's heart, he took his son for ice cream.) We have done absolutely nothing to deserve God's grace. Isaiah 53:6 tells us that we all like sheep have gone astray. Romans 3:23 adds that all have sinned and have fallen short of God's standards. We have all rebelled and the just punishment for that rebellion is death. But out of God's great love, He sent Jesus to take our punishment-to bear the just penalty for our sins. Out of all humanity, God chose you and He chose me. Why you and me? I know it wasn't because we are better than anyone else, or more deserving than others. It simply is because of grace: "For by grace you have been saved by faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." In addition to the themes of our position in Christ, and of being chosen on the basis of grace alone, we also notice the theme of unity with Christ through the church. At our spiritual birth we are placed in the universal church, which is the body of which Christ is the head. The universal church of all believers is the place through which each believer finds his identity and ministry; and, it is through the local church we each exercise special enablements called spiritual gifts. It is through our local church that we relate to one another, meeting needs and having needs met. Within the larger body of Christ there exists a unity which transcends all racial, cultural, and political boundaries. Much is made in this letter of the fact that in Christ Jew and Gentile are unified. And if such opposites are brought together in Christ, then no boundaries exist between people which cannot be overcome through His power. Another exciting theme is that believers are those through which Christ wishes to display His grace and glory in eternity future. Chapter 2, vv. 5-6: "God...made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." The book has a great emphasis on our future in eternity. Yet, as we have said, this book is extremely practical for the here and now, with detailed instructions on how to live a consistent Christian life. For example, in Ephesians we find the foundational truth regarding the filling of the Holy Spirit. We earn how to conduct ourselves as husbands and wives, and as parents and children. Instruction is given on how to relate to employers and employees. And we have already mentioned the section which instructs us on how to defeat Satan as he attacks us with his "fiery darts." My purpose this morning is to "whet your appetite" for what is to come in our study of Ephesians, to give you an overview of what to expect. I truly expect that our faith will be strengthened as we are reminded of who we truly are in Christ, and what resources are available to us. A story is told of a man in Montana for whom search had long been made. Some years before a British nobleman had died, leaving an estate which, as he had no children, would go to the nearest relative. This fellow in Montana was his nearest heir. When he was finally located, this man was living in near poverty, just eking out a struggling existence. He was informed of his good fortune, which had been his for years, but outside of his knowledge. What did he do when he learned of his wealth? Did he say, "Well, it is a good thing to know that I have something to fall back on and some day I might go and look into it?" No! He went to town and on the strength of his knowledge bought himself a new suit and a plane ticket and started his journey to England. In an interview with a reporter, he was asked, "Where are you going? To which he replied, "To take possession of my estate." You and I are far richer than he was, but do we take possession by faith of the riches which are ours in Christ? That will be our challenge in the weeks to come as we study what we possess in Christ. 2