Ephesians

Intro to Ephesians

Please turn to the letter of Ephesians (NT). I say letter because this is a letter. I think sometimes we miss what God wants to say to us through His Word because we fail to recognize what His Word is. Some tend to look at the Bible as a textbook rather than the inspired written word of God. They forget that this Bible was given to us by the will of God so that we may know who? God. He wants us to know Him, not just know about Him or about a religion. God’s Word is not a textbook, nor is it a Magic 8-Ball.

The Bible is not designed so that we can shake it, open it up, and find all the answers that we want to our problems.

The Bible is designed so that we may seek God and have a relationship with the Living God.

- the living God. And in that relationship, we learn about life - we learn about ourselves and hopefully we are transformed and become disciples of Christ.

Be careful how you approach. How do you approach Scripture? If you approach it as a textbook, it's going to get really boring. If you approach it as a magic 8 ball, it will quickly become useless and you will be frustrated.

Thomas Á Kempis wrote, “… if you would profit from it, therefore, read with humility, simplicity, and faith ….”

So we approach Scripture on its terms, not ours - in humble submission. I will say this, we’re all wired differently - so there is not a one size fits all approach to scripture. I highly recommend the book -

Sacred Pathways

by Gary Thomas. In this book, he highlights 9 different ways to connect with God. The idea is that we are God's children, and God communicates with each of His children in different ways because we have different personalities. So, if you’re having trouble connecting with God - great book.

Back to Ephesians. Again, Ephesians is a letter and we need to read it that way. Understand, there are 27 letters that comprise the New Testament - all written for a purpose and written to a specific person or audience. Matthew was written to the Jews. Mark was written to the Gentiles. Luke and Acts were written to a man named Theophilus - and so on.

Here’s a quick outline of the NT. We have four gospels accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have the Book of Acts, which is the beginning of the Church and that covers about a 40-year period (between 30 and 70 AD). And then we have all these other letters in the New Testament - which most of them fit into the time-frame of the Book of Acts - with the exception of the epistles of John and Revelation. For instance, in Acts 17, 18 and 19, you can read about Paul’s missionary journeys, which include his time in Ephesus.

I want to challenge us to understand these are letters.

These are real letters, written by real people, for real people, with real life issues.

The authors and recipients had real everyday issues just like you and me. They had real struggles, and jobs, hardships, families, uncertainties, questions. Babies were being born, family and friends dying or getting sick or getting hurt. They had animals to take care of and clothes to wash.

They worried about putting bread on the table and raising their children. They had bills to pay, celebrations to attend, and on top of that, political and spiritual division and unrest. And protests and violence and inequality were the norm.

Spiritually, the culture was confused. The Roman Empire adopted a polytheistic religious worldview. Polytheism is the worship of multiple gods and goddess. Rome tolerated and, in some cases, adapted the religious practices of the nations it conquered. Mystery religions or secret cults were common. Hero veneration and emperor worship was part of the culture, as well. There were perhaps hundreds of religions throughout the Empire.

In their religious tolerance and inclusivity and permissibility, there was one religion that they couldn’t quite tolerate - Judaism. Judaism believed in and worshipped Yahweh, the one sovereign God Most High. And out of Judaism came Christianity. Rome did not tolerate Judaism and Christianity. Became hostile toward them for about 300 years or so.

And on top of that, these new believers in Christ had to figure it all out. Following Jesus as the Messiah was a new thing. How do you go from the Law of Judaism to grace in Christ? How do you go from worshipping in a synagogue to worshipping in a home? They didn’t have “church” buildings until the mid to late 300s. They didn't have the New Testament yet. There was no such thing as a Christian culture. They were inventing it as they went. So this Christian way of living was practically brand new.

That’s the world in which the NT was formed, which includes Ephesians. So what’s your world like? Looks a lot like theirs, doesn’t it? I think we can learn a lot from Ephesians. Again, this is a real letter - written by a real person - written to real people - with real life issues.

Before we look at verse 1, what is one take away from all that?

Ephesians 1:1 ESV

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

Q - Who is Paul?

If you have tuned out, I want you to tune back in because there's something very important here for each of us. This letter was written by the Apostle Paul, somewhere between 54 and 63 AD (25-30 years after death and resurrection of Jesus).

Paul, whose original name was Saul, was Jewish by birth, but also a Roman citizen. He was a tentmaker by trade, but Paul was destined for more than simple labor. He was a brilliant astute zealous man. As a young man, he studied under one of the great Jewish Rabbis - Gamaliel. In doing so, Saul became a Pharisee. Pharisees were one of four subgroups of Judaism. Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the OT Law. These were the guys who said you cannot even spit on the Sabbath - that was considered work. Saul was becoming a superstar - or as he put it - a Pharisee of Pharisees.

Saul first shows up in Scripture in Acts 7 and 8. In Acts 7, a disciple of Jesus named Stephen was apprehended by some Jewish elders - for his faith in Christ. This gave Stephen the opportunity to proclaim the gospel to the Jewish leaders. Upon hearing about Jesus, they were so enraged they drug Stephen out of the city and stoned him to death. Guess who was there to oversee and approve Stephen’s execution?

Acts 8:1 ESV

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:3 ESV

But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

This is the guy who wrote Ephesians. Saul began his career as an enemy and persecutor of the Church. He hated Christians. He wanted to destroy every single one of them. He terrorized the 1st century Church without mercy. He had a lot of blood on his hands. But in Acts 9, Saul encountered the risen Christ - repented of his sins and crimes - followed Jesus. Saul the Pharisee became Paul the Apostle.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus but the will of God, als wrote

1 Timothy 1:12–14 ESV

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Paul did not live in his past. He did not allow his past to define him or diminish his identity in Christ or impede the calling of God.

If God can call a man like Paul, with a past like his - if God can call a man like Paul into His family and into His service - if God can forgive and love a man like Paul - if God can use a man like Paul and send him on missionary journeys, and start churches, and write most of the New Testament - and if Paul can let go of his past and walk in the presence and in the will of God - what can God do with people like you and me?

Before we close, let’s do something. Paul introduced himself as Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus.

Q - If you were writing this letter, how would you introduce yourself?

Bob, the drug addict loser in Jesus? Sally, the no good has been divorced in Jesus?

See where I’m going with this? We may not actually introduce ourselves like that, but how many of us live like it?

Q - If you are in Christ, and He has saved you, and forgiven you, and you are a new creation in Him, and His blood and body redeemed you,

How would Jesus want you to introduce yourself?

And that is the question I want you to ponder all week.