Witness to the King

Mirroring the Teacher

I encountered something interesting in the military. Many led with fear while others led from respect.

I was once told my Soldiers were considered to be little me’s. In other words when one of my Soldiers was on assignment or attached to a duty it was as if I were the one present to carry out the work needed.

Through them they knew my work ethic, through them they knew my morals, through them they knew my heart… without ever knowing me you could have met one of them and known what made me tick.

It strikes me that as Christians we too are to conduct ourselves in a way that when people see one of us they see Jesus our risen King. As they see Jesus they come to the understanding of the depth of who God is.

In the Witness of the King the Church will reveal the mysteries of God

Ephesians 1:17–23 ESV

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Paul explains his prayer for the church in Ephesus.

Gifts given to the believer:

Spirit of Wisdom

Revelation of knowledge in Him

Enlightened eyes of the Heart

The hope to which He has called you

Glorious inheritance

Immeasurable greatness of His power-working of His great ight

The image of Jesus revealed

The power of God that raised Jesus

Rulership and authority given to Him

Subjection of all things under Him

The image of the church

Christ as the Head

the entire church identified as His body

The church is His fullness

If the church is made in His image and made to be His fullness should the church not be operating in His Power

Oneness in Christ

Ephesians 2:11–13 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

The fractured church is pinning for unity

Many vessels one Church, one Body

No room for division, in the unity there we find the fullness of Christ.

Colossians tells us that Jesus is the image of the Invisible God.

In Ephesians Paul is telling us the Church is the image of God

He then gives us Insight on what it means to be the Image of Christ

Purpose for the Empowered Church

Ephesians 3:8–12 ESV

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Paul given the ability to preach the unfathomable/incalculable

Paul reveals the mystery hidden-The role for the gentile church

The church will make known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places THE MULTIFACETED wisdom of God.

this is the mystery hidden from the beginning of time

is a result of Jesus Christ

We have access and boldness to this wisdom through our faith in Him

Power Beyond our Understanding

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

We are only just beginning the power is not ours it is the Lord’s

Observe the reciprocating effect

Church glorifies > Christ glorifies > Father all bring Glory to the Godhead

We will bear witness to the Risen King and all will know that HE is God