September 12, 2021

EPHESIANS: GOD’S GREAT PLAN

September 12, 2021

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

 

What are some of the benefits or “perks” that your children or spouse enjoy because they belong to you?

This week we have read the book of Ephesians, written to the believers in Ephesus, where the apostle Paul had ministered for three years. The letter to this church includes most of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul was not certain he would be able to revisit Ephesus, so he summarized all vital doctrine in the first three chapters and the behavior expected of God’s children in the last three. This six-chapter book could stand alone if you were in a position to carry only a few pages of the Bible, yet still have what you need as the “whole counsel” of the word of God.

Focal Passage: The Book of Ephesians

 

 We are immeasurably blessed

  • Read Ephesians 1:3. What does God do for us when we become His child? What are examples of the blessings we receive? What does Paul mean by the phrase “in the heavenly places in Christ”?
  • Read Eph. 1:4. When did God choose us for salvation? Why would we have been on His mind at that time? How do you imagine this occurred?
  • What will happen to our heart, soul, and mind, if we are living our life with our thoughts centered on Him?
  • Could you enjoy life without Him walking with you? Explain your answer.

 

We are part of His great plan

  • Read Eph. 1:9-10. What was the mystery of God’s will? When had He predetermined that Jesus would come to the earth, die for the sins of mankind, be resurrected, and return to the Father? How did this “bring everything together in Christ”?
  • Read verses 11-12. Besides our salvation and daily blessings, what else do we receive? How can we praise Him and bring Him glory for what He has done?
  • Read verses 13-14. What happened at the moment you believed in Him, repented of your sins, and asked Jesus to save you? Besides being sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, what else does the Holy Spirit guarantee for us?
  • We know only a world where sin reigns. What will Christ eventually do?

 

We have an eternal hope

  • Read Eph. 1:18-19. What does Paul pray for us? What can we do to see that our lives are spent in the glorious reality of Christ walking with us?
  • Read verses 20-21. What did God do for Jesus? Why do we not have to be concerned about the turmoil in our lives in this millennium? How can you rest in the fact that God has complete control over this world?
  • What is the purpose of the church? Read Romans 8:34. What is Jesus Christ doing, even today, for us?

 

We are undeniably secure

  • Paul takes great pains to see that we believers realize who our enemy is. What does he tell us to do? What are the six pieces of armor, and what is the function of each? Read verse 18. What is the seventh piece of armor that is intangible? Why is it so vital?
  • Read Nehemiah 4:9, 17. How is this passage similar to our fight with Satan? How can we live in a world that is out of control?
  • Read John 10:27-28. What is so very comforting in these verses?

 

Close

Our faith walk often seems to be uphill, doesn’t it? Yet if we would spend as much time meditating on God’s word, committing it to memory, drawing on its ideal for our lives, and drawing near to God, more than we spend watching television, movies, or engaging in random entertainment, we would no doubt see a great increase in our love for our Lord.

Paul wanted nothing less for the believers he had brought to Christ than to see them grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord. Would we endure beatings, shipwreck, hunger, and so much more, with joyful emotion because we were counted worthy to suffer for Christ? It is hard to say a very resounding “Yes”, isn’t it? Many of us are wondering if today’s world will see a time coming when we have to take a stand for Christ that may cost us our lives. People around the globe are experiencing this every day.

The book of Ephesians is one with eternal perspectives that we need to internalize. Is it too much to begin to memorize these six short chapters, knowing that the doctrine in the first three gives us mighty promises of what God has done for us, what He is doing, and will continue to do? If you have these verses committed to memory, you will be able to answer nearly any question that is asked from the sincere heart of an unbeliever searching for God. Memorize the last three chapters and you will know the patterns for behavior that God wants to see from a regenerate heart. Were we to put these actions into our lives, each day would find us seeking His presence more than the day before. Without His strength, we can do nothing. With Him, nothing is impossible.

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