THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 3-4)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
“Now to Him who is
able to do infinitely more than we ask or imagine, according to the power that
works in us. To Him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus throughout all
ages, world without end” (Eph. 3:20-21). I’m Timothy Sparks.
Ben Bailey:
And I’m Ben Bailey. Welcome to our study of the Book of Ephesians. Today’s lesson is being brought to you by loving, caring members of the churches of Christ. These Christians are concerned about your soul and your spiritual well-being. They will be happy to help you in your study of the Word of God. We would like to help you as well in any way that we can. If you would like to study the Bible, we can help you in that area, or we can put you in contact with members of the Lord’s church who could do that as well. Today, if you would like a DVD or a CD of this lesson, or any others we have available, we will be happy to send them to you completely free of charge. You can visit us on our website at www.thegospelofchrist.com. From there, you can view or listen to streaming video and audio lessons. You send us an e-mail, write us, or call us. We will be glad to help you in any way we can.
The theme of the Book of Ephesians is “glory to God in the Church of Jesus Christ.” Chapter 3 illustrates the idea that everything I do in my life must glorify God. This is my whole purpose for existing. My life on this Earth is not about me. It’s not about my goals or my dreams. It’s about making sure that I glorify God in all that I do. Whatever I do has to be done with God and His church in view. Paul begins Ephesians 3 by talking about a mystery. A mystery is not necessarily something that we cannot know. Rather, it’s something that, at a certain point in time, we don’t have enough information to know. During the time of the writing of the Old Testament, even the prophets wrote certain things they didn’t completely understand. Peter commented on this in 1 Peter 1:11-13. During the time of the writing of the books of the Old Testament, some things were a mystery, because all of the necessary information hadn’t yet been revealed. But now, as Paul points out in Ephesians 3:4, we know the answer to the mystery.
Timothy Sparks:
Even before time began, God had a plan to redeem His
creation. Ephesians 3:11 makes it clear that, even before God created Adam and
Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, the church was in God’s eternal plan
and purpose. God was looking forward to a time when the
Ben Bailey:
Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 3 that we can understand that mystery. I don’t
have to possess some sort of “divine illumination.” I don’t have to have
someone come over and tell me their interpretation of what they think the Bible
means. If I want to understand the mystery of God—God’s ultimate scheme of redemption
for mankind—what do I do? I open my Bible, and with an unbiased heart and open
mind I read, study, and apply its teachings to my own life as I seek God’s
salvation through Jesus on the cross. I must read and understand that Jesus
died for me, and that salvation was made possible to me as an individual
through His death. The mystery, then, is summed up in Jesus Christ. He’s the
sum of God’s total plan. Acts 2:36 is or paramount importance in God’s scheme
of redemption. “Therefore let all the house of
Timothy Sparks:
We learn that the church has always been in God’s eternal purpose. The church was not an afterthought. It wasn’t like God said, “My Son came to Earth, but He failed to accomplish what I sent Him to do, so I’m going to substitute the church.” Yet, that teaching is quite prolific within the religious world—as though Jesus was a failure. If Jesus was a failure, why would anyone want to follow Him? The fact is, Jesus did not fail. He accomplished everything He came to do. He came to seek and to save the lost (Lk. 19:10). In Matthew 16, we learn that Jesus promised, “I will build My church.” He came to establish the church. And He did, as we learn from Acts 20:28. He purchased the church with His own blood. We learn from Ephesians 3 that the church had always been in God’s eternal purpose. Notice what Paul says concerning the grand privilege he had of preaching the Gospel. “To me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). Paul counted it a grand and glorious privilege to be able to preach about Christ. He considered himself to be less than the least of all saints, yet God gave him grace. Gave him the free gift of salvation; And along with it, God gave Paul the privilege and opportunity to preach the Gospel. God does not want anyone to be lost. Rather, He wants (as we learned from Ephesians 2) Jews and Gentiles to be reconciled. He wants them to be restored to a right relationship with each other, and restored to a right relationship with God. But that’s possible only in the church. Romans 11:33 is a marvelous passage about God’s glorious scheme of redemption, and about the mystery that for so long had been hidden, yet now is revealed. “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.” God’s wisdom may be impossible to comprehend in all of its facets, yet He has made a plan for your life and for mine. He has made a way for us to be saved! His plan is easy to understand. God wants to purchase us with Christ’s blood, and to add us to His Son’s church, so that we can be among the redeemed of all the ages.
Ben Bailey:
In Ephesians 3:14-15, Paul writes, “For this reason I bow my
knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom the whole family of
heaven and earth is named.” As Paul thought about God’s scheme of redemption, and
how that, throughout the ages, God had been planning to save people, it brought
the apostle to his knees in thanksgiving to God. It ought to do the same today for
each and every one of us! I have sinned. I don’t deserve to go to Heaven. If I
really got what I deserved, I’d go straight to Hell. Although I am unlovely,
and unwilling at times to obey God, God still loves me enough to offer me
salvation. What an awe-inspiring thought that is. It ought to make each one of
us fall down on our hands and knees and give thanks to God. Sometimes, however,
we are not as thankful as we ought to be. We often sing the song, “Count Your Many
Blessings Name Them One By One.” But we don’t always do that. Sometimes, we’re
just not as appreciative as we ought to be. Jesus taught us that we should be
people of gratitude. In Luke 7:11-19, Jesus taught a story about ten lepers. He
healed all ten of them, but only one came back to offer his thanks. Jesus
asked, “Where are the nine?” Jesus expects us to give thanks. And we ought to
want to do so, considering all that our God has done for us! I’m reminded of what
Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, “In everything give thanks, for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” What is God’s will for me? When I
ponder all that God does, I ought to thank Him and praise His name. I ought to do
everything I can to live the Christian life the way it’s supposed to be lived.
What’s the greatest way you can say, “thank you”? The greatest way you can say
“thank you” to God is to live according to His will. There is no greater way
for you to show your appreciation to God then to do what His Word says.
Do you really want to be appreciative? Do you really want to show God how
thankful you are? Read your Bible. Study it, and do what it says. That’s the best
way to show God your appreciation.
Timothy Sparks:
And that’s exactly what Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:17. When
Christ lives in our hearts through faith, it should motivate us to action and
to greater service. Paul also told the Christians at
Ben Bailey:
In Ephesians 4:1, Paul writes, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” How are we “called”? We are called by the Gospel of Christ (2 Thes. 2:14-15). Paul says that in light of all that God has done, we should walk worthy of our calling. That is how we bring glory to God in the church. In Ephesians 1, we learned that glory occurs when we, as the body of Christ, glorify God. In chapter 2, we learned that the church is glorified when reconciliation occurs within the confines of the church. In chapter 3, we learned that God is glorified through the church as we come to realize that the church was in God’s eternal purpose. In chapter 4, we are going to learn that the church glorifies God when it is singular in its purpose. Among the “ones” listed in Ephesians 4:4 is the statement that there is “one body.” Think logically about this for a moment. In Ephesians 1:22, Paul said that God “put all things under Christ’s feet, and gave Him to be head of all things to the church, which is His body.” We learn from this passage that the church and the body are synonyms. The body and the church, being one and the same, are inseparable. It’s “the body, the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And so, the body is the church. In the context of Ephesians 4:4, how many bodies are there? There is only one body. Then how many churches are there? If the body is the church, and if there is only one body, then there is only one church. That’s exactly what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:20—“Indeed, there are many members, but one body.” If there is only one body, then there is only one church. There are many religious groups around us who claim that a person can get to God through them. But what does the Bible say? There is only one body, one church. Some people say, “We understand that there’s just one body, but we’re just different parts of that same body, all going toward the same place.” Is that possible? Can there be one body, yet one part goes one direction, while another part goes another? Does it matter what we call ourselves? Does it matter how we live? Does it matter what church of which we’re a member? Is the church really that important in the New Testament? Does God really care if we’re part of the one body?
Timothy Sparks:
Yes, it does matter. Paul makes it clear in Ephesians 4:14 that we must no longer be “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.” Yes, there are many teachings available to us from various religious groups. But we must return to the Scriptures to see what God says. Hebrews 1 makes it plain that today, ,God speaks to us through His Son. John’s admonishment was, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). Peter warned, “There were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Pet. 2:1-2). We are instructed, “Test all things. Hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). We must not be carried to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Fortunately, we can come to the New Testament to learn what God’s Word says concerning our work and our worship in the church. God has a definite plan. God did not purpose and plan the church from before time began, just to see it fractured, splintered, and teaching all kinds of doctrines.
Ben Bailey:
It is so important today that we remain faithful to the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must live according to God’s Word and will. The way we do that is by calling Bible things by Bible names, and by doing Bible things in Bible ways. God has given us a specific pattern, and we must follow that pattern exactly. In Colossians 3:17, we read, “Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” The phrase “in the name of” means “by the authority of.” Everything we do—in word or in deed—must have the stamp of God’s approval. Apply that to the church. I say this with us much kindness and love as I can, but if I was part of a religious group, and I couldn’t find that group mentioned in the Bible, then in keeping with Paul’s teaching in Colossians 3:17, I wouldn’t be a part of such a group any longer. Why would you want to be part of something you can’t find in the Bible? Jesus is the Head of the church. Most modern-day religions have a human head who started a particular group, and who may still be the group’s leader today. Why don’t we simply allow Jesus to be the Head? Let’s let the church be what it was designed by God to be—singular. Let’s go back to New Testament Christianity. There are many people who say, “We can be part of Christ’s body, but we’ll just be a different sect.” God doesn’t want sects. He doesn’t want division. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, Paul wrote,
“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’”
Paul’s point was that the Christians in
Timothy Sparks:
Paul writes in Ephesians 4:15 that we should “speak the truth in love.” Paul once asked, “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth.” (Gal. 4:16)? The truth alone can set us free. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). He then said a few verses later, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you will be free indeed.” (vs. 36) Jesus is, after all, “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). “Speaking the truth in love” is important. We strive to speak the truth, not in a harsh, unkind manner, but rather with an attitude of love. Paul tells us that everything we do must be motivated by love (1 Cor. 13,16). Peter said, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11). That means that if you’re not going to speak the truth, just keep quiet. The truth, and only the truth, empowers people to escape sin and error, and allows them to be firm and stable so that they are not blown about by every wind of doctrine.
Ben Bailey:
We must do things the way the Bible says, or we’re not going to be pleasing to God. Throughout time, the one lesson God’s people had to learn was that God wants it done His way. Would Noah have been pleasing to God if he had changed the construction of the ark? Absolutely not. We know that, because there is a similar example in Leviticus 10:1-2. Nadab and Abihu were priests. The Bible tells us that they offered “strange fire” to the Lord. They simply lit the altar in a different way than what God had commanded. What did God think about that? It might have seemed like a small thing in most people’s way of thinking. But it wasn’t a small thing to God. He rained down fire from Heaven upon Nadab and Abihu, and they died right there on the spot. Surely this teaches us that we must do what the Bible says.
Today, if you’ve never obeyed the Gospel plan of salvation, we urge you do so. Become “just a Christian.” Believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Jn 8:24). Repent of your sins (Act 2:38). Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Mt. 10:32). Then, be baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21).
We want to thank you again for joining our broadcast today. If you would like to receive a copy of today’s lesson on a DVD or CD at no expense to you, log on to our website, www.thegospelofchrist.com. From there, you can end us an e-mail to tell us how we can be of assistance. As always, today’s message is being brought to you by loving, caring members of the churches of Christ, who encourage you to conform your will to the Gospel of Christ.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is brought to you by loving, caring members of the church of Christ. The McLish Avenue church of Christ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, oversees this evangelistic effort. For a free CD or DVD of today’s broadcast, please write to:
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1. In Ephesians 3, Paul discusses a “mystery.” A mystery is not necessarily something that we cannot know, but can be something else. What is that “something else”?
2. According to Ephesians 3:11, when did God plan the institution of the church?
3. How does Acts 2:36 fit into God’s scheme of redemption?
4. According to Ephesians 3:8, who was “the apostle to the Gentiles”?
5. What was Paul’s point in Ephesians 3:14-15?
6. What is the relationship between Luke 7:11-19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18?
7. According to one of the statements made in this lesson, Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 3:17 should motivate us to do two things. What are those two things?
8. What does it mean if we “have the spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9)?
9. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:14-15, how are we “called”?
10. What is the main point of Ephesians 3?
11. What is the main point of Ephesians 4?
12. What is the connection between 1 Corinthians 12:20 and Ephesians 4:4?
13. Why are Christians commanded to “test the spirits” (1 Jn. 4:1)?
14. What was Paul’s main point in Ephesians 4:14?
15. What is the connection between James 1:5-8 and Ephesians 4:14?
16. In 2 Peter 2:1-2, Peter said that false teachers would arise and would do two things. Name those two things.
17. What is the meaning of the phrase “in the name of the Lord” (Col. 3:17)?
18. According to 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, why can Christians not be a member of a manmade religious group?
19. John 8:31-32 and John 8:36 discuss two things that can make us “free.” What are those two things?
20. What does it mean for someone to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11)?
21. Why did God slay Nadab and Abihu? What is the principle behind this account?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,