“Ephesians focuses on the basic doctrine of the church – what it is and how believers function within it.” (John F. MacArthur Jr., Ephesians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, viii)
Paul’s introduction to the church at Ephesus, reminds us of 3 unchangeable parts of God’s plan upon which to build your lasting and stable identity
I. One Authoritative Foundation Upon Which to Build
A. An apostle – "sent one”
Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2 Corinthians 10:8 - For even if I should boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up…
2 Corinthians 13:10 - For this reason I am writing these things… in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me, for building up and not for tearing down.
1 Thessalonians 2:5 - For we never came with flattering speech, as you know…nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.
2 Corinthians 12:12 - The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. (cf. Rom 15:18)
B. “By the will of God”
Ephesians 2:19 - So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
II. One People of God that Is Being Built
A. “Saints,” “faithful,” or “believers” – those “set apart” referring to the church
Ephesians 5:27 - …that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Exodus 19:5 - Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
B. “In Ephesus” – worldwide mission
III. One Way to God – Grace
Ephesians 1:2 - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This picture essentially sums up where I found my identity through my college years.
I was the team leader of the senior aircraft design team at Oklahoma State University in 1991
Executives from Boeing were at our final project presentation.
One of them is quoted in this newspaper article saying, “I was so impressed with the Pegasus presentation, I’d hire the whole class if I was still a manager at Boeing. “
Another indicated that the Pegasus project was the best presentation she had seen.
Frankly, I was stunned by the accolades.
When I was leading that project I had not a clue on how to lead a dozen senior engineers and business majors toward its completion.
But my cluelessness certainly did not stop me from reveling in the accolades.
I certainly thought I was a big deal.
- Impressive presentation to Boeing Big Whigs
- Graduating as the top of my class having received the deans award for engineering.
- And heading to the University where astronauts were birthed--Purdue
- I was not a hot shot athlete.
- I was not the studly ladies’ man
- I was not the entertaining life of the party, socialite
- I was not the entrepreneur making lots of money
- But you know what, I was the one going on to be the hot shot astronaut at Purdue.
- I had a sense of myself that I was a big deal
I came to Purdue in the fall of 1991 to obtain my masters in Aerospace Engineering
Me along with probably 100 other hot shots.
I quickly found out at Purdue I was a very little fish in a very big pond
At OSU, I was a very big fish in a very little pond.
My graduate level linear algebra class ate my lunch.
And I had never worked so hard as I did that first semester in Professor’s Howell’s Orbital Mechanics class where we had to recreate mathematically the voyager mission.
Life has a way of showing you—your not as much of a big deal as you thought in your own mind.
My feelings were similar to the now aging pop star Madonna when she said in Vanity Fair in 1991,
“My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that’s always pushing me, pushing me. Because even though I’ve become somebody, I still have to prove that I’m somebody. My struggle has never ended and it probably never will.” – Madonna, “The Misfit”, Vanity Fair 1991.
Your identity, your sense of who you are is cultivated over time…trying to find significance and be somebody..
We all do it.
But what happens when your sense of self built upon being something or somebody is confronted by those who are bigger somebodies or bigger somethings compared to you…you are devasted or always on the performance treadmill.
I’ve quoted Michael Phelps before….who said, “Who was I outside of the swimming pool?”
Remember…Robin Williams, who committed suicide…his ex-wife said he was a stimulus junkie and often viewed himself as only as good as his last comedic performance.”
From the womb we are all trying to prove ourselves to be somebody…..
We are on a tread mill, always on the verge of a cosmic existential crisis, hoping that the meaning and the identity we have built will not crumble …striving to be something.
But what can ever be an identity, a sense of who you are, that is stable and cannot be crushed?
How restful and quiet souled would it be this new year to not have to....
- Keep up with the Jones’
- Not to struggle with envy and jealousy for those who have more or are better skilled athletically, intellectually, professionally
- But to be content…and rejoice with others in their accomplishments without having to be torn up inside or crushed
With those thoughts in mind turn with me to two places in Scripture this Morning
Acts 19 and Ephesians 1
Acts 19 is on page 108 in the back section of the bible in the chair in front of you
And Ephesians 1 is on page 150 in the back section of the bible in the chair in front of you.
Today we are launching our new series called “Building upon Our Heritage.”
Which is derived from this year being the 60th year of Faith Church’s existence upon this earth as Pastor Viars mentioned last week.
We will be studying the book of Ephesians to help us with this theme primarily because Ephesians it is all about God’s one thing—the church.
John MacArthur says,
Ephesians focuses on the basic doctrine of the church—what it is and how believers function within it. —John F. MacArthur Jr., Ephesians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), viii.
So, our heritage, our identity, and building upon all of that must be focused on God’s plan—the church.
Now, I want to start with a bit of background on the city of Ephesus to start our time today.
I think you will find this fascinating.
Some of these things I myself did not realize until I was preparing for this message.
The city of Ephesus was a big deal.
When you think of big deal type of cities in our modern age that you might want to visit…that is what Ephesus was.
Think of New York City
- · Center of Culture
- · Center of Finances
- · Center of Arts
- · Center of Entertainment
People who go there go there to make a name for themselves and find an identity. (If I can make it there…I can make it anywhere…NY)
Ephesus was all of that plus being
- a center of athletics
- a center of learning
- and religion.
As for its importance in the Roman Empire, Ephesus, was second only to Rome
Ceasar Augustus (you might have heard that name before around Christmas time) made Ephesus the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire
Being situation on the west coast of modern Turkey it was the perfect bridge between the Western Roman Empire with its Greek and Roman cultures) and the Eastern Roman Empire with its various Semitic, Arab, and Persian cultures.
And the apostle Paul goes there….to the Big Deal of a city….
Let’s look at some Acts 19 excerpts together….Verse 1
1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples… verse7 There were in all about twelve men. 8 And he entered the synagogue (Paul always started with the Jews) and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus (Paul withdrew from the Jews and went to the Gentiles, and you will notice the learning center). 10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks….(How was it that all heard?—Only if Ephesus was a hub…things that happen there spread to the rest of the country—like NYC/LA) VERSE18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Notice the book emphasis (learning) center and the finances and notice the identity changes) 20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing….VERSE 23 About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. 27 (Let me just say, if you have to make your god with your hands…your god is not a god) “Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.” (Ephesus was known for one of the seven wonders of the world—the Temple of Artemis).
An ancient Greek poet said of the temple of Artemis
I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon …and the statue of Zeus … and the hanging gardens, and the Colossus of the Sun, and the … the high pyramids, …; but when I saw the house of Artemis …, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, ….
Talk about a big deal…Ephesus was a big deal….
28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, (The mob rushed Paul into the theater…notice what happens you’re your identity is bound up in something that is threatened..your god…your identity wrapped up in your livelihood is dethroned)……VERSE .35 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? 36 “So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash….VERSE38 “So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 … VERSE41 After saying this he dismissed the assembly.
Now…let’s take a look at a recreation of the Big Deal of the city of Ephesus….based upon current ruins ….
Video Link
Zooming in |
I love Google Earth |
Ephesus was the gateway city between the West (Greece and Rome) and the East (all the semitic/Asiatic lands) |
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As you watch the panorama of the city you can gain a glimpse of its majesty—it was a wealthy city. |
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Going up main street Ephesus it leads right to the theater…which seemed to be the center of the city where Paul was dragged. |
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The theater held 25,000 people. Historians estimate that the population of a city was about 10x’s it’s theater capacity, so Ephesus was likely to be a city of 250k people |
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Here we have Ross-Ade Stadium 😊 You can see the emphasis on sports and entertainment |
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And then down the street to one of the seven wonders of the world that also supported the local economy and religious structure was the Great Temple of Artemis. |
Turn with me now to the book of Ephesians chapter 1.
Read with me just versus 1 and 2 today.
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s two verse introduction is loaded with significant theology.
These two verses reveal God’s plan of this age
It’s easy to simply gloss over and get to the “good stuff” of Paul’s major content…but …
God has one plan in this age and it is not establishing a religious center or a theater or an educational system or a great city like NYC where you can make your name…..but He is calling humanity from every nation to himself through the message of the Gospel into the church.
The church planted at Ephesus represents an outworking of that plan as God moves through the nations as demonstrated in Eph 1:1-2.
Paul, stunningly, now can write to the Jew and Gentile church, and where are they…. in the midst of this big deal of a city
And he will start the exhortation to the Ephesians with who they are—their identity.
Probably more than any other of Paul’s epistles, Ephesians, chapter 1 has more exhortation about who believers are in Christ.
Because in a city like Ephesus where everybody goes to make an identity for themselves…Paul wants to remind them where a lasting identity that will not be crushed comes from.
Last week, Pastor Viars mentioned that after 50 years of existence in that city with all of its perks and cultural distractions…Jesus had to rebuke the church and exhort them to repent—you have lost your first love.
Having seen the city…its probably not hard to see how it was easy for the folks to be enamored with all that Ephesus offered.
We do not know if they repented or not…but we do know that God still built His church…
From that city of Ephesus, the knowledge of the one true God— after rocking the Ephesian’s identity and world view spread to all of Asian Minor.
By the 2nd and 3rd century AD. all of Asia minor was majority Christian and no longer pagan.
Today, there is no longer any Ephesus….but the church of Jesus Christ is being built by God.
So today we launch our
Building on Our Heritage annual series with
the first part of our study: Remembering our Identity as One in Christ
And specifically today….You Are Saints.
Paul’s introduction to the church at Ephesus, reminds us of three unchangeable parts of God’s plan upon which to build your lasting and stable identity.
The first unchangeable part of God’s plan is that there is
I. One authoritative foundation upon which to build
What foundation was I attempting to build my life on through college? my academic credentials
What foundation was/is Madonna building her life on….provocative performances
What foundation was Michael Phelps building his life on….swimming….
Paul is indicating here in his brief introduction the only authoritative foundation on which to build one’s life and identity.
There are two statements by Paul that show us he is speaking of authoritative foundation for life….
An Apostle—"Sent one”
I’m not sure that means much to you.
But at major junctures in the unfolding redemptive plan of God, God sent human messengers to give his authoritative message and God show that they were from Him by signs and wonders.
When God was doing his first work in calling out a people for His very own name, He raise up Moses, the prophet
And through Moses, God did a variety of miracles and wonders to demonstrate that God was at work and that what was happening was not just some form of trickery.
I am simplifying the role of the messengers of God greatly, but the apostles were endowed with the authority of God Himself.
That tradition continued in the NT when Jesus Christ selected men to accompany him and witness all that He said and did.
Then after Jesus was finished with his work on earth, Jesus commissioned His disciples to carry forth that authoritative prophetic work as sent ones to the world
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The apostles were not quite the same as you and me today.
In fact we here at Faith Church believe that after the death of the original apostles and the work that they accomplish was finished there are no more apostles today.
They carried unique authority. Notice these verses…
2 Cor 10:8For even if I should boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up….
2 Cor 13: 10 For this reason I am writing these things, … in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me, for building up and not for tearing down.
1 Thess 2:5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, … 6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.
2 Cor 12 :12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. (cf. Rom 15:18)
And the sent ones, including Paul were chosen…
B. “By the will of God”
Here is my point…. there is no other work of God that has the authority and foundation behind it than what God has done through the His unique prophets and apostles.
And if you want a stable and lasting identity, a foundation for life you this is the only foundation on which to build
Superseding building your resume, your career, your family, your name…all of that is secondary to what God is doing….
Later in Ephesians we will study this verse…
Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.
Let’s get really practical here…what is the foundation laid by the prophets and the apostles?!!
Now for just a moment everybody hold up your bible….or if you reading the Word of God on your smart phone hold that up….
The prophets and the apostles recorded the very Words of God.
The books of the OT were recorded by prophets…the books of the NT were authorized or penned by the apostles
The completed word of God is the foundation laid by the prophets and apostles
Say, “This is the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets”
—that book, those words, that you are holding up are the foundation upon which God is building and there is no other foundation.
The older I get the more I see how the bible is the reliable foundation.
While there is much that I do not yet understand about it….
- I have experienced God’s word transform me and give me hope
- I have personally seen how God’s word has transformed others…
- I have personally witnessed what God’s word says about the ways of sin and righteousness played out without exception
- Every time I go to Israel, and hear the archeological stories of another dig, its historicity is shown to be accurate once again.
While the mighty big deal of a city, Ephesus, is in ruins, God’s word continues to stand and will stand.
That is what this church was founded upon and that is what we must build upon if we are to “build upon our heritage”
There is one foundation upon which to build your life and identity, and that leads us to the second unchangeable part of God’s plan which is
II. One People of God that is being built
Each one of us are trying to find a place to fit in and build our identity—our sense of meaning and purpose to our life
The group that I originally found as my home as a Mr. big deal was the academic nerds, not the jocks, not the socially popular, not the business savvy, not the rich, not a relationship…
Paul, is writing to the group that God has established and the only one that will last….
There are two descriptors of God’s group that give us great insight into what group of people God is building.
The first descriptor is
A. “Saints,” “faithful” or “believers” —those “set apart” referring to the church
The term “Saints” could be translated “holy ones” and it does not refer to primarily their outward moral actions but refers to their status as those who have been “set apart” by God to become what He has designed them to be
And when Paul says those who are “faithful in Christ” he most likely refers to them having believed in Christ…we are talking about believers….not folks who have attained some form of righteous and moral perfection.
In this letter, later Paul will say,
Eph 5:27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
God will be, however, making His people, His church blameless and morally pure over time.
Folks, I know when you hear the word “saints” we think of moral perfection or righteous….and while that is part of the concept there is so much more.
“Holy,” “set apart” goes back to something much more precious
In our identity struggles…isn’t the bottom line in our distorted pride that
- we want to matter,
- we want to be recognized as a big deal by those that matter to us…
The term “Holy ones” goes back to Exodus 19:5-6 where God through the prophet Moses at that time says..
Ex 19:5‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
You see the term “holy nation” but also the term “special possession”
The term “special possession” is an understatement… “special possession” means the crown jewel of God’s treasures”[1]
If you go over to England where are the crown jewels kept?
Under lock and key in the tower of London.
The crown jewels are the most treasured and secure possession of the monarch
And when the monarch arises to put on all His glorious splendor He reaches for the crown jewels to adorn Himself
Now hear me….look around…your brother or sister in
Christ sitting next to you is part of the crown jewels of God
- · that will be kept safe through to the end
- · that are under lock and key
- · and what do you do with crown jewels?
- · You were them and display them at the proper time when
What is the most big deal of a group to be a part of?
You want to be part of something permanent and that will last and want to be a big deal?
How about being a part of the crown jewels of God that, His son Jesus Christ will wear and put on display at the right time.
- · Your academic accomplishment will not be put on display
- · Your financial portfolio will not be put on display
- · Your athletic endeavors will not be put on display
- · If your life and identity is build upon your online video game playing (fortnight, Minecraft), That will not be put on display.
You who are in Christ are the biggest deal to the only one who matters!
There is so much here to the church and God’s plan for it…
But let me just mention, that God’s group is not relegated to a specific location
What is Amazing is that we find a group in the most unlikely of places….
B. “In Ephesus”—worldwide mission.
“In Ephesus??!!” 2nd only to Rome!!???….God’s power is calling out His special possession from everywhere in the world including the most unlikely places.
This was always His plan to call out a people for Himself.
Here is the point….If you want to build an identity that matters to the only one who matters…you and your life have to be built around God’s plan—the Church
And while the crown jewels may not have all of their brilliance right now…(i.e. the church with me and you in it is not finally sanctified) this is the only group with an identity that will be permanent for eternity never go through an existential crisis.
I want to thank so many of you for recognizing this and orienting your life around God’s plan A, B, and C for the ages….and let’s all together excel still more by making faithful gathering together a regular part of our habits this year.
Now….
Not only is there only one authoritative foundation on which to build a lasting identity.
Not only is there one group God is building
Finally,
There is the great equalizer in the group…
With
III. One Way to God—Grace
Paul reminds the Ephesians how they were brought into this group and how they will continue.
Eph 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Tell me this…why is it that God is making His people into His crown jewels…?
Why is it that He is making His people into a big deal?
Why is it that He is making His people’s name great?
Is it because we were all so beautifully, polished and brilliant?
What’s the answer to that? No.
In fact it is the opposite—while we were unpolished, sinners God loved us
And in that love He sent His son, who indeed was a big deal and had a big name in heaven.
But His son made Himself and His identity of no account for us…Isaiah 53:2 said that Jesus Christ had no form or majesty that we should look upon Him or appearance that we should be attracted to Him, in fact…he was despised and forsaken of men…a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Like one ;from whom men hide their face…and we did not esteem Him
You know what this means don’t you…on earth Jesus was not the one building a name for Himself….He was not trying to be the big deal….he made himself the opposite…one of no reputation or even more….one who had a reputation of associating with sinners and he died between two men as a criminal….
He was numbered and named with the transgressors. –That was his identity…
Why….out of love for you to bear the name/and the identity that we all deserve…that of transgressor.
And God the father looked down at the one who made Himself of no reputation out of love for us…and said…”that is what I want to make the crown jewel, my treasured possession…thus, my son will have a name and identity above all else…and I will give the grace that my son secured to who accept His work and I will make them like my son…a people of grace…they themselves making themselves of no name for the sake of others in love and grace as well.
And one day, all of them lead by my son will be my crown jewels…the biggest deal of all…
So, my friends, Christ was named as one of us, our deserved identity, transgressors so that one day we would be named with Him….
Gospel Appeal—
Believer appeal—grace causes us to not exalt ourselves above others and just love them…develop
[1] See NIDOTTE--סְגֻלָּה (segullâ), nom. personal possession, treasure; crown jewel (#6035)[1] (In NT cf. Titus 2:1, 1 Peter 2:9)
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