Ephesians 1:3 begins the longest sentence in Scripture. Over the next 12 verses, a single sentence describes three subjects: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. A similar phrase ends each section (“to the praise of His Glory”), making each a doxology—a hymn of praise to God.
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On Sunday we considered the first segment of this sentence and focused on eight phrases to highlight God’s goodness and grandeur. Watch our study of Ephesians 1:3-6 as we read these magnificent phrases that draw us into adoration of God the Father.

The Apostle Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians with so much more than a simple salutation. Even these first two verses contain deep and rich theological truths. Don’t be mistaken—profound truths don’t need elaborate words. When one theologian was asked what the deepest theology they ever encountered was, he replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

“Grace to you, and peace…” It's such a common opening greeting for Paul the Apostle. But it's also intentional—even the order. Grace comes before peace. You cannot experience God’s peace unless you've experienced and received His grace.

His grace declares that you are secure and safe in Him. His grace reminds you that He hasn’t given up on you. His grace demonstrates that He will never leave you. Nothing in all of creation—including you—could separate you from His love. By His grace, we can have peace.

Are you weary? Are you worn out trying to earn God’s favor? Are you exhausted by endeavoring to earn your place? Simply receive the grace that God freely offers to you—and you'll find peace. A peace that surpasses your ability to figure it all out will flood your soul.
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Grace to you and peace.

​The first two verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians contain three phrases. Each phrase has four components. And in those four components, we find enough to unpack and unfold to edify and stir us up in our relationship with God. 

But if you just read through it, you might think these verses are just an unremarkable greeting that’s in the way of the good stuff. And while it’s true that Paul needed to start his letter somewhere, we would miss a treasure of insight and understanding in these words if we see them only as an opening greeting.

​Watch our study from Sunday as we slow down, carefully consider the first two verses of Ephesians, and appreciate the wonderful truths we find in these few words.

In his jealousy and rage, Saul was spiritually blinded by his intellectual pride. He was so blind that he didn’t realize that in his violent persecution of the followers of Christ, he was actually persecuting Christ Himself.
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So in His great mercy and grace, the Lord physically blinded Paul so that he might see. On the road to Damascus, Jesus interrupted Saul’s plan to arrest more of His followers and literally made Saul get off his high horse.
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Not knowing who he was speaking to, Saul asked the two most important questions anyone could ask:

1. Who are you, Lord?
2. Lord, what do You want me to do?

These are the two questions we all ask every time we come to God and open up His word. As we ask the first question and God answers, we naturally ask the second.
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Even the hardest of hearts can be cut to the core by the Word of the Lord. Maybe you think you are worse than all that Saul ever was. No one knows except the One who still died for you even while you were at your worst. He knows you better than you know yourself—and He still loves you. Let that love break through your confusion and pride and say, “Lord Jesus, what do You want me to do?” Then do what He says.

​In our first study in Ephesians, we considered the congregation to which this letter was addressed—their past, present, and future. In our study this past Sunday, we considered the writer of this letter—his past, present, and future. We know the author as Paul, but he wasn’t called by that name at first.
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When we’re first introduced to him in Scripture, he is known as Saul, a zealous man who was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. But then, he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. From that moment on, everything changed—his heart, his mission, and even his name.
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Watch our study from Sunday as we consider just the first word of the first verse of the first chapter of Ephesians and ask the same two questions Saul asked the Lord: Who are you, and what do you want me to do?

By what metrics would you judge a local church to be successful? The number of people? The number of programs? The power of the preacher? Or is there a better way to measure?

Consider this: thirty years after the Apostle Paul penned his epistle to the church in Ephesus, another letter was written. This letter was not written by one of the church’s pastors, but by its founder–Jesus Christ (see Revelation 2:1-5). In this letter, Jesus commended them on the great things they were doing. He knew these things, and most likely anyone who looked at the church in Ephesus would also know of their works, labor, and patience. Some might even say that the church in Ephesus was successful because of them.

But the Lord Jesus Christ also knew things that no one else could see. Despite their good works, long hours of labor for the Lord, and patience in ministry, Jesus also knew that they had abandoned Him. In all of their work for the Kingdom, they had become too busy to be with the King.

The only metric to measure the success of a church is faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love (see 1 Corinthians 13:13). Others might see our efforts, be impressed by those in attendance, or be enamored with eloquent preaching. But the only way to truly measure success in a church is faith, hope, and love. And these are directly related to spending time at the feet of Jesus–simply spending time with Him in fellowship.
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Why not start there? Why not start now? The greatest impact you can have for the Kingdom is to spend time with the King. Come to Him and be with Him, your first Love.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus to encourage, exhort, and equip believers. He encourages believers by reminding them of their spiritual wealth. Those who have trusted Jesus for their salvation have spiritual riches and blessings hidden in Christ in the heavenly places. These riches include election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom, revelation, reconciliation, salvation, and the Holy Spirit.

​Paul also exhorts believers to walk worthy of Christ's calling in all areas of life: in fellowship with God, in the church, in marriage, with children, and in the workplace.

And Paul desired to equip believers for spiritual warfare. He wanted them to understand their ability to stand against principalities and powers and to withstand the devil’s schemes in the strength of the Lord, complete in His armor.
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Ephesians is a practical letter we look forward to working through chapter by chapter, verse by verse. But before we begin, this past Sunday we considered the founding of the fellowship in Ephesus, the pastors who served there, and the second letter to the Ephesians found in the New Testament. Though this second letter is only a few verses long, we can learn from it as we prepare to study the longer epistle.

And Jesus came 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
–Matthew 28:18-20

The original word used for ‘all’ in Matthew 28:18 means…all. ALL authority was given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. In light of that and in the very next verse, Jesus gives us a direction: go.
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This is what we call the Great Commission. Because He has ALL authority, we can have great boldness and confidence as we do what He has commanded. So when you are confronted by anyone or anything of a lesser authority, remember this: He has called you out from the world. He has chosen you to bear much fruit. He has appointed you to be with Him. He empowers you with the Holy Spirit. He has commissioned you with a Great Commission.
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Certainly, this commission is great…and if we’re honest, seems to be beyond our ability. Thankfully, Jesus ended this Great Commission with a great promise: “…lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
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Go, therefore.

What would you do if you had all power and all authority? Would you choose to lay down your life? Would you choose to pick it up again? Would you want to share that power and authority with others who abandoned you at your darkest moments? Would you be willing to be a suffering servant so that others might live?
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And yet, this is what Jesus did. With all power and all authority, He chose to lay down His life to save wretched people like us. Then He picks up His life again and entrusts us with His message so that others might pass from death to life.
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As our study of the Gospel of Matthew draws to a close, we consider the power and authority Jesus had and what He chose to do with them, so that we might partner with Him in His mission.

In his message on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter said, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death…”
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Could there be any greater indictment for those held responsible for the death of Jesus? But the blame for Jesus’ death doesn’t just fall at the feet of those there on that day. Others were just as culpable. If you’re looking for one, look in a mirror. You. Me. We are all responsible for what Jesus endured on the cross. Your sin. My Sin. Our sin shouted for His crucifixion just as loud as the crowd.
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Even when we are at our worst, God—in His sovereignty—still has a purpose: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:8-11)