Ephesians (Program #68) -The Church—the Expression of Christ

Through out Church history many items have been used by God to help His people to become close to Him and experience Him. The gifts of the Spirit, miraculous power, great teachings from the Bible with deep and profound doctrines are just few of the things that God had used through out the ages.

But while on one hand God has used these things, it must also be confessed that these things can and have been used by God’s enemy to distract God’s people from the very Christ that they are intended to bring us to.

Substitute for Christ are most often good things even spiritual things. But they are things, and not the very person of Christ Himself. Of this, we must be very clear and constantly on guard not to fall into such a temptation.

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Ephesians (Program #67) -Putting on the New Man by Growing Up into Christ

The Church as seen in Ephesians has many aspects. First as the Body of Christ, the Church has His life. But even in a higher aspect is that of the New Man. In order for the Church to be joint with Christ as the head to become he New Man, it must not only have the life of Christ, but it must also have Christ as its’ person. It is this aspect that the apostle Paul was focused on as he prayed so earnestly in Chapter 3 that we would be strengthened so that Christ might make His home in our hearts.

What is it really to have Christ making His home in our hearts? It means that His person with His own likes and dislikes would occupy our hearts, replacing even becoming our own likes and dislikes.

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Ephesians (Program #66) – Christ in God’s Economy, Taking Christ as our Person

Many books in the New Testament speak of the mysteries of God. First of all, Colossians tells us that God is a mystery but that Christ is the mystery of God. But then Christ also is a mystery. And so Ephesians tells us that the mystery of Christ is the Church.  Well, you may say what’s so mysterious about the Church?  The Church in reality is where the immeasurable Christ far above all, can still be so small and so intimate that He can dwell within us. Even makes His home in our hearts. Now this is mysterious.  For as the apostle Paul himself put it, “this mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.“

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Ephesians (Program #65) – God’s Economy—To Work Christ into Us

Once we are saved and had believed into Christ receiving Him as our redeemer and savior, what is God most interested in seeing in our lives?  Good Christian conduct? Christians virtues, such as kindness, patience, love and generosity? Well, what about seeing us been gifted and powerful in our service? Well, how about full knowledge of the Bible?

Well, all of these things are surely wonderful, spiritual. But here is the great surprise. Though all of these things are mentioned in the Bible none of them are of that much interest to God. I said, none of them are of that much interest to God.  Because what He desires above all else in His people is to see Christ, the first born among many brethren making His home in our hearts, and living His life in us, through us and out of us.

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Ephesians (Program #64) – God’s Economy—Christ with the Church

In many ways the highest revelation in the New Testament is found in the book of Ephesians. In this book, the apostle Paul reveals God’s eternal purpose and how we, the members of His Body are needed for and incorporated into this purpose. In order to convey such a divine thought, he uses wonderful even divine language. So for us to get into the real thought and heart of the book of Ephesians, we need to learn this heavenly language and enter into the very heart of God as He unveils the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure unto the economy of the fullness of the times according to the council of His will. This is the heavenly language used in Ephesians.

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Ephesians (Program #63) – Seven Aspects of the Church

Through out history if you look carefully, you will see that God’s enemy has focused his attack on the Church. He has work relentless to divide the Church and damage it with religion, organization and teachings that turn it away from the oneness Christ died on the cross to accomplish.

Surely if the Church is Satan’s focus, it must indicate that the Church is what he fears the most. This is not only reveal by looking at history, it is the central revelation of God’s word. “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against her”.  The Lord Jesus Himself proclaimed in Matthew 16 and one of the great prophecies in scripture. But to see how He will do this building work, we need the book of Ephesians.  Today we will consider 7 crucial aspects of the Church.

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Ephesians (Program #62) – Three Items That Damage the Church

The real value of history is, as a teacher, where as the saying goes “those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it.”  So, what does history teach us about the Church?  Well, we seen very vividly that the Church as it presented in the book of Ephesians is the very focus of God’s eternal plan. It is the Church, the corporate expression of Christ that Paul refers to as a great mystery hidden from the ages but now revealed through the holy apostles and prophets in spirit. In other words the Church is God’s central goal. And as such, it is also been the focus of God’s enemy, Satan. So, what does history show us concerning Satan’s attack against God’s eternal goal?

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Ephesians (Program #61) – Ordinances and Doctrines

The cross of Christ which is the very foundation of salvation for a believer. Represents the termination of so many negative things like sin and death, the flesh, the old nature or old man, even Satan and the world.

Christians love to hear messages on these things. But have you ever listen a message about the ordinances been included in what is slain on the cross? Well, here is the message for you, in Ephesians 2:14-15, “For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.“

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Ephesians (Program #60) – The Church as a Hybrid Life; the Mingled Spirit for the Church Life

Every person asked themselves at some point in their life, why am I here? Or even what’s the reason for the universe and everything in it?  Well, as believers we probably add to those questions a third, why did God save me? What purpose does He has for me being a Christian?  Well, these are the great questions that had perplexed and puzzled mankind for all time. Yet the Bible speaks very clearly to these great universal questions, especially in the New Testament book of Ephesians. We will consider the answers to these questions from the perspective that the apostle Paul gives us in this most marvelous book of the Bible.

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Ephesians (Program #59) – Conclusion

Many great apostles contributed to the New Testament: John, James, Peter and Matthew as well as others. But the bulk of the New testament came through the apostle Paul.

The epistles of Paul in many ways formed the kernel of the New Testament. And it was through Paul also that the Church was spread through out much of the civilized world during New Testament time.

Yet at the end of this book, perhaps his highest work, Ephesians, this great apostle commissioned with the divine revelation in a very touching and intimate conclusion to his letter to the Church in Ephesus shows how much he valued not his own strength or vision or gift but taking his place as a living member in full coordination with the Body. And he asked for their prayers and petitions concerning him.  A very touching fellowship.

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