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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 58

TITLE: A FAITHFUL FRIEND AND FINAL WORDS

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:21-24

INTRODUCTION: (1) LORIE GOODING WRITES: “TRUE FRIENDS ARE THE FINEST OF ALL GOD’S GIFTS, THEY ARE PRECIOUS AND VERY RARE.

* THEY COME WITH A LOVE THAT LAUGHS AND LIFTS – WHEN THE BURDENS ARE HARD TO BEAR.

** THEY ARE TRUE WHEN THE SUN IS ABLAZE IN THE SKIES, WHEN LIFE IS BRIGHT AND FAIR.

*** WHEN SORROW OR PAIN HAS DIMMED YOUR EYES, THERE’S COMPASSION AND TENDERNESS THERE.”

(2) NOW WHAT LORIE GOODING IS SAYING IS FRIENDS ARE A SPECIAL BLESSING, THEY ARE IN ESSENCE A GIFT, A SPECIAL COMMODITY THAT LOVE US AND ARE THERE FOR US.

* AND THE WORD OF GOD COMMUNICATES THAT VERY CLEARLY IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS.

** IN PROVERBS 17:17 SOLOMON SAID: “A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES” (READ IT).

*** IN PROVERBS 18:24 THE WORD OF GOD SAYS THAT WE CAN HAVE A FRIEND THAT IS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER OR SISTER, (READ IT).

(3) IN PROVERBS 27:6 SOLOMON COMMUNICATES THAT A REAL FRIEND WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR RATHER THAN WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, (READ IT).

* AND THEN IN PROVERBS 27:9 IT SAYS THAT A TRUE FRIEND’S COUNSEL IS SWEET.

** IT SAYS: “OIL AND PERFUME MAKE THE HEART GLAD, SO A MAN’S COUNSEL IS SWEET TO HIS FRIEND.”

*** NOW IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS LIKE THE ONES THE BOOK OF PROVERBS TALKS ABOUT, YOU ARE BLESSED ABOVE MEASURE, YOU ARE RICH.

**** WELL, THE APOSTLE PAUL HAD FRIENDS LIKE THAT. FRIENDS THAT WENT THROUGH THICK AND THIN WITH HIM, FRIENDS WHO WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR HIM AND FRIENDS WHO IN ESSENCE WERE WILLING TO DIE FOR HIM.

***** AND THE BASIS FOR PAUL’S FRIENDSHIPS WAS MINISTRY. PAUL BECAME CLOSE TO PEOPLE AS HE SERVED THE LORD WITH THEM, WHICH IS THE BASIS FOR A GREAT FRIENDSHIP.

(4) WELL IN THE END OF PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS, PAUL NAMES ONE OF THOSE FAITHFUL FRIENDS, WHOM HE CALLS “A BELOVED BROTHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER.”

* HIS NAME WAS TYCHICUS. AND ALTHOUGH TYCHICUS IS NOT A HOUSEHOLD WORD FOR CHRISTIANS AND NOT VERY WELL KNOWN.

** HE WAS A FAITHFUL FRIEND AND BROTHER TO PAUL AND WOULD BE USED BY PAUL, WOULD BE USED BY THE LORD TO DELIVER THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.

*** AND HE WOULD ALSO BE USED TO BRING COMFORT TO THOSE DEAR SAINTS CONCERNING PAUL’S CIRCUMSTANCES.

**** AND THESE FINAL 4 VERSES OF THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS TALK ABOUT A FAITHFUL FRIEND TO PAUL AND GIVE HIS FINAL WORDS TO THIS CHURCH.

(5) BECAUSE OF THAT, I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “A FAITHFUL FRIEND AND FINAL WORDS.”

* * AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 3 THINGS: NO. 1 THE COMMUNICATION OF PAUL TO THESE BELIEVERS OF HOW HE IS DOING THROUGH TYCHICUS, V. 21; NO. 2 THE COMFORT THAT PAUL HOPES WILL BE BROUGHT BY HIS COMMUNICATION THROUGH TYCHICUS, V. 22; AND NO. 3 THE CLOSING WORDS OF PAUL TO THESE PRECIOUS BELIEVERS AT EPHESUS AND OTHER CHURCHES AS THIS WAS A CIRCULAR LETTER.

** AND WITH 3 POINTS AS OUR OUTLINE, LET’S JUMP INTO THESE FINAL 4 VERSES OF EPHESIANS AND SPECIFICALLY LOOK DOWN TO V. 21 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT, THE COMMUNICATION.

I. THE COMMUNICATION, (READ V. 21)

A. NOW ALTHOUGH WE START A NEW SENTENCE IN V. 21, THERE IS STILL A CONNECTION TO THE PRIOR THEME OF PRAYER IN VV. 18-20 IN THIS CONTEXT.

* FOR REALIZING THAT THE EPHESIAN CHRISTIANS COULD NOT PRAY SPECIFICALLY OR INTELLIGENTLY FOR PAUL WITHOUT MORE INFORMATION, PAUL SENT TYCHICUS TO THEM TO LET THEM KNOW HOW HE WAS DOING AND TO GIVE THEM A REPORT.

** SO IN DELIVERING THE EPHESIANS LETTER TO THIS CHURCH, TYCHICUS ALSO WOULD GIVE THEM AN ORAL REPORT, AN ORAL COMMUNICATION IN HOW PAUL WAS DOING.

*** TYCHICUS WILL BE PAUL’S MESSENGER TO INFORM THIS CONGREGATION ABOUT HIS PERSONAL SITUATION.

**** AND THIS COMMUNICATION WOULD BE GIVEN SO THAT THESE BROTHERS AND SISTERS COULD KNOW HOW TO PRAY FOR PAUL SPECIFICALLY.

1. FOR YOU SEE PAUL WASN’T AN ISOLATIONIST ACTING INDEPENDENTLY AS AN ISLAND OR A LONE RANGER.

* HE KNEW HOW VITAL IT WAS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES AND REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT IT WOULD BE TO HAVE SPECIFIC FERVENT PRAYER ON HIS BEHALF.

** THEY COULDN’T PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR PAUL WITHOUT INFORMATION, THERE COULD BE NO ISOLATION.

*** AND I WANT TO EXPRESS A PASTORAL CONCERN AND BURDEN WITH THIS IN MIND.

**** AND THAT IS NOWHERE IN THE N.T. DO WE FIND AN ISOLATED BELIEVER. CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE SHEEP, THEY FLOCK TOGETHER.

2. THE CHURCH IS AN ARMY AND THE SOLDIERS NEED TO STAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT TOGETHER.

* BUT I SEE A DISASTROUS TREND WHERE MORE AND MORE CHRISTIANS ISOLATE THEMSELVES FROM THE CHURCH AND DON’T WANT ANYBODY TO KNOW “QUOTE THEIR BUSINESS.”

** WELL THAT IS A TRAGIC MISTAKE AND IS DISOBEDIENCE TO THE ADMONITIONS AND COMMANDS OF THE ONE ANOTHERS AND TO NOT FORSAKE THE ASSEMBLING OF THEMSELVES TO GATHER IN CORPORATE AND SMALL GROUP SETTINGS.

*** AND THE TRAGEDY IS THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY, NO ENCOURAGEMENT, NO SPECIFIC PRAYER, NO BEARING ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS AND NO REPROOF.

**** I’LL ASSEMBLE WHEN I CAN AND LEAVE ME ALONE! ONE SERVICE A WEEK OR A MONTH IS PLENTY FOR ME. WELL, IF THAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE YOU ARE SELF-DECEIVED AND DISOBEDIENT.

3. FOR THE WHOLE BODY ANALOGY ABOUT THE CHURCH COMMUNICATED INTERDEPENDENCE NOT INDEPENDENCE.

* SHEEP FLOCK TOGETHER, THERE CAN BE NO ONE ANOTHERS WITHOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

** SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO USE WITH ONE ANOTHER, READ I PETER 4:10 AND ROMANS 12:4-8&10.

*** AND LOOK ON THE SCREEN WITH ME AND THINK ABOUT HEBREWS 10:24&25 – “AND LET US CONSIDER HOW TO STIMULATE ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS,”

V. 25 – “NOT FORSAKING OUR OWN ASSEMBLING TOGETHER, AS IS THE HABIT OF SOME, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER; AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY DRAWING NEAR.”

**** SO AN INDEPENDENT ISOLATION ATTITUDE IS NOT BIBLICAL!

***** YOU ARE WRONG AND YOU MUST CHANGE TO GROW! BE A PART OF THE BODY LIFE OF THE CHURCH. ASSEMBLE, PARTICIPANT AND BE ACCOUNTABLE AND RECRUIT PEOPLE TO PRAY FOR YOU.

4. AND EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL KNEW THAT HE NEEDED SPECIFIC PRAYER AND GAVE REPORTS AND YOU’LL HARDLY EVER SEE HIM ALONE, FOR LONE RANGERS ARE DEAD RANGERS!

* SO PAUL DOESN’T SAY, IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW I AM DOING, NO, HE WANTS THE EPHESIAN CHRISTIANS TO KNOW OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES AND WANTS THEM TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN HIS LIFE.

** SO TYCHICUS IS SENT NO DOUBT TO DELIVER THIS LETTER AND TO GIVE THEM AN ORAL REPORT.

*** NOW TYCHICUS IS A SPECIAL CHOICE SERVANT OF GOD. AND PAUL WILL CALL HIM “THE BELOVED BROTHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER IN THE LORD.”

**** SO HE IS A DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST, AN ESTEEMED BROTHER AND A TRUSTWORTHY RELIABLE FAITHFUL SERVANT.

5. AND THE GREEK WORD FOR SERVANT OR MINISTER HERE IS DIAKONOS, THE SAME WORD TRANSLATED DEACON IN OTHER PLACES IN THE N.T. AND LIT. MEANS ONE WHO EXECUTES THE COMMANDS OF ANOTHER ESPECIALLY OF A MASTER, THE SERVANT OF A KING.

* AND OBVIOUSLY TYCHICUS WAS A SPECIAL CHOICE LOVED SERVANT OF CHRIST POSSIBLY FROM EPHESUS, FOR HE WAS FROM ASIA MINOR ACCORDING TO ACTS 20:4.

** AND THE 5 REFERENCES ABOUT HIM IN THE N.T. WE SEE THAT HE WAS A FAITHFUL LOYAL TRUSTED FRIEND OF PAUL THAT DELIVERED THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS TO THE CHURCH AT COLOSSE, THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS AND PROBABLY DELIVERED THE BOOK OF PHILEMON.

*** AND YOU DON’T SEND TWO OR THREE INSPIRED LETTERS WITH SOMEONE YOU CAN’T TRUST.

**** AND HE’S ALSO WITH PAUL AT ROME HELPING HIM OBVIOUSLY DURING HIS FIRST IMPRISONMENT.

6. AND BELOVED THESE ARE THE KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY MAKE THE CHURCH WORK, PEOPLE THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES ASSISTING, DOING THE FOOT WORK AND FREEING UP OTHERS TO DO OTHER MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES.

* AND THANK THE LORD FOR EACH OF YOU THAT HAVE THAT KIND OF MINISTRY THROUGH THE CHURCH. WE COULD NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT YOU!

** SO CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL FOR OUR GREAT LORD AND KING. TYCHICUS WAS THAT KIND OF MAN. AND HE WOULD BE USED BY PAUL FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION TO THE EPHESIANS CHRISTIANS.

*** BUT ALSO HE WOULD BE USED TO BRING COMFORT, LOOK AT V. 22 PLEASE.

II. THE COMFORT, (READ V. 22)

A. NOW IN V. 22 WE SEE A 2’D PURPOSE IN WHY PAUL SENT TYCHICUS TO THESE DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

* NOT ONLY TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT PAUL AND OTHER BELIEVERS, BUT ALSO SO HE MAY COMFORT THEIR HEARTS.

** AND MOST LIKELY THE COMFORT WOULD COME AS A RESULT OF TYCHICUS’ REPORT TO THEM ABOUT PAUL IN HOW HE WAS DOING.

*** FOR NOT ONLY WOULD TYCHICUS GIVE THEM PRAYER REQUESTS BUT ALSO BRING THEM INFORMATION ABOUT PAUL’S HEALTH, HIS HOPES AND HOW HE WAS DOING BEING UNDER HOUSE ARREST.

**** AND AS PAUL BASICALLY ALWAYS SAW THE INVISIBLE HAND OF GOD BEHIND EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE, AND THAT GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE CALLED BY HIS SOVEREIGN PURPOSE AND CALL, PAUL WOULD GIVE AN UPBEAT POSITIVE ENCOURAGING REPORT.

1. AND THE GREEK WORD FOR COMFORT HERE IS PARAKALEO WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

* THIS VERB CAN BE TRANSLATED BESEECH, CONFER, EXHORT, PRAY, INTERACT OR ENCOURAGE.

** AND IT IS TRANSLATED ENCOURAGE HERE IN THE NIV.

*** AND THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH, TO ENCOURAGE AND COMFORT ONE ANOTHER.

*** IN FACT HEBREWS 3:13 SAYS THIS (READ IT).

2. AND THEN IN I THESSALONIANS 5:11 PAUL SAID TO THE CHURCH AT THESSALONICA: “THEREFORE ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER, JUST AS YOU ALSO ARE DOING.”

* NOW WHEN YOU BIBLICALLY ENCOURAGE SOMEONE, YOU BUILD THEM UP IN THE FAITH.

** AND IT MAY BE A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT, A WORD OF COMFORT, IT MAY BE LISTENING TO SOMEONE, PRAYING WITH SOMEONE, COMING ALONGSIDE OF SOMEONE, WRITING A NOTE OR SENDING A CARD, IT MAY BE A PHONE CALL, AN ACT OF SERVICE, IT MAY BE BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION OR TEACHING, ENCOURAGEMENT CAN BE ALL THESE THINGS.

*** AND BELOVED, LET’S ASK THE LORD TO USE US THAT WAY AND HE WILL AND THE BODY OF CHRIST WILL BE BUILT UP.

**** AND MAY WE BE USED LIKE PAUL THROUGH TYCHICUS AND BRING ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT TO ONE ANOTHER, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR THIRD POINT TODAY, THE CLOSING, LOOK AT V. 23 PLEASE.

III. THE CLOSING, (READ V. 23)

A. NOW AS PAUL STARTS TO CLOSE OUT THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS, HE MENTIONS 3 SPIRITUAL QUALITIES: PEACE, LOVE AND FAITH THAT HE USES FREQUENTLY IN THIS EPISTLE.

* AND FIRST OF ALL HE SAYS: “PEACE BE TO THE BRETHREN”. NOW THE WORD PEACE IS USED 8 TIMES IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS AND DENOTES WELL BEING.

** AND GENERALLY IN EPHESIANS PEACE SIGNIFIES A LACK OF HOSTILITY BETWEEN GOD AND THE BELIEVER AS WELL AS BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS.

*** AND IN OUR PRESENT CONTEXT PEACE REFERS TO THE PEACE THAT COMES FROM GOD WHICH PRACTICALLY WORKS ITSELF OUT TO BRING PEACE WITH BELIEVERS.

**** AND PAUL’S BURDEN IS THERE WOULD BE A LIVING ACTIVE TRANQUILITY FOR THE BRETHREN HE’S WRITING TO WHICH STARTS WITH SALVATION, ROMANS 5:1 AND LEADS TO THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO PHILIPPIANS 4:6 AND LEADS TO PEACE AMONG THE BRETHREN.

1. BUT PAUL’S DESIRE FOR THESE BELIEVERS IS ALSO LOVE WITH FAITH. AND THE WORD LOVE IS USED 15 TIMES IN EPHESIANS AND THE WORD FAITH IS USED 8 TIMES.

* AND THESE TWO WORDS CONNECTED TOGETHER COMMUNICATE PAUL’S BURDEN FOR THOSE ATTRIBUTES TO BE LIVED OUT BY THOSE DEAR BROTHERS.

** AND LOVE FOR GOD LEADS TO LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER AND GOD GIVEN FAITH IN CHRIST ENABLES US TO LIVE BY FAITH.

*** AND PAUL GATHERS THESE 3 QUALITIES TOGETHER AND PRAYS THAT THEY WOULD BE THE EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT OF THESE BELIEVERS.

*** THEN NOTICE THE SOURCE, THE ORIGIN OF THESE 3 SPIRITUAL QUALITIES COMES FROM GOD THE FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

**** THESE QUALITIES FLOW EQUALLY FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON. NOW LOOK AT V. 24 WHERE PAUL GIVES HIS FINAL BENEDICTION FOR THIS VERSE.

B. READ V. 24. NOW GRACE CONCLUDES THE LETTER, JUST AS IT INTRODUCED IT IN CHAPTER 1 VERSE 2.

* EPHESIANS BEGINS WITH GRACE AND ENDS WITH GRACE AND IN BETWEEN IS USED 10 OTHER TIMES IN EPHESIANS GIVING US 12 OCCURRENCES.

** AND CERTAINLY THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS EXALTS GOD’S SOVEREIGN GRACE AS THE MEANS BY WHICH WE ARE SAVED AND WHICH WE ARE STRENGTHENED.

*** GOD’S FREE UNMERITED UNDESERVED FAVOR IS THE REASON WE WERE ELECTED TO SALVATION IN THE FIRST PLACE, IT WASN’T BY ANY WORKS OR ANYTHING FORESEEN IN US THAT GOD SAVED US.

1. FOR EPHESIANS 1:5-7 SAYS: “HE PREDESTINED US TO ADOPTION AS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE KIND INTENTION OF HIS WILL,”

V. 6 – “TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE, WHICH HE FREELY BESTOWED ON US IN THE BELOVED.”

* READ EPHESIANS 1:7.

** AND ALSO WE ARE REMINDED IN EPHESIANS 2:8&9 THAT IT WAS BY GOD’S GRACE THAT WE HAVE BEEN SAVED: (READ THEM).

*** AND GRACE IS PAUL’S NORMAL CONCLUDING BENEDICTION IN THE 13 BOOKS THAT HE WAS INSPIRED TO WRITE IN THE N.T.

**** FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON THE SCREEN TO LOOK AT ALL 13 OF PAUL’S CLOSING BENEDICTIONS.

- ROMANS 16:20B - “THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS

BE WITH YOU.”

- I CORINTHIANS 16:23 - “THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS BE WITH YOU.”

- II CORINTHIANS 13:14 - “MAY THE GRACE OF THE LORD

JESUS CHRIST, AND THE LOVE OF GOD, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH YOU ALL.”

- GALATIANS 6:18 - “THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT, BROTHERS. AMEN.”

- PHILIPPIANS 4:23 - “THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT.”

- COLOSSIANS 4:18 - “GRACE BE WITH YOU.”

- I THESSALONIANS 5:28 - “THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU.”

- II THESSALONIANS 3:18 - “THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU ALL.”

- I TIMOTHY 6:21B - “GRACE BE WITH YOU.”

- II TIMOTHY 4:22 – “THE LORD BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT, GRACE BE WITH YOU.”

- TITUS 3:15B - “GRACE BE WITH YOU ALL.”

- PHILEMON 25 – “THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT.”

- EPHESIANS 6:24 - “GRACE TO ALL WHO LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH AN INCORRUPTIBLE LOVE.”

2. SO PAUL, THE PREACHER OF GRACE, ENDS WITH GRACE IN HIS EPISTLES AND HERE IN EPHESIANS 6:24.

* NOW GET THIS AS WE GO BACK TO EPHESIANS 6:24. A FRUIT OF GOD’S SAVING WORK OF GRACE IN OUR LIVES IS A LOVE FOR CHRIST THAT IS INCORRUPTIBLE TRANSLATED SINCERE, UNDYING AND IMPERISHABLE IN OTHER TRANSLATIONS.

** IT IS A LOVE THAT IS NOT CORRUPTED BY DEATH, THUS A LOVE THAT IS UNCEASING, UNDYING OR ENDLESS.

*** IT IS A LOVE THAT BELONGS TO TRUE BELIEVERS. SO IN ESSENCE PAUL IS REALLY IDENTIFYING THE ONES WHO WILL RECEIVE GRACE AS THOSE WHOSE LOVE IS NOT TEMPORARY AND THUS UNTRUE, BUT PERMANENT AND THUS GENUINE!

**** AND ALTHOUGH THE DEGREE OF OUR LOVE OF CHRIST VARIES AND IS UP AND DOWN AT TIMES, A FRUIT OF SAVING GRACE IS WE WILL LOVE CHRIST UNTIL WE DIE FOR NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIS LOVE AND WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE OF GRACE, BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.

AND IN WRAP UP TO OUR STUDY TODAY AND THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS: (1) I REMIND YOU OF THE TITLE THAT I GAVE TO OUR STUDY WHEN WE STARTED IT.

* IT WAS “EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH”. AND WE STUDIED THE CALL OF GOD TO SAVE BELIEVERS WHO BECOME A PART OF THE CHURCH IN CHAPTERS 1-3 AND THE CONDUCT OF THE BELIEVER WHO CAN’T BE SEPARATED FROM THE CHURCH IN CHAPTERS 4-6.

** THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS OF EPHESIANS EMPHASIZED DOCTRINE AND THE LAST 3 EMPHASIZED BEHAVIOR.

*** THE FIRST HALF WAS THEOLOGICAL AND THE SECOND HALF PRACTICAL.

**** THE FIRST HALF BEGAN BY DESCRIBING THE CONTENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN’S HEAVENLY BANK ACCOUNT, OUR RICHES IN CHRIST.

(2) AND WHAT ARE OUR RICHES? WELL THEY ARE ADOPTION, ELECTION, REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS, INHERITANCE, THE SEAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, POWER, LIFE, GRACE, CITIZENSHIP AND THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

* IN SHORT, EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING.

** AND BELOVED, DRAWING ON THAT HUGE SPIRITUAL BANK ACCOUNT, THE BELIEVER HAS ALL THE RESOURCES NEEDED FOR LIVING “TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE” RECORDED IN CHAPTER 1 VERSE 6.

*** FOR THE SECOND HALF OF EPHESIANS CHAPTERS 4-6 RESEMBLE AN ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC, WHERE THE CHRISTIAN LEARNS HOW TO WALK IN A WORTHY WAY ROOTED IN HIS SPIRITUAL WEALTH.

**** AND HOW ARE WE ABLE TO WALK OR LIVE IN EPHESIANS?

(3) WELL, WE ARE ABLE “TO WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF OUR CALLING” IN EPHESIANS 4:1.

* IN EPHESIANS 4:17, WE ARE ABLE “TO WALK NO LONGER AS THE GENTILES” OR AS PAGANS LIVE.

** IN EPHESIANS 5:2, WE AR ABLE TO “WALK IN LOVE”.

*** IN EPHESIANS 5:8 WE ARE ABLE TO “WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT”.

**** AND IN EPHESIANS 5:15, WE ARE ABLE “TO WALK NOT AS UNWISE, BUT AS WISE PEOPLE”.

(4) AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN SUMMARY, EPHESIANS IS THEOCENTRIC MEANING GOD IS AT THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING AND HIS SOVEREIGNTY IS EXALTED AND HE PROVIDES THE POWER TO WALK THE WORTHY WALK.

* AND MY CLOSING CHALLENGE FOR THIS BOOK IS WITH THAT KIND OF RICHES AND POWER AND RESOURCES, MAY WE WALK THE WORTHY WALK.

** WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE KNOW. AND MAY CORRECT DOCTRINE LEAD TO SOUND DOCTRINE OR APPLIED DOCTRINE.

*** AND MAY WE BE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY.