Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Wednesday Service, episode fifty one.
Speaker 1: I'm your host, Josh Minda. If you know me, I'm
Speaker 1: a Christian rapper, devoted husband, father, and normy veteran. And
Speaker 1: thank you so much. This is brought to you by
Speaker 1: Cold of Conspiracy Podcast. I do appreciate you, guys, and
Speaker 1: thank you for all the comments you guys have been leaving.
Speaker 1: We just shout out a few people MDMP twenty two
Speaker 1: and Angela Kelly, thank you. He said, Merry Christmas. Merry
Speaker 1: Christmas to you too. I don't celebrate Christmas the same
Speaker 1: way as everybody else does, but Merry Christmas to you. Angelo.
Speaker 1: Appreciate you, yeah, I just we don't do like the
Speaker 1: well I don't my kids, they don't. They don't believe
Speaker 1: in Santa Claus and all that stuff. And Angela, you
Speaker 1: probably are the same way with your kids, I would think,
Speaker 1: you know. And also I don't tell my kids that
Speaker 1: is Jesus's birthday, but we do celebrate Jesus, if that
Speaker 1: makes sense. You know, I think that Jesus' birthday is
Speaker 1: sometime in spring or maybe in September. That's the two
Speaker 1: things that people kick around, you know, but I do.
Speaker 1: We do celebrate Jesus, you know, and my kids do
Speaker 1: get presents and stuff. So yeah, Merry Christmas to you
Speaker 1: too much. Love to you, and I appreciate you saying that.
Speaker 1: And let's see what else we have. Okay, we got
Speaker 1: last week we had five comments, thank you. We only
Speaker 1: have two on Sunday Service. So, like I always say,
Speaker 1: if you guys get a chance to check out Sunday
Speaker 1: Service and if you guys could comment or leave an emoji,
Speaker 1: I really appreciate it. Thank you for that. MDMP twenty two,
Speaker 1: Thank you again. Every week, Whiskers White, thank you again. Brother,
Speaker 1: appreciate you. Let's see what you said. Thank you father, Yes, yes, yes,
Speaker 1: hey man j Con forty four twenty thank you so much.
Speaker 1: Appreciate you, brother, Angela Kelly once again, thank you, and
Speaker 1: b thank you so much. I appreciate you guys leaving
Speaker 1: these comments. I guess that it definitely helps the algorithm
Speaker 1: and assist the show. So as far as my new job,
Speaker 1: I haven't heard anything yet. I guess they're going to
Speaker 1: make a decision this week. Pray for me. Also, I
Speaker 1: might be doing service, which is different than my job
Speaker 1: I do now. Right now is a little more of
Speaker 1: a mental job than physical. So if you guys could
Speaker 1: definitely pray for sorry, I think I exit out the screen.
Speaker 1: Please pray for my back to be strong, you know,
Speaker 1: because I'll be doing some digging and all that kind
Speaker 1: of stuff. So yeah, just pray for physical strength and
Speaker 1: physical health for me to be able to handle my job. Please,
Speaker 1: and Lord, you heard what I said right now and
Speaker 1: out loud. Please assist me. Lord, make me physically strong.
Speaker 1: Assist my back, my arms, my shoulders, my legs, my calfs, everything. Word.
Speaker 1: Please thank you. I love you Jesus name. Amen. So
Speaker 1: there we go, yees. So it's been a cool week,
Speaker 1: you know, been a good week. I hope it's been
Speaker 1: a good week for you guys as well. Hope everything
Speaker 1: is going good in your guys' life. This is Christmas week,
Speaker 1: so everybody enjoy your holidays. Hopefully have fun with your families.
Speaker 1: Enjoy your families. Make sure that you are safe. You know,
Speaker 1: there's a lot of drunk drivers out there and people
Speaker 1: that are you know, getting drunk and fights and crazy
Speaker 1: stuff that happens, you know, on the holidays, So please
Speaker 1: be careful and be safe, you know, and make God
Speaker 1: protect all of you guys. When you guys are driving around,
Speaker 1: you know, especially when you have kids and all that stuff. Man,
Speaker 1: be safe, you know. But it's been interesting. But yeah,
Speaker 1: so this week we're gonna be going over Ephesians three,
Speaker 1: maybe to six, I'm not sure, but definitely three through five.
Speaker 1: All right, So that's gonna be what we're going over today.
Speaker 1: Let me go ahead and pull it up on the
Speaker 1: screen for you guys to see. Perfect, and we got
Speaker 1: Ephesians three and the first the title of this is
Speaker 1: going to be the mystery revealed for the first seven verse, okay,
Speaker 1: And I just want to go over something with you guys.
Speaker 1: The term mystery Greek mystery arm. In Paul's vocabulary, a
Speaker 1: mystery is not a puzzle to solve, but a truth,
Speaker 1: once concealed and now revealed. Colossian's one twenty six, Roman
Speaker 1: sixteen twenty five through twenty six. The secret plan God
Speaker 1: whispered through the prophets Isaiah forty nine to six, Hoaiah
Speaker 1: two to twenty three has burst into daylight. Believing Jews
Speaker 1: and believing Gentiles form one people in Christ. Just so
Speaker 1: you guys are aware. And then what's the historical setting?
Speaker 1: Paul and the prison epistle. Uh. This is written around
Speaker 1: a d. Sixty to sixty two from Roman custody. Ephesians
Speaker 1: rounds out a set of letters penned by Paul awaiting trial.
Speaker 1: The apostle had spent nearly three years in Ephesus and
Speaker 1: knew its people well. The city boasted the Temple of Artemis,
Speaker 1: a major seaport, bursting commerce, and a sizeable Jewish population.
Speaker 1: Ideal soil for gospel that unites every ethnicity. Okay, so
Speaker 1: let me just go ahead and go over a intro
Speaker 1: for Ephesians three. Where are you at? Intro? I know
Speaker 1: you're close, I know you're close. There we go. Ephesians
Speaker 1: three is a significant chapter that illuminates the divine mystery
Speaker 1: revealed to Paul the unification of Jews and Gentiles through
Speaker 1: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul's prayer for spiritual strength
Speaker 1: and for the Ephesians and his praise to God culminate
Speaker 1: this rich chapter. Okay, so let me just go to
Speaker 1: my teaching points here that way, I'm ready to go
Speaker 1: perfect and let me pull up my other notes. Cool,
Speaker 1: here we go. So let's go ahead and start Aphesians three,
Speaker 1: Verse one. For this reason I Paul, the prisoner of
Speaker 1: Christ Jesus for you, Gentiles, if indeed you have heard
Speaker 1: of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
Speaker 1: given to me for you, how that by revelation he
Speaker 1: made known to be the mystery as I have briefly
Speaker 1: written already, by which when you read you may understand
Speaker 1: my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. All right, we
Speaker 1: will stop there real quick. And it says the mystery revealed.
Speaker 1: Paul speaks of the mystery made known to him by revelation,
Speaker 1: which is that Gentiles are coheres with Israel, members of
Speaker 1: the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 1: So the mystery revealed. The concept of the mystery revealed
Speaker 1: is a profound theme in the New Testament, particularly in
Speaker 1: the writings of the apostle Paul. This mystery, once hidden,
Speaker 1: is now disclosed through the revelation of Jesus Christ and
Speaker 1: the work of the Holy Spirit. It encompasses the unfolding
Speaker 1: of God's redemptive plan for humanity, which was kept secret
Speaker 1: for ages, but is now made known to the saints.
Speaker 1: And we talked about the term mystery in the Biblical
Speaker 1: context refers to a divine truth that was previously concealed
Speaker 1: but is now revealed by God. In the Old Testament,
Speaker 1: God's plan for salvation was hinted at through prophecies and types,
Speaker 1: but his full understanding was not accessible until the coming
Speaker 1: of Christ. The apostle Paul frequently uses the term mystery
Speaker 1: to describe the Gospel and the inclusion of the Gentiles
Speaker 1: into God's covenant people. Key passages is going to be
Speaker 1: Ephesians three, verses three through six, all right, and then
Speaker 1: in this passage, Paul explains, and then three through six
Speaker 1: we're gonna read still, okay, So let me just go
Speaker 1: ahead and read that real quick, and then we'll go
Speaker 1: back to this verse five says which and other ages
Speaker 1: was not made known to the sons of men, as
Speaker 1: it was now fully revealed by the Spirit to his
Speaker 1: holy apostles and prophets, that the Gentiles should be fellow
Speaker 1: errors of the same body and partakers of His promise
Speaker 1: in Christ through the Gospel, which I became a minister
Speaker 1: according to the gift of the grace of God given
Speaker 1: to me by the effective work of His power. All right.
Speaker 1: So in these passages, Paul explains that the mystery involves
Speaker 1: the inclusion of the Gentiles as coers with Israel, forming
Speaker 1: one unified body in Christ. This was a radical revelation
Speaker 1: that broke down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles,
Speaker 1: creating a new humanity in Christ. And just let you
Speaker 1: guys know, the apostles, the disciples were having a hard
Speaker 1: time even themselves understanding that gentiles can be saved. Before
Speaker 1: you can even eat a meal with gentiles, you want
Speaker 1: to stay away from them all that stuff. Right, Gentiles
Speaker 1: are basically like pagan nations, right, so they've been taught
Speaker 1: their whole life to stay away from them, don't eat
Speaker 1: with them, and all these other laws and everything in
Speaker 1: all these different rules. So even it was even odd
Speaker 1: to them. Now, Paul being a fair see, it must
Speaker 1: have been really odd to him. But obviously he accepts
Speaker 1: it with open arms because he is a you know,
Speaker 1: child of God, and he is a Christian, so he
Speaker 1: believes that Jesus, you know, is is the one unified
Speaker 1: body of Christ. Right is what it says here. So yeah,
Speaker 1: Colossians one twenty six, twenty seven says the mystery that
Speaker 1: was hidden for ages and generations but has now revealed
Speaker 1: to his saints to them, God has chosen to make
Speaker 1: known among the gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery,
Speaker 1: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Here,
Speaker 1: Paul emphasizes the mystery is not only the inclusion of
Speaker 1: the gentiles, but also the in dwelling presence of Christ
Speaker 1: and believers, which is the hope of glory. This in
Speaker 1: dwelling signifies a personal transformative relationship with God through Christ.
Speaker 1: And then in Romans sixteen twenty five through twenty six,
Speaker 1: it says, now to him who is able to strengthen
Speaker 1: you by my gospel and my proclamation of Jesus Christ,
Speaker 1: according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long
Speaker 1: ages past, but now revealed and made known through the
Speaker 1: writings of his prophets, by the command of the eternal God,
Speaker 1: to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith.
Speaker 1: Paul concludes this letter to the Romans by highlighting that mystery,
Speaker 1: once hidden, is now revealed to lead all nations to
Speaker 1: faith and obedience. This underscores the universal scope of the
Speaker 1: Gospel and God's desire for all people to come to salvation.
Speaker 1: What's the theological significance the revelation of the mystery signifies
Speaker 1: the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose in Christ. It demonstrates
Speaker 1: God's wisdom and sovereignty and orchestrating salvation history. The mystery
Speaker 1: reveals the depths of God's grace and the inclusivity of
Speaker 1: his redemptive plan, breaking down ethnic and cultural burials to
Speaker 1: form one people under Christ. The mystery also highlights the
Speaker 1: role of the Church as the Body of Christ, tasked
Speaker 1: with proclaiming this revealed truth to the world. Believers are
Speaker 1: called to live out the implications of this mystery, embodying
Speaker 1: the unity and love that it entails. What's the practical implications?
Speaker 1: Understanding the mystery revealed has profound implications for Christ's living.
Speaker 1: It calls believers to embrace their identity in Christ, recognizing
Speaker 1: the unity and equality of all members of the body.
Speaker 1: It challenges the Church to be a witness to the world,
Speaker 1: demonstrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Moreover, the mystery
Speaker 1: encourages believers to seek a deeper relationship with Christ, who
Speaker 1: dwells within them. This in dwelling presence empowers them to
Speaker 1: live holy and obedient lives, reflecting the hope of glory
Speaker 1: that is to come all right, very important, Okay, that
Speaker 1: whole part right there. So, because we obviously would be
Speaker 1: considered gentiles, but now we are considered unity, you know,
Speaker 1: unified in Christ. You know, as long as we're you know,
Speaker 1: as long as you're saved, we're unified. If you're not
Speaker 1: saved and you're Jewish, you're not unified, or you are
Speaker 1: not believing in Jesus, then obviously you need to believe
Speaker 1: in Jesus the Messiah, or you are not unified with
Speaker 1: the body, all right. So, and then in verse seven,
Speaker 1: Paul describes his role as a servant of his gospel
Speaker 1: by the gift of God's grace, emphasizing his ministry is
Speaker 1: empowered by God's work. All right, So that's everything I
Speaker 1: have for one through seven. Let's go ahead and go
Speaker 1: over a detailed analysis of verses one through seven. Apheaesans one,
Speaker 1: Aphasans three. One through seven is about Paul, calling as
Speaker 1: the prisoner of Christ, revealing God's secret plan the mystery
Speaker 1: to include gentiles non Jews into one unified body with
Speaker 1: Jews through Christ, something previously hidden but now made known
Speaker 1: by revelation, which we talked about earlier. It emphasizes that
Speaker 1: God's grace changes everything, turning persecutors into preachers. Who was
Speaker 1: a persecutor? Well, of course, Paul the apostle was a persecutor. Right,
Speaker 1: he was killing Christians and he was also arresting them. Right,
Speaker 1: And what did he do? He became from being a
Speaker 1: persecutor to a preacher. Right, And Paul was a great teacher,
Speaker 1: So great preacher and teacher, right, it says. It emphasizes
Speaker 1: that God's grace changes everything, turning persecutors to into preachers.
Speaker 1: And that is the dispensation of grace. It's a stewardship
Speaker 1: to make this universal, inclusive gospel known, inviting all to
Speaker 1: share in Christ's boundless riches. What are the key themes
Speaker 1: that we have here? In verses one through seven, Writing
Speaker 1: from prison, Paul sees himselves as captured by Christ, not
Speaker 1: just suffering for him, highlighting the total dedication and God's
Speaker 1: use of his confinement for the gospel. Then that mystery
Speaker 1: we talked about earlier, right, the great secret hidden from
Speaker 1: past ages is that gentiles are fellow errors, part of
Speaker 1: the same body and co partners in the promise in Christ.
Speaker 1: And then dispensation of grace. God gave special special so
Speaker 1: a role God gave Paul a special role, a dispensation,
Speaker 1: to administer his grace, revealing the mystery of the world.
Speaker 1: Grace changes everything Paul wants. A persecutor of the church,
Speaker 1: became its preacher, demonstrating how God's grace transforms lives and
Speaker 1: purposes universal inclusion. This pastor stresses the unity of believers,
Speaker 1: Jews and Gentiles in the Church, God's household, breaking down
Speaker 1: all barriers stewardship of the Gospel. Believers like Paul are
Speaker 1: entrusted with his truth and call to live it out,
Speaker 1: making God's manifold, making God's manifold wisdom known. Okay, so
Speaker 1: there we go. Pretty good stuff there. Now let's go
Speaker 1: ahead and dive into verse eight. Purpose of the mystery.
Speaker 1: Let me see, Oh, you know what, I have one
Speaker 1: more little section to read. In simple terms, Paul says,
Speaker 1: because I'm in chains for Jesus. Don't get discar Instead,
Speaker 1: see it as proof of God's amazing plan to include everyone,
Speaker 1: Jews and non Jews in his family, something he kept
Speaker 1: secret until now. This new reality revealed by God means
Speaker 1: all people can access christ riches and be part of
Speaker 1: his unified church, a powerful truth. Paul was appointed to share.
Speaker 1: There we go. Sorry, that was the ending part of
Speaker 1: that I had to read. All right, let's go ahead
Speaker 1: and read verse eight through thirteen. Now, purpose of the mystery.
Speaker 1: So now we're gonna know the purpose of the mystery here, okay.
Speaker 1: Verse eight says to me, who am who am less
Speaker 1: than the least of all the saints. This grace was
Speaker 1: given that I should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable
Speaker 1: riches of Christ, and to all, and to make all
Speaker 1: see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from
Speaker 1: the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God,
Speaker 1: who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent
Speaker 1: that now the manifold wisdom of God might be known
Speaker 1: by the Church to the principalities and powers in the
Speaker 1: heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which he accompanied
Speaker 1: in Christ, Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness
Speaker 1: and access with confidence through faith in Him. Before I ask,
Speaker 1: what you do not lose heart? That you do not
Speaker 1: lose heart, and my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Speaker 1: I thought, there's some fascinating parts here where he says
Speaker 1: where it says right here it says fellowship of the
Speaker 1: mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been
Speaker 1: hidden in God, who created all things through Christ. I mean,
Speaker 1: so Jesus obviously was there when during creation. Right, we
Speaker 1: know that some people don't believe that, some Christians don't
Speaker 1: believe that. But you see what Paul's saying here that
Speaker 1: all things are created through Jesus. Christ. Jesus couldn't have
Speaker 1: been created because all things were created through Jesus. It
Speaker 1: says here to the intent that now the manifold wisdom
Speaker 1: of God might be known by the church. Right, so
Speaker 1: it might be known by us believers, right, the body
Speaker 1: of Christ to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. Wow,
Speaker 1: now it's talking about principalities and powers in heavenly places.
Speaker 1: They're gonna know now. It says, according to the eternal
Speaker 1: purpose which he accompanied in Christ, Jesus our Lord, in
Speaker 1: whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith
Speaker 1: in Him. So what do you mean we have boldness
Speaker 1: and access access to what? Well? We have access to
Speaker 1: pray to God the Father through Jesus now, because he's
Speaker 1: the mediator between us and God. Okay, so now we
Speaker 1: could pray to God using Jesus's name, we could pray
Speaker 1: to God the Father using Jesus's name. We didn't have
Speaker 1: that access before, right, we would try to pray, access
Speaker 1: denied because we were not holy. But now Jesus makes
Speaker 1: us holy, so no more access denied, no more at anymore. Okay,
Speaker 1: Now we pray to We pray to God the Father
Speaker 1: through Jesus. And what a beautiful thing. Right right, So
Speaker 1: all right, let's go ahead and check out what it
Speaker 1: says here. In Ephesians three, verse eight, Paul highlights the
Speaker 1: boundless riches of Christ and his mission to make them
Speaker 1: known to the gentiles. The phrase the unsearchable riches of
Speaker 1: Christ is derived from the apostle Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians,
Speaker 1: where he writes, to me, though I am very least
Speaker 1: of all the saints, this grace was given to preach
Speaker 1: to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. This concept
Speaker 1: encapsulates the boundless and incomprehensible blessings and treasures found in
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, which are available to believers in context Biblical context.
Speaker 1: The apostle Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, emphasizes
Speaker 1: the mystery of Christ in the profound depth of spiritual
Speaker 1: wealth available through Him. The term unsearchable suggests that these
Speaker 1: riches are beyond human understanding and cannot be fully comprehended
Speaker 1: or measured. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of
Speaker 1: God's infinite wisdom and grace, which surpasses human knowledge. The
Speaker 1: unsearchable riches of Christ through a multiple from multitude of
Speaker 1: spiritual blessings. These encompass. These encompass redemption, forgiveness of sins,
Speaker 1: and reconciliation with God. Okay, and then grace and strength.
Speaker 1: The grace of Christ is abundant and sufficient at every
Speaker 1: need Paul experiences personally, as he recounts in Two Corinthians twelve,
Speaker 1: verse nine, all right, and then the conclusion, The inseearchable
Speaker 1: riches of Christ are vast and multifaceted. It encompassed, encompassing
Speaker 1: every spiritual blessing and resource needed for life and godliness.
Speaker 1: These riches are freely given to all who are in Christ,
Speaker 1: inviting believers to continually explore and experience the depths of
Speaker 1: God's love and grace. Okay, So let's go ahead and
Speaker 1: go down and see if there's any more here? Okay? So,
Speaker 1: and in verse ten, here where it says to the
Speaker 1: attent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be
Speaker 1: known by the Church to the principalties and powers that
Speaker 1: have in they places. What I talked about, the manifold
Speaker 1: wisdom of God is to be made known through the
Speaker 1: Church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Right.
Speaker 1: The Church, as the Body of Christ, holds a significant
Speaker 1: and multifaceted role within the Christian faith. As an outline
Speaker 1: in the New Testament, this role encompasses worship, teaching, fellowship, service,
Speaker 1: and evangelism, all of but all of which are integral
Speaker 1: to fulfilling God's commission and living out the teachings of
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. Okay, just want to let you guys know
Speaker 1: that I'm sure you guys already know what the church
Speaker 1: is supposed to do. The notes there just we're supposed
Speaker 1: to kind of. I thought I was going to maybe
Speaker 1: talk more about the principalities there, but went more into
Speaker 1: the Church's rule and we read verse twelve. It said
Speaker 1: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through Him,
Speaker 1: through faith in Christ, we have boldness and confident access
Speaker 1: to God is what it's saying here, And what's boldness
Speaker 1: Here it says, in the context of the Bible, boldness
Speaker 1: is often associated with the confidence encourage that believers are
Speaker 1: encouraged to exhibit in their faith and witness. This boldness
Speaker 1: is not rooted in human strength or arrogance, but as
Speaker 1: the result of the work of the Holy Spirit within
Speaker 1: the believer. The New Testament frequently highlights the importance of
Speaker 1: boldness and the proclamation of the Gospel and in approaching
Speaker 1: in approaching God in prayer and then access in Biblical
Speaker 1: terms refers to the believer's ability rea to approach God
Speaker 1: directly through Jesus Christ, which I talked about earlier. This
Speaker 1: access is the significant theme in the New Testament, highlighting
Speaker 1: the shift from the Old Covenant, where access to God
Speaker 1: was mediated through priest and the sacrificial system, to the
Speaker 1: New Covenant, where believers have direct access to God through
Speaker 1: faith in Christ. Right here in Ephesians two eighteen, it
Speaker 1: states for through Him we have access to the Father
Speaker 1: by one Spirit. This verse underscores the trinityan working granting
Speaker 1: believers access to God through Jesus the Son, by the
Speaker 1: Spirit to the Father. This access is not limited to
Speaker 1: the select few, but is available to all who were
Speaker 1: in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles. Right. So no longer
Speaker 1: is it through a priest or a prophet or something
Speaker 1: like that. No, no, no, Now, everybody that believes in Jesus right,
Speaker 1: believes that Jesus died, resurrected after the Third Day, and
Speaker 1: that's saved have access to God by praying through Jesus
Speaker 1: to God. Right. And it says by the spirit. Right,
Speaker 1: So you're playing by this spirit through Jesus to God.
Speaker 1: I should probably mention that more often. I kind of
Speaker 1: like how they put that. So it says grand believers
Speaker 1: access to God through Jesus the Son, by the Spirit
Speaker 1: to the Father. Amen. All right. So next up we
Speaker 1: have Hebrews four sixteen, which further encourages believers to approach
Speaker 1: the throne of Grace with confidence so that we may
Speaker 1: have mercy and find grace to help us in our
Speaker 1: time of need. This confidence or boldness in approaching God
Speaker 1: is made possible because of Jesus' high priestly role in
Speaker 1: his atoning sacrifice, which was removed, which has removed the
Speaker 1: barrier of sin. So it makes us look holy because
Speaker 1: we're coming in Jesus's name by praying through the spirit,
Speaker 1: let's go. The concept of access is also linked to
Speaker 1: the idea of reconciliation. Romans verses one through two explains, therefore,
Speaker 1: since we have been justified through faith, we have peace
Speaker 1: through God with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So
Speaker 1: you see what it says there. First, it says, therefore,
Speaker 1: since we have been justified through faith, justified means you know,
Speaker 1: all the sins if you've committed, are going to be
Speaker 1: justified through faith. It says, we have peace with God
Speaker 1: through our Lord Jesus Christ. So why do we have
Speaker 1: peace with God even though we have all these sins
Speaker 1: that we've committed and everything we've done. Jesus has forgiven
Speaker 1: us for those sins, and He's become the mediator. So
Speaker 1: when God sees us, he sees his Son, through whom
Speaker 1: we have gained access by faith into this grace in
Speaker 1: which we stand here. Access is a result of justification
Speaker 1: and is characterized by peace with God and standing in
Speaker 1: His grace. Right. Very important stuff, right there, guys, So
Speaker 1: important guys and girls. In summary, boldness and access are
Speaker 1: intertwined themes in the New Testament, reflecting the believers empowered
Speaker 1: witness and direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ. These
Speaker 1: concepts encourage believers to live out their faith with confidence
Speaker 1: and approach God with assurance, knowing that they are welcomed
Speaker 1: into His presence. Amen to all that so important. A
Speaker 1: lot of good teaching points here in Athesians. Right, wow,
Speaker 1: reminding us of some stuff that we need to remember.
Speaker 1: All right, good, We're good. There. We talked about boldness
Speaker 1: and access already, so let's go ahead and go over
Speaker 1: a description of verses eight through thirteen. Brief description here.
Speaker 1: Ephesians eight through thirteen means that even through Paul, even
Speaker 1: though Paul felt unworthy, God gave him grace to reveal
Speaker 1: the mystery of uniting Jews and Gentiles into one body,
Speaker 1: the Church, to display his wisdom to heavenly powers. This plan,
Speaker 1: realized in Christ, gives believers boldness to approach God, and
Speaker 1: Paul encourages them not to be discouraged by his suffering,
Speaker 1: which excuse me, which is for their glory and part
Speaker 1: of God's eternal purpose to show his unfathomable grace and
Speaker 1: wisdom through the Church. Some key themes and meanings. In
Speaker 1: verse eight, Paul describes himself as less than the least
Speaker 1: of all Saints, emphasizing his unworthiness, yet he received grace
Speaker 1: to preach the insearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles
Speaker 1: Verses nine to ten. God's plan hidden for ages was
Speaker 1: to unite the people Jews and Gentiles into one new
Speaker 1: people in Christ. The Church, through its unity, now makes
Speaker 1: known God's manifold wisdom to spiritual rulers and authorities. And
Speaker 1: then in verse eleven, this plan wasn't new, but God's
Speaker 1: eternal purpose fulfilled in Christ Jesus, where believers had confident
Speaker 1: access to God. Verse twelve. Because of Christ, believers have
Speaker 1: boldness and confidence to approach God through faith. And verse thirteen,
Speaker 1: Paul asked the Ephesians not to lose heart over his
Speaker 1: in price. His suffering is actually for their benefit and
Speaker 1: part of the glorious display of God's grace and purpose.
Speaker 1: In essence, God's plan is to make his amazing wisdom
Speaker 1: visible through the unified Church, a plan so grand that
Speaker 1: even angels are watching. Believers, empowered by Christ should not
Speaker 1: let earthly struggles or Paul's imprisonment derail them, as these
Speaker 1: trials serve as God's greater eternal purpose. A men, good stuff.
Speaker 1: Now we're going to read the appreciation of the mystery.
Speaker 1: Verse fourteen, it says, for this reason, I bow my
Speaker 1: knees to the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, from
Speaker 1: whom the whole family in heaven and Earth is named,
Speaker 1: that he would grant you, according to the riches of
Speaker 1: his glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit
Speaker 1: in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your
Speaker 1: hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Speaker 1: may be able to comprehend with all the saints. What
Speaker 1: is the width and length, of depth and height to
Speaker 1: know the Love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you
Speaker 1: may be filled with all the fullness of God. Verse
Speaker 1: twenty says, Now to him who is able to do
Speaker 1: exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to
Speaker 1: the power that works in us, to him be glory
Speaker 1: in the Church by Christ Jesus, to all generations forever
Speaker 1: and ever a men very good stuff. So we have
Speaker 1: a paul praise to the believers to be strengthened with
Speaker 1: power through the Spirit, to grasp the love of Christ,
Speaker 1: and to be filled with the fullness of God. Ephesians three,
Speaker 1: verses sixteen through nineteen, and it says here Paul's prayer
Speaker 1: to the Ephesians the profound expression of his pastoral care
Speaker 1: and theological insight found in the New Testament Book of Ephesians.
Speaker 1: This prayer is located in Ephesians one, verses fifteen through
Speaker 1: twenty three, and also Ephesians three, verses fourteen through twenty one,
Speaker 1: which we just read, where the apostle Paul articulates his
Speaker 1: deep desire for the spiritual growth and enlightenment of the
Speaker 1: believers in Ephesus background. What's the context and background? The
Speaker 1: city of Ess is a major center of commerce and
Speaker 1: religion in the Roman province of Asia. It was known
Speaker 1: for its temple of the goddess Artemis and was a
Speaker 1: hub of various religious practices. Paul had a significant ministry
Speaker 1: in Ephesus, as recorded in Acts nineteen, and his letter
Speaker 1: to the Ephesians reflects his ongoing concern for the church
Speaker 1: he helped establish their written during his imprisonment, likely in Rome.
Speaker 1: The epistle to the Ephiesians addressed both doctrinal truths and
Speaker 1: practical Christian living. In the second prayer in Ephesians three,
Speaker 1: verses fourteen through twenty one, Paul kneels before the Father
Speaker 1: from whom every family in heaven on Earth derives its name.
Speaker 1: He petitions God to strengthen the Ephesians with power through
Speaker 1: His Spirit and the Inner Being, so that Christ may
Speaker 1: dwell in their hearts through faith. Paul desires that they
Speaker 1: be rooted and grounded in love, capable of comprehending the
Speaker 1: vast dimensions of Christ's love, which surpasses knowledge. Paul's prayer
Speaker 1: reaches a crescendo as he seeks for the Ephesians to
Speaker 1: be filled with all the fullness of God. He concludes
Speaker 1: with the doxology, praising God for his ability to do immeasurable,
Speaker 1: immeasurable more than we ask or imagine, according to His
Speaker 1: power at work within us. The doxology underscores the glory
Speaker 1: of God and the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout
Speaker 1: all generations, forever and ever. What's the theological significance Paul's
Speaker 1: prayer for the Ephesians revealed key Paul's prayers for the
Speaker 1: Feesians reveal key theological themes, including the centrality of Christ,
Speaker 1: the work of the Holy Spirit, and the transformative power
Speaker 1: of God's love. These prayers emphasize the importance of spiritual
Speaker 1: insight and maturity, encouraging believers to seek a deeper understanding
Speaker 1: of their identity and inheritance in Christ. The prayers also
Speaker 1: highlight the communal aspect of faith, as Paul praise for
Speaker 1: the collective growth and the unity of the Church. Through
Speaker 1: these prayers, Paul models a life of intercession and dependence
Speaker 1: on God's power, urging believers to live in the reality
Speaker 1: of their exalted position in Christ. The prayers serve as
Speaker 1: a reminder of the vast resources available in Christians throughout
Speaker 1: their relationship with God, encouraging them to live out their
Speaker 1: faith with confidence and love, which is awesome, reminding us
Speaker 1: of the power we actually do have. I love that
Speaker 1: sometimes we forget, you know, how blessed we are to
Speaker 1: be able to pray to God. And then it talks
Speaker 1: about the doxology is going to be verse twenty and
Speaker 1: twenty one. Right, It says, now to him who is
Speaker 1: able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask or think,
Speaker 1: according to the power that works in us, to Him
Speaker 1: be glory in the Church of Christ, Jesus, to all generations,
Speaker 1: forever and ever. Amen. That's the doxology, okay, And the
Speaker 1: term doxology is derived from the Greek word doxa, meaning
Speaker 1: glory and loggia, meaning saying or utterance. A doxology is
Speaker 1: a short hymn or praise of God, often used in
Speaker 1: Christian worship services. It is a it's a liturgy liturgical sorry,
Speaker 1: liturgical liturgical expression of glory and honor to the Triune God,
Speaker 1: acknowledging his majesty, power, and external nature. Let's see some
Speaker 1: examples of biblical doxologies are found throughout the Bible, both
Speaker 1: in the Old and New Testament. They often conclude prayers, psalms,
Speaker 1: or epistles, serving as fitting response to the revelation of
Speaker 1: God's character and works. In the Old Testament, we have
Speaker 1: Psalms forty one, verse thirteen states Blessed be the Lord,
Speaker 1: the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting, Amen and Amen.
Speaker 1: The structure of the psalmis, the Assalter itself, is divided
Speaker 1: into five books, each concluding with a doxology understanding the
Speaker 1: importance of praise in the life of Israel. The apostle
Speaker 1: Paul often includes doxologies in his epistles. In Romans eleven
Speaker 1: thirty six, he writes from Him and through Him and
Speaker 1: to him, were all things to be the glory forever Amen.
Speaker 1: Another example is found as in Ephesians three, verse twenty
Speaker 1: through twenty one, which I just read for you guys. Okay,
Speaker 1: Doxologies have been incorporated into Christian liturgy. And him not
Speaker 1: himodity him naddy throughout him nah dy, I don't know.
Speaker 1: It's like him nady throughout church history. The glora Petrie,
Speaker 1: also known as the lesser doxology, as a traditional hymn
Speaker 1: of praise used in many Christian denominations. Just so you
Speaker 1: guys know, and it says. The practical application incorporating doxology
Speaker 1: is in a personal and corporate worship encourages a posture
Speaker 1: of reverence and adornation adoration. They provide a framework for
Speaker 1: believers to express gratitude and acknowledge God's supreme authority, whether
Speaker 1: in private devotion or communal gatherings. Doxologies help orient the
Speaker 1: heart and minds of Christian towards the ultimate purpose of
Speaker 1: glorifying God. Just wanted to go over that, and since
Speaker 1: we finished the chapter, let me just go ahead and
Speaker 1: go over a brief description of verses fourteen through twenty
Speaker 1: and Ephesians three fourteen through twenty is Paul's powerful prayer
Speaker 1: for believers to be strengthened by God's spirit. Have Christ
Speaker 1: dwell in their hearts and be rooted and as immeasurable
Speaker 1: surpassing love so they can comprehend His vastness, breadth, length, height,
Speaker 1: and depth to be filled with the fune of God
Speaker 1: who can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.
Speaker 1: It's about experiencing deep spiritual reality, not just intellectual knowledge,
Speaker 1: finding strength and stability in God's power to live in
Speaker 1: his purpose. Some of the key themes and meanings, like
Speaker 1: verse sixteen, we have strengthened by spirit. Believers receive inner
Speaker 1: strength and not from themselves, but from God's glorious spirit,
Speaker 1: enabling them to live and grow in faith. Verse seventeen,
Speaker 1: Christ dwells in hearts. Christ becomes the center and foundation
Speaker 1: of life, making believers stable and secure like a building
Speaker 1: rooted in love. And in verse seventeen, we also have
Speaker 1: rooted and grounded in love. This love is the stable
Speaker 1: base for all Christian experience, a vital foundation for withstanding
Speaker 1: life storms. And then in verse eighteen and nineteen, we
Speaker 1: have comprehending Christ's love. Paul prays for believers to grasp
Speaker 1: the immense four dimensional breadth, length with depth love of Christ,
Speaker 1: which goes beyond human understanding and also filled the fullness
Speaker 1: of God. In verse nineteen, the goal is to be
Speaker 1: overflowing with God's presence, power, and character, experiencing him completely.
Speaker 1: That's the goal. Man. We got to all work towards that.
Speaker 1: It says, God's limitless power. The passes concludes by affirming
Speaker 1: God's ability to do far more than we can ask
Speaker 1: or imagine, working through the power active within believers. Amen
Speaker 1: to all that we have to be reminded of that definitely.
Speaker 1: In simple terms Paul's prayer. Paul is praying that Christians
Speaker 1: would get a real, deep experience of God's incredible love,
Speaker 1: find supernatural strength through the Holy Spirit to live it out,
Speaker 1: and realize God can work in their lives for beyond,
Speaker 1: far beyond their wildest dreams and expectations. Okay, all right,
Speaker 1: so we're done with chapter three. Let me just go
Speaker 1: over some practical applications for you guys. We have one, two, three, four,
Speaker 1: and five. First one says, embrace your identity, recognize your
Speaker 1: identity as co heir with Christ, and live in the
Speaker 1: fullness of that promise. Next, we have share the Gospel.
Speaker 1: Like Paul, he committed to be committed to sharing the
Speaker 1: unsearchable riches of Christ with others, regardless of their background.
Speaker 1: Number three, participate in the church mission, the church's mission.
Speaker 1: Engage actively in the church's mission to reveal God's wisdom
Speaker 1: to the world. Number four Approach God with confidence. Utilize
Speaker 1: the boldness and access you have in Christ to approach
Speaker 1: God in prayer and worship. Next, we seek spiritual strength.
Speaker 1: Regularly pray for spiritual strength and a deeper understanding of
Speaker 1: Christ's love. Awesome. So that's the five. And we have
Speaker 1: some additional scriptures that connect. We have Romans eight, verse seventeen.
Speaker 1: And if we are children, then we are heerrs errors
Speaker 1: of God and co errors with Christ, if indeed we
Speaker 1: suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with him.
Speaker 1: Next we have Colossians one, verse twenty seven. To them
Speaker 1: God has chosen to make known among the gentiles the
Speaker 1: glorious riches of his mystery, which is Christ in you,
Speaker 1: the hope of glory. And then we also have Hebrews four,
Speaker 1: verse sixteen. Let us then approach the throne of Grace
Speaker 1: with confidence. So that we may receive mercy and find
Speaker 1: grace to help us in our time of need. There
Speaker 1: we go, guys. That is chapter three in a nutshell.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much guys for that, for sticking around
Speaker 1: through that. And now we have chapter four, all right,
Speaker 1: And that was a perfect forty minutes of information for
Speaker 1: one chapter. It's just amazing. There's so much, and you know,
Speaker 1: there's some some pastors could probably even go, you know,
Speaker 1: an hour, hour, hour and a half just on one
Speaker 1: chapter of Ephesians because there's so much to grasp here,
Speaker 1: you know. So okay, so now we are gonna be
Speaker 1: in Ephesians chapter four, all right, So let me go
Speaker 1: to chapter four here and see if I have let
Speaker 1: me just go to my excuse me, okay, so authorship
Speaker 1: in setting, Paul identifies himself as the prisoner of the Lord.
Speaker 1: The letter style, theology and personal touches fits ministry around
Speaker 1: a D. Sixty to sixty two, likely during his Roman
Speaker 1: house arrest. Right. Unity of the spirit is echoed in
Speaker 1: verses three and six Jesus's prayer they may have been done,
Speaker 1: that they may all be done. The sevenfold one underscores
Speaker 1: a complete spirit created unity, not based in culture. Status. Okay,
Speaker 1: I'll get a little more into that later. And let
Speaker 1: me just go ahead and look at the intro where
Speaker 1: you at intro? Oh, here we go. Here's the intro
Speaker 1: for a Feesians four. For it is a powerful chapter
Speaker 1: outlining the principles of unity, growth, and transformation in the
Speaker 1: Christian life. This chapter shifts from the doctrinal truth established
Speaker 1: in the earlier chapters to be practical implications of these truths,
Speaker 1: emphasizing the need for a worthy walk, unity, maturity, and
Speaker 1: renewed living. And let me just get to our teaching
Speaker 1: point here. Yeah, all right, So we're gonna read verses
Speaker 1: one through five, and then I got some notes to
Speaker 1: go over for you. It says walk in unity of
Speaker 1: Peastans four, Verse one. I. Therefore, the prisoner of the
Speaker 1: Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with
Speaker 1: which you were called, and all the loneliness and the
Speaker 1: loneliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another
Speaker 1: in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
Speaker 1: and the bond of peace. There is one body and
Speaker 1: one spirit, just as you were called in one hope
Speaker 1: of your calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism,
Speaker 1: one God. And Father of all, who is above all
Speaker 1: and through all, in you all all right, So unity
Speaker 1: of the Body of Christ. Paul emphasizes the importance of unity,
Speaker 1: encouraging believers to walk in a manner worthy of the
Speaker 1: calling you have received. Phesians four, verse one. He highlights
Speaker 1: virtues such as humility, gentleness, patience that are essential for
Speaker 1: maintaining unity, and Ephesians four two through three, All right,
Speaker 1: and we'll go over like the unity of the Body
Speaker 1: of Christ. Here. The unity and the Body of Christ
Speaker 1: is a foundational concept in Christian theology, emphasizing the spiritual
Speaker 1: and communal harmony among believers. This unity is rooted in
Speaker 1: the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostolic writings, which
Speaker 1: call for a cohesive and loving fellowship among Christians, transcending cultural, social,
Speaker 1: and denominational differences. Okay, the biblical foundation for this The
Speaker 1: New Testament provides a robust framework understanding unity within the
Speaker 1: Body of Christ, and Ephesians four three through six, the
Speaker 1: Apostle Paul urges believers to make every effort to keep
Speaker 1: the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Speaker 1: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
Speaker 1: were called to one hope, when you were called one Lord,
Speaker 1: one Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
Speaker 1: who is over all, through all and in all. This
Speaker 1: passage highlights the theological basis of unity, emphasizing the singularity
Speaker 1: of the Christian faith and the shared experience of believers
Speaker 1: and one Corinthians twelve versus twenty sorry one Corinthians two
Speaker 1: twelve twelve through twenty seven. Paul emphasizes the metaphor of
Speaker 1: the human body to describe the Church, stating, for just
Speaker 1: as the body is one and has many parts, and
Speaker 1: all the parts of the body, through many are one body,
Speaker 1: so also is Christ. The analogy illustrates the interdependence of believers,
Speaker 1: each contributing uniquely to the health and function of the
Speaker 1: whole body. The role of love and humility. Love and
Speaker 1: humility are essential virtues of maintaining unity within the body
Speaker 1: of Christ, and Claus's three verse fourteen, Paul writes, and
Speaker 1: over all these virtues put on love, which is the
Speaker 1: bond of perfect unity. Love acts as the glue that
Speaker 1: holds the community together, fostering an environment where differences can
Speaker 1: be reconciled and mutual respect can flourish. In Philippians two.
Speaker 1: Verses two through four further underscores the importance of humility
Speaker 1: is Paul exhorts believers to be the same mind, having
Speaker 1: the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. Do
Speaker 1: nothing out of self miss ambition, or empty pride, but
Speaker 1: in humility, consider others more important than yourselves. This call
Speaker 1: the selflessness. Consideration for others is vital for sustaining unity.
Speaker 1: What are some of the challenges to unity? Of course,
Speaker 1: there's a lot of challenges. You know, there's especially with
Speaker 1: all the doctrines and you know, all that stuff right
Speaker 1: flatter Earth, biblical cosmology, that's something that might be causing
Speaker 1: some division. Uh, you know, there's a lot of things
Speaker 1: that cause division, which you know, sometimes when I sit back,
Speaker 1: I'm like, wow, like hopefully I'm not causing division, you know,
Speaker 1: and I don't want to be doing that. I'm just
Speaker 1: trying to teach what the Bible says, right, it says
Speaker 1: Despite the biblical mandate for unity, the Church has historically
Speaker 1: faced challenges and achieving and maintaining it. Doctrinal disagreements, cultural differences,
Speaker 1: and personal conflicts can threaten the harmony the Christian community.
Speaker 1: The New Testament addresses these issues encouraging believers to resolve
Speaker 1: disputes with grace and truth. And Romans fourteen one through
Speaker 1: four Paul advises the Roman Church to accept those with
Speaker 1: differing opinions on disputable matter, stating except him whose faith
Speaker 1: is week, without passing judgment on his opinions. This council
Speaker 1: promotes a spirit of tolerance and understanding, allowing for diversity
Speaker 1: within the unity of faith. And then it says the
Speaker 1: role of church leadership. Church leaders play a crucial role
Speaker 1: in fostering unity within the Body of Christ. Aphesians four
Speaker 1: versus eleven through thirteen outlines the purpose of church leadership.
Speaker 1: Aphesians four eleven through thirteen. We haven't read yet, so
Speaker 1: I probably won't get into that. I'm just going to
Speaker 1: go over the summary and then we'll continue the In summary,
Speaker 1: unity of Body of Christ is a divine mandate, deeply
Speaker 1: rooted in scripture and essential for the Church's witness to
Speaker 1: the world through love, humility, and the guidance of the
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Believers are called to live out this unity,
Speaker 1: reflecting the oneness of their faith in Jesus Christ. All right,
Speaker 1: amen to that. And next is going to be the
Speaker 1: diversity of gifts. But before we go there, let me
Speaker 1: just go ahead, and before we get to the spiritual gifts,
Speaker 1: let me just go over to a brief description of
Speaker 1: Ephesians four one through six. Phasians four one through six
Speaker 1: means that because of God's great grace and calling believers
Speaker 1: to salvation, they must live out their faith practically by
Speaker 1: walking humbly, gently and patiently, actively preserving the spiritual unity
Speaker 1: given by the Spirit through love and peace, grounding in
Speaker 1: the shared foundation of one body, Spirit, Hope, Lord, Faith,
Speaker 1: and God. It's a call to align our daily lives,
Speaker 1: our walk with our divine identity in Christ, showing the
Speaker 1: world the reconciling power of the Gospel. In verse one,
Speaker 1: walk worthy of your Your actions should match your divine
Speaker 1: position as a redeemed child of God, living a life
Speaker 1: consistent with the glory of salvation you've received. In verse two, humility, gentleness,
Speaker 1: and patience. The worthy walk involves putting selfish ambition and
Speaker 1: embracing virtues like loneliness, gentleness, and long suffering and patience.
Speaker 1: Bear with one another in love. Verse two also describes
Speaker 1: forgive and tolerate other's faults, as this is essential for
Speaker 1: the church to function as one body and then when
Speaker 1: you get into verse three, keep the unity of the Spirit.
Speaker 1: This unity isn't something believers create. It's a gift from
Speaker 1: the Spirit that you must actively strive to maintain through
Speaker 1: the bond of Peace. And then the sevenfold Unity and
Speaker 1: verses four and six. The foundation of this unity rest
Speaker 1: on these shared realities. One body, the Church, one spirit,
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, one or one hope, future glory, one
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ, one faith, the Gospel message, one baptism,
Speaker 1: spirit baptism, one God and Father of all believers. Okay.
Speaker 1: And some practical applications for this shift from self to others.
Speaker 1: Instead of asserting your rights, serve others with humility and love.
Speaker 1: Fucus focus on core beliefs, core truths prior to the
Speaker 1: shared foundational truths of Christianity, over minor differences and interpretation
Speaker 1: of preferences. So put that those seven unities together, okay,
Speaker 1: live out the gospel. Your unity demonstrates to the world
Speaker 1: that Christ's grace can break down all barriers racial, social, financial,
Speaker 1: and reconcile people to God and each other. Okay. Perfect.
Speaker 1: So now we're going to get into spiritual gifts. In
Speaker 1: Verses seventeen through sixteen, are sorry. Verses seven through sixteen,
Speaker 1: it says, but to each one of us, grace has
Speaker 1: been given according to the measures of Christ's gift. Therefore,
Speaker 1: he says, when he ascended on high, he led captive
Speaker 1: and gave gifts to men. Now this he ascended, How
Speaker 1: does it mean he also first descended into the lower
Speaker 1: parts of the earth. He who descended also the one
Speaker 1: who ascended far above all the heavens, and he might
Speaker 1: fill all things. Let's go ahead and pause the real quick. Okay,
Speaker 1: So this is very interesting that it says this, right,
Speaker 1: it says, now this he ascended. What does it mean
Speaker 1: that he also first descended into the lower parts of
Speaker 1: the earth. Now, when it comes to biblical cosmology, something
Speaker 1: that I always go over, I also go into you know,
Speaker 1: or a shield or hell located and according to the Bible,
Speaker 1: it's located in the Earth. It's not located in another
Speaker 1: dimension in the black hole. It's not located in space,
Speaker 1: it's not located in it's located down right, if you
Speaker 1: go through the whole entire Bible. I've already done this
Speaker 1: on could Conspiracies podcast, So you guys can go ahead
Speaker 1: and reference the episode that I did where talks about
Speaker 1: Hell's location. And if you you know, if you go
Speaker 1: through the Bible, you know a lot of verses and
Speaker 1: stuff that that describe or Shield or Hell's location. Is
Speaker 1: it always talks about the underworld being down. David always
Speaker 1: talks about it going down. Are you actually going down?
Speaker 1: Or talks about Hell being down? And right here, it
Speaker 1: also describes that he ascends before he ascended, which means
Speaker 1: to go up. He first descended, which means to go
Speaker 1: down into the lower parts of the Earth. Why would
Speaker 1: he go into the lower parts of the earth of magma,
Speaker 1: lava and the core of the earth, magnetic core. Why
Speaker 1: would Jesus do that? No, he's going into the He's
Speaker 1: descending into the earth where the people that were in
Speaker 1: Shield were located. Abraham's bosom, right, That's what it was.
Speaker 1: It was called Abraham's bosom. One side was Paradise where
Speaker 1: you know, you have Luke seventeen talking about it. It's
Speaker 1: talking about the rich man and Lazarus, right, and it's
Speaker 1: talking about how Lazareth was actually in Abraham's bosom with
Speaker 1: Abraham on Paradise and there was a big chasm between
Speaker 1: the rich man and Lazareth. You know, he's talking about,
Speaker 1: please put a drop of water on my tongue. He's
Speaker 1: able to hear, he's able to speak, he's able to taste,
Speaker 1: he's able to he wants, he's thirsty, he's got fire
Speaker 1: on his feet. Okay, that's Shield. That's that's not Paradise
Speaker 1: where he's at, but where Abraham is. Where he's saying, Father, Abraham,
Speaker 1: please go tell my brothers. And then then Abraham says,
Speaker 1: even if someone did come back from the dead, they
Speaker 1: still I wouldn't belove him. They have Moses up there
Speaker 1: to speak for, you know, to prophesy to them. So
Speaker 1: it's very interesting. The whole point that I'm talking about
Speaker 1: here is it's really interesting that the Bible describes Shield
Speaker 1: being in the earth. Right. There's a lot of things
Speaker 1: that the world wants hidden. They don't want us to
Speaker 1: think that. Also, here's a really interesting thing too that
Speaker 1: we talked about in Samuel, right where the witch from
Speaker 1: Orndoff or whatever it is order when Saul goes and
Speaker 1: speaks to that witch and she brings Samuel up from
Speaker 1: where Shield and she's even surprised, whoa, He's not in
Speaker 1: Shield like Hell. He's actually in Paradise. Abraham's bosom, and
Speaker 1: she brings up his body or in his body, but
Speaker 1: his spirit. Okay, he comes from where down. That's interesting.
Speaker 1: So I just want to let you guys know that
Speaker 1: I don't want to get off on a tangent. I
Speaker 1: want to continue teaching on the subject at hand, but
Speaker 1: just understand that it's very interesting. If you believe in
Speaker 1: the globe, or you believe in Biblical cosmology, whatever way
Speaker 1: you believe, just know that Sheil is in the earth.
Speaker 1: If it is a globe and it says Sheel is
Speaker 1: in the earth, and I believe that's where it's located, right,
Speaker 1: if it is flat, like I believe in Biblical cosmology,
Speaker 1: Sheil is located in the earth. They always have thought that. Okay,
Speaker 1: that's what the Bible teaches, right, But anyways, let's go
Speaker 1: Inua and continue. Here we read nine through nine to ten.
Speaker 1: Now we're going to go to eleven through Actually, hold
Speaker 1: on real quick, let me see if I have any
Speaker 1: notes here before we diversity of Gifts. We oh, no,
Speaker 1: that's not going to be till eleven through twelve. Okay,
Speaker 1: let's go in and continue. We're going to read eleven
Speaker 1: through sixteen here, and he himself gave some to be apostles,
Speaker 1: some prophets. He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets,
Speaker 1: some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping
Speaker 1: of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the
Speaker 1: edifying of the Body of Christ, till we all come
Speaker 1: to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of
Speaker 1: the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the
Speaker 1: measure of the statue stature of the fullness of Christ,
Speaker 1: that we should no longer be children tossed to and
Speaker 1: fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by
Speaker 1: the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.
Speaker 1: But speaking the truth in love may grow up in
Speaker 1: all things into whom who is the Head Christ, for
Speaker 1: whom the whole body and knit and joined and knit
Speaker 1: together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective
Speaker 1: working by which every part does its share, causes growth
Speaker 1: of the body for the edifying of its love. All right,
Speaker 1: so important, so the diversity of gifts is spoken about
Speaker 1: in verses eleven and twelve, and the chapter discusses the
Speaker 1: diversity of spiritual gifts given by Christ to equip the
Speaker 1: saints for the work of the ministry and to build
Speaker 1: up the Body of Christ. Each believer has a unique
Speaker 1: role to play in the church. Diversity of gifts. The
Speaker 1: concept of diversity of gift is rooted in the New Testament,
Speaker 1: particularly in the writings of Apostle Paul. It refers to
Speaker 1: the variety of spiritual gifts bestowed upon believers by the
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, intended for the edification and functioning of the Church,
Speaker 1: the Body of Christ. This diversity underscores the unity and
Speaker 1: interdependence of believers, each contributing uniquely to the mission and
Speaker 1: the health of the Church. The primary scriptural basis for
Speaker 1: diversity of gifts is found in One Corinthians twelve, Romans twelve,
Speaker 1: and Ephesians four. In one Corinthians twelve four through six,
Speaker 1: Paul write, there are different gifts, but the same Spirit.
Speaker 1: There are different ministries, but the same Lord. There are
Speaker 1: different ways of working, but the same God works all
Speaker 1: things in all people. This passage highlights the trinitarian involvement
Speaker 1: and the distribution and operation of spiritual gifts, emphasizing that
Speaker 1: while the gifts are diverse, they originate from the same
Speaker 1: divine source. Types of gifts. Paul enumerates various gifts in
Speaker 1: his epistles, which include, but are not limited to, wisdom
Speaker 1: and knowledge, gifts that involve the ability to understand and
Speaker 1: apply God's truth and practical ways. On Corinthians twelve, verse eight.
Speaker 1: Faith a special endowment of trust in God's beyond the
Speaker 1: ordinary measure of faith. One Corinthians twelve, verse nine. Healing
Speaker 1: and miracles. Gifts that manifest God's power and physical and
Speaker 1: supernatural ways. One Corinthians twelve, verses nine through ten. Prophecy
Speaker 1: the ability to spe seek forth God's message, often with
Speaker 1: an element of foretelling Verse Corinthians twelve, verse ten and
Speaker 1: Romans twelve verse six. Discernment the capacity to distinguish between
Speaker 1: spirits and to recognize truth from air on Corinthians twelve,
Speaker 1: verse ten. Tongues and interpretation the ability to speak in
Speaker 1: and interpret languages unknown to the speaker Verse Corinthians twelve,
Speaker 1: verse ten. Service and teaching gifts that involve practical help
Speaker 1: and the instructions of others in the faith. Romans twelve
Speaker 1: verse seven. Exhortation giving leadership and mercy. Gifts that support
Speaker 1: and build up the community through encouragement, generosity, and guidance, generosity,
Speaker 1: guidance and compassion Romans twelve, verse eight. So the purpose
Speaker 1: and function function the diversity of gifts serves several purposes
Speaker 1: within the church. Ephesians four eleven through thirteen states And
Speaker 1: it is he who gave some of the apostles, some
Speaker 1: of the prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors, teachers,
Speaker 1: to equip the saints for works in ministry and the
Speaker 1: bid of the Body of Christ, until we all reach
Speaker 1: unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son
Speaker 1: of God, as we mature to the full measure of
Speaker 1: the stature of Christ. Here the gifts are seen as
Speaker 1: tools for equipping believers, fostering unity and promoting spiritual maturity.
Speaker 1: Unity in diversity. While the gifts are diverse, they are
Speaker 1: intended to work in harmony. One Corinthias twelve, verses twelve
Speaker 1: through fourteen illustrates this with the metaphor of the body,
Speaker 1: which we talked about earlier. The body is a unit.
Speaker 1: Though it is compromised of many parts, and through its
Speaker 1: parts are many, they all form one body. So it
Speaker 1: is with Christ, for in one spirit we were all
Speaker 1: baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks labor free.
Speaker 1: We are all given one spirit to drink. This passage
Speaker 1: emphasizes that each believer, regardless of their specific gift, is
Speaker 1: an integral part of the whole, contributing to the church's
Speaker 1: overall mission and health. Stewardship and accountability, Believers are called
Speaker 1: to be faithful stewards of their gifts. One Peter four
Speaker 1: verse ten instructs as God's stewards of the manifold grace
Speaker 1: of God, each of you should use whatever gift he
Speaker 1: has received to serve one another. This stewardship involves recognizing
Speaker 1: one's gift, developing them, and using them in service to others,
Speaker 1: always with the aim of glorifying God and advancing His kingdom. Conclusion,
Speaker 1: the diversity of gifts is a testament to the creativity
Speaker 1: and generosity of the Holy Spirit, who equips the church
Speaker 1: with everything necessary for its mission. Each believer is encouraged
Speaker 1: to discover and utilize their unique gifts, contributing to the
Speaker 1: unity and growth of the Body of Christ. Outright very important,
Speaker 1: and then in verse fourteen that we should no longer
Speaker 1: be children tossed to and fro and carried about in
Speaker 1: every wind of doction by trickery of men and the
Speaker 1: cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. So Paul calls the church
Speaker 1: to grow in maturity, attaining the whole measure of the
Speaker 1: fullness of Christ a Pheesian four, verse thirteen. This maturity
Speaker 1: helps believers avoid being tossed by the waves and carried
Speaker 1: around by every wind of teaching. And let's go a
Speaker 1: little deeper into that. Maturity in faith is a significant
Speaker 1: theme throughout the Bible, reflecting the believer's journey towards spiritual
Speaker 1: growth and deeper understanding of God's will. It involves developing
Speaker 1: a christ like character, increasing in wisdom, and living a
Speaker 1: life that reflects the teaching and scripture. Definitely, a christ
Speaker 1: Like character is needed throughout the whole entire world. The
Speaker 1: concept of maturity and faith is rooted in the New Testament,
Speaker 1: where believers are encouraged to grow beyond the elementary teachings
Speaker 1: of Christianity and to strive for spiritual completeness. In Hebrew six,
Speaker 1: verse one, the author exhorts, therefore, let us leave the
Speaker 1: elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not
Speaker 1: laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and
Speaker 1: or faith in God. The passagihlits the need for believers
Speaker 1: to progress on their spiritual journey, moving beyond the basics
Speaker 1: to a more profound understanding and application of their faith.
Speaker 1: What are some of the characteristics of maturity so we know?
Speaker 1: Discernment and wisdom. Mature believers are characterized by their ability
Speaker 1: to discern good from evil and make wise decisions. Hebrews five,
Speaker 1: verse fourteen states, but solid food is for the mature, who,
Speaker 1: by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good
Speaker 1: from evil. This discernment is cultivated through consistent engagement with
Speaker 1: the scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit. Number two
Speaker 1: steadfast in trials. Rtual maturity is often evidenced by a
Speaker 1: believer's ability to remain steadfast during trials and tribulations. James
Speaker 1: one two through four. Encourage of believers to consider it
Speaker 1: pure joy by brothers when you encounter trials in many kinds,
Speaker 1: because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Speaker 1: Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may
Speaker 1: be mature and complete and not lacking anything. Number three
Speaker 1: Unity and love. A mature faith is marked by unity
Speaker 1: within the body of Christ and love for others. Ephesians
Speaker 1: four thirteen through fifteen emphasizes the goal of reaching unity
Speaker 1: and faith and the knowledge of the Son of God
Speaker 1: as we mature to the full measure of the stature
Speaker 1: of Christ. This maturity is expressed through speaking the truth
Speaker 1: and love and growing in every way into Christ. Number
Speaker 1: four Fruit of the Spirit. The evidence a maturity has
Speaker 1: been seen in the manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Speaker 1: Galatians five twenty two through twenty three lists these attributes
Speaker 1: of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
Speaker 1: And make sure believer constantly exhibits these qualities in their
Speaker 1: daily life. You should probably write those down. They're very important.
Speaker 1: Just write down Galatians. Just write down Galatians five twenty
Speaker 1: two through twenty three, and it'll list all those attributes
Speaker 1: for you. Okay, next up, path to maturity. The journey
Speaker 1: to maturity and faith involves intentional practices and disciplines. Regular
Speaker 1: study of the Bible, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and
Speaker 1: active participation in the life of church are essential components.
Speaker 1: So this Bible study that we have right now, good prayer,
Speaker 1: also good fellowship with other believers, like if you have
Speaker 1: a church that you go to, then that's fellowship with
Speaker 1: other believers, okay. Or if you have a Bible study
Speaker 1: you go to that's actually in person, that's fellowship with
Speaker 1: other believers. And then active participation in the life of
Speaker 1: the church are central components. Colossians one, twenty eight through
Speaker 1: twenty nine. Underscore is a role of teaching and adamination,
Speaker 1: and this admonition. In this process we proclaim him admonishing
Speaker 1: and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may
Speaker 1: be present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end, I
Speaker 1: labor striving with His energy working powerful within me. And
Speaker 1: then challenges to maturity. Despite the call to maturity, believers
Speaker 1: often face challenges that can hinder their growth. Worldly distractions,
Speaker 1: spiritual complacency, and false teachings are common obstacles. The apostle
Speaker 1: Paul warns in one Corinthians three, verses one through three
Speaker 1: about remaining infants in Christ due to jealousy and strife,
Speaker 1: urging believers to move beyond such immaturity. In summary, maturity
Speaker 1: and faith is a dynamic and ongoing promise, ongoing process
Speaker 1: that requires dedication, community support, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1: It is the pursuit of becoming more like Christ, reflecting
Speaker 1: his character and living out his teachings and every aspect
Speaker 1: of life. All right, perfect, So that's everything I have
Speaker 1: for that. Let me just go over. A brief description
Speaker 1: of verses seven through sixteen. Ephesians four seven through sixteen
Speaker 1: explains that Christ gives believers spiritual gifts like apostles, prophets
Speaker 1: teachers to equip them for ministry, building up the church
Speaker 1: to spiritual maturity, unity, and faith, and becoming more like Christ,
Speaker 1: growing in love and not being easily swayed by false teachings.
Speaker 1: This passage contrasts worldly growth methods with God's plan. Christ
Speaker 1: the Head empowers each joint believer to work, allowing the
Speaker 1: whole body to grow and build itself up in love,
Speaker 1: functioning properly with him. Christ ascending gifts, and Verses seven
Speaker 1: through ten, Jesus after ascending, gives gifts to people. This
Speaker 1: is likened to conquering king to a conquering king king
Speaker 1: distributing spoils, showing Christ's triumph and generosity, and empowering his church.
Speaker 1: Purpose of gifts Verses eleven through twelve specific leaders, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers,
Speaker 1: are given to equip the saints all believers for service,
Speaker 1: not to be served, for the church can be built
Speaker 1: goal maturity and unity. In Verses thirteen through fifteen, the
Speaker 1: aim is for believers to reach a unified faith, full
Speaker 1: knowledge of Christ and spiritual maturity, mature manhood, preventing immunity
Speaker 1: and maturity and being tossed by false doctrines, speaking truth
Speaker 1: and love. Believers are to grow by speaking truth and love,
Speaker 1: becoming more like Christ in every way. Who is the
Speaker 1: head that's in verse fifteen and in verse sixteen. Body
Speaker 1: growth through love. The entire body, joined and held together
Speaker 1: by every joint, grows as each part works properly, building
Speaker 1: yourself up in love with Christ as the source of
Speaker 1: this growth. And then God gives different spiritual abilities gifts
Speaker 1: to everyone in the church. Leaders use their gifts to
Speaker 1: train all members to use their gifts. This makes the
Speaker 1: whole church strong, unified, mature and loving, so they can
Speaker 1: stand firm and grow like a healthy body where every
Speaker 1: part functions under Christ's headship. All right, very interesting stuff,
Speaker 1: and let's go ahead and go with the new man,
Speaker 1: is what the title says. This I say, therefore testify
Speaker 1: in the Lord that you should no longer walk as
Speaker 1: the rest of the Giles walk, and the futility of
Speaker 1: their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the
Speaker 1: life of God because of the ignorance that is in them,
Speaker 1: because of the blindness in their heart, who, being past feeling,
Speaker 1: have given themselves over to lewdness to work all uncleanliness
Speaker 1: and greediness verse twenty. But you have not learned, You
Speaker 1: have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard
Speaker 1: Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth
Speaker 1: is in Jesus, that you put off concerning your former conduct,
Speaker 1: the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful LUs,
Speaker 1: and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and
Speaker 1: that you put on the new man, which is created
Speaker 1: according to God, in true righteousness and holiness, so living
Speaker 1: a new life. The chapter contrasts the old self with
Speaker 1: the new self, urging levers to put off your former
Speaker 1: way of life and be renewed in the spirit of
Speaker 1: your minds a. Phesians four, verse twenty two through twenty three.
Speaker 1: The transformation is marked by righteousness and holiness. Living a
Speaker 1: new life is a central theme in Christian theology, emphasizing
Speaker 1: the transformation that occurs when an individual. When an individual
Speaker 1: accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. This transformation
Speaker 1: is not merely sorry. This transformation is not merely a
Speaker 1: change in behavior, but a profound spiritual rebirth that affects
Speaker 1: every aspect of a believer's life. The Bible provides extensive life.
Speaker 1: The Bible provides extensive guidance on what it means to
Speaker 1: live this new life, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit,
Speaker 1: the importance of sanctification, and the call to live in
Speaker 1: a accordance to God's will. And while the journey of
Speaker 1: living a new life in Christ is ongoing and requires
Speaker 1: daily commitment, the assurance of God's presence and the empowerment
Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit provide believers with the strength to
Speaker 1: preserve through faith and obedience. Christians are called to reflect
Speaker 1: the image of Christ living as new creations in the
Speaker 1: world that desperately needs the hope and redemption found in Him.
Speaker 1: And you can find the biblical foundation for this is
Speaker 1: in Two Corinthians five, verse seventeen, where Paul declares, Therefore,
Speaker 1: if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
Speaker 1: The old has passed away. Behold the New has come.
Speaker 1: This verse encapsulates the essence of the new life, indicating
Speaker 1: a complete renewal of the individual through Christ and then
Speaker 1: regeneration of the Holy Spirit can be found in John
Speaker 1: three to three, where Jesus tells Nicodemus, truly, Truly, I
Speaker 1: tell you, no one can see the King them of
Speaker 1: God unless he is born again. This spiritual rebirth is
Speaker 1: facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who in dwells believers and
Speaker 1: empowers them to live according to God's purposes, and the
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in guiding and sustaining
Speaker 1: the believer's new life. In Galatians five, verse sixteen, Paul instructs,
Speaker 1: so I say walk by this spirit, and you will
Speaker 1: not gratify the desires of the flesh. The spirit enables
Speaker 1: believers to overcome sinful desires and to cultivate the fruit
Speaker 1: of the Spirit, which includes joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
Speaker 1: and self control Galatians five, verses twenty two through twenty three,
Speaker 1: and then sanctification and holiness. Living a new life involves
Speaker 1: a process of sanctification where believers are progressively made holy
Speaker 1: through the work of the Holy Spirit. As Romans six
Speaker 1: to fourth states, and believers are called to be holy
Speaker 1: as God is holy First Peter one, fifteen through sixteen.
Speaker 1: This call to holiness is not really an external inherence
Speaker 1: to rules, but an internal transformation that reflects God's character.
Speaker 1: All right, So I just want you guys to know that,
Speaker 1: and that's perfect for my teaching points for that. So
Speaker 1: let me just go over a description of seventeen through
Speaker 1: twenty four. Ephesians seventeen through twenty four is a pivotal
Speaker 1: passage where Paul contrasts the futile, sin driven life of
Speaker 1: unbelievers the old self, with the new righteous life. Believers
Speaker 1: are called to live in Christ the new self. It
Speaker 1: urges Christians to stop living like the world characterized by
Speaker 1: darkened minds, deceitful desires, and spiritual apathy, and instead to
Speaker 1: put off their old sinful ways and put on the
Speaker 1: new self, which is renewed in understanding, to live in
Speaker 1: true righteousness and holiness, reflecting God's likeness by renewing their
Speaker 1: minds in Christ's truth. In Verses seventeen through nineteen, futility
Speaker 1: of mind believers, unbelievers walk in the worthlessness of their thinking,
Speaker 1: leading to confusion and darkness. Dark and understanding. Their minds
Speaker 1: are darkened, making them alienated from God's life, hardness of heart, ignorance,
Speaker 1: and a stubborn heartly to spiritual callernists call uness since
Speaker 1: since sensuality and greed, sensuality and greed they live themselves,
Speaker 1: they give themselves over to impurity, greed, and self gratification,
Speaker 1: seeking satisfaction and temporary, deceptive things. The call to change
Speaker 1: not how you learn to Christ, So in Verses twenty
Speaker 1: through twenty four, a call to change this sinful way
Speaker 1: is not the path of true believers who have learned Christ,
Speaker 1: but off the old self. You must discard your former lifestyle,
Speaker 1: which is corrupted by deceitful desires, renew your mind, be
Speaker 1: continually transformed in the spirit of your mind Romans twelve two.
Speaker 1: And then put on the new self. Clothe yourself and
Speaker 1: the new way of life, created to be like God
Speaker 1: in true righteousness and holiness. So the core meaning of
Speaker 1: this seventeen through twenty four. Paul commands believers to consciously
Speaker 1: separate from the world, separate from the corrupt ways of
Speaker 1: the world by renewing their minds with Christ's truth, enabling
Speaker 1: them to actively live out the new holy identity they
Speaker 1: have in him. It's a call the spiritual transformation from
Speaker 1: a life of futility to one of purpose and godliness. Okay, perfect,
Speaker 1: Now we have Verses twenty five through thirty two. It says,
Speaker 1: do not grieve the spirit. Do not grieve the spirit.
Speaker 1: Verse twenty five says, therefore, putting away lying, let each
Speaker 1: one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we
Speaker 1: are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin.
Speaker 1: Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
Speaker 1: nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole
Speaker 1: steal no longer, but rather let him labor working with
Speaker 1: his hands. What is good that he may have something
Speaker 1: to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word
Speaker 1: proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
Speaker 1: necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Speaker 1: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by
Speaker 1: whom you are sealed for the day of redemption. Let
Speaker 1: all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put
Speaker 1: away from you with all malice, and be kind to
Speaker 1: one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in
Speaker 1: Christ forgave you just a bunch of information that that's
Speaker 1: so vastly important right in twenty five through thirty two.
Speaker 1: So twenty five through thirty two is a New Testament
Speaker 1: call for Christians to live out their new identity in
Speaker 1: Christ by replacing old self sinful behaviors with actions reflecting
Speaker 1: God's character, emphasizing honesty, managing anger, wholesome speech, and capassionate forgiveness,
Speaker 1: all to build up the church as members of one body,
Speaker 1: imitating God's own kindness and forgiveness in Christ. And contrast
Speaker 1: the old self lying, bitterness, malice with the new self truth, kindness, forgiveness,
Speaker 1: urging believers to be transformed by God's grace to reflect him.
Speaker 1: So some of the key things we need to pay
Speaker 1: attention to is put away falsehood and verse twenty five.
Speaker 1: Since believers are connected as one body, they must speak
Speaker 1: truthfully with each other, rejecting lies that damage unity. Manage
Speaker 1: anger Verses twenty six through twenty seven. Be angry, but
Speaker 1: do not sin. Don't let anger fester as it gives
Speaker 1: the devil an opportunity honest work and generosity. In verse
Speaker 1: twenty eight, thieves should stop stealing and start working, using
Speaker 1: their earnings to help those in need, demonstrating generosity, build
Speaker 1: up with words verse twenty nine. Speech should be edifying,
Speaker 1: grace filled, and appropriate, not corrupting or foul. Don't grieve
Speaker 1: the spirit verse thirty These negative behaviors, grieve the Holy
Speaker 1: Spirit who steals believers. Verse thirty one is remote, Remove
Speaker 1: bitterness and malice. Give rid of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor,
Speaker 1: slander and malice, and then be kind and forgiving. In
Speaker 1: Verse thirty two, the core of the New life is
Speaker 1: to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to others, just as
Speaker 1: God has forgiven you. So the context, the meaning and
Speaker 1: context the passage contrast the darkness and futility of the
Speaker 1: unbelieving world with the bright, transformative life life in Christ.
Speaker 1: Urge your believers to actively put off the old ways
Speaker 1: and put on the new self, making their conduct a
Speaker 1: clear showcase of God's saving power. Amen. All right, cool,
Speaker 1: now we have We're done with chapter four. We have
Speaker 1: some practical applications to go through. We have pursue unity
Speaker 1: as the first one. Actively seek to maintain unity in
Speaker 1: your church community by practicing humility, gentleness, and patience and
Speaker 1: your interactions with others. Number two, identify and use your gifts.
Speaker 1: Excuse me, reflect on your spiritual gifts God has given
Speaker 1: you and find ways to use them to serve and
Speaker 1: build up their church. Definitely, that's very important. You know,
Speaker 1: just kind of go through and pray to God and
Speaker 1: just you know, ask for the Holy Spirit to show
Speaker 1: you these gifts you know, and pray about it and
Speaker 1: see which gifts that you have and use them. Once
Speaker 1: you know you have it, use it to build up
Speaker 1: the church, build up the Body of Christ. Commit to
Speaker 1: spiritual growth. Engage in regular Bible study, prayer and fellowship
Speaker 1: to grow in your understanding and application of God's word.
Speaker 1: Seems like we're doing that now if you guys are
Speaker 1: involved in this Bible study. Perfect, You're under way, prayer,
Speaker 1: fellowship to grow your understanding and the application of God's Word.
Speaker 1: We're doing that right now. So this is perfect. Embrace
Speaker 1: a new lifestyle, evaluate areas of your life that need transformation,
Speaker 1: and commit to living in a way that reflects your
Speaker 1: new identity in Christ. Perfect all right. So additional scriptures
Speaker 1: that connect we have unity Psalms one thirty three, Verse one,
Speaker 1: How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together
Speaker 1: in harmony. Spiritual gifts in one Corinthians twelve verses four
Speaker 1: through seven. There are different gifts, but the same spirit.
Speaker 1: If you want to read through those Hebrews mature Hebrews five,
Speaker 1: verse fourteen. But solid food is for the mature, who
Speaker 1: are who by constant use have trained their senses to
Speaker 1: distinguish good from evil and new life tewo Corinthians five,
Speaker 1: verse seventeen. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is
Speaker 1: a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the
Speaker 1: new has come perfect. That's the last one. Now we're
Speaker 1: in Ephesians verse five. All right, so we're moving right
Speaker 1: along here, making great timing. See how long we have?
Speaker 2: Okay we alrighty, So let me just find Apheesians five.
Speaker 1: Okay, here we go. So Apheesian five introduction. Apheesians five
Speaker 1: continues paul exhortation on Christian living, focusing on love, light,
Speaker 1: and wisdom, and a profound conclusion. The chapter applies these
Speaker 1: teachings to marriage, drawing a parallel between the relationship of
Speaker 1: husbands and wives and christ relationship with the Church. And uh,
Speaker 1: let me go to my teaching themes teaching points perfect.
Speaker 1: All right, So now we're gonna read verses one through six.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna have some notes for one, and then also
Speaker 1: Pheasans two. Right, So here we go. So walk in
Speaker 1: love is the title. It says, Therefore, be imitators of
Speaker 1: God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ
Speaker 1: also loved us and given himself for us an offering
Speaker 1: and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. But
Speaker 1: fornication and all uncleanliness, all uncleanness or covetousness, let it
Speaker 1: not even be named among you as is fitting for saints,
Speaker 1: neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are
Speaker 1: not fitting, but rather given of thanks. For this you
Speaker 1: know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covets this man
Speaker 1: who is an idolatry, has any inheritance in the kingdom
Speaker 1: of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with
Speaker 1: empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of
Speaker 1: God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not
Speaker 1: be partakers with them. Strong words here, right, very strong words.
Speaker 1: So let's check the first part out Ephesians five, verse one.
Speaker 1: It says, be imitators of God. Therefore, as beloved children,
Speaker 1: we are called to reflect God's character in our actions
Speaker 1: and relationships. All right, all relationships with other people, with
Speaker 1: your wife, everything okay, with your children, and everything it says.
Speaker 1: Imitating God refers to the act of emulating the character, actions,
Speaker 1: and attributes of God as revealed in the Scriptures. The
Speaker 1: concept is central to Christian ethics and spiritual growth, as
Speaker 1: believers are called to reflect God's holiness, love, and righteousness
Speaker 1: in their daily lives. Biblical foundation, The call to imitate
Speaker 1: God is explicitly stated in the Phesians five verses one
Speaker 1: through two. Be imitators of God therefore, as beloved children,
Speaker 1: and walk in love, just as Christ loved us, gave
Speaker 1: himself for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
Speaker 1: This passage underscores the importance of love as the primary
Speaker 1: attribute to emulate, modeling perfectly by Jesus. Christ attributes to
Speaker 1: imitate holiness. One Peter one fifteen through sixteen exhorts believers,
Speaker 1: but just as he who called you to be holy,
Speaker 1: so be holy in all you do, for it is written,
Speaker 1: be holy because I am holy. Holiness involves being said
Speaker 1: apart for God's purposes and living a life that is
Speaker 1: morally pure and dedicated to His service. Number two is
Speaker 1: love as seen in the Pheesians five verses one through two.
Speaker 1: Love is central to imitating God. First John four seven
Speaker 1: through eight further emphasizes beloved, Let us love one another
Speaker 1: because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been
Speaker 1: born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love
Speaker 1: does not know God. Because God is love, Mercy and forgiveness.
Speaker 1: Luke six is number three is mercy and forgiveness. Luke
Speaker 1: six thirty six instructs be merciful, just as your Father
Speaker 1: is merciful. Similarly, of Pheesians four thirty two encourages believers
Speaker 1: to be kind and tender hearted to one another, forgiving
Speaker 1: each other just as Christ forgave you. Number four righteousness
Speaker 1: and justice. Psalms eleven, verse seven declares for the Lord
Speaker 1: is righteous, he loves justice. The upright will see his face.
Speaker 1: Believers are called to pursue justice and righteousness, and their
Speaker 1: interactions with others reflecting God's own commitment to these principles.
Speaker 1: Practical application imitating God involved imitate God. Imitating God involves
Speaker 1: both internal transformation and external actions. Romans twelve, verses two,
Speaker 1: verse two advisors do not be conformed to this world,
Speaker 1: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. This
Speaker 1: transformation is facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who empowers believers
Speaker 1: to live according to God's will. We have prayer and scripture,
Speaker 1: regular prayer and study. We have community and fellowship. Engaging
Speaker 1: with a community of believers provide support and accountability. Then
Speaker 1: we have service and sacrifice. Following Christ's example of service
Speaker 1: and sacrifice is a tangible way to imitate God. Philippians
Speaker 1: two five through seven reminds believers, let us mind. Let
Speaker 1: this mind be in you, which was also in Christ. Jesus,
Speaker 1: who existed in the form of God, did not consider
Speaker 1: equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself
Speaker 1: taking the form of a servant, being made in human
Speaker 1: likeness challenges and encouragement. Imitating God is a lifelong journey
Speaker 1: so that we all know this right that involves overcoming
Speaker 1: personal weakness, says, and temptations of the world. However, believers
Speaker 1: are encouraged by the promise of God's presence and assistance.
Speaker 1: Philippians four, verse thirteen. I can do all things through
Speaker 1: Christ who strengthens us. It says here I can do
Speaker 1: all things to Christ who gives me strength. Additionally, two
Speaker 1: Corinthians three, verse eighteen offers hope, stating and we who
Speaker 1: are unveiled faces, all un unveiled faces, all reflect the
Speaker 1: glory of the Lord, are being transformed into his image
Speaker 1: with intensifying glory which comes from the Lord, who is in,
Speaker 1: who is the Spirit. Okay, so that's all about imitating God.
Speaker 1: Next is walking in love. In verse two, it says
Speaker 1: walk in love. Right, So for we were once walk
Speaker 1: in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself
Speaker 1: for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God Ephesians
Speaker 1: five to two. Our love should be sacrificial and selfless,
Speaker 1: mirroring Christ's love for us. So walking in love is
Speaker 1: a central theme central Tenet and the Christian living, emphasizing
Speaker 1: the practice of love as a continuous, active, intentional way
Speaker 1: of life. It involves embodying the love of Christ and
Speaker 1: daily interactions, decisions, and relationships. This concept is rooted in
Speaker 1: the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles, who highlighted love
Speaker 1: is the fulfillment of the law and the hallmark of
Speaker 1: true discipleship and Ephesians five, verse two. The command of
Speaker 1: walk in love is explicitly stated the verse underscores the
Speaker 1: sacrificial nature of love, modeled by Christ's own life and death.
Speaker 1: Walking and love involves selflessness, humility, and a commitment to
Speaker 1: well being of others. What is the Old Testament back
Speaker 1: on for walking and love. It's not directly found in
Speaker 1: the Old Testament, but the concept is deeply embedded in
Speaker 1: the law of the and the prophets. Leviticus nineteen eighteen
Speaker 1: commands do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against
Speaker 1: any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.
Speaker 1: I am the Lord. This commandment is foundational to the
Speaker 1: Jewish understanding of ethical behavior and is reiterated by Jesus
Speaker 1: in the New Testament. The New Testament expands on the
Speaker 1: Old Testament called to love, with Jesus identifying love as
Speaker 1: the greatest commandment. Matthew twent thirty seven through thirty nine states,
Speaker 1: love the Lord with all your heart, and with all
Speaker 1: your soul, and with all your mind. This is the
Speaker 1: first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it,
Speaker 1: Love your neighbor as yourself. These commandments and CAP's the
Speaker 1: essence of walking and love. Paul also talks about walking
Speaker 1: and love in Romans thirteen, verse eight through ten. Let
Speaker 1: no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love
Speaker 1: one another. For whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
Speaker 1: The commandments are summed up in one command. Love your neighbor,
Speaker 1: is yourself loved, is not harmed to a neighbor. So
Speaker 1: what's the conclusion? Walking and love is a dynamic and
Speaker 1: transformative journey that reflects the character of Christ. Is a
Speaker 1: call to live out the Gospel through acts of love,
Speaker 1: thereby bearing witness to the world of God's love and grace.
Speaker 1: Perfect all right, So let's go ahead and go over
Speaker 1: a brief description of Ephesians one through seven. Seasans one
Speaker 1: through seven means Christians should imitate God as a dearly
Speaker 1: loved children by walking in sacrificial, selfless love, just as
Speaker 1: Christ loved us, and give himself up for us as
Speaker 1: a pleasing offering. This involves living like children of light,
Speaker 1: avoiding darkness and purity and foolish talk, and instead being
Speaker 1: filled with the spirit for thankfulness and wise living, demonstrating
Speaker 1: God's character and all relationships. And Verse one says imitate
Speaker 1: God as God beloved children. Believers are called to mimic
Speaker 1: his loving character just as a child mimics their parent
Speaker 1: walk in love verse two. This isn't just feeling love,
Speaker 1: It's a deliberate sacrificial action, mirroring Christ's ultimate sacrifice on
Speaker 1: the cross, and then fragrant love in verse two. Christ's
Speaker 1: self giving love was a pleasing sacrifice to God, and
Speaker 1: our imitation of that love is also pleasing to him.
Speaker 1: Children of Light verses eight through nine. Christians were once darkness,
Speaker 1: but are now light, and the Lord must live according
Speaker 1: to shining God's light in the world. Eight and nine.
Speaker 1: I don't think we read yet, so I don't know
Speaker 1: why I say that, but I'm sorry. This means abstaining
Speaker 1: from sexual morality, impurity, greed, corrupt foolish talk, and coarse jesting, okay.
Speaker 1: And then in verse six it says, no part with wickedness.
Speaker 1: No one practicing these sins belongs to God or inherit
Speaker 1: this kingdom. Christians must not align with such behavior. And summary,
Speaker 1: Paul tells followers to actively live out their new identity
Speaker 1: in Christ by loving like God, speaking wisely, and separating
Speaker 1: from the world's darkness as empowered by the Holy Spirit,
Speaker 1: rather than just talking about faith. All right, there we
Speaker 1: go now let's go ahead and get into walk in
Speaker 1: the light. Walk in light. Sorry, it says, for you
Speaker 1: were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Speaker 1: Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the
Speaker 1: Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Finding out
Speaker 1: what is acceptable to the Lord. I'm trying to crack
Speaker 1: my neck, not working. And have no fellowship with the
Speaker 1: unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. But it
Speaker 1: is shameful even to speak of those things which are
Speaker 1: done by them in secret. But all things that are
Speaker 1: exposed are made manifest by the light. For whatever makes
Speaker 1: manifest is light. Therefore, he says, awake, you who sleep,
Speaker 1: arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. Wow.
Speaker 1: So this is a verse that I used to use
Speaker 1: for my podcast. It says, and have no fellowship with
Speaker 1: unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. And what
Speaker 1: I was doing with a lot of my shows on
Speaker 1: the conspiracy aspect of the show was I was felt
Speaker 1: like I was exposing darkness, right, So you know, when
Speaker 1: you're exposing the Freemasons and nine to eleven and all
Speaker 1: this other stuff, you know what I mean, That's kind
Speaker 1: of what I was really trying to do and I
Speaker 1: think cult the conspiracy is also trying to do that
Speaker 1: as well. But I think they put me here through God.
Speaker 1: Then God used me as a vessel here to lead
Speaker 1: the people to Christ that are on this show, because
Speaker 1: you can have no fruitful works and fruitful works of darkness,
Speaker 1: but rather expose them. Right, you could do that all
Speaker 1: day long. But if you never lead them to Christ,
Speaker 1: what happens is you're exposing the evil, and everybody starts
Speaker 1: feeling all confused, and they start feeling scared, and they
Speaker 1: start going down different rabbit holes, but they don't know
Speaker 1: spiritually what to do. You know, once you know that
Speaker 1: God wins in the end, and that God has your back,
Speaker 1: and that God is sovereign and he's involved in your life,
Speaker 1: and you could pray and you know you know that
Speaker 1: we wrestle not against flesh and blood or principalities of evil,
Speaker 1: which is in Apheesians six, which we're going to go
Speaker 1: over next chapter. Then you know that what's going on,
Speaker 1: and you start putting on the former of God and
Speaker 1: you're able to fight against this evil. But if you
Speaker 1: don't have the full armer of God, you don't have Jesus.
Speaker 1: You don't have God on your side, you don't not
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. What happens is, you know, then you start, uh,
Speaker 1: then you start having fruitful works with darkness, right Uh,
Speaker 1: you know, you start having I'm sorry, you start having
Speaker 1: unfruitful works with darkness. And that's that's what happens. Is
Speaker 1: you you have nowhere to go. You start getting in
Speaker 1: a new age and all these different teachings, and then
Speaker 1: you don't have discernment about anything, and and it's hard.
Speaker 1: I see it going on in the conspiracy community like
Speaker 1: crazy right now, you know. I mean there's a lot
Speaker 1: of people that are going through that. And there's people
Speaker 1: I've had on my show that I can literally tell,
Speaker 1: uh they don't have Jesus, you know, so they're they're
Speaker 1: just stuck in Uh. I don't want to talk bad
Speaker 1: about people, but they're you know, you know how it is.
Speaker 1: It's just they're they're they're gonna, they're gonna find Jesus.
Speaker 1: That's you know, Hopefully they find Jesus at some point,
Speaker 1: but I just feel like a lot of them will.
Speaker 1: But it's just they're so paranoid about conspiracies sometimes that
Speaker 1: they feel like the Bible is not true and all
Speaker 1: this other stuff. So I'm just glad that you guys
Speaker 1: are here right now listening, and you guys are following along,
Speaker 1: because that's what's important. We're here and that's amazing. So yeah,
Speaker 1: so let me just go over something real quick about
Speaker 1: the rejecting darkness. In verse eight, it says, for you
Speaker 1: were once darkness, but now you are light in the world.
Speaker 1: See what I was talking about right now. We were
Speaker 1: all once darkness, and that's what some of the people are.
Speaker 1: They're just slowly coming to the Bible and slowly coming
Speaker 1: to Christ. And I hope they come to Christ before
Speaker 1: they pass. You know, that's all we could do. We
Speaker 1: could just pray for them. But it says we must
Speaker 1: turn away from sinful behaviors and live in the light
Speaker 1: of God's truth, rejecting darkness. It's a biblical narrative. The
Speaker 1: concept of rejecting darkness is deeply intertwined with the theme
Speaker 1: of spiritual warfare, moral integrity, and the pursuit of divine truth. Darkness,
Speaker 1: often symbolizing sin, ignorance, and evil, stands in stark contrast
Speaker 1: to the light, which represents righteousness, knowledge, and the presence
Speaker 1: of God. The call to reject darkness as a re
Speaker 1: reoccurring exhortation throughout scripture, urging believers to turn away from
Speaker 1: sin and embrace the light of Christ. Right. The Old
Speaker 1: Testament frequently uses imagery of light and darkness to delineate
Speaker 1: between good and evil. God's first active creation is to
Speaker 1: command let there be light, separating light from darkness. As
Speaker 1: separation sets a preticin of the moral and spiritual dichotomy
Speaker 1: that unfolds throughout the biblical text. Psalms one nineteen one
Speaker 1: O five declares your word as a lamp to my
Speaker 1: feet and light to my path, suggesting that adherence to
Speaker 1: God's commandments is a means of rejecting darkness. Proverbs eighteen
Speaker 1: through nineteen contrasts the path of righteousness, which is light,
Speaker 1: is like the first gleam of dawn, and the way
Speaker 1: of the wicked, which is like dark the deep darkness
Speaker 1: and prophetic literature. Isaiah five twenty warns woe to those
Speaker 1: who call evil good and good evil, whose substitute darkness
Speaker 1: for light and the light for darkness. This underscores the
Speaker 1: moral confusion that arises when people abandon divine truth. Isaiah nine,
Speaker 1: verse two. The people walking in darkness have seen a
Speaker 1: great light on those living in the land of the
Speaker 1: shadow of death. A light has dawned. This messianic prophecy
Speaker 1: points to the coming of Christ, who would embody the
Speaker 1: ultimate rejection of darkness. And then in the New Testament
Speaker 1: we have John one four through five. In him was life,
Speaker 1: and that life was the light of men. The light
Speaker 1: shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Speaker 1: Jesus declares in On eight twelve. I am the light
Speaker 1: of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
Speaker 1: the darkness, but will have the light of life. Paul
Speaker 1: further elaborates on this in Ephesians five, verses eight to eleven,
Speaker 1: which we just read right. Spiritual warfare is going to
Speaker 1: be talked about in Apheesian six. I don't want to
Speaker 1: give any spoiler alerts practical application the call to reject darkness.
Speaker 1: Darkness is not merely theological, but demands practical application in
Speaker 1: the life of the believer. Romans thirteen twelve through fourteen
Speaker 1: exhorts the night is nearly over, the day has nearly
Speaker 1: the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside
Speaker 1: the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Speaker 1: Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not carousing
Speaker 1: and drunkentness, drunkenness, not in sexual morality and debauchery, not
Speaker 1: in dissension and jealousy. Instead your self and the Lord
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of
Speaker 1: the flesh. Conclusion, the biblical mandate to reject darkness is
Speaker 1: a call to live in the transformative light of Christ,
Speaker 1: to pursue holiness, and to engage in the spiritual battle
Speaker 1: against evil. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers
Speaker 1: are empowered to overcome darkness and reflect the light of
Speaker 1: God's truth in a world often shrouded in spiritual obscurity.
Speaker 1: All right, perfect, there we go, So let me go
Speaker 1: over a brief description of eighteen or eight through fourteen.
Speaker 1: Here Ephesians eight through fourteen is they call for Christians
Speaker 1: to live as children of light, contrast contrasting their new
Speaker 1: identity in Christ with their former darkness, urging them to
Speaker 1: produce the fruit of light, goodness, righteousness, and truth, discern
Speaker 1: God's will, and actively expose the shame of evil deeds
Speaker 1: by bringing them into the light rather than participating in them.
Speaker 1: It emphasizes a transformed transformed to life, moving from spiritual
Speaker 1: deadness darkness to spiritual life light, where Christ's presence awakens
Speaker 1: and illuminates individuals from darkness to light. Believers were once darkness.
Speaker 1: Believers were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord.
Speaker 1: A start transformation, demanding a different way of living, walking
Speaker 1: as children of light, live out the goodness, righteousness and
Speaker 1: truth that define you, discerning what pleases God, fruit of
Speaker 1: the light. This isn't just about avoiding evil, but actively
Speaker 1: producing positive qualities like goodness, righteousness, and truth, which are
Speaker 1: the natural result of living in God's light and exposing
Speaker 1: the works of darkness. Instead of joining in sinful act
Speaker 1: sexual morality, impurity, coarse joking, believers should confront and reveal
Speaker 1: them because when exposed to the light, these deeds lose
Speaker 1: their power and are shown for who they are. Awake,
Speaker 1: o Sleeper. The passage ends with a powerful call to
Speaker 1: spiritual awakening, urging this spiritually dormant to arise from the dead,
Speaker 1: allowing Christ to shine on them, a call often delivered
Speaker 1: through the preaching of the Gospel simple terms. Paul tells Christians,
Speaker 1: you were spiritually dark, but now your light through Jesus.
Speaker 1: So like live like it by doing good, being truthful,
Speaker 1: and finding out what God likes. Don't join in shameful
Speaker 1: secret sins. Instead, shine your light on them so they
Speaker 1: are seen and defeated, and call others to wake up
Speaker 1: in this light too, because darkness can't stand against it.
Speaker 1: Great stuff, Great stuff, all right. Next up we have
Speaker 1: walk and wisdom. Verse fifteen says, see then that your
Speaker 1: walk circumspectively, circumspectully, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming
Speaker 1: the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not
Speaker 1: be unwise, but understand that the will of the Lord is.
Speaker 1: And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dispation,
Speaker 1: but be filled with the spirit, speaking to one another
Speaker 1: in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing, making melody
Speaker 1: in your heart to the Lord, giving always, giving thanks
Speaker 1: always for the things of God and Father in the
Speaker 1: name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another
Speaker 1: in the fear of God. All right. So this is
Speaker 1: basically talking about wisdom and understanding, okay, in verses fifteen
Speaker 1: through sixteen. So be careful then how you live, not
Speaker 1: as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.
Speaker 1: Because the days are evil, we are encouraged to live
Speaker 1: wisely and purposely. Right. So, in the Biblical context, wisdom
Speaker 1: and understanding are closely related, yet distant concept distinct concepts.
Speaker 1: Wisdom is often described as the ability to apply knowledge
Speaker 1: and insight to make sound decisions and live a life
Speaker 1: that aligns with God's will. Understanding, on the other hand,
Speaker 1: involves comprehending and discerning the deeper meaning of knowledge and situations.
Speaker 1: Both are highly valued in scripture and seen as gifts
Speaker 1: from God. Right, So if you have wisdom, that's a
Speaker 1: gift from God. Understanding is also a gift from God.
Speaker 1: It's not always easy to read through the scriptures and
Speaker 1: understand them, believe me. Like sometimes I'm trying to do
Speaker 1: that on the fly and it doesn't work that well.
Speaker 1: That's why I have all these notes, because I'm not
Speaker 1: the greatest that understanding. When I like my reading, comprehension
Speaker 1: is good sometimes, and sometimes God gives me the ability
Speaker 1: to understand things like for some reason I grasp like
Speaker 1: the understanding of like cosmology or stir like Genesis, like
Speaker 1: really well, but sometimes when I get into Leviticus, there's
Speaker 1: some other things I don't comprehend it as well. So
Speaker 1: understanding is a gift from God, and wisdom is also
Speaker 1: a gift God. It's often described as the ability to
Speaker 1: apply knowledge and insight. Right, So, I don't feel like
Speaker 1: I have wisdom, but I feel like that God did
Speaker 1: bless me. I'm not trying to boast, brag or anything
Speaker 1: of the sort, but I do believe that God blessed
Speaker 1: me with the ability to teach and preach, not as
Speaker 1: much preach, but more teach, you know, but preach still,
Speaker 1: you know. But God blessed me with that, you know.
Speaker 1: And I think you guys all have this these different
Speaker 1: these different gifts that we've been talking about here, right, So,
Speaker 1: but yeah, I'm I'm good at like when I have notes,
Speaker 1: like I don't know if you guys noticed, when I
Speaker 1: first came on Cult Conspiracy, I had a whole bunch
Speaker 1: of notes that I went through right verse by verse study.
Speaker 1: I like to do that. And then when I came
Speaker 1: on the second time, I had all these different verses
Speaker 1: I like to go through. And then I don't know
Speaker 1: if I came on on third time or for what
Speaker 1: I was only on twice. I think I did Nefhinitely,
Speaker 1: we're Hell located. And I think I did biblical cosmology.
Speaker 1: I think I was on twice. But anyways, yeah, I
Speaker 1: always like to have notes. That's why I try to
Speaker 1: do this with the study, you know. But just what
Speaker 1: the conclusion for the wisdom and understanding. While wisdom and
Speaker 1: understanding our gifts from God, they require active pursuit and
Speaker 1: application through prayer, study of scripture, and alliance on the
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Believers are Believers can grow in wisdom and understanding,
Speaker 1: leading lives that honor God and reflect His truth. Okay,
Speaker 1: all right, and can I read verse eighteen? Yet, yes,
Speaker 1: I did so? And not do not be drunk with wine? Okay,
Speaker 1: that's what it says. So spirit filled living. It says,
Speaker 1: do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead,
Speaker 1: be filled with the spirit. If he's in five to eight,
Speaker 1: our lives should be guided by the Holy Spirit, leading
Speaker 1: to righteousness and godly living. What does a spirit filled
Speaker 1: life look like? A spirit filled living refers to the
Speaker 1: Christian life that is empowered, guided, and characterized by the
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit and involves a continuous and dynamic relationship with
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, who dwells believers, enabling them to live
Speaker 1: in accordance with God's will and to manifest the fruit
Speaker 1: of the Spirit in their daily lives. The concept of
Speaker 1: spirit filled living is rooted in the New Testament, where
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit plays a central role in the life
Speaker 1: of believers. Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit
Speaker 1: to his disciples, as recorded in John fourteen, Verse sixteen
Speaker 1: through seven, and seventeen through seven. Sixteen and seventeen, It says,
Speaker 1: and I will ask the Father, and he will give
Speaker 1: you another advocate to be with you forever, the Spirit
Speaker 1: of Truth. The world cannot receive him because it never
Speaker 1: sees him nor knows him. But you do know him,
Speaker 1: for he abides with you and will be in you. Wow.
Speaker 1: The day of Pentecost marks the fulfilled moment of the promise,
Speaker 1: has described in Acts two four and they were filled
Speaker 1: with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
Speaker 1: tongues as a spirit enable them. This event signifies the
Speaker 1: beginning of the spirit filled life of the Early Church
Speaker 1: and sets a precedent for all believers. Some of the
Speaker 1: characteristics of a characteristics of a spirit filled living would
Speaker 1: be empower empowerment for witnessing. The Holy Spirit empowers believers
Speaker 1: to be effective witnesses for Christ and Acts one. Verse eight.
Speaker 1: It states, but you will receive power with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1: Come when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you
Speaker 1: will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judaea
Speaker 1: and Samaria to the ends of the earth. Number two
Speaker 1: is guidance and wisdom, which we talked about earlier. The
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit provides guidance and wisdom to believers, helping them
Speaker 1: discern God's will. Romans eighth, verse fourteen says for all
Speaker 1: who are led by the Spirit of God or sons
Speaker 1: of God. Number three manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit.
Speaker 1: Spiritfuel living is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit,
Speaker 1: as outlined in Galatians five twenty two through twenty three,
Speaker 1: which it talks about. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
Speaker 1: and self control. Against such things there is no law.
Speaker 1: And then number four victory over sin. The Holy Spirit
Speaker 1: empowers believers to overcome sin and live a holy life.
Speaker 1: Romans eight thirteen states for if you live according to
Speaker 1: the flesh, you will die. But if you live by
Speaker 1: this spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body,
Speaker 1: and you will live. Number five is spiritual gifts. The
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is still spiritual gifts upon believers for the
Speaker 1: edification of the Church. One Corinthians twelve, verse seven notes
Speaker 1: now to each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is
Speaker 1: given for the common good. All right. In conclusion. Spiritfel
Speaker 1: living is a dynamic and transformative aspect of the Christian life,
Speaker 1: marked by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1: It involves a daily surrender to the spirit's leading, resulting
Speaker 1: in a life that reflects the character of Christ and
Speaker 1: advances his kingdom on earth. Okay, so let's go ahead
Speaker 1: and go back perfect and I'll go over a quick
Speaker 1: summary of verses fifteen through twenty one. Okay, So Ephesians
Speaker 1: five fifteen through twenty one means Christians should live wisely
Speaker 1: and deliberately, not foolishly, making the most of their time
Speaker 1: in a difficult world, being filled with the Holy Spirit
Speaker 1: instead of drunkenness, which leads to joyful spirit led singing, thankfulness,
Speaker 1: and mutual submission within God's family. It's a call to
Speaker 1: be alert, understanding God's will and apply his word practically,
Speaker 1: showing wisdom through actions that honor him. In verse fifteen,
Speaker 1: walk wisely play, pay close attention to how you live,
Speaker 1: acting with care and purpose, not thoughtlessly like a fool,
Speaker 1: and verse sixteen, redeem the time. Seize opportunity. As the
Speaker 1: present days are evil, make wise choices that honor God
Speaker 1: with the time he gives you verse seventeen. To understand
Speaker 1: God's will, don't be foolish our spirits the unaware. Instead,
Speaker 1: strive to comprehend and live out what the Lord wants
Speaker 1: and verse eighteen be filled with the spirit. This is
Speaker 1: the core instruction, contrasting with being drunk on wine. It's
Speaker 1: a continuous state of being controlled by the Holy Spirit,
Speaker 1: leading to a vibrant, spilled, spirit filled life. In Verse nineteen,
Speaker 1: sing and give thanks. The spirit filled life expresses itself
Speaker 1: in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs filled with constant thanksgiving
Speaker 1: to God. And then in verse twenty on one submit
Speaker 1: submit to one another in the context of being filled
Speaker 1: that the spirit, believers should show mutual respect and submission,
Speaker 1: putting others' needs therefore before their own as an act
Speaker 1: of worship, which then leads then flows into specific instruction
Speaker 1: for families and latter verses all right, and next up
Speaker 1: we have marriage, Christ and the Church. We have about
Speaker 1: ten minutes to go over this. And this is this
Speaker 1: is some important infos so verse twenty two. This is
Speaker 1: a Pheesians five, Verse twenty two. Wives, submit to your
Speaker 1: own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is
Speaker 1: the head of the wife, as also Christ as the
Speaker 1: head of the church, and he is the savior of
Speaker 1: the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ,
Speaker 1: let the wives be their to their own husbands and
Speaker 1: everything right, So, husbands, love your wives, just as Christ
Speaker 1: also loved the church and gave himself for her, that
Speaker 1: he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of
Speaker 1: the water of the word sud. It says, cleanse her
Speaker 1: with the washing of the water of the word. That
Speaker 1: right there means that the husband needs to be the
Speaker 1: spiritual leader. It says, wife, submit to their own husbands
Speaker 1: as to the Lord. Okay, submit to your own husbands
Speaker 1: as to the Lord. Right like, submit to that to
Speaker 1: their own husbands, as you submit to the Lord. For
Speaker 1: the husbands is the head of the wife, as also
Speaker 1: Christ as the head of the church. He is the
Speaker 1: savior of the body. Therefore, just as the Church is
Speaker 1: subject to Christ. So let the wives be to their
Speaker 1: own husbands, and everything right. So you are to submit
Speaker 1: to your husbands as long as he's loving you like
Speaker 1: Christ love the Church, and he will give himself for you,
Speaker 1: like he will risk his life for you. You know, He
Speaker 1: gave himself for her, is what it says, right the Church,
Speaker 1: and gave himself for her that he he might sanctify
Speaker 1: cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.
Speaker 1: So it says, husbands, love your wife, says Christ also
Speaker 1: loved the Church and gave himself for her, that he
Speaker 1: might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the
Speaker 1: water of the word right, so that he might present
Speaker 1: her to himself a glorious church, not having spot a
Speaker 1: wrinkle to any such thing, but that she should be
Speaker 1: holy and without blimis. So husbands ought to love their
Speaker 1: own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
Speaker 1: wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh,
Speaker 1: but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does
Speaker 1: the Church. For we are members of his body, of
Speaker 1: his flesh and his bones. For the reason a man
Speaker 1: shall leave his father and mother and be joined with
Speaker 1: his wife, and two shall become one flesh. This is
Speaker 1: a great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: each one of you in particular, So love his own
Speaker 1: wife as himself. And let the wife see the respect
Speaker 1: she respects her husband. See that she respects her husband.
Speaker 1: This is like kind of talking about It's like an
Speaker 1: allegory right for marriage in Christ and the Church. Right,
Speaker 1: So it is definitely speaking about marriage. You could see it.
Speaker 1: It's giving you gems of how you should how the
Speaker 1: godly marriage should function, you know. And that's also giving
Speaker 1: you gems of how Christ loves the church. Right. That's
Speaker 1: why it says he might he not being the man sanctifying,
Speaker 1: but also the man needs to also sanctify and cleanse
Speaker 1: the woman with the washing of the word too, like
Speaker 1: the water by the word. Because the thing is that
Speaker 1: the man is supposed to be the spiritual leader of
Speaker 1: the home. And it says, husbands love your wife, says
Speaker 1: Christ love the Church. So Christ is our spiritual leader
Speaker 1: and he is the head of your marriage. But also
Speaker 1: he's also that says that he is a you know.
Speaker 1: So let me just go over some notes. I wish
Speaker 1: I had way more notes on this because it's very important,
Speaker 1: but I got some all right stuff here. So it
Speaker 1: explains that marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church,
Speaker 1: instructing wives to submit to their husbands as to the Lord,
Speaker 1: while husbands are commanded to love their wives sacrificially as
Speaker 1: Christ loved the Church, nourishing and cherishing them as their
Speaker 1: own bodies, reflecting the one flesh unity from Genesis and
Speaker 1: symbolizing this profound unit between Christ and his bride. It's
Speaker 1: about roles within a God ordained partnership, not infiority, emphasizing
Speaker 1: mutual ordained partnership, not infurity, emphasizing mutual Christ like sacrifice.
Speaker 1: In Unity, verse twenty one, before the specific rules mutual submission,
Speaker 1: Paul calls for mutual submission in the church, setting the
Speaker 1: tone for the marriage discuss both partners putting Christ first.
Speaker 1: Verse twenty two through twenty four talks about the wife's submission.
Speaker 1: Wives are to submit to their husbands as to the Lord,
Speaker 1: meaning their submission to their spouse is an active submission
Speaker 1: to Christ, recognizing Christ as the Church's head. Husband's love.
Speaker 1: Husband must love their wife sacrificially, just as Christ loved
Speaker 1: the Church and gave himself for it, aiming to cleanse
Speaker 1: and sactify her like Christ does the Church. Versus love
Speaker 1: as self love Verse twenty eight through twenty nine. A
Speaker 1: husband loving his wife is like loving his own body.
Speaker 1: No one hates their own flesh, but nurses and cherishes that,
Speaker 1: mirroring Christ's care for the Church, his body the one
Speaker 1: fleshed mystery. This section connects the genus account genesis account.
Speaker 1: Man leaves parents, becomes one flesh to Christ and the Church,
Speaker 1: revealing marriage as a profound symbolic mystery as a divine union.
Speaker 1: What it's not not inferiority. Submission isn't about a wife
Speaker 1: being less valuable Jesus. Submission to the Father shows order
Speaker 1: doesn't mean infuriity, not conditional obedience to evil. Submission to
Speaker 1: a husband doesn't require complying with abuse or sin. It's
Speaker 1: God's frame. It's within God's framework right, not just a
Speaker 1: headship analogy. It's a call for Christ like servant leadership
Speaker 1: and sacrificial love from husband, reflecting Christ's role, not dictator
Speaker 1: rule right dictatortorial rule. In essence, this passes calls for
Speaker 1: husbands to be sacrificial Christ like love and wife's to
Speaker 1: a respectful submission all within the context of unified partnership
Speaker 1: that mirrors the glorious relationship between Christ and his Church. Yes,
Speaker 1: that's why it's saying that, you know, it's saying that.
Speaker 1: It's not saying unconditional obedience like to evil. No, no, no,
Speaker 1: that's why it's saying that. That's why it's saying, husbands
Speaker 1: love your wife's Christ loves also love the Church. Christ
Speaker 1: is not going to have the wife doing anything evil
Speaker 1: or be evil to the wife, right. Or Christ is
Speaker 1: not can be evil to the church, So you can
Speaker 1: now not be evil to your wife. Right. So it's
Speaker 1: it's all so important, and we need to be as
Speaker 1: men the spiritual leaders of the home. That's very important,
Speaker 1: you know, to be the spiritual leader of the home
Speaker 1: and very very important. Let me take a drink of
Speaker 1: water before we all right, that's all good stuff. Wow,
Speaker 1: a lot of good stuff. We went over a lot
Speaker 1: of good stuff. So but that is two hours, all right,
Speaker 1: So let me just do some practical applications real quick. One, two, three, four, five.
Speaker 1: First one, reflect on your walk regularly. Assess whether your
Speaker 1: actions and attitudes aligned with being an imitator of God.
Speaker 1: Number two, practice sacrificial love. Look for opportunities to serve
Speaker 1: others selflessly, putting their needs above your own. Number three,
Speaker 1: avoid sinful influences. Identify areas of darkness in your life
Speaker 1: and seek God God's help to overcome them. Yes, there
Speaker 1: is triggers. There's things that cause darkness. Right, causes you
Speaker 1: to want to sin get at, don't do it, you know, run, flee,
Speaker 1: whatever you need to do, but make sure you know
Speaker 1: that you you identify the areas in your life, right,
Speaker 1: the darkness in your life, and seek God's help to
Speaker 1: overcome them. It says number one, two, three, four. Seek
Speaker 1: God's wisdom daily. Make a habit of seeking God's wisdom
Speaker 1: through prayer and scripture reading. Number five. Cultivate a spirit
Speaker 1: filled life. Engage in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship,
Speaker 1: and fellowship to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Perfect.
Speaker 1: Now let's go over some additional scriptures that connect First,
Speaker 1: John four seven through eight. Beloved, let us love one
Speaker 1: another because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has
Speaker 1: been born of God and knows God. Matthew five fourteen
Speaker 1: through sixteen. You are the light of the world. A
Speaker 1: city on a hill cannot be hidden. Then we have
Speaker 1: Proverbs five, Proverbs three, five and six. Trust in the
Speaker 1: Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your
Speaker 1: own understanding, and all your ways. Acknowledge him, and he
Speaker 1: will make your path straight. Next one is Galatians five
Speaker 1: twenty two through twenty three. But the fruit of the
Speaker 1: Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
Speaker 1: and self control. That is chapter five and a nutshell.
Speaker 1: And we just did a perfect two hours. What a blessing,
Speaker 1: you know, two hours flies by so fast now, So
Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining me. If you guys could,
Speaker 1: like I said, please comment below on Spotify. Please comment
Speaker 1: and leave an emoji, whatever you want to do. It
Speaker 1: really assists the show and it makes me feel like,
Speaker 1: all right, I'm doing my job. And Cold Conspiracy also
Speaker 1: sees those comments and lets them know that I'm doing
Speaker 1: my job. Okay, So I noticed that some of the
Speaker 1: other podcasters that are features on here featured on Culting
Speaker 1: Conspiracy don't get as many comments. So comment if you
Speaker 1: like their show too, comment on their show. If you
Speaker 1: like cult Conspiracy, comment on their show. If you like
Speaker 1: this show, comment on mine as well. Okay, So I
Speaker 1: really appreciate you guys and I appreciate you listening. Thank you,
Speaker 1: and have a great holiday. Be safe. You know, I
Speaker 1: know it's going to be Christmas in a few days here.
Speaker 1: Right now, it's Monday with the twenty second I believe. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so in three days here. So however, you guys celebrate that.
Speaker 1: It's up to you, guys, you know, and whatever you do. Dang,
Speaker 1: I see my shoulder just head lightning right next to it.
Speaker 1: I don't know. I can't get back over there for
Speaker 1: some reason. This thing is tripping. But anyways, thank you
Speaker 1: guys so much. And also if you want to check
Speaker 1: out my show, Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast, that's
Speaker 1: on all audio platforms and then if you go to
Speaker 1: YouTube it's Josh Monday Music and Podcast, or if you
Speaker 1: go to Patreon it's Josh Monday Christian Conspiracy Podcast. You
Speaker 1: can look it up. Thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 1: Like I always do, I'm gonna end this in prayer.
Speaker 1: So Father God, in the name of Jesus, we always
Speaker 1: always appreciate the fact that we're able to speak to
Speaker 1: You Lord through Jesus and through the Spirit, Lord, through
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, be able to connect with you Lord
Speaker 1: and talk to you and pray to you directly. Wow,
Speaker 1: what a blessing. Thank you for this time. Lord, thank
Speaker 1: you for this study, so many gems and amazing things
Speaker 1: for us to assist us with our spiritual walk. Please
Speaker 1: allow us to walk in the spirit and not in
Speaker 1: the flesh. Lord, this week, or this year, this whatever
Speaker 1: our lifetime. Lord, if you could please allow that for
Speaker 1: all of us, everybody that's listening. And Lord, if anybody
Speaker 1: has any issues spiritual battles are going through, please assist them.
Speaker 1: And also in my own life, Lord, anything else I'm
Speaker 1: going through right now, Lord, assists me with spiritual battles.
Speaker 1: And if there's any spiritual host of wickedness attacking my
Speaker 1: life or anybody that's listening his life, Lord, I just
Speaker 1: ask that you please assist anybody. Lord, we rebuke them
Speaker 1: in Jesus' name, Lord, and we just rebuke any evil,
Speaker 1: demonic influences on anybody that's listening. Lord, I just want
Speaker 1: to rebuke that and anybody that's any demons that are
Speaker 1: trying to affect this show or anybody that's listening. Lord,
Speaker 1: flick them off like little bugs that they are. Any
Speaker 1: spiritual host of wickedness that are evil, Lords, flick them
Speaker 1: off like little bugs that they are, because there's nothing
Speaker 1: compared to you, Lord. We know that you are all powerful,
Speaker 1: all knowing, and the greatest of all Lord, So thank
Speaker 1: you for everything you do for us. We love you
Speaker 1: and appreciate you in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you guys.
Speaker 1: Next week we're going to be in a feast in
Speaker 1: six so you know we're gonna be talking about principalities
Speaker 1: of evil. So I was praying ahead of time because
Speaker 1: already know what's going to be going on next week's
Speaker 1: next Wednesday service is gonna be on that. So I'll
Speaker 1: probably do like a whole show on spiritual warfare, and
Speaker 1: it'll be like you know, you know, not a whole show.
Speaker 1: I'll do like a little portion on spiritual warfare and
Speaker 1: then we'll we'll try to have a great show. We'll
Speaker 1: have a good time. So please enjoy that and then
Speaker 1: join us also for Sunday service. If you guys can,
Speaker 1: like I said, please comment below. Thank you guys so much,
Speaker 1: God bless you.