Podcasts about ephesian

Welcome to the Harvest Bible Chapel podcast. We're so glad you're joining us today. In this message, we continue our verse-by-verse study through the Book of Acts by turning to one of the most personal and powerful moments in Paul's ministry—his farewell to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:17–38. In this passage, Paul offers a compelling example of faithful leadership and gospel courage. He shows us what it means to serve with humility, sacrifice for the mission, teach the truth, protect the church, and—above all—trust the Lord. Wherever you're listening from, we pray this message encourages you to follow Jesus more fully and live boldly for His kingdom. Let's get into the Word together. This podcast is a production of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. Executive Producer: Flavius Herlo Speaker: Pastor Jeff Thompson Sound design, mixing, and editing: Bryan Tripp Graphic Design: Wesley Cassford Social Media: Bryan Spahr Producer: Dave Putnam WE INVITE YOU TO CONNECT WITH US: • Website: www.harvestbible.org/ WE INVITE YOU TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: • Instagram: @harvestbiblechapel • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harvestbiblechapel/

In this episode we continue talking about the topic of how the institutional box church misrepresents and misinterprets passages of scripture that mention women in the body of Christ. We take a look at the historical and cultural context of Paul's first letter to Timothy and specifically, 1 Timothy chapter 2. In giving his reasons for writing this letter to Timothy, Paul instructs him to dispel myths that had arisen in the assembly (1 Timothy 1:3-4). In chapter 2 of his letter we see Paul begin to dismantle some of those myths and those myths centered around the worship of the pagan idol, Artemis. The culture in Ephesus was heavily influenced by the worship of Artemis. Artemis was a female goddess of Greek origin and the worship and culture of Artemis was female centric. While males could participate in the worship of Artemis, women were dominate and men had a lesser role (kind of the opposite of what we see today in most churches). Here are some of the myths Paul addresses:In the Ephesian culture, Artemis was looked to as the protector of women in childbirth. Women stood a better chance of Artemis hearing and answering their prayers if they wore expensive clothes and jewelry when petitioning Artemis.Artemis was born before her twin brother Apollo, meaning woman was created before man.We also need to keep in mind these important points:Timothy was not a pastor. There's no indication of that anywhere in Scripture. That's a church history-driven idea that is incorrect.The letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are not "pastoral letters" written to pastors. Calling them pastoral letters is another false assumption delivered to us from church history.The letters to Timothy and Titus are not across-the-board manuals for doing church. They address specific problems that arose in specific locations involving specific people at a specific time. Failure to recognize this and instead promote the false assumption that everything in them is applicable to every generation without regard to the historical and cultural context they were written in, has led to the muzzling of half of the body of Christ.Books mentioned in this episode:Artemis: Virgin Goddess of the Sun and Moon - https://tinyurl.com/2p9cfykcWhat's With Paul and Women? https://tinyurl.com/yp6n47xnI brought this episode over from the Grace Cafe podcast. It's part 2 of a 4-part series I'm re-posting here on the UnSunday Show. The link to the Grace Cafe podcast is below if you would like to see other episodes on this topic.Enjoy!Other Places You'll Find MeThe Grace Cafe Podcast: https://www.gracecafepodcast.com TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@unsunday.mikeInstagram https://www.instagram.com/unsundayshowYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/TheUnSundayShowLeave Me a Rating/Review

This week we explore Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church in chapter 1 of that letter. We explore how crucial it is that we Christians recognise the reality of the inheritance we have received in Christ.

[From] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God's holy people in Ephesus. . . . — Ephesians 1:1 What do you usually think of when you hear the word saint? Most of us think of some revered religious person. But what about the person you see in the mirror? Though most of us don't see ourselves as saints, that is what we are when we believe in Jesus. Because of his work, we are being sanctified, made holy, as we live out our lives serving the Lord—and that means we are saints. Because of Jesus, I am not what I or others will often perceive me to be. Instead, I am who God declares me to be. Through Jesus' sacrifice for my sake, I am now declared righteous and holy. Paul understood that we are profoundly transformed in God's sight when we come to faith in Jesus. That's why Paul begins his letter to the Ephesian believers by addressing them as “God's holy people.” Literally, he refers to them as “the saints in Ephesus.” Despite being new to the faith and still having a long way to go in their spiritual development, Paul recognizes them as saints. A saint is someone consecrated to God and set apart for God's service. Through baptism, believers are marked as God's treasured possession, set apart for his divine purposes. Just as it would be foolish to build only a doghouse on the foundation of a skyscraper, it would be foolish to build anything less than a sanctified life on the foundation Jesus established for us. Lord God, thank you for making us holy in Jesus. Help us to live into our new identity as saints each day. Amen.

Happy Mother's Day! The Ephesian church was influenced by both toxic masculinity and radical feminism. So the Apostle Paul reestablishes God's original design to show the mutual value that women and men both possess in working together. 

Pastor Lee brought an inspiring message encouraging Mothers. His scripture reference was Ephesian 6:1-4. Be sure to check it out! 

Title: Chains and Afflictions Text: Acts 21:27-36 FCF: We often struggle responding well to slander and persecution for Christ's sake. Prop: Because of the offense of the gospel we will be slandered and reviled, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 21. In a moment we will read beginning in verse 27 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we saw the powder keg situation that Paul and his 8 gentile companions walked into as they brought a gift for the Jerusalem church from several churches in gentile lands. Tension between Jews and the Romans continues to mount and along with that the pernicious rumor that Paul is anti-Mosaic law and advising new Jewish believers to forsake circumcising their children and the laws and customs of Moses. The Elders wisely advised Paul to demonstrate that he is not against the law of Moses by submitting to purity rituals with 4 other men who are doing so. Paul humbly discarded any liberty he may have assumed and willingly submitted to help ease tensions between Jewish Christians and the non-believing Jews. But we know the future. It has been confirmed by many witnesses. Paul will suffer with chains and afflictions in Jerusalem. Although it was wise advice and although Paul humbly submitted, we know that things will implode quickly. But even in this difficult situation, we will find vital lessons for we who claim Christ and face uncertain days. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Mighty God and Lord of Hosts. You are holy, holy, holy. You have sent the Son to claim Your people for Your Kingdom and You have sent Your Spirit to dwell in us and seal us and preserve us until the Day of Judgment. As You are Alpha and Omega, You have written and decreed the end from the beginning. No one can tell You “no” and no one can slap away Your mighty hand from doing as You please. In these truths Lord, we must rest, especially when we are slandered, maligned, ridiculed, reviled, and persecuted for Your name. Without the truth that all this is according to Your Immutable Will, we would surely flounder and fall. Impress upon us, Your Children, the greater truth that when these days of trouble come upon us, we must rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for when we suffer for Your name, we have a great reward in the Kingdom which we will share with a great cloud of witnesses. Help us to see this and be encouraged in this text this morning. And use this encouragement to turn us away from despairing in trouble. Turn us instead to being ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Let us once again dive right into the text this morning. I.) Because of the offense of the gospel, men will falsely accuse us of evil things, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. (27-30) a. [Slide 2] 27 - Now when the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon noticing him in the temple, began to throw all the crowd into confusion and laid hands on him, i. Ok, so right off the bat there are some contextual clues we need to unravel to understand what is happening here. ii. First, the seven days here is referring to the general process of purification that would need to be endured for these men and for Paul. 1. We aren't exactly sure why these men performing the Nazarite vow were going through purification, because that isn't normally part of it, but the process itself took a week. 2. In that week's time, any seeking purification would have to be ritually washed on the third and the seventh day. No doubt Paul is in the temple on the seventh and final day of his purification. 3. This means that generally speaking, people who had ill intentions toward Paul would know on which day he would be in the temple next. iii. Second, we see that there are Jews from Asia present here in Jerusalem. Well, who are these folks and what are they doing here? 1. We might be tempted to think that these Jews have followed Paul to Jerusalem to harm him. This is possible, but there is a far simpler explanation for why these folks are here. Do you remember? 2. Yep! It is Pentecost, the Jewish feast commemorating the harvest. Shavuot (Sha-voo-ot) is one of the three pilgrimage feasts that are required for Jewish males to attend. 3. Anyone who was a Jew that took seriously the law of Moses would have made every effort to be in Jerusalem for this festival. 4. So, it shouldn't be a big surprise for us to find Jews from Asia in Jerusalem at this time. iv. Third, how would they recognize Paul and what had Paul done that infuriated them so much? 1. Although Luke only mentions the province in which they are from, the capital city of the province of Asia was the great city of Ephesus. A city in which Paul spent three years ministering. 2. Later, we find out that these people recognized one of Paul's companions who was from the city of Ephesus. This almost certainly confirms that these Jews were from or at least very familiar with the city of Ephesus and Paul's 3 year ministry there. 3. So why are they so opposed to Paul? 4. Well Paul preached in Ephesus and many Jews became disciples of Christ. He actually lead them out of the synagogue and took them to the hall of Tyrannus where he continued to teach and preach the gospel. 5. Needless to say, the Jews from Asia were not big fans of Paul. v. In Ephesus and in other cities around the empire, it has been clear thus far that the Jews were not always trusted, liked, or respected by the gentile communities in which they lived. vi. Although their faith was granted a special status as being allowed to be practiced within the empire, it still did not mean that the pagans around them respected them. vii. But here, the non-believing Jews clearly had numerical and ideological superiority over the Jewish Christians. viii. If there was ever a chance to stamp out Paul and his teachings – this is it. ix. So, these Asian Jews take this chance, grab hold of Paul and stir up the crowd against him. x. How? b. [Slide 3] 28 - crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches to everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 - For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. i. These Asian Jews bring two charges against Paul. ii. The second charge is far more inflammatory to the crowd than the first. iii. The first charge is the accusation that Paul teaches against the Jewish people, against the law of Moses and against the temple of Yahweh, and he does so throughout the Roman Empire. iv. Ironically, this was the same charge levied against Stephen which led to his execution by stoning. Paul once saw things the same way these folks did. But for the grace of God yes? v. Such an accusation could be easily explained away. In fact, Paul's very presence in the temple that day going about his sacrifices and the end of his purity rituals would actually serve to counter their claim. vi. But the second charge is what gets the crowd stirred. vii. They claim that Paul has brought Trophimus, a man they would know to be a gentile, into the temple with him. viii. [Slide 4] As we know the temple mount could be entered by Gentiles. They could actually get fairly close to the temple itself. But Gentiles could not pass into the court of women or the court of the Israelites. ix. [Slide 5] Many scholars make much of the archeological evidence, like the sign on the screen, that warned gentiles with death if they entered into the temple grounds. And we even have speeches from Roman officials which seem to have allowed for the Jews to execute people who did violate such laws. x. But as I studied this, my mind wondered what Old Testament teaching or law is in view with the prohibition of gentiles entering the temple grounds. xi. Especially since they are under the impression that doing so would defile it. xii. What Old Testament law do they base this on? 1. [Slide 6] The closest thing I could find is Ezekiel 44:6-9 a. In reading this text, we can see very clearly that God judges Israel for allowing worshippers to come into the temple and even serve as priests who were neither circumcised in heart nor circumcised in flesh. b. God issues a command that no one shall enter His temple who is uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh. 2. [Slide 7] But what do we do with the 5th gospel of Isaiah, who says in Isaiah 56:6-8… a. Here we see… explicitly… that Gentiles should not be strictly forbidden to come into the temple to make sacrifices. b. Why? c. Because God will be the one bringing them to do that one day! 3. So how do we harmonize these two texts? a. How can God bring foreigners into the temple if those uncircumcised in heart and flesh cannot enter? b. How did the Jews of this time harmonize this? i. The Jews of this time, completely ignore the Isaiah passage. ii. Even if a Gentile converted and became a Jew, even becoming circumcised… they would still not be permitted, even into the court of women. c. So how do we harmonize it? i. While we could be accused of exploiting a loophole, the fact of the matter is that there are many prophetic riddles throughout the scriptures. God expects us to think as we read His Word. ii. [Slide 8] What two conditions must be met in order to reject a foreigner from the temple according to Ezekiel 44? They must be both uncircumcised in heart and in flesh. iii. Trophimus was a gentile, uncircumcised in flesh, but circumcised in his heart. Therefore, he does not meet the conditions of Ezekiel 44 but DOES meet the conditions of Isaiah 56. xiii. [Slide 9] Added to this – These Jews raise issue with Paul and grab hold of him and will drag him out and attempt to kill him even though… 1. He is a Jew 2. He is enduring purification rights under the Mosaic Law 3. Even if he brought a gentile into the temple… the Gentile is the one that should be killed according to their law, not him. He would certainly be punished perhaps even severely. 4. But Paul should not be killed for this infraction even if it were exactly as they said it was. xiv. The fact of the matter is, the Jews, because of their national pride and racial prejudice, have so perverted the Word of God that they have determined that the exact opposite of what He has revealed is true. xv. And now they are going to kill Paul, an apostle of their Messiah and Everlasting King, because of their rebellion and their racism. c. [Slide 10] 30 - Then all the city was stirred, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. i. As we pointed out last week, this time period was right in the middle of the escalation of hostility between Jews and the Roman Empire. ii. Although we are still 13 years away from the fall of Jerusalem, the conflict begins in AD 66 which is only 9 years away. iii. Not only that but Festus, a character we will meet in a few chapters, will actually spend two years making peace with the Jews and effectively kick the can of the revolt down the road… iv. Adding all this together we can see that even though the fall of Jerusalem is 13 years away, it is not a stretch for us to consider that at the moment Paul walks in the temple of Jerusalem, the divide between Jews and the Romans was nearing its peak. v. Knowing this, we can see quite easily why the crowd would respond to Paul the way they did. vi. Loyalty to the temple was closely tied to patriotism and Jewish Nationalism. An attack on the temple was an attack on Judaism. vii. And Paul is the lightening rod for all of this. viii. They took him out of the temple, because they could not commit violence and shed blood within the temple courts ix. To avoid this the guards close the doors. x. The temple guards could have stopped the violence. Instead, they closed the doors. d. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: Throughout the book of Acts Luke has portrayed the Jesus movement as the next step in Judaism. To confess Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah of God and eternal heir to the throne of David is to take the next and final step in the redemptive history of Israel. In Acts we've seen many Jews embrace this New Covenant, which was ratified in the death and resurrection of Jesus proving Him to be the Messiah. He is the Son of Man prophesied in Daniel. He is the suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah. And yet, as clear as this was to many, it remained repulsive and offensive to many more. The offense of the gospel drives natural man to terrible things. Jesus predicted that the disciple is no greater than the master. Meaning that what they did to Him, we can expect the same to be done to us. Paul is actually living out that experience in the pages of the passage we just saw. They accused Jesus of blaspheming the temple. And here Paul is accused of defiling it. We can expect the same to come to us. If we are to preach the gospel, we should both expect it to be offensive to the world and that we will be falsely accused of doing evil things because of it. So, what is our response? Our text this morning does not include Paul's response to all of this. Mainly because his response is quite lengthy. But generally speaking, we can see as Paul raises his defense of the gospel and his ministry, that we too must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. Transition: [Slide 12 (blank)] But surely someone in the crowd will have the sense to question Paul as to whether these things are true? Surely someone will have the courage to say – yes but Paul is still a Jew and can go into the temple himself. So surely he doesn't deserve to die? Let us see if anyone among them will do this. Perhaps the Romans will if the Jews won't? II.) Because of the offense of the gospel men will revile and persecute us, so we must be ready to give a defense for the hope we have in us. (31-36) a. [Slide 13] 31 - While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 - At once he took along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. i. Luke doesn't tell us who took the report to the commander. Perhaps one of Paul's companions or the church reported this to the Roman officer? ii. A Roman cohort consists of 1000 men. It is roughly 1/6 of a Roman Legion. iii. Within each cohort there were there were Centuries which would be 100 men, and each of them would be lead by a Centurion. iv. As a Roman officer in Judea, your one job is to make sure that these generally rebellious Jews paid their taxes and didn't revolt. v. During festivals, when Jerusalem was full of Jews on pilgrimage, it would be all hands on deck. vi. We see that this commander wastes no time, at once taking soldiers and their centurions down to where the beating was happening. vii. The Anatolia fortress was located on the Western side of the northern wall of the temple mount. Two stair cases down led to the outer courts. viii. So they were probably there quickly. ix. It is hard to know how many men he took with him, but we can assume at least a couple hundred since he took centurions (plural) with him. x. Assuming that is the case, 200 fully armed Roman soldiers running down the steps to the temple would be quite an intimidating sight. xi. No wonder the Jews stopped beating Paul when they came marching down. xii. But if the relations of the Romans and the Jews are so strained, how would the Roman Commander make sure that this doesn't look like the Romans are once again coming in to tell them how they should practice their religion? b. [Slide 14] 33 - Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. i. The Roman Commander has Paul bound in chains, probably to two separate guards. He then asks who the man was and what he has done. ii. The concept of innocent until proven guilty is not a universal ideal. iii. The Romans certainly did not consider prisoners innocent until proven guilty. iv. In fact, as we've seen in the study of the book ok Acts, their subjects especially those who were not Roman citizens, could be beaten and imprisoned, and in some cases even killed without charge. v. This Roman commander shrewdly assumes that the man being beaten is guilty and asks the crowd for the information regarding his guilt. vi. If the answer he got was that clear – that Paul had defiled the temple – the Roman officer probably would have let them kill Paul. c. [Slide 15] 34 - But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. i. This is the very definition of mob mentality. ii. Most of these people had no idea why they were hitting this man, they just knew that he had done something worth hitting him for. iii. When emotionalism and extreme rhetoric wins, the most natural thing we humans do, is follow the crowd of people who scream the loudest. iv. We'll always find something to be outraged about, and if it isn't what the crowd is outraged about – that's ok – we'll just vent our frustration in the convenient opportunity the mob has provided. v. Like when we burn a city when a football team wins… or also if they lose the big game???? vi. Such in the case here. vii. Seeing that the crowd has no idea who this person is or what he did, the commander chooses to escort the man to safety so that they could interrogate the prisoner himself. Which we will see him attempt to do in a few weeks. d. [Slide 16] 35 - And when he got to the stairs, he actually was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36 - for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “Away with him!” i. Even today, tactically speaking, stairs are what are called fatal funnels. ii. They are essentially hallways forcing you to change altitude and keeping you from flanking to safety. iii. These stairs are probably the first flight of stairs up to the Anatolian fortress. They would have been quite wide, but would have been difficult to navigate especially with a large crowd of people following them trying to get at their prisoner. iv. The Roman soldiers are forced to pick up and carry Paul up the stairs because the crowd continued to try to assault Paul on the way up. v. They call out “away with him” which is a great literal translation of the words, but idiomatically this certainly was their cry for Paul to be put to death. vi. We are reminded of the crowds call to “crucify” someone after He too entered the temple offering something that no one wanted. vii. Scholars sometimes press the similarities too far, but I think it is obvious that Luke sees the similarity of Christ's experience in Jerusalem during his passion week and Paul's experience here. Although they do not end the same of course. e. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: Although Luke makes it clear in the book of Acts that the Romans saw no threat posed to the empire by the Christians, we should note that that doesn't mean that the Romans would always ride in and save Christians from persecution. In fact, this particular Roman commander not only arrested Paul without any idea what Paul did, he also, as we will see in the following weeks, intends to beat Paul some more in order to find out what happened in the temple. And these Jews, while not being in agreement as to why Paul was being beaten, all agreed on one thing… he needed to die. Again, we compare Paul's experience to our Lord Jesus'. He too was not rescued by the Romans. And the people cried out for Him to be killed too. Paul is suffering the same way Jesus suffered. If it can happen to Paul, and all the apostles, and countless others throughout the church's history, then it most certainly can… and will happen to us. If we faithfully preach the gospel men will revile us and persecute us. Why? Because the gospel is offensive. But again, what do we do when this happens? We must be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in us. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today and how shall we live? Basic Concepts for Faith and Practice: [Slide 18] The gospel is by nature offensive to natural man. The religiously zealous Jews and the Roman pagans alike, both despise what Paul teaches and seek to silence it. And the world goes about silencing those who speak the gospel in two ways presented in this passage. They falsely accuse those who preach the gospel of evil things. They accused Paul of defiling the temple and teaching against the law of Moses. They will also revile and persecute those who preach the gospel. We see them beat, arrest, and call for the execution of Paul, to silence his teaching of the gospel. What does that mean for us? They will hate us too. Even if we are nice. Even if we are kind. Even if we are loving. They will still hate us. They will falsely accuse us of some of the most terrible things. And they will revile us and persecute us. What then should we do? We must be ready to give an answer for the hope we have in us. Even as they usher us through the door to that hope. These are the basic concepts of faith and practice in this text – but let's us dive a little deeper into them today. 1.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the gospel is offensive to natural man. a. Why is it offensive? b. It teaches that every single person, whether they are moral, immoral, religious, irreligious, wealthy, poor, powerful, powerless, strong, weak, regardless of nationality, tribe, language, political party, every person is spiritually dead in their sin. c. They are… as the bible calls them… children of wrath. d. Slaves to sin. e. Every single person lacks all agency to do anything to save themselves or even to seek God to save them. f. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 3 and this is what Augustine of Hippo defended in his treatise On Grace and Free Will against the Pelagian heresy. g. Mankind is not naturally equipped in their will to choose God or pursue Him in any way. They are given commands by God but are unable to accomplish them without God giving them grace to do so. h. There are two things I have found in my life that seem to be universally true of we humans. i. We hate being told we are wrong ii. And we hate being told we can't do anything about it. iii. Not only do we hate being told these things… we reject these things entirely. i. But the gospel tells us both and to the most extreme degree. i. It isn't just that we are wrong… we are dead wrong. So wrong that we have committed treason against the highest court of the highest kingdom on whose throne sits the highest God, Yahweh. ii. And we not only can't do anything about it… we don't even want to. Men love darkness and hate the light because their deeds are evil and they want to keep doing them. iii. There are none righteous and there are none who seek God. You are children of wrath of your father the devil and slaves to sin. iv. Just to quote a few j. All of this is the preamble of the gospel. k. It's funny – to the world that doesn't sound like good news at all. l. But to we who have been made alive in Christ… To know we are sinners and deserve nothing but judgment and wrath… That truly is good news. m. Why? n. Because Christ died for sinners! Just like you. Just like me. o. But until God gives a new heart and enables a person to see their own wickedness, they will continue to hate the gospel and fundamentally disagree with its accusations against them. p. As Matthew Henry once said, “Men hate Christ because they love their sin.” q. From our discussion last week – fear that the gospel may be right leads them to hate it. And what do we humans do with things we fear? We either flee them or we fight them. r. And that leads us to something we must deny. A lie we must dismiss especially now in the culture we are in… 2.) [Slide 20] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that religious toleration for the true gospel is normative. a. Although it is a much easier sell today than it would have been a few decades ago, because we still have relative freedom to continue to worship God in the way that He has commanded us to, we tend to find it difficult to connect with warnings about coming persecution. b. One other general human trait that I have observed is that we as humans tend to believe that all of life will continue as it has. We assume that because we live in a country where we are free from constant persecution against our beliefs that this will always be true. c. However, we know from the words of Christ that if we are His disciple then we should not expect anything less than the same rejection He experienced. d. If Men hate Christ because they love their sin – it stands to reason that they will hate any who follow Christ and are calling them to repent of their sin. e. This is why the “God loves you and is just wanting you to love Him back” gospel message is so popular today. Because it doesn't actually call anyone to abandon their sin. Instead, the message conveys the idea that God would be really lucky to have you if you would just say yes. f. And because of this message being out there, the real gospel message of God calling all men to repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord – is reviled and despised. g. And just like Paul was accused of blasphemy against the temple and even betrayal toward his own kinsmen, we too will be slandered. i. We spoke last week how the church is seen as homophobic or transphobic because we agree with God about sexuality and gender. ii. We are accused of hating democracy and freedom because we advocate for our laws to be based on God's moral will. iii. We are accused of intolerance because we believe Jesus when He says He is the only way to the Father. iv. We are accused of hating women because we believe God's word when it tells us of gender roles and authority structures within the home. v. In short, the world will rebrand us as arch villains because we have the audacity to see, through the lens of ancient Scripture, that their cherished practices are sin. vi. And we may, in the most loving and compassionate way we can, call them to repent and trust on Christ for the forgiveness of sin and new life… vii. But remember men love darkness rather than light for their deeds are evil. viii. God must give them a new heart in order for them to receive the gifts of repentance and faith. h. And unfortunately, men's hatred of the gospel and those who preach it will not just stop at slander. As it did with Paul, slander was the vehicle used to harm, revile, and persecute Paul. We too should expect the same. i. It is only a small step from where we are to where many other countries are in relation to persecution. ii. We may be tempted to think that such things could never happen in our country or that if they do, we are decades away. iii. But my friends, it would not surprise me to wake up tomorrow and learn that it is no longer legal to preach certain scripture passages or certain interpretations of scriptures passages. iv. It seemed like overnight governors of states were commanding churches not to sing to God in their services. v. And there isn't a party that exists today that has a biblical worldview. So just like Paul could not look to the Romans to save him, so too we cannot look to the Republicans to save us. vi. We will be persecuted on all sides. Not just from liberals. We will be persecuted by people who call themselves Christians. Perhaps even some in this very room will be the ones turning us in to the authorities. i. I don't know when the hammer will fall. I don't know how long God will allow for us to worship Him in peace with the culture around us. But I do know that from where the country started to where we are – our trajectory is on a nose dive headed straight for persecution. j. It does us no good to put our heads in the sand and continue to deny that such things would or could happen. k. We must even now ready ourselves by counting the cost and whether we are willing to pay it. l. But what is our response to persecution? Should we resist? Should we fight back? 3.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must take every opportunity to give a defense of the hope that is in us. a. Interestingly, in this text, there is not a single example positively of what we are to do, nor is there a direct command in this passage associated to what is happening in the text. b. Before the end of this chapter Paul will respond. c. And originally in my sermon planning I did include verses 37-40. d. But in order to understand Paul's response we would need to look into what he says which would mean looking at MANY more verses. e. Paul actually begins his first of 6 defenses of his faith and ministry that are recorded in the last 7 chapters of the book of Acts starting in chapter 22. f. Now without looking at the first defense in its entirety let alone looking at all 6 defenses, we can still draw a very general application from what we know of the remainder of the book of Acts. g. And quite simply that is that we should take every opportunity we are given, in the midst of persecution, in the midst of slander, in the midst of opposition and hardship from all sides, we should take the opportunity we are given to give a defense for the hope that is in us. h. We cannot afford to fight back, resist, or get even when persecution comes. Why? Because we always have a responsibility to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. i. Paul was gravely assaulted by these people, but he will stand before them and 5 more hostile audiences in the next 7 chapters, and will boldly decare the gospel of Jesus Christ. j. We must do the same. k. And maybe you are thinking… wow. I don't think I can do that. l. That is just not my default setting. Someone takes a swipe at me, my natural impulse is going to be to swipe back. m. So, the real discussion is, how do you fight that natural impulse and do what Jesus commands you to do? n. I think it starts with what Jesus says should be our perspective on persecution in general. 4.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are persecuted for Christ's sake. a. Although you'll have to forgive me for going outside of our text this morning to snag this application, because the scriptures are one, I don't think I am doing any disservice to Luke's account by tossing this little aside in. b. [Slide 23] Matthew 5:11-12 c. After reading this text, tell me you don't see Paul's experience all over Christ's teaching here in the sermon on the mount! d. Paul was slandered. Paul was reviled. Paul was persecuted for Christ's sake. So, what should Paul's response be? What should our response be? e. We must rejoice and be exceedingly glad. f. What? Why? g. Because we are blessed. We are favored of God when this happens. h. How does that compute? How does this comfort us? 5.) [Slide 24] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Our reward in heaven is great and we are in good company. a. God's kingdom and His righteousness is constantly opposed by a kingdom that is perishing. b. In the Old Testament, God's prophets were treated this way. And time proved that they were right. c. In the New Testament, His apostles were treated this way and time has proved out that they were right. d. My friends, if you are truly slandered, reviled, and abused for the sake of Christ and His gospel… You are blessed. e. You are blessed because your reward will be great in the Kingdom and in that kingdom there will be many, just like you, who were hated for the gospel. f. So, rejoice and be exceedingly glad. g. You are in good company. [Slide 25 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the English Reformer Thomas Cranmer Merciful God, you grant all peace. You are the giver of all good gifts, the defender of all nations. And you desire us to count all people as neighbors, to love them as ourselves, and not to hate our enemies. Rather, you want us to wish them well, and also to do them good if we can. Look down upon us and see this small portion of earth where the name of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Give to all of us the desire for peace, unity, and calm. Make us weary of all war and hostility, weary of bitterness toward those we call enemies. May we and they praise your holy name with one heart. May we all remake our lives according to your way. Grant, O Lord, that our children's children may know the benefit of your great gift of unity. May you discredit all those who work against it. Diminish their strength and punish those who interrupt godly peace-or rather, convert their hearts to the better way, and make them embrace unity and peace, which will be for your glory. Put away from us all war and hostility. But if we are driven to it, be our shield and protection as we seek peace. Do not look on our sins, Lord, or the sins of our enemies. Do not give us what we deserve, but remember your abundant, infinite mercy. Do this, O Lord, for your Son's sake, Jesus Christ. Amen. Benediction: May the God Who changes not, Who has no shadow of turning, And Whose compassions fail not, Preserve you by His loving kindness, So that you might know, Great are His faithful acts, they are new every morning. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Acts 20 records that after the riot Paul calls for and encourages the ecclesia before departing into Macedonia. Six brethren accompany him as the representatives of their ecclesias. These delegates are carrying relief funds for the poor believers in Judea who are suffering the effects of a great famine. The chapter says Paul stops at Miletus and requests that the elders of Ephesus join him for final words of encouraging and warning. The Apostle gives a very long talk, and because of the poor ventilation in the room a young man named Eutychus falls asleep in the window and he falls three storeys to the ground and is pronounced dead. Paul miraculously raises Eutychus and continues preaching until sunrise. Paul's intentions of a quick visit in to Macedonia appear to have been thwarted and he is now hurrying to Jerusalem to arrive before the feast of Pentecost. The Apostle's speech to the Ephesian elders is recorded from verses 18-35. In summary he tells them of their solemn responsibilities, warning them of a decline due to those who would seek leadership for their own advantage. On the positive side, Paul, in verse 32, commends them to God and the Word of His grace – read aloud, pause and ponder. The Apostle also quotes some unrecorded words of our Lord Jesus Christ – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v35). The assembled group pray together on the beach and then an old prophet warns Paul of what would come upon him from the time of his arriving in Jerusalem. They greatly sorrow that they will see his face no more, but they respect Paul's resolute courage.

Deuteronomy chapter 25 verses 1-4 tells that for disputes between neighbours in which it becomes apparent that a crime has been committed for which there was no death penalty a judgment is made an the punishment is decided. If a beating was required than the guilty man was to be beaten with stripes from a rod – the number of hits was to be less than 40. Verses 5-11 describe laws for levirate marriages. These were to produce an heir to a family whose father had died without a child. We find several examples of the application of this rule in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Matthew 1, which we believe is Joseph – Jesus' stepfather's – ancestral line there is a levarite marriage. Verses 12-19 contains miscellaneous laws which have their focus on the morality to be evident in the lives of the LORD's holy people. These range from improper sexual practices, to just weights and measures. The nation of Israel is to continually wage war against Amalek and everything that nation stands for. Song of Solomon 5 begins with an invitation by the groom to his spouse to satiate themselves with perfume and edible delicacies. In verse 2 the companions of the bride with a strong affirmation of the benefits of doing this. From verses 2-8 the bride expresses her deep feelings for her husband which means she is sleeping lightly in the hope of his arrival. She speaks passionately of the hope of her husband's company. The bride laments her inability to find her beloved. She spoke of the hinderance, indeed the abuse, to her from Jerusalem's watchmen. This is of course symbolic of the ecclesia's ill treatment by the authorities in the first century AD. The bride weeps and mourns the absence of her Lord. Her companions in verse 9 perhaps suggest to her that she is enduring too much for her groom. From verses 10-16 she tells her companions of the greatness of her incomparable husband. We must share that longing and towering respect for our absent Master. Acts 20 records that after the riot Paul calls for and encourages the ecclesia before departing into Macedonia. Six brethren accompany him as the representatives of their ecclesias. These delegates are carrying relief funds for the poor believers in Judea who are suffering the effects of a great famine. The chapter says Paul stops at Miletus and requests that the elders of Ephesus join him for final words of encouraging and warning. The Apostle gives a very long talk, and because of the poor ventilation in the room a young man named Eutychus falls asleep in the window and he falls three storeys to the ground and is pronounced dead. Paul miraculously raises Eutychus and continues preaching until sunrise. Paul's intentions of a quick visit in to Macedonia appear to have been thwarted and he is now hurrying to Jerusalem to arrive before the feast of Pentecost. The Apostle's speech to the Ephesian elders is recorded from verses 18-35. In summary he tells them of their solemn responsibilities, warning them of a decline due to those who would seek leadership for their own advantage. On the positive side, Paul, in verse 32, commends them to God and the Word of His grace – read aloud, pause and ponder. The Apostle also quotes some unrecorded words of our Lord Jesus Christ – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v35). The assembled group pray together on the beach and then an old prophet warns Paul of what would come upon him from the time of his arriving in Jerusalem. They greatly sorrow that they will see his face no more, but they respect Paul's resolute courage.

Series: Ephesians 2025Service: Sun Bible StudyType: SermonSpeaker: Phillip Shumake

Teaching from Ephesian 4:17-24 by Bro. Adam Martinez.

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” (Ephesians 4:3 NLT) In our increasingly fractured culture, we don’t have to look hard for issues that divide us. But where can we find things that unite us? Ephesians 4 is a good place to start our search. For the next few days, we’re going to look at the apostle Paul’s teachings on creating and nurturing unity in the church. In the first three chapters of his letter, Paul reminded the Ephesian believers of what God had done for them. In Ephesians 4:1, he urged them “to lead a life worthy of your calling” (NLT). When you have a sense of what God has done for you, you’re more likely to serve Him out of gratitude. You don’t lead a worthy life so that He will love you; you lead a worthy life because He loves you. Leading a worthy life means embracing qualities such as humility, gentleness, and patience. That might involve tabling your own agenda for the sake of someone else’s. Or choosing to forgive instead of taking revenge. Or learning to appreciate the characteristics and quirks in other people that don’t mesh with ours. James put it a little more bluntly: “Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:9 NLT). Don’t complain about other believers. Go to them and try to help them. The phrase “grumble about each other” means to groan within yourself. It speaks of a person who has a bitter attitude. Some people are always criticizing. They think it’s a spiritual gift—the gift of tearing others down. But it’s not a gift of the Spirit; it’s a work of the flesh, and it’s used by the enemy. Don’t be known as someone who burns bridges; be known as someone who builds bridges. Don’t be known as someone who kicks others when they’re down; be known as someone who reaches out to people and pulls them back up again. Don’t denigrate and tear down one another. If you have something to say about someone, say it to them, not about them. Paul said, “Make every effort to keep yourselves united” (Ephesians 4:3 NLT). If that means sacrificing your own preferences, so be it. If it means swallowing your pride, so be it. If it means meeting people more than halfway or doing the heavy lifting in a relationship, so be it. Keeping people united may seem like thankless work at times, but God sees and rewards our efforts. His Spirit works in us and through us, making sure that our efforts don’t go to waste. As believers, we share one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. That gives us a wide swath of common ground on which to build unity. Reflection Question: What is your best strategy for building unity in a group? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weekly Sermon from Trinity Church Denver

In this first message of our new sermon series "The Language of Prayer" , Pastor Brian teaches how to pray biblically by examining Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church. Learn how to develop a prayer language that goes beyond simply asking for things, to praying that others would truly know God better.

Title: Love and Honor Text: Acts 20:36-38 FCF: We often struggle having a good relationship between leaders and followers. Prop: Because the relationship of the Elders to the church must be one of love and honor, we must devote ourselves to love and honor one another. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 20. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 36. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Over the last couple of weeks, we have had longer sermons covering Paul's final exhortation to these Ephesian Elders. So, this week I am giving you a break and a chance to digest everything before we celebrate easter next week. This will certainly be a shorter sermon, but there are still many things we can glean from this text. Last week Paul concluded his thoughts toward the Elders of Ephesus. He serves as their template and commands them to shepherd the flock of God well. His last words express a great truth spoken by Jesus Himself, it is more blessed to give than to receive. They must be givers, spending themselves for the sake of the flock which God purchased with the blood of Christ. What follows is the response. What does Paul do after saying all these things, and what do the Elders do after hearing all these things? In this we see a pattern emerge. Just as Paul is a Pastor to these Pastors, so his example and their example serves as a pattern for our Elders and our church to follow. Let us stand to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most gracious Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, our Great Shepherd. He laid down His life for His sheep. He knows His sheep. His sheep hear His voice. He prayed… not for the world, but for all those lambs whom You gave to Him. He protected them. He Loved them. He made them vessels of honor. Now Father, Your Spirit has appointed undershepherds to continue shepherding while Christ is physically absent from us. We know that Jesus is always with us, but we also know that the Spirit is now our comforter and counselor and that He has equipped men called Elders to shepherd your precious lambs. May we be grown in this text to be a church who holds the right relationship between these Spiritually appointed men and those whom they have been given to shepherd. May we have a ministry where mutual love and honor is given to each other. Show us this in Your Word today we ask in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Throughout all of God's creation, there are several examples of relationships He has made that are symbiotic. For instance, clownfish dwell inside sea anemones which protects them from predators while living there, the clown fish cleans the anemone of parasites. Remora fish attach themselves to sharks and whales eating scraps of food from when their host eats. In exchange they clean the shark or whale of parasites. Bees collect nectar from flowers pollenating and reproducing the plant in the process. These animals need each other to survive. The very first humans were created to be two halves of the image of God. It could be said that Husbands and Wives need one another in a symbiotic relationship of sorts. Today we will see that this entity God created called the church is also in a symbiotic relationship. The Elders and the church exist in a symbiotic relationship of mutual love and honor – because neither can exist without the other. At least not for long. Let's look at this relationship as it is displayed in the epilogue of this meeting between Paul and the Ephesian Elders. I.) The relationship of the Elders to the church must be one of love and honor, so Elders must pray for the church. (36) a. [Slide 3] 36 - And when he had said these things, i. Because we had to divide Paul's final exhortation message into two, it would behoove us to review even for a few minutes what Paul said. ii. The text this morning provides to us this opportunity, as it references that everything that follows is after he said what he said. iii. First Paul walked them through his own personal example among them. iv. How he was humble and gave of himself through many tears and trials to teach them all that God had revealed through Christ and calling all men to repentance and faith. v. In the same way they needed to be blameless and do the work of an Elder to share the gospel and teach thoroughly all that God had revealed. vi. Second, Paul charged them to dutifully and diligently shepherd the church. He told them to do this because the church has been given infinite value in the blood of Christ and because false teachers are coming who will destroy them. vii. And since they had received freely from God and from him, they must give of themselves freely, even to the point of supporting those who are destitute among them. Teaching them and encouraging them so they can be givers and not just takers. viii. Because as Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. ix. After Paul said all this… he continues to instruct them as to what kind of Elders they should be, but he does so by demonstration. b. [Slide 4] he knelt down and prayed with them all. i. The final component of what it means to be an Elder, is to be a man of prayer. ii. In a sign of humility, Paul kneels down and prays with them. iii. This probably means that Paul knelt first to pray and that they joined with him. iv. Luke does not give us the content of his prayer, but I don't think it is a stretch to assume that his prayer consisted of both praises to God and also deep and tearful pleas for God to preserve and protect the ministry in the church in Ephesus. v. That God would guide and lead the Elders and that He would prevent doctrinal error from destroying the unity and the effectiveness of the Ephesian church and the impact they would have on the rest of the province of Asia and beyond. vi. In this he demonstrates how leaders, who are truly caring for the body of Christ, are to be men who spend time in earnest prayer for God's people. vii. Truly, without God we are nothing. viii. Knowing that they are but undershepherds who do not have all the answers, who are not able to administer and guide of their own strength, being humble and meek, Elders must seek the Lord in all their duties. For it is only by His strength and will that anything accomplished will endure. c. [Slide 5] Summary of the Point: In this final epilogue, ending the 3rd missionary journey of Paul and closing out the mission to the city of Ephesus, we see Paul's relationship with the Elders through the lens of this final scene with them. After exhorting them and warning them of the challenges which they will face, Paul prays with and for them before he departs. This illustrates for us that the proper relationship between the Elders and the church is one of love and honor. One way that the Elders express love and honor to the church is to pray earnestly for the sake of the church. This shouldn't be surprising to us. In the book of Acts we saw already how the apostles created the office of Deacon in order to allow themselves the freedom to focus on prayer and the teaching of the Scriptures. Since the office of Overseer inherits several functions of the apostolic gift, we might expect the roles of an Elder to mimic that of an Apostle. And one of those roles on display is to pray for the church. So, we Elders must also pray earnestly for our people. In this we express love for them and honor to them as the flock which God purchased with the blood of His Son. Transition: [Slide 6(blank)] But since this relationship is one of mutual love and honor, what is the role of the church toward the Elders? II.) The relationship of an Elder to the church is one of love and honor, so the church must appreciate their Elders. (37-38) a. [Slide 7] 37 - And they began to weep aloud and falling on Paul's neck, they were kissing him, i. In the last two verses of chapter 20 we have the general response of the Elders to Paul's exhortation and closing prayer. ii. All of the Elders present began weeping aloud and falling on Paul's neck. iii. This is an idiomatic expression for hugging or embracing. iv. Why are they crying so much, hugging and kissing Paul? v. Some of why they were weeping no doubt had to do with the threat of false teaching that was coming to Ephesus. vi. Some of it was due to the great weight being placed on their shoulders to lead like Paul did. vii. Some of it was the revelation that some of them would become false teachers in the future. viii. But the primary reason for their tears is pointed out to us by Luke. b. [Slide 8] 38 - being in agony especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again and they were accompanying him to the ship. i. They are weeping because of what Paul suggested to them that they would not see his face any longer. ii. Perhaps they thought this meant that Paul would die soon. I don't think Paul thought he was going to die, only that he would not enter into ministry with them again before he did. iii. They were hugging him, kissing him, and weeping in agony over this. iv. Just as Paul served as an example to these Elders on how to be Elders. So now, these Elders serve as an example to the church on how to love and honor their Elders. v. Therefore, this is the appropriate response of the congregation to an Elder who has served well and is retiring or is approaching death. vi. The congregation should know what a great gift godly leaders are to their assembly. vii. They should know this to the point of giving honor to those who serve well. Honor, respect, submission and love. viii. We see their love and honor of Paul expressed in their desire to see him to the ship and spend every last second they could with him. ix. Some scholars suggest that “accompanying him to the ship” is an idiom suggesting that these Elders put into practice what Paul had taught them and gave him many provisions for his trip to Jerusalem. x. What an amazing expression of gratefulness for his service to them as an apostle. c. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: Once again we see that the relationship between the Elders and the church which is illustrated in Paul's relationship to these Elders, is one of love and honor. These Elders know of Paul's love and honor for them. In turn, they loved and honored him. As he turns to Jerusalem to face whatever the Lord has in store for him there, the Elders embrace him, kiss him, and provide for him and his journey. This illustrates the church's love and honor of their Elders by being grateful for them. Elders who serve well are worthy of honor. And those who labor long in leadership and the study of the word are worthy of double honor. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC, and how then shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 10] Over the last several weeks Paul has been the example that Luke sets before us of what constitutes a godly church leader. We've seen how godly church leaders prioritize the spiritual instruction of God's people. We've seen the character qualities an Elder must possess in order to lead, chief among them being blamelessness. We've seen that Shepherding God's flock is the primary role of an Elder which includes both their protection from false teaching by rooting them in truth and also their physical care. And today we pivot slightly to show the mutual relationship of love and honor that ought to exist between the Elders and the church. Elders who are excellent shepherds show love and honor to the church by praying for them and with them. And the church shows love and honor to the Elders by appreciating them and their efforts. But let me express some more tangible applications for us today from this tiny little sermon. 1.) [Slide 11] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the relationship between the Elders and the church should be characterized by love and honor. a. Paul is the Pastor of these Pastors. b. He demonstrates who they should be and what they should do for the church. c. In this sense, we see the mutual relationship of love and honor between the church and their leaders. d. We've seen the great care that Paul put into these men. We've seen his heart for them, his passion for them, his sacrifice for them. They must go and do the same. e. And if they do, the church should and must respond like these Elders did to Paul. f. The church should show love and honor to them by appreciating their heart, their passion, and their sacrifice as they care for their souls. g. The relationship between our Elders and the church should look like the relationship between a husband and his wife. h. This shouldn't shock us since the relationship between a husband and wife should look like the relationship between Christ and the church. i. And the Elders are undershepherds and stewards of Christ's church until He returns for her. j. So in many ways the Elders have responsibilities that Christ would perform if He were here among us bodily. k. But no matter how many years you've lived on this earth – it is difficult for us to imagine a form of leadership or government that we could love and honor. l. In fact, it seems like we can pendulum swing far and wide when it comes to our view of leaders. More on that in a moment. m. But the picture that the Bible paints for us concerning the Elders/Pastors or Overseers and the church body itself is one of mutual love, honor, and even dependence. Neither can exist without the other. Elders have nothing to lead if the church is absent and the church is rudderless and disunified when they do not have Overseers. n. As difficult as it may be for us to do so – we must affirm and even seek to have this relationship between the Elders and the church. o. But what are some ways we get this wrong? 2.) [Slide 12] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that Elders must be served without question or treated with constant suspicion. a. In a perverted sense of honor, some churches view their pastors or overseers as leaders who have absolute authority over their lives. i. They obey whatever their Elders say without question as if the Lord Jesus Himself had said it. ii. Now although Elders are undershepherds and do tend the flock of Christ, we do not for one instant consider this flock ours. We know that you all are His, because He purchased you with His precious blood. Why do we know that so well? Well, because He had to purchase us the same way. We are mere sheep. iii. We also have absolutely no authority to command you to do anything except what the Scriptures have said. iv. This does not mean that our advice and counsel is meaningless or should be easily ignored or dismissed – but it does mean that on anything we advise that is not a command of the scriptures, it is at its best wise counsel and not a command. v. For example. 1. The Elders may NOT come together and absolutely forbid a member of the congregation from dating another Christian from a different congregation. Now the Elders may advise, based on what we know of the person, whether it would be wise to enter into a relationship pursuant to marriage with them. But we cannot forbid it. Why? Because we do not have a command from the scriptures. 2. But the Elders may come together and absolutely forbid a member of the congregation from having premarital sex, also known as fornication. Why are the Elders permitted to do this? Because this is what the scriptures teach. We are merely commanding what the scriptures have commanded. 3. Some may say – if that is all that is happening, why must the Elders command anything at all? 4. Well, that is our role! Our role is to preach and teach what the scriptures say. Not just from the pulpit but in the counseling room, in your living room, in your car, over the phone and everywhere where we give counsel, we must give the whole counsel of the Lord. And not just when it is palatable for the church, but in season and out of season too. Whether you are going to like it or not is irrelevant. It is our job to bring to bear all that God has said concerning the situation you are in. 5. We are not adding our authority to scripture but we are drawing your attention to what God has said and we must also be his earthly executives making sure His will is known to all and to a certain degree… followed. 6. You see the Lord has given us (the church) the keys to the kingdom. This means that whatever we bind on earth will have been bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. When two or three are gathered in His name He is with us. Helping us. And when we find a member refusing to obey the commands of God… this is when we execute church discipline. First in private exhortation and correction but eventually in excommunication. 7. The Elders then are to enforce the commands of Christ upon His church. We rebuke, reprove, correct and instruct to thoroughly equip God's people to do all that He has commanded them to do. And to a certain degree – as much as we are humanly able – we, in gentleness, see to it that Christ's instructions are followed. b. Another abuse we often have when it comes to leadership is to have a persisting and underlying sense of suspicion and distrust toward them. i. Now certainly I would be a fool to combat this by pretending there is no such thing as ungodly leaders. ii. Of course there is. iii. Not only in the political realm but even in the clergy there have been several examples of leaders abusing their authority and lording over their people. iv. But just because someone is in leadership does not automatically make them worthy of suspicion. v. Elders should be trusted, loved and honored until there is some reason that they have provided to suspect something different. vi. There is no reason to withhold your trust from Elders simply because they are in a position of authority. vii. If the COVID pandemic taught us anything it is that people don't very much like being told what to do. And they will only go along with being told what to do for so long before they push back. Why? Because people are suspicious of their government leaders – and to be honest, those in government have earned that suspicion. viii. But godly Elders are not the same as government leaders. Especially in a small country church like ours. My friends there is no power here worth manipulating you for. There is no money here worth bilking you out of. And let me tell you something, there are a lot of easier and quieter and more fulfilling ways to gain authority than being an Elder of a church. If I wanted power with few headaches… Elder isn't the right choice. ix. Don't be suspicious of your Elders. Especially when they haven't given you a reason to be. x. What must you do instead? 3.) [Slide 13] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” The church must love and honor their Elders by being grateful for them and submitting to them. a. Elders who lead boldly, who are godly men, who possess truly blameless character, who are apt to teach, and strong in their faith, should be trusted, loved and honored. b. Putting your trust in Jesus means that you obey Him. The Lord actually says that if you love me, you will keep my commandments. c. And although it is to a different and lesser degree, the Lord makes it plain in Hebrews 13 that if you truly love your Elders, you will submit to their authority so that they may watch over your souls with joy. d. One way you show love to your Elders is by submitting yourself to our authority. i. As I have already said, the Elder's authority extends only as far as the Scriptures allow. ii. You should trust your Elders and submit to our authority out of a heart of love for us so that we may be joyful in our responsibility to help guide you safely to heaven's shore. iii. Go willingly and passionately with us. e. Secondly, you show honor to your Elders by being grateful for our wise and godly leadership and teaching. f. How do you show gratefulness? i. Well, in Paul's case these men fell on his neck, kissed him, and wept over his leaving. They even potentially gave him provisions for his long trip to Jerusalem. I'm not saying that is THE way – I am saying that is what they did. ii. But let me make some suggestions. iii. First, it would be wise to be thankful to the Lord. Express thankfulness to God for wise and godly leadership. Ask for His blessing on our lives and that He would keep us and preserve us in our role. Do this in your family devotions and family worship times to let your children hear that you are thankful for our sacrifice. iv. Second might be to express gratitude to the Elder personally. A card, a phone call, a gift, a strong handshake. Especially when a particular Elder has helped you through a difficult trial or has devoted extra time to your family. It is wise and even obvious to express heartfelt thankfulness to that particular Elder. Let him know that you appreciate his sacrifice for you. Even doing so toward his wife and children. Knowing that they too have had to sacrifice his presence among them so that you could be ministered to. v. Finally, you might express gratefulness publicly. You might pray a prayer of thanksgiving at a family gathering, in a church service, or express a praise during prayer request time. You might make a special service or event to honor our sacrifice and service. g. Let me clear the air really quickly. Every single Elder in this room today has been absolutely squirming at the mention of every single way you could express gratefulness. And I felt REALLY uncomfortable saying it too. h. You need to understand that I am saying this not because I want to, but because the text so obviously leads us to that conclusion. i. The Elders and I, when we met yesterday, did not spend one second complaining about how you all don't submit to us or how you are an ungrateful bunch and never appreciate our sacrifices. j. Let me read that again. k. The Elders and I, when we met yesterday, did not spend one second complaining about how you all don't submit to us or how you are an ungrateful bunch and never appreciate our sacrifices. l. I wrote that last sentence the day before we met. That is how confident I was that it wouldn't happen. And I was right. m. Why was I so confident that we wouldn't do that? n. Because we don't do that. o. The reason we are squirming today at the mention of these practical ways you can show your gratitude for us…is because WE DON'T DO THIS FOR YOUR GRATITUTDE. p. Which is exactly the reason you should express your gratefulness to us. q. Ugh – I hate saying it. But it must be said. I am holding my nose up here saying it. r. Show love and honor to your Elders by submitting and expressing your gratefulness to us. s. Yuck! t. Ok moving on. Let's beat up the Elders now. 4.) [Slide 14] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” Elders must love and honor the church by praying for her. a. My brothers. b. I have continued my quest this year to pray through our membership directory every week. c. It isn't enough. I've had to add more times of prayer. I've had to start praying immediately after hearing a request to make sure that I do actually pray for it before the next week rolls around. d. Understand, I don't hold myself up as the standard – I am simply giving a testimony of what it has done for me. e. I have grown in my love for these folks over the last couple years and I think that is because I pray for every member by name, every single week. I pray for everything I can think of regarding that member. f. I just walk around this room with my membership directory in hand praying for every name in it. g. Some weeks it takes over an hour to get through. h. I usually do this on Tuesday and hit my 8000 steps by noon.

Murray McLellan's sermon from Ephesians 1:1-2 at the Scotiabank Theatre The post The Letter to the Ephesian Church appeared first on | Grace Fellowship | Saskatoon Church | Warman Church.

This episode JUST C.O.S. joins us to talk about writing, life, and The Sparrow's Fortune, a poetry collective working to inspire, educate, and encourage our community through arts, entertainment, and creative writing workshops.Check out The Sparrow's Fortune here: https://www.thesparrowsfortune.com/Or follow them on Instagram @thesparrowsfortuneFollow @just.c.o.s. on Insta, and if you want to book email JustCOS.info@gmail.comHappy writing everyone!Be sure to follow us on Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do. Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

Acts Series

The King is coming. Are you ready?In this episode of The King is Coming, we begin our study of Jesus's seven letters to the churches by looking at His message to Ephesus—a church full of good works but lacking one essential thing: love.Join Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison as they explore:✔️ The five-part structure of each letter in Revelation 2–3✔️ Jesus's praise for the Ephesian church's perseverance, discernment, and hard work✔️ The serious warning against abandoning their first love✔️ The call to remember, repent, and return✔️ The promise to those who conquer through faith in ChristJesus walks among His churches. He sees everything—not just what we do, but why we do it. In His words to Ephesus, He calls His people back to a love-driven faith, reminding them that faith without love is incomplete."Let anyone who has ears hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:7)

One Sure Word & A Testimony of Tears (Acts 20) In this episode, I share a sermon I preached in chapel at Cedarville University on Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:17–38. In particular, I explore the way that Paul envisions the life of the churches after the age of the apostles.   This podcast is hosted by Ched Spellman (https://linktr.ee/chedspellman).   Thanks for listening! My Most Recent Book: One Grand Story: How the Bible Tells its Story and Why it Matters Substack Series on the Canonical Approach: https://bit.ly/3rht399 Digital Tip Jar ("Buy Me a Coffee"): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chedspellman Clarifying Note: The views of special guests are their own & do not necessarily reflect my own or the organizations with which I am formally and informally affiliated.

A new MP3 sermon from Let the Bible Speak Radio is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders4 Subtitle: Series in The Book of Acts Speaker: Dr. Alan Cairns Broadcaster: Let the Bible Speak Radio Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 4/1/2025 Bible: Acts 20:17-38 Length: 27 min.

Paul exhorts the Ephesian church to maintain unity, to use the diversity of their gifts, and to grow in spiritual maturity.

Commitment Sunday. Leave 10 minutes in service for filling out commitment cards. Response moment in service for making commitments. Overview: As Paul considers the possible end of his life in an Ephesian jail, he wants the Philippians to understand that whether he lives or dies, he will “bring honor to Christ” (1:20). Why? Because if he dies, he will go to be with the Lord. But if he lives, he can live for Christ and even visit with the Philippians again to help them “grow and experience the joy of their faith” (1:25). This mindset, of complete confidence that God is working, is one we must have as we lead Grace Church into the future. If we face hardships, we'll experience God's presence in the midst of them. If we face abundance, we'll experience God's blessing in new ways. Either way, let us not be ashamed of what God is doing at Grace, but renew our dedication to join God in his mission to heal this broken world!

An examination of Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church and its relevance to modern churches. The message highlights the importance of allowing Jesus to be the true head of the church and the responsibility of the church to be Christ's visible body on earth. Key Verses Revelation 2:4-5 Ephesians 1:19-23 Matthew 10:42

This week we return to the book of Revelation. We will be examining the 7 specific messages that Jesus dictates to John for each of the 7 churches meant to receive this book. Read the message to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7, you may also read Paul's last address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 as well as Paul's letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament. Consider the good things Jesus commends and why they are impressive and relevant to today. Consider the major problem Jesus has with them and consider how this may have happened to them. What steps does Jesus tell them to take to return?

This week we return to the book of Revelation. We will be examining the 7 specific messages that Jesus dictates to John for each of the 7 churches meant to receive this book. Read the message to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7, you may also read Paul's last address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 as well as Paul's letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament. Consider the good things Jesus commends and why they are impressive and relevant to today. Consider the major problem Jesus has with them and consider how this may have happened to them. What steps does Jesus tell them to take to return?

A lesson from Acts 19:11-41. Series: Life in Christ: A Study in Ephesians Speaker: Greg W. Mathis

As the Ephesian elders look upon Paul's face for the last time, the weight of the moment is unmistakable. Yet beyond the emotion, this passage provides a profound model for ministry—one defined by integrity, gospel faithfulness, and deep trust in God's sustaining grace. It's a word we all need to hear, one that speaks directly to our church today. In this second part of our study on “Gospel Goodbye,” we will reflect on how to live, lead, and leave well, both in ministry and in life, by tracing three key elements: A Steadfast Example, A Strong Exhortation, and A Strategic Exit.

This Sunday we conclude our church wide study focusing on Rocklane's three legged stool metaphor. We will be looking at the last leg that focuses on the fact that doing the Lord's work is an essential element to growing closer to the Lord. Take a look at Paul's final words to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:35. Why do you think Paul chose these as his last words to them? Read Matthew 25:41-45 - what does this tell you about the Lord's work?

This Sunday we conclude our church wide study focusing on Rocklane's three legged stool metaphor. We will be looking at the last leg that focuses on the fact that doing the Lord's work is an essential element to growing closer to the Lord. Take a look at Paul's final words to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:35. Why do you think Paul chose these as his last words to them? Read Matthew 25:41-45 - what does this tell you about the Lord's work?

‘Sanctified' means recognized as holy, set apart from the commonplace; treating spiritual situations with all reverence. Far above all other considerations, this must be our spirit when we approach God. Our Leviticus reading today shows us the dramatic and disastrous result of a failure to do this.Think of the atmosphere at the tabernacle in the manifestation of the actual presence of God when “the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offerings …” [9 v.23,24]. The effect of this should have created reverence and humility. This should have been their feeling in worship from then on,- and initially it was! . “They shouted and fell on their faces”[v.24].Aaron had 4 sons, all were involved in assisting their father and today's chapter tells us how tragedy overwhelmed two of them. In the way we speak today we might judge that their position of importance went to their heads! Nadab and Abihu “each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD which he had not commanded them” [10 v.1]The result was terrifying for they “died before the LORD” as fire from him “consumed them” [v.2] Moses then says to Aaron, “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified” [v.3]There is a vital lesson here for everyone who seeks to serve God and have a living relationship with him: this applies to followers of Jesus just as much as to Israelites. Examples of a failure to do this come to mind. One is the practice of the christening of babies in many churches instead of baptism when they grow to understanding – christening is not even hinted at in Scripture. Baptism is expressed as “an appeal to God for a good conscience” [1 Peter 3 v.21] The eunuch was told by Philip he could be baptised “if you believe with all your heart.” (Acts 8 v.37)Baptism brings a person into a state of sanctification. When Paul was saying farewell to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20 v,17- 38 he said, “now I commend you to God and the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” [v.32] God's word builds us up, it constantly reminds believers they are sanctified.A final point: baptism gives believers the responsibility, as we read today in 2 Corinthians, to try to encourage others through the example of Christ in us, “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved … a fragrance from life to life.” [2 v.15,16] Christ, “through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” [v.14] What “fragrance” can we spread today? .

From Rev. 2:1-7 with Tyler Staton Lent is a 40-day season within the church calendar that stretches from Ash Wednesday (March 5) to Easter Sunday (April 20), mirroring Jesus' 40-day fast in the desert. This year, we want God to use the 40 days of Lent to help us reclaim our first love. https://bridgetown.church/teaching

Acts 20:17-38 records Paul's emotional farewell to the Ephesian elders as he prepares to leave for Jerusalem. He reflects on his ministry, warns them to guard against false teachings, and urges them to remain faithful in shepherding the church. His emotional departure marks the end of his ministry with them.Sermon date: 02/23/25

One of the key themes throughout Ephesians is the concept of being, “in Christ.” After the Apostle Paul wrote one of the longest Greek sentences exploring the truth of being in Christ, he prayed for the Ephesian believers to know God better. Join us as we look at one of the richest prayers in all of Scripture in Ephesians 1.15-23.

Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders rings true for us today.False teachers will arise from within the church!

Pastor Corey delivers today's message titled "The Ephesian Riot".Support the show

In the first of seven letters written to the churches in the book of Revelation, we see Jesus affirming the hard work, good deeds, and perseverance of the Ephesian church. But there's one thing he holds against them: they have forsaken the love they had at first. This isn't just a message for the church in Ephesus, this is a message for us today: You are faithful, but you are loveless. This week, we explore Jesus' call for us to return to our first love for him and for one another.

  Would you like to support the show to help us keep it going? ✨To support the show monthly, Patreon is the best option: patreon.com/LizBagwell ✨To support the show with a one time donation, email info@lizbagwell.com for information. SHOWNOTES: 

Daily Dose of Hope February 20, 2025 Day 5 of Week 47   Scripture:  Zechariah 6-8; 1 John 4 Hello, everyone.  It's Daily Dose of Hope time!  Welcome back to the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.    Our Old Testament reading is Zechariah 6-8.  In chapter 6, there is another vision.  This one involves Joshua, the high priest, who is presented with a crown.  He is a symbol of the future Messiah.  But God makes it clear through Zechariah that all of these visions/dreams will come to fruition only if the current generation of God's people are faithful and obey the covenant.  Then, in chapters 7-8, we have a conclusion to the visions, well sort of.  The people, much discouraged, ask Zechariah if the Kingdom is going to come soon; can they stop grieving for what was lost?  He responds that the Kingdom will come only when they become the kind of people who will be faithful to God and ready to participate in his new Kingdom.  Interestingly, being this kind of people isn't about fasting and following rules.  It's goes so much deeper.  I think we see this in chapter 7, verses 8-10, And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'   Our New Testament reading is 1 John 4.  I think I need to provide some more background for this letter. 1 John was written by the apostle John specifically to the Ephesian church in the late first century.  Some false teachers had infiltrated the church, causing really serious issues, and a schism occurred in their church.  A lot of people left the church fellowship and those remaining were shaken.  It's like the foundation was ripped from underneath them.  And so John sends this letter, in order to encourage them and offer truth that would give them something solid to stand on again.    Let's talk about chapter 4.  John wanted to make sure that those to whom he was writing understood that God's love wasn't some abstract concept.  The false teachers would have said that God's love was not concrete but simply theoretical.  If you deny Jesus coming in the flesh, then you certainly can't understand the extent of God's love, and you are walking in darkness.  If you think sin doesn't matter, then you certainly can't understand God's love.  Not really.  And if you don't understand God's love, then you aren't going to understand living his love out in community.    John tells the church at Ephesus and he tells us today that true love has its ultimate source and origin in God.  God is the definition of love; love expresses who God is.  Of course, God's love that John is speaking of isn't like human love.  It's agape.  God's love, agape, is sacrificial, pure love, that isn't connected to emotions but is a choice to love, even when that love is not returned.   God's love is not some abstract concept as the false teachers would have you believe.  It's expressed in action.  God made love real and present by sending Jesus to live among us and to die for us on a cross.  We continue to see God's active love among us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This week, I ran across this statement, “God's love is a truth more basic and reliable than the ground we walk on and the air we breathe.”   And yet, we struggle with this.  I've seen this over and over again.  We have a really difficult time understanding that God loves us, just as we are.  The world hasn't always been kind.  We grow up thinking we have to measure up, that love has conditions.  To be loved and accepted, we have to look a certain way, meet a certain standard, and it usually is above what we can reach.  Because this is the truth:  God's love does not depend on our initiative not how worthy we are.  We don't have to reach out to God or even believe in God to be loved by him.  He is the one chasing us!  God loves us before we ever get our act together.  We don't have to measure up or meet any criteria or standard to be lovable.  God just loves us whether we deserve it or not.  Which is good, because none of us deserve it.    And this is how he showed us his vast, amazing love:  He sent Jesus. Remember Jesus was God with flesh on.  He came voluntarily to demonstrate a different way of doing life AND then he went to the cross.  He died, serving as the final, ultimate sacrifice for sin.  You see, when Jesus died on the cross, his blood atoned for our sins.  For all of our sins.  When we open ourselves up to God, what we find is that even the darkest places and the ugliest parts of ourselves are not beyond God's reach.  Nobody is so broken or dirty or flawed that God cannot touch them, redeem them. So, if we believe in him, turn away from our old way of doing life, then we receive salvation.  You see, when we believe in Jesus Christ, God no longer sees our sin and our mess, he only sees the blood of Jesus.  And it gets better - not only does this ensure that we get to spend eternity with Jesus, we receive new life right now, today.  The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God himself, comes and dwells within us, changing us from the inside out.  We have the ability to live differently and to love differently.  We are upheld, surrounded, and totally encased in God's sacrificial, active love.    And of course we struggle with this, because nothing on earth is this extraordinary.  This is the best news in the history of the world.  We can walk with Jesus.  I can walk with Jesus and experience his incredible love.  You can walk with Jesus and experience his incredible love.  And it's a free gift.  We just have to say yes to accepting it.   Accepting God's love and saying yes to Jesus is step one.  You aren't done there though.  I think too often we have treated salvation as the destination of our faith.  It's really the foundation of our faith, it's the starting point.    Here is the rest of it --- since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  Because God loved us so sacrificially, we are to love others.  This is the thing:  to know God's love is to overflow with God's love.  Such life-giving love is much too powerful to keep to ourselves.  And God never intended for us to keep it to ourselves.    Let's go back to John's context.  These first-century Christians were shaken.  It probably felt like there were people trying to destroy their church family.  I'm guessing they weren't feeling too loving.  And here John is saying to them, “Since God loved us, we ought to love one another.”  I'm thinking this may have reminded them of a few things that Jesus himself said about loving your enemy and praying for those who persecute you.  Matthew 5:46-47,  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  By our nature, human love tends to be selfish and conditional.  We love those people who love us.  We love those people we like, who think like us, who make us feel comfortable.    And yet, just as God's love has no boundaries, Christian love has no boundaries.  We are called to demonstrate love to those we might think are unlovable.  We are to love those who think differently, act differently, and look differently.  We are to love self-righteous people and love obnoxious people.  We are to love those who vote differently than us.    I will say this:  Loving someone doesn't mean you have to agree with their behavior, speech, or lifestyle.  Love has gotten a bit obscured in progressive Christianity.  Just because God loves someone doesn't mean God wants them to continue in sin.  It's not a blanket acceptance of all behavior policy.  Afterall, God loved me enough that he didn't want to leave me the way he found me.  And he is still shaping me, convicting me, and molding me so that I can look more like him.  That being said, we can't expect unbelievers to speak or behave like believers.  Rarely are people lectured into the Kingdom, argued into the Kingdom, and they are never ever shamed into the Kingdom.  They are almost always LOVED into the Kingdom.    Just as God's love isn't passive in our lives, our love should not be passive when it comes to those around us.  Because of what God's love has done for us, we are driven, compelled to demonstrate ACTIVELY God's love toward other people.  We might even say that love is the litmus test of an authentic relationship with God.  Demonstrating Christian love is what confirms the reality of our spiritual walk with God.  There's one scholar who defines the word Christian love as a “consuming passion for the well-being of others,” and this love obviously has it's wellspring, its source, in God's love for us.    Here's our question:  Do you have a consuming passion for the well-being of others?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Paul continues to preach the good news of Jesus from city to city, and the Jews continue to be jealous of the attention he is getting by preaching Jesus. Riots ensue, often because Jewish leaders conspire to work up crowds against the apostles. Both Jews and Greeks come to faith in Christ, and new churches are planted. Finally, Paul says goodbye to the Ephesian church elders, knowing he will never see them again. Our passage begins where we last left Paul and Luke, as they are travelling through Phillipi and preaching the good news.Acts 16:16 – 1:13 . Acts 17 – 5:09 . Acts 18 – 11:25 . Acts 19 – 15:42 . Acts 20 – 22:48 . Proverbs 13 – 28:33 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

A ride-sharing customer shared that he had endured a driver eating the world’s smelliest fruit, another driver who was bickering with a girlfriend, and one who tried to get him to invest in a Ponzi scheme. In each case, instead of a poor rating, he gave the drivers five stars. He explained, “They all seemed like nice people. I didn’t want them to be kicked off the app over my bad rating.” He gave false reviews—keeping the truth from the drivers . . . and others. For different reasons, we might withhold the truth from others. But the apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian believers to lovingly speak the truth to one another as new creatures in Christ. This required cultivating habits of “righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24)—lives set apart for Him and that reflected His ways. They were to replace lying with telling one another the truth because lies divide and disrupt while truth unites us as believers. He wrote, “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (v. 25). Jesus empowers us with the courage to resist lying and giving one another “fake ratings”—things that can disrupt our unity with other believers. Living a life of love, as He guides us, will lead to our sharing “kind and compassionate” expressions of truth (v. 32).

We are so back and we are diving into a verse that has the power to change everything for us: Ephesians 3:20. The Apostle Paul reminds us that God is "able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine." But what does that really mean for us, especially in our day-to-day lives as we navigate our years? Life can be a whirlwind. Between careers, relationships, and all the ups and downs, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. So, let's unpack this together!We'll explore how Paul's heartfelt prayer for the Ephesian church teaches us about faith, unity, and the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit living within us. Imagine how our lives could change if we really embraced the idea that God can do more than we can even dream up! It can shift the way we pray, fill us with hope, and inspire us to think bigger about our relationship with Him.We'll also reflect on a beautiful truth from 1 Peter 1:25—"the word of the Lord remains forever." It's easy to think of the Bible as just an old book, but let me tell you, these are living words meant to guide us through life's challenges. In a world that feels like it's constantly changing, anchoring ourselves in the eternal truth of God's Word can provide us with the stability we crave.Whether you're facing challenges, feeling a bit lost, or simply looking to deepen your faith journey, this episode is all about reminding you to trust in God's limitless power and the everlasting nature of His Word.Here's to 2025. Glad to be back.Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://betterhelp.com/hopemoquin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsoredBook a call - https://stan.store/hopemoquinINSTAGRAM- www.instagram.com/hopemoquinTIKTOK - https://www.tiktok.com/@hopemoquin

In this sermon we learn the WHAT, the HOW, and the WHY of our salvation--it's all for the glory of God! Learn more in this message preached to Hillside Baptist Church in Eastman, GA on 2/16/25 by pastor Chad Hendley. www.hillsideeastman.com

February 16, 2025 (Pastor Mark Kuiper) - A sermon on Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church based on Ephesians 1:15-17.

Series: Letters to a Pastor Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-5 Speaker: Rev. Dr. Paul Conway Paul opens his letter to Timothy with a problem to be solved; false teachers focusing on myths and genealogies. It was causing confusion, division and even people abandoning the faith. Timothy is Gods man to set them straight so that unity and love vs conflict are what drive the Ephesian church. Great resources: How to read the Bible for all its worth By Doug Stuart and Gordon Fee and “The New Bible Commentary”. the Best one volume bible commentary on the market today.

This episode is brought to you by Faulkner University. www.faulkner.edu "Love Them Where They Are" Helping Healing Humor Podcast Longsleeve T and Sweatshirt: https://www.benandtravis.com/store/p/love-them-where-they-are-podcast-design Ben and Travis record their thoughts about Valentine's Day gifts that give the whole year. The guys discuss the Ephesian passages concerning husbands and wives and the love and respect they should have for one another. The guys wrap up the show with more "Would You Rather" questions. Links mentioned in this episode: Get our free ebook "28 Days of Focused Living" here: https://www.benandtravis.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/benandtravis Reframing Hope Book: https://www.benandtravis.com/books For extra content and material you can use for your family or ministry go to https://www.patreon.com/benandtravis Represent the show: https://www.benandtravis.com/store The Friday ReFresh: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-friday-refresh/id1611969995 Good Old Fashioned Dislike Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-old-fashioned-dislike/id1643163790 Co-Producers: Justin B., Doris C., Rhonda F., Scott K., Mary H. This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

I'm super excited to share the first video solocast of season 7! This episode is not an audio interview with a guest. This episode is a video of me sharing a message about Standing Firm, so hop over to my YouTube channel at Melony Brown to get the most out of this episode.This episode is the outcome of my deep dive study of Ephesians 6 for my School of the New Testament class. As I was studying the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18, the words ‘stand firm' hit me in a different way. I used Strong's Concordance on biblehub.com to learn the Greek definitions for stand firm, which uncovered a “hidden treasure” and gave me a deeper understanding of why Paul told the Ephesian believers to stand firm just before he described the weapons in the armor of God. When we face challenges, we stand on God's firm foundation. God calls us to stand firm-not in our own strength, courage, and perseverance. In His!Bible verses discussed in this episode:·         Matthew 7:24-27·         Ephesians 6:10-14·         2 Chronicles 20:17·         1 Corinthians 15:58·         Hebrews 2:13 (Amplified Bible Classic Edition)The words “stand firm” are found 23 times in the Bible:Exodus 14:13 ---- 2 Chronicles 20:17 ---- Job 11:15 ---- Psalm 20:8 ---- Psalm 30:7 ---- Psalm 33:11 ---- Psalm 93:5 ---- Proverbs 10:25 ---- Isaiah 7:9 ---- Ezekiel 13:5 ---- Luke 21:19 ---- 1 Corinthians 15:58 ---- 1 Corinthians 16:13 ---- 2 Corinthians 1:21 ---- 2 Corinthians 1:24 ---- Galatians 5:1 ---- Ephesians 6:14 ---- Philippians 1:27 ---- Philippians 4:1 ---- Colossians 4:12 ---- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (section header) ---- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 ---- James 5:8While I shared most of what I learned about standing firm, I realize the “HOW” or the application part of standing firm isn't included (This episode would have been entirely too long had I done so!!)So, I started a STAND FIRM boot camp that will begin February 1 and go through February 28. When you sign up at melonybrown.com, you will receive an email each day of February with a 3–5-minute video of a spiritual practice that will strengthen your relationship with God and fortify your foundation. I would love for you to join me for the STAND FIRM boot camp!Sign up at melonybrown.com.Send me a COMMENT or QUESTION!THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Have a comment about this episode? Click HERE and complete the form.

Paul directs Timothy in how to address false doctrine and other issues in the Ephesian church. Connect and Follow Dr. Melody on IG: @dr.melody_fitplusfaith and join our Healthy Christian Women FB group.