Bible Text: Ephesians 6:17-24 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Ephesians | 02-02-2020 – The Weapon of God’s People

Ephesians 6:17-24

Last week we studied (verse 14) about the belt of Truth and the breastplate of
righteousness, (verse 15) then about special footwear which protects our feet and
our steps, for we have peace with God, through Christ.

Next (verse 16) we learned about the shield of faith, which enables us to
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, i.e., the attempts by Satan to
deceive, discourage, and disable the believer from standing his ground in service to
Christ.

Read Ephesians 6:17… We are instructed to take up the helmet of salvation,
and finally the sword of the Spirit [which is the Word of God].

The last piece of spiritual armor is the sword of the Spirit [the Word of God].
Christ gives us an example on how to use this special weapon.

See Matthew 4:3-11. Every time the Devil made an attack, Jesus blocked it
with Scripture, eventually the Devil left Him, having been defeated by God’s Word.

In Genesis God spoke everything into existence through His sovereign and
eternal Word.

When Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation, in Revelation 19:13-16 it
says, “His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven… …
were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that
with it He may strike down the nations… And on His robe and on His thigh He has a
name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’”
2Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman
who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Every Christian has the Holy Spirit [Spirit of Truth], our divine teacher, but we
must study and apply God’s Word if we are to stand our ground against the
enemies of God, the spiritual powers of the kingdom of darkness.

God’s Word is not only our defensive weapon, so we can remain standing
against all that the world, the flesh, and the devil may bring against us, but it is
also our offensive weapon, with which we can strike down the spiritual enemies of
God and claim victory over that which opposes God, because of Christ in us.
1John 4:4, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them [all those
who oppose God]; because greater is He [God’s Spirit] who is in you than he
[Satan] who is in the world.”

Prayer is as essential as the other pieces of armor without which, we could not
stand our ground.

Read Ephesians 6:18… Paul’s instruction on spiritual armor is followed by a
teaching on prayer, for prayer is the attitude a soldier [of Christ] must have as he
readies and outfits himself for battle.

In his Book, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan tells of the character Christian’s
weapon called prayer. When darkness and discouragement surrounded him, prayer
enabled Christian to stand firm and ultimately to defeat the evil fiends in the valley
of the shadow of death.

We can pray wherever we are, in whatever situation we find ourselves (see
Luke 21:34-36). To pray at all times is to live continually conscious of God.

God’s greatest desire and our greatest need is to be in constant fellowship with
Him, and prayer is the means by which a believer comes into the presence of God
and has fellowship with Him.

Praying in the Spirit is to pray in a manner that is consistent with the nature and
the will of God, lining up our thoughts and desires with the Word of God. We must
remain alert for we are in a spiritual battle against the Devil, the world, and the
flesh; this battle must be spiritually fought, through prayer.

The focus here is on praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ, for it is
believers to whom God has provided the armor Paul describes in Ephesians
6:10-17, and so it is believers who are commanded in (verse 18) to pray in the
Spirit.

We are to pray specifically for one another, for our brothers and sisters in Christ
who are serving the Lord in this battle against the flesh, the world and the Devil.

Read Ephesians 6:19-20… Paul pleads for the believers in Ephesus to pray
not so that he can be freed from prison, but so that he will be bold and faithful to
proclaim the gospel while in prison.

Self-sufficient persons don’t pray to God. It is the humble believer who comes
before God, those who are poor in spirit receive God’s blessings (cf. Matthew
5:3-10, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, the pure in heart, peace makers; it is these who will be called the
sons of God; and theirs is the kingdom of heaven forever).

Paul’s motive for prayer is to further the gospel, encourage believers, and glorify
God.

Read Ephesians 6:21-22… Tychicus, from the province of Asia (cf. Acts
20:4), was especially dear to Paul, who sent him to other Christian communities
and individuals to encourage them on Paul’s behalf (cf. Colossians 4:7-8;
2Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12).

Paul knew the value of a personal word from someone who had been with him
recently. Tychicus could bring comfort, in Christ, to many of those who had been
converts of, or had benefited from, the preaching, teaching, discipling and
counseling ministry of Paul.

In May 2019 we began this study of the wealth we have been given in Christ,
the manner in which we are to walk, and the warfare we can expect as God’s
children.
Ephesians 1:5-8, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His
grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His
grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight.” 13-14, “In Him, you
also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having
also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given
as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own
possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may
boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:19, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”
Ephesians 3:11-12, “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He
carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident
access through faith in Him.”
Ephesians 4:1-6, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and
gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent
to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one
Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
There is one body and one Spirit one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” 32, “Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in
love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a
sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” 15-17, “Therefore be careful how you walk,
not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days
are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” 21,
“submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Read Ephesians 6:23-24… Paul’s benediction seems to reflect the major
themes of this letter. Paul prays for peace, love, faith, and for the grace of God to
be the experience and desire of all genuine believers.

Grace [the divine favor of God], God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, for all those
who responded to the eternal and unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ:
God’s Son, Lord and Savior.
The Grace of God should be evidenced in the life of every obedient ‘born again’
believer and follower of Jesus Christ. God’s Grace provides, not only our
forgiveness and eternal life, but also the armor and the weaponry we need to stand
against God’s enemies, using the Word of God [the Sword of the Spirit] to declare
the revealed plan, purpose, and provision, of God, by which we are to live
honorably and victoriously in this world, while we wait for Him to return and take us
to be with Him in the new and never-ending world, where (Revelation 21:4-5),
“there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying,
or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said,
‘Behold, I am making all things new,’” (Revelation 22:20-21), “He who testifies to
these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace
of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”

Pastor Mike     >’(((><

Bible Text: Ephesians 6:10-12 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Ephesians | Read Ephesians 6:10-12… We are to find our strength in God. He has
provided spiritual armor that we might take our stand against the devil’s
schemes. Paul uses a military term that speaks of holding a critical position
while under attack, there is no retreating, just standing firm to the end.

Our battle is not against people, but the devil, the flesh and the godless
system of this world that opposes God. Satan is the ultimate enemy of
God’s people, and he wants to confuse, separate and destroy our witness.

Satan is the top General over the forces of evil in the heavenly places
[the realm of demons and angels], engaged in a spiritual war. Note: Angles
served Christ (Matthew 4:11), they also serve us (Hebrews 1:14).

The word struggle = close quarter battle, i.e., hand to hand combat (like
a wrestling match); and so, we must take our positions and ready ourselves
against these attacks, not so much against us physically, but on our
thoughts, emotions, and the convictions we hold.

There are no special techniques for standing against that which we
cannot see; but James 4:7 declares, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you,” i.e., stand firm!

God gave us His Spirit to indwell us, guide us, comfort us, confront us,
grow us, mature us, encourage and empower us.

During that last evening before His arrest (John 13-17) Jesus said to His
disciples in John 14:16-17, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him,
but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
1John 4:4, “…greater is He [God’s Spirit] who is in you than he [Satan]
who is in the world.”

Satan is powerful, but he is only a created being and therefore, he is
subject to God; one day he and his demons, along, with all unbelievers, will
be cast into the lake of fire, to be tormented day and night for ever and
ever.

Matthew 25:41, “Depart from Me… into the eternal fire which has been
prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Revelation 20:10, “And the devil… was thrown into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also…” 15, “And if
anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into
the lake of fire.”

But God’s children are victorious.

1John 5:1, “ Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”

1John 5:5, “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?”

No matter in what role or function you serve God, as a husband, a wife,
a parent, a child, an employee, an employer, brother or sister in Christ—
God has equipped you to escape the corruption of this world and the
deceptive schemes of the devil, so that you might honor and glorify God
victoriously!

2Peter 1:3-4, “His [God’s] divine power has granted to us everything
pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who
called us by His own glory and excellence. He has granted to us His precious
and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by
lust.”

Philippians 4:13, “ [We] can do all things through Him who strengthens
[us].” 19, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in
glory in Christ Jesus.”

Read Ephesians 6:13-15… Since our battle is against spiritual forces, we
must put on spiritual armor, that we might stand our ground against these
attacks. Paul uses the analogy of a Roman soldier preparing for battle, to
exemplify the type of armor we have to protect us spiritually.

We are to stand firm (Ephesians 6:14), we are to be resolute,
immoveable, having been outfitted with the full armor of God, with which we
are readied to take our stand against all enemies.

What does it mean to have girded your loins with truth? To gird is to
secure something around that which needs protection; in this passage it is
the loins; the loins is the area of the body from the lowest ribs to the hips,
all the way around; notice here that the means, or the source of our
protection is God’s Truth.

So in this metaphor, a belt, in this case a soldier’s belt, made of heavy
leather, is secured around the soldier’s one piece outer garment.

The belt was usually loosened when off duty and tightened up for battle,
so that any loose clothing was tucked in, cinched up; the belt here,
symbolizes the Truth of God that secures us for battle and readies us to
stand our ground.

The next piece of armor is the breastplate [body armor, made of bronze],
it protected the soldier from his neck down to his thighs, both front and
back, and was often called the heart protector, because this most important
organ was covered by the breastplate.

Our spiritual breastplate is the righteousness we have, by way of our
faith in the Lord for salvation (see Romans 3:10-12, 21-24, 28). It is by
the righteousness of Christ that we are made acceptable to a Holy and
Righteous God, forever (2Corinthians 5:21).

Read Ephesians 6:15… Paul says your feet are shod [meaning our feet
have had special footwear placed on them]. Footwear is an essential part of
our armament and here, Paul is talking about some very special boots used
by Roman soldiers that were fitted with short broad headed nails [similar to
hob nailed boots, or logger boots]; they were used to provide good traction
in any terrain, against any foe.

Good foot protection is very important for a soldier to securely stand his
ground.

Note: In the Korean War hundreds, perhaps thousands of me lost toes and
feet to frostbite, their boots didn’t protect their feet. In Viet Nam, hundreds
of soldiers were rendered debilitated by jungle rot, a foot fungus that their
boots did not protect them from, rendering them incapable of walking, let
alone fighting.

Every Christian has been provided special spiritual footwear, through the
readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, i.e., through Christ’s victory
over sin, death and judgement, believers have peace, and no matter how
slippery, rocky, or treacherous our journey might become, because of the
devil’s snares and schemes, we have confidence that God will direct our
steps and keep us on firm footing as we serve Him.

Read Ephesians 6:16… There were two types of shields commonly used
by soldiers, a small round one for blocking the thrust of an opponent’s
sword, and a large oblong one for protecting the whole body, and all those
who were crouching behind him, from thrown spears and flaming arrows
that were wrapped with cloth, soaked in pitch and set afire.

This [large] shield was made of several layers of wood, covered with
animal hide and bound with iron; this shield it was often soaked with water,
so it wouldn’t ignite when impacted by fiery arrows, that splattered burning
pitch everywhere.

The “flaming arrows of the evil one” describes the Devil’s tactics of
inciting doubt, distrust, and fear among God’s people, so that we will give
up, or even run; but during such times, it is the shield of faith that protects
us and prompts us not give up, but instead, to stand firm in the faith

(Psalm 18:30), “He [God] is a shield to all who take refuge in Him..”

1Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your
toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

1John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is
the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Read Ephesians 6:17… The next piece of armor is the helmet, which
protects the head. Paul gives it the characteristic of salvation, not the initial
receiving of Christ, but the eternal security we have as God’s children (cf.
Romans 6:23; 8:1).

Satan attempts to deceive God’s people, trying to confuse them or cause
them to believe they have lost, or could lose their salvation; if that doesn’t
work, Satan attempts to discourage or disable believers from serving God.

The helmet of salvation provides both our present assurance and our
future hope, for it is God Himself who watches over, provides for, and
protects us, promising to bring us to Himself, in glory (Romans 8:28-35,
37-39; John 14:1-3). God has equipped us for victory in Christ!
Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.”

And God has provided everything we need to accomplish His will in and
through our lives (2Peter 1:3), “His divine power has granted to us
everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of
Him who called us by His own glory and excellence,” (Philippians 4:13) “I
can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (19-20), “And my God
will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Pastor Mike       >’(((><

Bible Text: Ephesians 6:1-9 | Pastor: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Ephesians | Deuteronomy 6:4-9, ““Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when
you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as
frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and
on your gates.

The parents of Israel failed, just as many parents today fail to share God’s plan,
purpose and provision with their own children.. So why is that so difficult?

1. Every living person has a sinful nature, with self at the center.
2. The world system is godless and corrupt, antithetical to the character of God
and God’s will for marriage, family and other relationships.
3. The widespread confusion and ignorance about marriage and parenting is
exacerbated by the myriad of marriage, family and child psychology books written
by so-called experts who have no real substance and are lacking the truth.

Read Ephesians 6:1-4… There are a many secular humanistic groups today who
are promoting the release of children from the morals and values held by traditional
families, denying parental authority, outlawing physical punishment, and forbidding
religious education, or “indoctrination” as they refer to it.

Some of those from these groups are seeking to remove all moral ideologies and
instead to allow children to have complete sexual freedom: contraceptives made
available through school health clinics, abortions on demand, minimum wage
payment for doing household chores, and even the right to sue and/or “divorce”
their own parents.

Parents who do not teach and train their children to know and to apply God’s
principles and precepts, may one day find that their child has become like a frog in
a kettle of water, sitting atop a burner on a stove, adjusting to the slowly rising
heat, unaware of the imminent danger approaching, until it is too late, ultimately
succumbing to death by environment.

Children must not be allowed to choose whatever they want, whenever and
wherever they want it; for they are under the authority of their parents, not the
other way around! And no matter what the world says, God is very clear:

(Ephesians 6:1-2) children are to obey (behavioral action) and honor (heart
attitude) their parents.

This is the first commandment with a promise,

euteronomy 5:16, “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God
has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with
you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.”

The OT consequences for disobedience and disrespect was death.

Exodus 21:15, “He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to
death.”

Deuteronomy 21:18-21, “”If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will
not obey * his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even
listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the
elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. “They shall say to the elders of
his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey * us, he is a
glutton and a drunkard.’ “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so
you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.”

A generation of undisciplined, godless children will produce a society of
confused, neurotic, and dangerous adults; and it can take up to three or four
generations to reverse the effects of one wicked generation.

The Children’s Defense Fund posts the following figures, concerning what
happens every 24 hours in America:

5 children are killed by abuse or neglect
7 teens commit suicide
170 children are arrested for a violent offense
300 children are arrested for a drug offense
600 unwed teenage girls have babies
1,800 abortions take place
2,800 kids watch their parents separate or divorce
3,000 teens drop out of high school
5,000 teenagers contract an STD

A world like this is very hard on its children.

A child can have no greater blessing or inheritance than the godly teaching and
example of loving parents. It is a parent’s duty to train his/her children to know
and honor God, to care for themselves, and to care for others.

Children do not know God naturally, they must be taught about Him, His plan
and His provisions; His love must be shown to them, so they will come to trust in
Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and so here (Ephesians 6:4),
fathers are commanded not to use their authority or their physical presence to
provoke or exasperate their children, instead, he is to model Christ to them.

In two separate studies [one by Harvard University sociologists, the other by a
well known Christian psychiatrist] similar factors were found to produce beneficial
and productive parent-child relations:

1. Love expressed by parents for each other, and for their children.
2. Firm, fair and consistent discipline and expectations
3. Good modeling by both parents, with father as the head of the home.

Following are some factors that were found to cause resentment or to provoke
anger in children, toward their parents:

1. overprotection
2. showing favoritism, comparing siblings
3. pushing achievements to fulfill parental fantasies
4. a lack of commendations
5. pushing a child to grow up too quickly
6. using love as a reward and/or punishment, i.e., conditional acceptance of a
child based on performance

Biblical Proverbs direct us to train and discipline our children according to God’s
principles and precepts, expressing our love for them and our obedience to God.

Proverbs 1:8, “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your
mother’s teaching.”

Proverbs 13:24, “He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him
disciplines him diligently.”

Proverbs 19:18, “Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his
death.”

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he
will not depart from it.” 15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod
of discipline will remove it far from him.”

Proverbs 23:13-14, “Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you
strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue
his soul from Sheol.”

Proverbs 29:15, “The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own
way brings shame to his mother.” 17, “Correct your son, and he will give you
comfort; He will also delight your soul.”

Children are blessings and treasures from God; they belong to God, and so we
as parents are caretakers of that which belongs to God; it is our responsibility to
guide, direct, protect, encourage, discipline, teach and equip our children, that they
might come to know and to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ:
crucified, resurrected, and coming again.

Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, ”Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from
coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
As Christian parents, we are to exemplify the will and the character of God in
our lives, so that our children will come to personally know Jesus Christ as their
Savior and Lord; only then, will they have all they need to be able to enjoy life on
this earth, as a servant of Christ, while waiting expectantly to be brought into
heaven, as a child of God, where they will live forever, in the presence of God the
Father and God the Son, with all those who are members of the Family of God [the
Body of Christ].

Read Ephesians 6:5-8… Slaves [employees] are to serve their masters
[employers] obediently, respectfully; for this is good and pleases the Lord. We are
to serve others as if we are slaves of Christ, working wholeheartedly, as if serving
the Lord Himself. And we do this whether we are serving under or alongside other
believers or unbelievers.

Read Ephesians 6:9…Masters [employers] are not to threaten or mistreat
their slaves [employees], for we are all equal in God’s sight (in salvation and
individual worth) and there is no favoritism in God’s family, for we all serve one
Master, who is in heaven, and through Christ we all belong to God.

Galatians 3:26-28, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male
nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

1John 3:1a, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would
be called children of God; and such we are.”

1John 5:1-2, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and
whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love
the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.”

Husbands are to be the head of the home, and they are not to be harsh with
their wives, but considerate and caring, treating them with love and respect.

Parents are to be obeyed by their children, but they are not to provoke or
mistreat them, but to love, nurture, and train them, so they might know and serve
the Lord.

Masters [employers] have authority, but they are to provide what is right and
fair to their servants [employees] because God in heaven is the Sovereign Master to
whom every one will one day give an account.

And so, whether you serve the Lord as a husband, wife, child, parent, employee
or employer; you are to serve as if you are serving the Lord Himself.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” 23-25, “Whatever you do, do
your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord
you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has
done, and that without partiality.”

Bible Text: Ephesians 5:22-33 | Pastor: Mike Hale | Series: Ephesians |  

As we previously learned from verse 21, mutual submission toward one
another is what God wants and expects in all of our relationships, whether:
husband and wife, parent and child, master and slave. The mutual submission we
are to express is out of reverence for God through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:22-24 tells us wives are to align themselves under their
husband’s leadership, for a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head off
the church; therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, wives are to be
subject to their husbands in everything.
Read Ephesians 5:25-33…
A husband’s love (verse 25) for his wife should exemplify Christ’s love for His
church. Christ gave Himself up for us. He saved us through a purifying love,
according to His Word (verses 26-27). Husbands are to express that very same
selfless, protective, nurturing, and sacrificial love for their wives, as Christ
demonstrated toward His church.
Paul gives some strong illustrations and examples concerning the priority and
depth of the husband-wife relationship. It becomes clear (verses 28-30) that
husbands are to think of their wife as their own body. Would a person not feed and
care for his own body? Christ feeds and cares for each member of the church, and
each one of us, both husbands and wives, are members of Christ’s own spiritual
body. Likewise, a wife is one with her husband, as the husband is one with her.
In verse 31, Paul references back to the Genesis record to proof text his
teaching by quoting Genesis 2:24. Let’s take a look at Genesis 2:22-24, “The
Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and
brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of
my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ For this
reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and
they shall become one flesh.”
The word “joined” in verse 24 has the meaning of being glued together [never
to be separated; they have been welded together to become one] through Christ.
The husband wife-relationship is a model of Christ’s relationship with His
church. This first institution ordained by God was the marriage of a man to a
women, a most holy union, for this exemplifies Christ’s relationship with us, His
body. No wonder Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all”
people.
Ephesians 5:32 declares that this is in fact a profound mystery. Paul is
expressing the relationship between a man and his wife but it seems to be all mixed
with the relationship between Christ and His church.
Christ is the head and the bridegroom of His church. Man is the head and the
husband of his wife.
I think what makes this even more profound is the fact that while Christ is the
head of His body, His church, and the husband is the head of his wife –both the
husband and wife are members of Christ’s body and are equal as parts of this
universal and spiritual body called the church or the Bride of Christ.
So husbands, you are part the spiritual body known as the Bride of Christ, and
therefore you also are to become the wife of Christ at the wedding feast described
in Revelation 19:6-9.
As we have already studied (Ephesians 5:22-24), God has ordained that a
wife is to voluntarily align herself in rank under her husband and show respect for
his leadership. This respect is conditioned by and expressive of a reverence for
Christ (Ephesians 5:21).
God has ordained that a husband is to be the loving and self-sacrificing servant
leader to his family, as Christ is to the church. It is assumed that the husband will
initiate this love for wife, just ask Christ did for the church.
Paul doesn’t tell the wife to love her husband but to submit to him and respect
him. Why is that? The answer is expressed in the Christ-church relationship.
Christ loves the church and expressed that love fully when He died for us. The
church returns its love for Christ through willful obedience and submission to Him.
1John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”
Every individual who responds to the message of salvation, becomes a member
of Christ’s spiritual body the church. Had God not reached out and initiated His love
for us, we would never have been able to submit in obedience to His Lordship.
We submit to Him because He loved us. The connection between a husband
and wife’s relationship and that relationship of Christ and His church is indeed a
profound and a marvelous mystery, unveiled in Christ.
The Christ/church and husband/wife relationships are parallels, as marriage is a
typology of being in Christ. One thing is very clear and very true: When God’s love
is given, accepted, and shared, husbands and wives will submit to one another
expressing God’s pleasure and will.
Husbands, when you are loving your wife in obedience to God’s clear commands
to care for, nurture, and protect her, she will find it much easier to willfully submit
to your leadership.
Wives, when you are respecting and submitting to your husband’s leadership–
he will find it much easier to lovingly care for, nurture, and sacrifice for you.
When God made Eve out of Adam’s side and brought her to him, Adam named
her and they became one flesh. That original relationship between husband and
wife was pure; Adam’s headship and Eve’s submission were manifested by their
mutual love for one another under God’s care and provision.
Genesis 1:26-28 makes it clear that they (man and woman/husband and wife)
were to rule over creation; to be blessed and multiply. Even though Adam was to
be in leadership and Eve was to be his companion helper, their relationship was so
closely knitted together that God’s command was given to them jointly.
Marriage was instituted by God for several reasons:
1. (Genesis 1:28) To procreate mankind by raising up children, filling the earth. 2.
(Genesis 2:18) For companionship so that they would not be alone.
The Fall brought a curse on man, woman and marriage (Genesis 3:16-19):
Woman was cursed with painful childbirth and a desire to usurp her husband’s
leadership. Man was cursed with difficult toil just to make a living and a desire to
dominate his wife.
Marriage was corrupted from the very beginning, before the first child was
born; harmonious marriage relationships can never exist apart from mutual
reverence for Christ and mutual submission toward one another.
The curse of Genesis brought conflict between husbands and wives. The Cross
of Christ brought the cure for resolving that conflict: as man submits to the
Lordship of Christ he will be able to serve as the head of his own family not by
demanding obedience or ruling harshly over his wife, but by expressing Christlike
love toward her: sacrificial, unconditional, unbreakable love.
Jesus didn’t sacrifice Himself for the lovely or worthy but for the unlovely and
unworthy. A husband’s love for His wife is not because she deserves it or is worthy
of it.
The love of the world is a conditional love based upon attraction, fulfilled
needs, and pleasure. In other words, it is based upon a certain type of appeal that
one has for another. As soon as the ‘feeling that was appealing’ is gone, so is the
relationship, in many instances.
God’s love for us, Christ’s love for the church, is not based upon any type of
merit or appeal between the one who loves and the one to whom that love is
directed. Thank God that we don’t have to stay appealing or attractive to God to
receive His sacrificial love for us.
A husband is not commanded to love his wife because of anything that she is
or is not. The husband is to love because this is God’s will for him. It is a definite
plus to be able to love a woman who is kind, beautiful, gentle, fun, and winsome.
But even if all those qualities were taken away, the husband would still be just as
responsible before the God of Creation to love his wife.
The husband is under a greater obligation to love his wife when she isn’t
appealing, attractive, or deserving. In fact, the more unlovable and unworthy she
becomes the more need she has for the healing and restorative nature of her
husband’s love. This is exactly the kind of love Christ has for us, even though we
are in a condition of abject sinfulness, deserving only the Wrath of God.
A Christian husband is to be generous and gracious as he loves his wife; no
matter how nagging, irritating, and contentious she might become.
When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He did it because of His love for
them, not because it was pleasant or they deserved it. Jesus expressed His love for
them by serving them in this menial way, even though He was Master and Teacher.
Love does whatever needs to be done, whether there is worthiness or not. If a
husband loves his wife only when she is pleasing or attractive to him, that husband
is not loving as Christ loved the church.
A husband is to give up everything for his wife, including his own life if
necessary. He is to put aside his own wants, needs, and opinions if that is what is
required to meet her needs. A husband who loves his wife “as Christ loved the
church” is more than willing to give up everything for her.
Think about it! If a husband is willing to sacrifice his own life for his wife; he
must be willing to make lesser sacrifices for her. If a husband is obeying God
concerning this priority command to love his wife, that husband will take time to
talk with, listen to, and even share his own thoughts and fears, hopes and desires,
with her.
There isn’t any place that a man’s relationship to God is better tested than in
his relationship with his own family, especially his relationship with his wife.
How are we doing husbands? Listen, you are to supply your wife’s needs just
as Christ does for His church. Husbands are to use tender love and physical
affection to provide warmth, comfort, and security to their wives; these
responsibilities fall to the husband for his wife, just as they fall on Christ for the
church.
A husband and wife is seen by God as one flesh, not two. Marriage is a unit of
two people who have been unified and welded together by Christ in such a way that
they are no longer two but one.
This sacred relationship between husbands and wives is a typology of the
relationship between Christ and His church. Husbands are to sacrificially love their
wives and wives are to respect their husband’s leadership.
When husbands and wives walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to
God’s Word, being subject to one to another out of reverence for Christ, they will
experience God’s pleasure, presence, and power, in a supernatural way, because
this brings honor, glory and praise to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen? Amen!

Pastor Mike

Bible Text: Ephesians 5:21-25 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Ephesians | See Ephesians 5:21. Christians are to willfully submit to one another, out of
reverence for the Lord who saved us.
This verse is a transition into the larger section (Ephesians 5:22-6:9), where
we are instructed about relationships between husbands and wives, Christ and His
Church, parents and children, and masters and slaves [i.e., employers and
employees]. In short, we are to be submit to one another, out of reverence for
Christ.
All nations, churches, organizations, institutions, agencies, and families, function
best with a clear chain of command or line of authority. Those who have the
responsibility to lead, do not necessarily receive their authority because they are
better than anyone else; but for the most part, it is because they have been hired,
appointed, or elected into a position in order to provide oversight and manage for
the functionality, and overall productivity, of the unit.
God commands all Christians: husbands as well as wives, parents as well as
children, employers as wells as employees, to have the same attitude as that of
Christ Jesus (Philippians. 2:5-8) “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also
in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross.”
All believers are spiritual equals in every sense and we are to submit to one
another out of reverence for and submission to the Lord, who loved us enough to
die for us, that we might receive forgiveness for sins and adoption into God’s
eternal family. We are to express our love for one another as members of one
body, brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraging one another to know, to exemplify,
and to proclaim God’s Word, as we humbly serve the Lord together.
Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free
man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Mutual submission is what God wants in all of our relationships, and we are to
do this, out of reverence for Christ. As Christians, we are to show mutual respect
and love toward one another, realizing that God has ordained distinct functions and
roles for His people, but we all have the very same value and worth before God.
The church’s understanding and application of God’s Word is meant to provide
protection, power, and purpose for Christ’s church, as we obediently live out God’s
precepts and principles in a world that rejects the very existence of God.
Much of today’s church has succumbed to the influence of the godless world
around us, e.g., self-indulgence, self-importance, immorality, impurity, greed, and
false teaching.
As we enter 2020, it would appear that God’s standards are out-of-date to
most of the world, perhaps irrelevant, and even offensive to a majority of people.
Sadly, this has also become true among many of those who call themselves
Christians.
God calls us to live differently than those who do not belong to him. God’s
design for marriage and family is in sharp contrast to that being practiced and
validated in the world around us, especially in reference to how wives and
husbands, and parents and children, are to function in their god-ordained roles.
God makes clear distinctions in the matter of roles and functions for husbands and
wives (see Ephesians 5:22-25a).
Wives are to respectfully submit to their husband’s leadership; and husbands
are to lead their wives by loving them sacrificially, as Christ loves the church.
God says wives are to be subject to [this is a military term, literally meaning,
to align or arrange in rank under] their own husbands, i.e., wives are to willfully
submit to their husband’s leadership, because God has ordained it so.
This does not mean, nor is it taught anywhere in Scripture, that a wife is to
obey her husband, as children are to obey their parents, and slaves are to obey
their masters. A husband is not to treat his wife as a servant or a child; she is a
co-heir of salvation and co-equal before God; but God has placed the responsibility
on the husband to provide for, protect, and even suffer for his wife’s sake, as did
Christ for His church.
A husband is not superior to a wife, no more than a man is superior to a
woman, simply because he is a man. In fact, many times a wife may be more
qualified and skilled at decision making and leadership than her husband (but this
can, and often does, create struggles in a marriage).
You see, God has ordained that a husband is to lead and a wife is to follow,
much like a man and a woman dancing, if they both are trying to lead, they will
most likely trip over one another’s feet; it is clearly best for only one to lead.
God has designed every person for a unique role in the body of Christ, and
these are to be carried out by way of mutual respect, submission, and love.
God’s directives for leading and following are entirely functional and they are
ordained by God (see Genesis 3:8-19). There was a consequence given for Adam
and Eve’s failure to obey God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17).
The word translated desire (Genesis 3:16) does not imply sexual, emotional
or psychological desire. Eve already possessed those, for she was Adam’s specially
created “helper suitable for him” (cf. Genesis 2:18).
The desire expressed here is the same found in the next chapter (Genesis
4:7) where the same word is used [meaning – to compel, urge or seek control
over]. God warned Cain that sin wanted to control him; God commanded Cain not
to give in to or allow sin to control him.
The context of both Genesis 3:16; 4:7 is after Adam sinned. In Genesis
3:16 the curse on Eve implies that woman’s desire would, from that time on, be to
usurp her husband’s leadership, to not align herself under his headship. Man, on
the other hand, would fight against a woman’s desire to take control, for it says he
will rule over her.
Adam and Eve were told in Genesis 1:26, 28, to rule over the animals (before
sin had entered), a different Hebrew word is used here for the concept of rule, it
means to care for something that belongs to someone else, like a steward of what
belongs to God.
Sin brought about a change in the concept of ruling, i.e., from genuine
stewardship, oversight and management, it digressed to a form of authoritarian
domination; however, this was not part of God’s original plan for man’s role as
leader and woman’s role as helpmate, but instead, this was the consequence of sin
entering creation.
The act of honoring and fulfilling the roles that God intended for husbands and
wives, was distorted at the point that sin entered creation, and the battle of the
sexes began: radical feminism and male chauvinism entered creation as a
consequence to sin’s curse.
The original closeness and perfect unity between Adam and Eve is expressed in
Genesis 2:19-24. By chapter 3 that unity and innocence is gone; Adam and Eve
are at odds with God and with each other, for sin has entered the world.
Man was created first, and God placed man in the role of leader, first in the
family, later on in society, and finally, in the church. 1Timothy 2:11-12 says, “A
woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not
allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”
Paul then reaches all the way back to original creation to show that women
weren’t intended to serve in headship roles over men; the reason being (1Timothy
2:13-14), “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not
Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
This is talking about the fact that Eve, circumventing Adam’s leadership, fell
into the transgression of original sin by listening to and being deceived by the
serpent; and yet, it was through a woman [Mary] that the Savior was born. God
designed women to fulfill roles in the home, church and culture that no man can fill,
and therefore, she didn’t have to carry the stigma of being the one who was
deceived in the garden.
Woman was created after man, as his helpmate; and it was she who was
deceived when acting independent of the man’s leadership. Paul goes on to say
(1Timothy 2:15), “But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if
they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”
1Corinthians 11:3, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every
man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”
1Corinthians 11:7-9, “A man… …is the image and glory of God; but the woman is
the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from
man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the
man’s sake.”
It is interesting though, that we are told 1Peter 3:7, “You husbands… …live
with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a
woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your
prayers will not be hindered.”
Peter is speaking of a Christian husband’s responsibility to be understanding
toward his wife’s physical and emotional needs, and a husband is to be actively and
genuinely sensitive toward her, “as with someone weaker, since she is a woman.”
The truth is, males are generally stronger than females, both physically and
emotionally, as multiple studies confirm, but of course there will always be
exceptions.
However, when a male or a female faces an emergency and/or a high stress
situation (pain or fear> flee or fight), during these events, in 100% of the test
subjects (human and animal) the male brain always exhibits increased blood flow
which heightens awareness, resolve and response; while the female brain always
exhibits decreased blood flow , leading to muddled thinking, confusion, and
indecisiveness.
By God’s purpose and design, man was made to be the provider, protector, and
servant-leader of his family; but western society and culture has pushed hard this
past century, in an attempt to blur all male/female distinctions, roles and functions,
e.g., unisex clothing, genderless bathrooms, feminine men, masculine women,
gender confusion and dysphoria [e.g., Michael Jackson was famous for his sexually
and ethnically ambiguous appearance and attributes; by his own words he sought
to exemplify both gender and ethnic androgyny, and he became very popular
because of it.
Western civilization for the most part has turned its back on God and considers
God’s Word to be obsolete. Let me assure you that all of mankind will one day
acknowledge God’s Living Word as absolutely sovereign and eternally authoritative
(Philippians 2:9-11), “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed
on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every
knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.”
Christians are to live by God’s inerrant and eternal Word, no matter what the
corrupt and godless world around us chooses to follow and promote.
The curse of Genesis 3:16 laid the ground work for the battle of the sexes,
and from that time until now women have been trying to usurp man’s headship,
and men have been trying to rule over women by dominating them. The
consequences of such behavior is extremely detrimental to the families, churches,
and communities of our society.
1Corinthians 11:11-12, “However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of
man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the
man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate
from God.”
In other words we are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, and
only then will a wife be able to willingly respect her husband’s leadership in the
home, and a husband be able to sacrificially love and care for his wife, leading by
serving.
This is only possible through a personal relationship with God’s Son, the
indwelling of God’s Spirit, and obedience to God’s Word; apart from which, there
will be no love, no harmony, no respect, and no mutual submission for one another out of reverence for Christ.

Pastor Mike

Bible Text: Ephesians 5:15-21 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Ephesians | See Ephesians 5:15-16. Christians must not be foolish, but instead are to know and to obey God’s Word, devoted to the Lord’s work.
Acts 20:24, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”
Our life on earth is brief (see James 4:13-14).
See Ephesians 5:17. God’s priorities are our priority! Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 2:21, “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” 1Thessalonians 5:9, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
1Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
See Ephesians 5:18. We must avoid influences that lead us away from honoring God, and instead we must seek the things of the Spirit (the Word of God).
See Acts 4:29-31. God’s people are “filled” with the Spirit of God, but not by asking or “praying” to be filled:
Concerning John the Baptizer (Jesus’s older cousin)…
Luke 1:15. He was filled with the Holy Spirit at birth. Luke 1:41, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:67, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Concerning Peter (fisherman turned Apostle)…
Acts 4:8, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people!’”
Concerning Saul (renamed Paul, the Apostle)…
Acts 9:17, “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’”
We are commanded (Ephesians 5:18), to “be filled [Gk. pleroo = be being kept filled] with the Spirit.”
See Ephesians 5:19-20. The Spirit’s indwelling is expressed in the life of the believer (cf. Galatians 2:20).
See Ephesians 5:21. This is a transitional verse for the next section (Ephesians 5:22-6:9), but clearly, we are commanded to submit to one another, out reverence for the Lord, and to have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5-8) “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
As members of one body, we serve the Lord together.
Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” 23-25, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

Bible Text: Ephesians 5:8-14 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Ephesians | These are the outline notes found in the sermon; please also click on the full sermon notes and the bulletin if you like.
12.01.19 ~ Ephesians 5:8-14, Letting God’s Light Shine Through You
Ephesians 5:7-14. Reject Christ remain in darkness, believe in Christ receive the light and life from God.
John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
John 12:46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” 2Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 1Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
1John 1:5-7, “God is light,” in Him there is no darkness. (cf. Genesis 1:1-4; Revelation 21:23-24; 22:3-5).
Ephesians 5:8-9 says those who belong to Christ walk in the Light, i.e., in obedience to God’s Word.
Jesus (John 14:6) is the way, the truth and the life; we learn (Ephesians 5:10) to do what is pleasing Him.
Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”
To love the Lord is to hate what He hates and (Ephesians 5:11) to expose it, for everyone to see.
Read 1John 1:8-10. Everyone is a sinner; but Jesus sets us free from sins penalty (see John 5:24; Romans 8:1).
Paul now warns us (Ephesians 5:12) that some things done by evil men are so vile that they should not even be discussed, even describing them can be morally and spiritually hazardous. Instead of giving attention to the details of such filth, we ought to pronounce God’s judgment, calling it what it is, sin.
Ephesians 5:13 says it is God’s Light, His Revelation, His Word, that qualifies, evaluates and exposes everything, even the sin filled heart condition of a person, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore (Ephesians 5:14), unbelievers, those who are spiritually dead, can be made alive in Christ, through repentance and belief.
The Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9) convicts the world of its guilt in regard to the sin of not believing in God’s Son.
Paul invites the dead to be made alive, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” God’s cure for the death and darkness of sin, is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
1Timothy 2:3-4, “God our Savior, …desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
To all who believe in Him, Jesus said (Matthew 5:14, 16) “You are the light of the world.” …”Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
If you are a believer and follower of Christ, you will desire for the Light of Christ to be seen in you, so you can tell others how He died on a cross to take their punishment, was buried, and on the third day, He rose from the grave alive; and one day He will come back to take all who belong to Him, to a place ere there is no darkness, no death, no mourning, or crying, or pain, for those things have been put away forever!.

Bible Text: Ephesians 5:3-7 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Ephesians | This is the outline found in the bulletin. The full sermon notes and weekly bulletin are also a click below:
11.24.19 ~ Ephesians 5:3-7, Living to Please God
See Ephesians 5:3. immorality = all sexual sin (fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pedophilia, pornography). impurity = all immoral thoughts, passions, fantasies, and behaviors. greed = all lusting after, leading to avarice (replacing God worship with creature worship).
See Ephesians 5:4. filthiness = all that is disgraceful, obscene, vile and dirty, in reference to speech. silly talk (dull, stupid, silly, speech) coarse jesting = crude, offensive
See Ephesians 5:5. Immorality, impurity, and greed, are characteristic of unbelievers (see 1Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21).
See Ephesians 5:6. God’s people are not live like those who will spend eternity in hell
1Corinthians 6:11, “Such were some of you.” It is (Galatians 5:21) “those who practice such things,” who will not go to heaven.
See Ephesians 5:7. Christians are not to be like the ungodly (see Psalm 1:1-3).
We must be mindful and alert, we either influence others for God or they influence us to sin!
2Peter 1:3-4, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
The ways of God and the ways of the world are very different. Most religious belief and practice in America doesn’t align with biblical Christianity.
Don’t be deceived! no one is born-again apart from the repentance of sins and belief in Christ.
If you do not desire to know and obey what God’s Word teaches, it is possible you are still dead in your sins, separated from life with God (see John 1:12-13; John 3:1-8; 5:24).
No one coming to Christ can expect to remain in the same condition they were in before being born again (cf. 2Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20). 1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
If you belong to Christ, you know you have forgiveness and eternal life; you will desire to live in a manner that pleases God.
If you you aren’t sure, you need to ask Him right now, right here, to forgive your sins and save your soul (cf. Romans 10:9-10, 13).
John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” 1Timothy 2:3-4, “God our Savior, …desires all men (women and children of age) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
God turns no one away from salvation through Christ. Christians among all peoples should be a thankful people, for we belong to (Revelation 1:8), “the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty,” and therefore we should declare (Revelation 7:12), “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Bible Text: Ephesian 5:1-2 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Ephesians | This is the outline that was in the bulletin. Full sermon notes, and a church bulletin are available– please click below.
11.17.19 ~ Ephesians 5:1-2, Loving One Another, as God Loves Us
Read Ephesians 5:1-2. Jesus is our example how we are to love God and to love others..
Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible Go the firstborn over all creation.” 19, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.”
Colossians 2:9, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”.
1John 2:6, “ the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
Read 1John 4:7-8. Love and obedience should be evidenced in our actions and attitudes.
God is Love, as His child, you will also love.
Read 1John 4:9-10. Through Jesus Christ we receive eternal life from God (cf. John 3:14-15; 2Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:9-13).
Jesus died for all sin, but only those who repent and believe are saved (cf. John 3:16-21).
John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (cf Romans 5:8; 8:1).
Read 1John 4:11-12. We should seek to know and obey God’s Word, follow Christ’s example.
God’s Son is the Creator and Savior of mankind (John 10:17-18), “I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
1Peter 2:17, “love the brotherhood.”
Luke 8:21, “My mother and My brothers are these
who hear the word of God and do it.”
John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Read 1John 4:13-18. God places His Spirit in us, marking us as His (cf. Ephesians 1:13-14).
1Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
2Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”
When you confess that Christ died for your sins and God raised Him from the grave, you are His.
Read 1John 4:19. We love others because God first loved us. Jesus Christ is our example of how we are to love others (cf. 1John 3:16-18).
Love is a verb, so live a life of love.
Read 1John 4:20-21. We express love toward our brothers and sisters in Christ.
John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Ask God to reveal in your heart where you have failed to love others on His behalf; or to forgive those who hurt you, and/or have failed to seek forgiveness from those you have offended.
You cannot, at the same time, love God yet be unwilling to love your brothers & sisters in Christ.
And all God’s children said? Amen!

Bible Text: Ephesians 4:26-32 | Pastor: Pastor Mike | Series: Ephesians | Here is the bulletin insert to follow along as you listen to the sermon. Click below for a copy of the bulletin and for the full sermon notes.

11.10.19 ~ Ephesians 4:26-32,
Living Like God’s Children, Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Ephesians 4:26a. Anger motivated by the flesh is sin. Ephesians 4:26b. We should reconcile our differences in
haste, in order to deter poisoning our heart.
Ephesians 4:27. Satan [lit. diabolos= the diabolical one, the one who maligns] seeks to malign the Word God.
1Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Colossians 3:12-13, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”
James 1:19-20, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”
Psalm 97:10 Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” 19, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
Paul commands us (Ephesians 4:28) not to steal.
2Thessalonians 3:10-11, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.”
1Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Acts 2:44-45, “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”
Acts 20:35, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Ephesians 4:29 commands us to speak what is good and useful to others.
For the nature of our tongue, see James 3:1-10. The tongue speaks what is in the heart (see Matthew 12:34; 15:10-11, 16-19).
Unwholesome words can grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
We must (see Ephesians 4:31) get rid of these sins destroy relationships and weaken the church:
Bitterness- Wrath- Anger- Clamor- Slander- Malice-
Ephesians 4:32 says we should be eager to forgive.
See 2Corinthians 5:14-21.
John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”