In Jason Dohm's sermon on Ephesians, he delves into the historical context and spiritual messages conveyed to the church of Ephesus. He begins by discussing Revelation 2:1-7, where Jesus acknowledges the good works of the Ephesians but criticizes them for losing their first love. Dohm highlights the importance of rekindling love for Christ and warns of the consequences of spiritual complacency. The sermon transitions to the historical significance of Ephesus, a major trade city and a hub for the early church. Through passages in Acts, Dohm traces how the Gospel penetrated Ephesus, emphasizing the role of Paul, Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos in spreading Christianity. He notes the impactful miracles performed by Paul that authenticated the Gospel and led to significant conversions, including the burning of magic books as a sign of true repentance. Dohm outlines the structure of Ephesians, highlighting its division between doctrinal teachings in chapters 1-3 and practical applications in chapters 4-6. He emphasizes key themes such as the Trinity, election, and the majesty of Christ, urging believers to soak in the riches of Ephesians and become experts in its teachings. The sermon concludes with an exhortation to embrace the transformative power of the Gospel and to engage deeply with the text of Ephesians for spiritual growth.

All right, our sermon passage for today is Revelation 2. We'll be reading from verses 1 through 7, the Loveless Church. To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.

And you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. But this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Let's pray. O most holy, heavenly, gracious, and loving God, Thank you for bringing us together again for another Sunday, another Lord's Day to come away from our works, to come away from our weekly labors, to rest, to worship you the one true living God, singing praises to your name, praying with the people of God, and listening to your word preached. O Lord, may today's sermon Prepare the hearts of your people Lord to receive it that we would repent Lord God and we would return to our first love and those that don't know you Lord God I pray that there would be a revival in this room. There would be hearts that would be changed, hearts of stone pulled out and given a heart of flesh from you.

Hearts that desire to repent of their sins and put their faith in you, the one true living God. May today be a day of salvation for many. Bless Mr. Dome, give him the words to speak. In your son's name we pray, amen.

Good morning. Good morning. You can tell I didn't waste any brain power on sermon title and introduction to Ephesians. There you have it. So, Conor just read Revelation chapter 2 verses 1 through 7.

So, we're going to spend the better part of the year studying Paul's letter to the Ephesians. They got a better letter still. They got one from the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not Jesus' first encounter with this church. It was Jesus who actually sent Paul to Ephesus.

It was Jesus who superintended things so that Timothy would then spend time helping to shepherd this young church. And then Jesus, through the Apostle John in the Revelation, writes a letter directly to them. It's just a reflection of the ongoing care of Jesus to send the Gospel to these people and then to fan that flame through a period of decades. Many of the things that are said about the Ephesians you would want said about you. That You persevere in patience, that you keep working even in hardship, that you know how to recognize and reject false apostles.

I would hope you would want all those things said of you. I would want them said of me. But Jesus had this against them. They had left their first love. Their love for Christ burned bright in the early years and decades, but it cooled over time.

And Jesus knew it. Jesus was offended by it. Jesus threatened the removing of their lampstand, meaning the extinguishing of their church. History really tells the tale of the extinguishing of that church. When James and I picked Ephesians, we weren't really thinking about how close our dear friends, the Templetons, are to there.

They've driven there. It's a 40 mile drive from where they live to where the Ephesians is. So there are many stirrings that goes well beyond the Carrington's and the Templeton's. God has been on the move long before us having any of these thoughts. The Gospel is coming back to this territory.

Praise God. His mercy endures forever. We recently finished Jonah, Habakkuk, and Haggai. Coming to Ephesians represents a big shift in a number of ways. It's a different genre of Scripture.

For sure we're moving out of prophetic books into a didactic book. A didactic book is an instruction book. A book of actual teaching of doctrines. So we'll not have any historical narrative reading the histories really in Ephesians. Although we're going to spend a lot of time doing that today in the book of Acts.

But it means you have to slow down. Through Jonah, Habakkuk, and Haggai, we were going a chapter a week. I hated it. Now, I've suggested, recommended a preaching schedule to James through the first three chapters. The schedule I recommended takes five months to go through the first three chapters, and the response I got back from James from the beach was, yeah chapter three is too fast.

So it's probably going to be three chapters, six months. Don't bet against it. But you need it. Paul is particularly dense in his didactic teaching and his doctrinal teachings. Some of the most glorious doctrines in scripture are undertaking.

And to do that a chapter a week would be a crime. So we're not going to commit that crime. We might be committing the opposite crime. I'm going too slowly, but time will tell. Here's what Martin Lloyd-Jones, he might have been the most influential preacher and best expositor of the 1900s.

He preached through Ephesians in the mid-1950s, 1954 and 1955. His sermons have been compiled into a seven volume set. Both James and I own the seven volume set now. We're going to be tracking with Lloyd-Jones. It's very, very rich.

Here's what he says in the introductory chapters of this sermon series. He says, if the epistle to the Romans is the purest expression of the Gospel, then the epistle to the Ephesians is the sublimest and the most majestic expression for it. So if you want to go for comprehensive and systematic, you go to Romans. If you want to go for beauty you go to Ephesians. Amen, let's do that.

He says there are passages in this first chapter and others in the third chapter, especially towards its end, where the apostle is carried out and beyond himself and loses and abandons himself in a great outburst of worship and praise and thanksgiving. In fact, when we get to the end of chapter 3, there's going to be a doxology right in the middle. He just bursts forth into praise. He just can't help himself. He's right in the middle of the book, he has more business to get to, but he just stops and there's a three verse wonderful doxology just to praise God right in the middle of the letter.

But that's actually, you find a sense of that throughout the letter. He's talking about the glories of the gospel and every once in a while he just stops to go into the stratosphere about how good God is through the gospel. So as we come to this introduction, Let's pray and ask God to help us. God, I thank you. We thank you for your lavish care for specific cities and specific churches, local bodies within those cities.

And that this is represented and wrapped up in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, writing to believers in a church in a city. Since our planting we've wanted to be an expression of your care for Youngsville and of your care for a little church planted here. I pray that as we read this letter to one church and one city, we would just have a renewed sense of your care for our community and for our little church. You never leave us or forsake us. I thank you for that.

I pray that you would work through our time in Ephesians to make us more in love with you and your gospel than we've ever been. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen. So there are two major headings today. You can see if you have a handout in your hand. The first is the history of the Ephesians in Acts.

So Acts fills in the blank. The historical account of the Ephesians in Acts. It ends up being the Ephesian church, but it doesn't start that way. There is no gospel in Ephesus. In Acts Chapter 18, the Gospel comes to Ephesus and penetrates Ephesus in Acts 18, 19, and 20.

We're going to spend time there today. By the way, next week we'll do a public reading of the whole book of Ephesians. So it will be just a really long reading of scripture itself and then I'll take whatever time we have left to talk about chapter 1 verse 1. And by the way, Lloyd Jones spent two weeks on chapter 1 verse 1. I probably won't do that.

So please turn in your Bibles to Acts 18. Acts chapter 18. The beginning of the chapter, I'm not going to read it, but the beginning of the chapter, Paul is in Corinth. So Corinth is in the Roman province of Achaea, Greece, modern day Greece. He comes to Corinth and he meets there a Jewish couple, Priscilla and Aquila, who have been expelled from Rome.

They used to live in Rome, but the emperor Claudius has expelled all Christians from Rome. They've come to Corinth. They're tent makers. Paul's a tent maker. They engage in that trade together while Paul is evangelizing and then making disciples of the converts.

They're joining in that as well, and they spend 18 months there. They spend 18 months there. The first part of Acts 18 actually represents a year and a half with Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila ministering together in Corinth and undoubtedly getting to know each other very very well as you would in a year and a half if you were engaged in those of labor, so I'm going to pick up in act 18 Versus 18 through 21 and then I will skip to 24-28 but I'll tell you when I do it so you can track with me. So follow along as I read Acts 18, 18-21 and so forth. So Paul still remained a good while, this is in Corinth.

Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Kincrea, for he had taken a vow. And he came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent but took leave of them saying, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.

Now picking up again in verse 24. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him. And when he arrived, He greatly helped those who had believed through grace. For he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. So here we're watching unfold a kind of a cross-pollination between two cities. Corinth and Ephesus, where Paul and Priscilla and Aquila start in Corinth and go to Ephesus.

Paul leaves Ephesus, but Aquila and Priscilla stay. Apollos comes to Ephesus and he's able to be instructed more accurately in the way of the Lord by Priscilla and Aquila and then he goes back to Corinth while Priscilla and Aquila remain in Ephesus ministering there. So This is the beginning of the Gospel. This is the Gospel coming to Ephesus. It's late in Paul's second missionary journey.

The first missionary journey when Paul and Barnabas were sent out from the church in Antioch. The first missionary journey is over. The Jerusalem Council has already happened. Now the second missionary journey is in progress. Paul comes to Ephesus probably in 53 AD.

Most scholars agree on that date. So Jesus died and rose again in something like 33 AD. So we're talking about 20 years after the resurrection, Paul comes to Ephesus. The stay is very brief. They ask him to stay longer.

He says, I'm determined to go to Jerusalem for the feast, but God willing I'll come back to see you. And he leaves Priscilla and Aquila who then instructs Apollos. Now, I'm going to read all of 19 now and the first verse in 20. I know it's a long reading, but it all has to do with Paul coming back to Ephesus and the time that he spent there. When we get to Acts 20, Paul will look back on this time and say it was three years.

So you can add up close to that from time stamps within the chapter, but you get from 20 that it was actually three years in Ephesus. So follow along as I read Acts 19. And it happened while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul having passed through the upper regions came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples, he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.

And he said to them, into what then were you baptized? So they said into John's baptism. Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him, that is on Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Now the men were about twelve in all, and he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some of them were hardened and did not believe but spoke evil of the way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This continued for two years so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the Itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call on the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits saying We exercise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches Also, there were seven sons of Siva Jewish chief priest who did so and the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?

Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem, saying, after I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time. And about that time there arose a great commotion about the way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.

He called them together with the workers of similar occupation and said, Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover, you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshiped. When they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! So the whole city was filled with confusion and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions.

And when Paul wanted to go into the people, the disciples would not allow him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him, pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and Most of them did not know why they had come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make his defense to the people.

But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus. Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.

Let them bring charges against one another. But if you have any other inquiry to make it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar. There being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering. And when he said these things he dismissed the assembly.

Chapter 20 verse 1, after the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. So in chapter 18 we had a very brief stay, in chapter 19 we have Paul's extended stay of three years. It was three months preaching boldly in the synagogue, and then two years plus in the school of Tyrannus teaching daily. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul encountered twelve disciples, but they are really ignorant of fundamental things. They had not even been told that there is a Holy Spirit.

They had been baptized with a baptism of repentance, but not a baptism of faith in Jesus. So they are baptized in the name of Jesus. And then look at verse 10. And this continued for two years, his teaching the disciples in the school of Taranis daily. This continued for two years so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

So there is tremendous penetration of the Gospel in Ephesus, yes, but not just Ephesus. It is going out from Ephesus now. This is something that we see repeatedly with Paul. It happens in the Roman province of Achaia. He goes to Corinth, the main city there, and then the gospel goes out from there.

He goes to Thessalonica and Philippi, the main cities of Macedonia, and then the gospel goes out from there. He goes to Thessalonica and Philippi, the main cities of Macedonia, and then the gospel goes out from there. This is what is happening in Ephesus in Asia. We learn in the chapter that God gave Paul the ability to perform authenticating miracles. Do you remember how many times did we see in John Jesus doing astounding things that we've never seen with our own two eyes and I kept calling them the marks of the Messiah, because they are the things in the Old Testament that God says the Messiah will be doing these things.

It's like Jesus is just checking off the list everything that the Old Testament says the Messiah will be doing, Jesus is doing. And they were authenticating miracles. Jesus was saying things that are crazy unless they are true. Well how do you know if they are true? God puts his stamp of approval in them through the miracles that Jesus did.

We see something very similar happening in Ephesus. In verse 11 they are actually called unusual miracles. So even among the miracles, sometimes in the New Testament they are called the signs of the apostles. Even among miracles there are extraordinary things happening because God is authenticating the truth of the gospel of Jesus. God is proving to people that these things aren't just the inventions of the brain but that God is behind the things that are being said, and the miracles prove it.

We see in this chapter real repentance. It's so refreshing to read Acts chapter 19. The people hear the gospel, they believe and embrace the gospel, and then they burn up 50, 000 pieces of silver worth of magic books. This is real repentance. This is an area, a locale, being turned upside down because individual lives in that locale are turned upside down.

You can believe if you have an asset that's worth 50, 000 pieces of silver, a piece of silver would be about a day's wage. If you had that kind of assets, a group of people who had those assets, they would only part with that value if their lives had been turned upside down by the Gospel. And then Finally, this leads us to Demetrius the silversmith, whose livelihood is threatened by the progress that the Gospel is making. It leads to this riot in the theater with a horde of people chanting for something like two hours, great is Diana of the Ephesians. So it just proves the broad penetration of the Gospel.

You know what? When the Gospel comes to a locale, it disrupts. If there's no disruption, it means the Gospel is not penetrating a locale. The Gospel contradicts human nature. People who have just been going on according to their inclinations that they were born with, everything is nice and stable in that kind of environment.

When the Gospel comes, people start burning books. I'm not advocating for book burning here. But it happened in Ephesus, and that was good. It was a sign that God was really present and blessing the preaching of his gospel with power. Now finally, turn in Acts 20 to verse 17.

Some other things happen, we're not touching on that today. And then in Acts chapter 20 verse 17, Paul is sailing back near Ephesus, but he doesn't intend to go to Ephesus, and he doesn't go to Ephesus, but he's near enough that he's able to summon the elders of Ephesus, the leaders of this church to come for him so that he can give to them parting counsel. He knows that he is never going to see them again and he wants to give them parting counsel. He does so in Acts 20 verses 17 through 37. Please follow along.

Acts 20 beginning in verse 17. From Miletus he, Paul, sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. When they had come to him, he said to them, You know from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews, how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." And see now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God will see my face no more.

Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

So now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands are provided for my necessities and for those who are with me. I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus that He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. This is really the end of Paul's time in Ephesus, though we know he writes them a letter later, and he sends Timothy back to minister among them later. But this is the end, at least as far as the recorded history that we have of Paul's time in Ephesus.

Paul summons the elders of this church and he points to his manner of life and to his gospel. You know the manner of life that I lived among you, one of providing for my own needs and one of teaching publicly, and from house to house not holding back anything that's helpful but declaring to you the whole counsel of God and he really gives a wonderful summary of his gospel here he says he he preached this to Jews and to Greeks alike repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. You want a summary statement of the gospel? Repent and believe. Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

He's calling them to imitate Him. He's talking about His life among them. It's a calling for these leaders of the church to live like he lived and to preach like he preached and what he preached. The key line is really Acts 20.28. He says to these elders, Therefore take heed to yourselves, pay attention to yourself, and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood." Man, you're among a blood-bought people, and God wants them cared for, lavishly shepherd these people.

Lay down your life for these people, as you've seen me lay down my life for them when I lived among you. Finally, we get this visibility to a very tender parting which shows clearly the nature of relationship that Paul expects in the local church. This ain't no business meeting. This is no business meeting. It ends with weeping and falling on the neck and kissing their brother, taking him to the ship.

This is the kind of relationships that God wants in his churches. One last point on the history. 1 Timothy chapter 1 opens this way. This is 1 Timothy 1 verse 3. Paul writes to Timothy, as I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine.

So in Acts chapter 20 we see that he was warning them, Savage wolves are going to come in among you. Even from among yourself men will rise up to draw away disciples after themselves. We see that he has compelled Timothy to remain in Ephesus to contradict this false doctrine. So we just have another sign of Paul's ongoing care, along with his letter that he writes to him. He sent Timothy back to care for these people.

Then Jesus writes them a letter. So that is major heading number one, the history of the Ephesians in the book of Acts. It's really helpful to know the history as you start to read the letter from Paul to these people. It really fits together very nicely. Major heading number two, a handful of things to look for in Ephesians.

So look for fills in the blanks if you're doing such a thing. A handful of things to look for in Ephesians. Let me give you a few bits of info and then seven things to look for. So I'm just going to give you some facts about Ephesians, and then I'll give you these seven things to look for. Ephesians is one of the books known as Paul's prison epistles.

Why? Because he wrote a certain number of letters while he was in prison. How do you know? Because it says in the letters that he speaks of his chains or his imprisonment in the letters. There are four of them.

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Those are the four prison epistles of the Apostle Paul. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Those are some great letters. Ephesians and Colossians are the most similar of the four.

There are sections that are almost word for word. At the close of both Ephesians and Colossians, it says, I'm sending this by the hand of Tichicus. My guess is they were written at the same time and sent at the same time. I can't prove it, but because the themes of Ephesians and Colossians are so similar, really borrowing language from each other, one from the other, and because they were sent by the same hand, I think that's likely. Most scholars believe that Paul wrote this from his Roman imprisonment, and That would date it to the year 60-62 AD.

I think the scholars are probably right about that. Again, there's nothing that makes it definitive. But we know he wrote from prison. The book of Acts closes this way. Let me read the last two verses of the book of Acts.

Acts 28, verses 30 and 31. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him." So the book of Acts ends with Paul in prison but under house arrest. He's in a house that he himself has rented. He's chained between two soldiers. But he's free to receive all visitors.

And most scholars believe that he wrote the prison epistles during these times. Makes sense to me. Many scholars believe that Ephesians was originally a circular letter. What does that mean? Written on a circle?

No. Meaning, as a letter that was meant to be distributed among churches in a smaller geographical area. Why do scholars believe that? Some scholars believe that. Because some of the early manuscripts don't have who are in Ephesus in verse 1.

So some of the early manuscripts don't tie the letter specifically to Ephesus in verse 1. And there are no personal greetings, which is sort of odd for a letter written by Paul. Often he includes personal greetings, greetings to people by name. Knowing that he spent three years in Ephesus, it's a little odd that Ephesians doesn't have that. I think that's quite possible, especially with what we saw described in Acts, that the gospel went out from Ephesus into all of Asia.

This could have been a letter that was intended for all those churches in that area. But Ephesus was the dominant city and the dominant church, and so it ended up the letter to the Ephesians. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. When we think Asia, what do you think? You think China, Japan, North and South Korea.

Today we would call what is being called in the New Testament Asia, Asia Minor, but it's modern day Turkey. A lot of it falls within modern day Turkey and we would call it Asia Minor today. That area was conquered by Rome about 200 BC and so it this has been, Ephesus has been part of Rome for 250 years. It's about the length of time that the United States has existed as a nation. So for a long time, as long as we have a history here, they would have known nothing but Roman rule, being part of the Roman Empire.

The Nelson Study Bible makes this note, Ephesus was the intersection of several major trade routes, or various trade routes, and they intersected at Ephesus, so it was a major trade capital as well. The population during this time was probably in the range of 200, 000 to 250, 000 which is roughly the population of Durham to give you a point of reference. And Hohner, one of the commentators that I'm reading and getting to know a little bit, says that this was the third largest city in the empire at the time when Paul was writing. Rome, Athens, Ephesus. So the largest city in Asia Minor and the third largest in the empire.

So tremendously influential city. Ephesus was an idolatrous city. We just read about the worship of Diana or Artemis. Those can be used interchangeably. Emperor worship was done in Ephesus.

The worship of other less major deities than those two. Those were the major two, Diana and Emperor worship, but also witchcraft. It was a center for witchcraft, which we see there with them burning witchcraft books. Finally, the ESV Study Bible has this note, the silting up of the harbor. Bodies of water have minerals floating in it that in certain places it just settles and it can actually even form land that way.

Land forms at the base of the Mississippi sometimes because of the silt that settles. So The silting up of the harbor and the ravages of earthquakes caused the abandonment of the harbor city several centuries later. Several centuries later, Ephesus is not even on the water, where it was at the time of the writing of this but land had built up and so when you go to Ephesus today it's not right on the water. Now the seven things to look for. I'll go fast.

Number one, a very clear division. Paul's sort of famous for this, but there's nowhere it's more clear than it is in Ephesians. Chapters one through three is doctrinal. So teaching theology, teaching doctrine, chapter one through three, and then there's that doxology of those couple verses of praise right at the end of chapter three, and then you have a total shift to practice. What do you do with the doctrine?

How do you live it out in life? It starts in chapter 4 verse 1 and continues through the end. Lloyd-Jones says this. So as you can tell, you're going to get a lot of Lloyd-Jones quotes. Lloyd-Jones is going to be, to my preaching of Ephesians, what J.C.

Ryle was to my preaching of John. So just, you're stuck. I don't know what to tell you. Lloyd-Jones says this, Lloyd-Jones says this, we must not start by examining ourselves and our needs microscopically. We must start with God and forget ourselves.

That's exactly what Paul does here. He starts with God, he gives you an expansive, beautiful vision of God, and then he tells you what you should do with that. He doesn't start with us and our needs, though God does care for us and he is concerned with our needs but starting there is death. Starting with me and my needs is a way to misery. A way to happiness is to start with an expansive beautiful vision of God, a captivating vision of God, and then you can tell people what that ought to mean in life.

We must not start by examining ourselves and our needs microscopically. We must start with God and forget ourselves. Paul helps us to do that here. He begins with who God is and what he wanted to do and has done for us and then he tells us what that means in life. Number two, the Trinity.

This is not a book about God generically, meaning Paul splits it out. Not that he is making a separation to the Trinity. But Paul talks about God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Let me just give you an example. I could multiply these.

An example just from chapter 1. Listen to chapter 1 verse 2. Grace to you in peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And then listen to verses 13. In Him, in Jesus, you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory.

So already in chapter one he's talked about God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit that seals us and serves as a guarantee, a deposit until we're delivered safely to heaven. We're going to get a heaping helping of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul is essentially arguing that there is arguing that there is a conspiracy afoot. A conspiracy between three persons to save and to keep and to sanctify sinners. And They are working together for your good.

God electing and Jesus dying for and the Spirit indwelling the believer. So get ready for a heaping helping of the Trinity. Number three, election. The doctrine that before the world was even made, God picked out who He would save, determined to save sinners, specific sinners, and then he worked in history to enact that plan. I know more than one free will Baptist pastor.

What is a free will Baptist pastor? Well, it's a pastor who is theologically married to the idea that whether we're saved or not saved depends on our will, free will, Baptist. And that God, the Holy Spirit, is only a gentleman, only presenting to you an option that you will then take or leave according to your own preference. So I know more than one pastor who's come out of that educational system, out of that theological viewpoint, whose theological understanding has been dashed to pieces against the immovable theology and doctrine of Ephesians. In other words, they became theologically reformed not by reading John Calvin, but by having to preach sequentially through the book of Ephesians after they had already been trained to the point of being a pastor and being in the pulpit.

These are not just people who grew up in a free will Baptist church and just thought, well, what I was taught is fine. They went to seminaries and they were trained in this. Their system of theology could not survive a sequential exposition of Ephesians because of the will of God working its way out into the lives of sinners who never would choose God if it was left up to them, is all over the pages of this book. And so we'll just drink it in. Number four.

Jesus, His saving work and His now and forever majesty. Jesus is all over Ephesians. What about Jesus? His saving work is there. But even more than that, His now and forever majesty.

In other words, He is not the suffering servant anymore. If you want the suffering servant, go to Isaiah 53 or go to the Gospels. If you want Jesus glorified, come to Ephesians. He is set forth as the sacrifice that makes salvation possible, and that's really the end of it as far as that side of the equation, then he is made glorious above all things in Ephesians. Listen to what the Expositors Bible commentary says.

Paul highlights the crucial role of Christ. He champions Christ in his work extensively with exalted language. Though Paul does reference Christ's death as the basis on which believers find salvation. In Ephesians, Paul decidedly emphasizes Christ's status as the exalted one. Ephesians does not develop his role as servant, but as the one who is superior to all things.

That's what you're going to get in Ephesians. Christ who is superior to all things. Won't that be refreshing? Here's just a couple of examples. In chapter 1 verse 7, we're going to encounter the phrase, the riches of His grace.

Preaching through Ephesians is going to be preaching on the riches that belong to the believer. So this should be fun. Chapter 3 verse 8, Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ. You never get to the bottom of this treasure heap. We'll try our best and fail.

And that'll be fine. Number five. We find a shaping and instructing letter. Paul is trying to shape Christians. He's trying to mold Christians, and then he's trying to tell them what to do to instruct them.

Expositors Bible commentary quotes Klein Snodgrass. Who is that? I have no idea. I'm glad my name is not Snodgrass. A dome is bad enough.

But He's quoted by the Expositors Bible commentary, and the quote is noteworthy. He says this, it is a letter of definition and encouragement. He's defining our faith, and then he's encouraging us to live it out. Paul sought to ground, shape, and challenge his readers so that they might live their faith. Here's an interesting point that's related to this about Ephesians.

Paul doesn't seem to be writing to correct any specific error. In many of his letters you can tell, oh he's writing against that. You're going to have a hard time picking anything out in Ephesians. It's because he's just shaping Christians. He's just shaping Christians with wonderful, refreshing, foundational doctrine and then he's telling them what to do with it.

He's not combating any heresy per se, although sound doctrine always combats heresy, but he's not pointed at any specific error. Number six. You will find in Ephesians marching orders. Or, I should more accurately say walking orders. In the second half of the book, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, it's going to be walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, literally.

I mean, Paul says, walk this way. Don't walk that way. Here, the commentator, Hohner, I meant to get his first name so I would know to say it and I don't remember it yet. But anyway, Hohner, the commentator says this, this portion, chapters 4 through 6, is subdivided into six sections, five governed by the imperative walk. They are, one, to walk in unity, chapter 4, To walk in holiness and not as the Gentiles, late in chapter 4.

3. To walk in love by imitating God and abstaining from evil practices, early in chapter 5. Number 4, to walk in light by not becoming involved with evildoers and their works. End of chapter 5. And number 5, to walk in wisdom by being controlled by the spirit in their domestic and public life.

Chapter 5 and 6. The pinnacle of this walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, and don't walk, is in chapter 4 when he says, put on the new man and put off the old man. And then he gives you lists. The new man walks like this. The old man walks like this.

Don't walk that way. So, Paul is teaching us to become what we are. In Christ, Christ has done things for you that make you something. By washing away your sins and sending his spirit to dwell in you, he makes you something. And then that's supposed to turn your life upside down.

Maybe not in a day, but Little by little by little you look less and less like you used to look and more like Christ. That's the whole name of the game. And so Paul is calling us up to what we are. Become what you are. Some theologians call it realized eschatology.

Eschatology is what? Study of the end times. And Paul is saying, you don't have to wait for the end times. You are this. The riches are yours.

Well, what are you waiting till then for? Like, be transformed now, because the riches are at your feet. The riches of Christ are at your feet. Number seven, the church both local and universal. The Expositors Bible commentary says this, the term church ecclesia occurs nine times explicitly but we discover the concept of the community or body of believers through many other expressions and images.

So we're going to get a healthy dose of local church and universal church throughout Ephesians. Applications, I'll give you two. Number one, brethren, Soak in your riches. This is a book of riches. Paul's intent was to put the riches that are yours at your feet, so that you undertake the privileges that you have a right to.

You have a right to these things in Christ if you are indeed in Christ. Soak in your riches. Number two, become an expert on Ephesians. We're going to spend between nine months to a year here in Ephesians. The difference between getting very little and becoming an expert on the book isn't that much.

You're going to be here most of the Sundays anyway. You're going to hear an hour sermon on just a few verses at a time. If you proactively do just a little before and a little after, you'll practically be an expert on Ephesians by the time we get done. The difference will not be time. It will be intentionality and how much you're willing to do proactively.

Are you willing to come to Men's Bible Study and just get another dose of the text and wrestle with it before we take it on on Sunday? Are you willing to discuss it after the sermon? When we're together here or at home? Are you willing to really give yourself to the memorization that we do in it? We've got a couple of months left before the end of the year, where we're going to tackle what we tackled today, which is chapter 1 verses 3 through 6.

We need it. It's good. And then we're going to go to chapter 2, probably, verses 1 through 10, which is just some of the most wonderful verses in all the Bible in the first quarter of next year. Give yourself memorize to those so that if you wake up from a dead sleep you can spit it out because you've said it a thousand times. Let's pray.

God we do pray for your blessing. Please bless us. Please send help from heaven. Please activate the working of your spirit in our hearts to help us give ourselves to acquiring all the riches that are in this book. Thank you for the riches that we have in Christ.

May we not neglect a single one of them. I pray that we would come out of this time greatly enriched. May it be so in Jesus' name, Amen.