Living the Jesus way

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Living the Jesus way

• The gift of the Church
• Ephesians 3 1 - 21

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Church is .....
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Hatch, match and dispatch
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And our church?
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Church is central to the Bible

• It is a gift from God
• to us
• to the world
• Its important for us to have an understanding of
  the church and Gods purposes
• Its important for us to develop a love of the
  church
• If we get it right it can be stunning ...... and
  if we get it wrong it can be awful!
• What does Paul say to the Ephesians about church?

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Ephesians 3 1 - 21

• 1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ
  Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles  
• 2Surely you have heard about the administration
  of God's grace that was given to me for you,
  3that is, the mystery made known to me by
  revelation, as I have already written briefly.
  4In reading this, then, you will be able to
  understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
  5which was not made known to men in other
  generations as it has now been revealed by the
  Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

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• 6This mystery is that through the gospel the
  Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members
  together of one body, and sharers together in the
  promise in Christ Jesus.
• 7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of
  God's grace given me through the working of his
  power. 8Although I am less than the least of all
  God's people, this grace was given me to preach
  to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
  Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the
  administration of this mystery, which for ages
  past was kept hidden in God, who created all
  things.

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• 10His intent was that now, through the church,
  the manifold wisdom of God should be made known
  to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
  realms, 11according to his eternal purpose which
  he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In
  him and through faith in him we may approach God
  with freedom and confidence. 13I ask you,
  therefore, not to be discouraged because of my
  sufferings for you, which are your glory.
• A Prayer for the Ephesians
• 14For this reason I kneel before the Father,
  15from whom his whole family in heaven and on
  earth derives its name.

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• 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may
  strengthen you with power through his Spirit in
  your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in
  your hearts through faith. And I pray that you,
  being rooted and established in love, 18may have
  power, together with all the saints, to grasp how
  wide and long and high and deep is the love of
  Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses
  knowledgethat you may be filled to the measure
  of all the fullness of God.  20Now to him who is
  able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or
  imagine, according to his power that is at work
  within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in
  Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever
  and ever! Amen.

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The MYSTERY an open secret

• ...the mystery made known to me by revelation
  (v3)
• ...my insight into the mystery of Christ (v4)
• ...to make plain to everyone the administration
  of this mystery (v9)
• This mystery is that through the gospel the
  Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members
  of one body, and sharers together in the promise
  of Christ Jesus. (v6)

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This is HUGE for the Ephesians Jews

• Reconciliation of Jew Gentile
• The sovereign act of creation of one new man out
  of the two, thus making peace (216)
• Paul is in prison because of this (Acts 21 25)
• The administration of this mystery was already
  causing ripples
• We need to understand the Biblical centrality of
  the Church the body of Christ

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And Gods INTENTION?

• His intent was that now, through the Church, the
  manifold wisdom of God should be made known to
  the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
  realms, according to his eternal purpose which he
  accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (v10-11)

Manifold multi-facetted, multi-coloured, unity
in diversity
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1. The church is central in his-story

• This is Gods majestic story
• It has an eternal backdrop
• Hes showing his wisdom to the rulers and
  authorities in the heavenly realms
• The issues are of eternal importance and way
  outside of our day to day existence
• Church isnt marginal

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2. The church is central to the gospel

• Jesus didnt die just to save us.
• He is our SAVIOUR but he is also our LORD
• And God placed all things under his feet and
  appointed him to be head over everything for the
  church, which is his body, the fullness of him
  who fills everything in every way. (2 22-23)
• He died to adopt us in to his family - to
  reconcile us one to another to make a new
  community

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Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and
aliens, but fellow-citizens with God's people and
members of God's household, built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In
him the whole building is joined together and
rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And
in him you too are being built together to become
a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.  
Eph 2 19 - 22
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Church as Gods household

• A place to be loved, accepted belong.
• A place for genuine relationships adult to
  adult.
• A place where people are for us.
• A place of healing renewal.
• A place of forgiveness and mercy.
• A place to be imperfect.
• A place of accountability.
• A place where love offers the healthy climate for
  growth.
• Importance of kinship a group of 12 disciples.

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3. The church is central to our lives

• Our personal relationship to Jesus is never in
  question.
• But, Christianity only built around personal
  faith isnt what the Bible show us.
• Our healthy, growing up in Jesus is to be
  achieved within the loving relationship of a
  church community.
• Its where we learn to be effective, world
  changing disciples.

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A place to learn to be like Jesus

• To serve a privilege.
• To give generosity of money, time spirit.
• To remember the poor, the outcast, the
  marginalised to back this up with action.
• To worship all day, every day.
• To pray for the sick, the lost, the demonised.
• To learn to use the gifts of the spirit
  effectively.
• To learn to love people church isnt a theory,
  but actual people!

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In summary

• The church is central in history
• The church is central to the gospel
• The church is central to our lives
• What about when things have gone wrong?

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Reasons to feel disconnected

• Life is hard so we withdraw
• We feel like an outsider
• Life is busy
• Weve been burnt by church in the past
• Weve been burnt by people in general
• Weve sinned and so feel ashamed
• Church hopping unresolved pain

We belong together
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So ....

• Paul was prepared to pay any price to see Gods
  church established.
• If the church is central to Gods purposes it
  must surely be central to our lives.
• We need Jesus help to
• love his church more effectively
• serve his church more selflessly
• be the church in the world as Jesus intended
• pray for all churches to be full of his people,
  his presence his power

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• Then a prayer ...
• For this reason I kneel
• before the Father (v14)
• strengthen you with power
• being rooted and
• established in love

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To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever
(v21)