A Picture of Peace

1
WE ARE HIS WORKANSHIP (Eph 210)HE IS OUR PEACE
(214)

• A Picture of PeaceGod dwelling in His people
  HIS BUILDING

2

• And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this
  side and on that side, shall grow all trees for
  meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall
  the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring
  forth new fruit according to his months, because
  their waters they issued out of the sanctuary
  and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the
  leaf thereof for medicine. (Eze 4712 )

WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP HE IS OUR PEACE
3

• And he shewed me a pure river of water of life,
  clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of
  God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street
  of it, and on either side of the river, was there
  the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
  fruits, and yielded her fruit every month and
  the leaves of the tree were for the healing of
  the nations.(Rev 221-2)

FASHIONED IN CHRIST BY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE
4

HOLY TEMPLE Eph 221 Gods Building

• FITLY FRAMED (JOINED) TOGETHER
• BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED
• FOR AN HABITATION OF GOD

5
HIS WORKMANSHIP TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSE FROM THE
BEGINNING

• He created it not in vain, he formed it to be
  inhabited I am the LORD and there is none else.
  (Isa 4518)
• But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be
  filled with the glory of the LORD. (Num 1421)
• To fulfill these objectives
• ALL INHABITANTS MUST GLORIFY GOD!!

6

• HIS WORKMANSHIP
• WE ARE GODS CHILDREN
• CHOSEN...PREDESTINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE
  WORLD (Ephesians 14-5)
• Raised up into heavenly places together
• Making in himself one new man so making peace
  (Eph 215)
• I WILL BE MANIFESTED
• I WILL DWELL IN MY PEOPLE.IN A HOLY TEMPLE (A
  HABITATION (Eph 219-22)

7
CHILDREN (JOINED) FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER IN
GODS BUILDING

• God manifested.. dwelling in His people peace on
  earth (Isa 3217)
• Many Types
• Burning Bush
• Tree of Life
• Ezekiels UFO
• Good/wild Olive trees
• Vine
• One Body

8

• CHILDREN FROM TWO TOTALLY DIVERSE CULTURES

• Natural Israel
• Gentiles (Aliens)

9

• And to make all men see what is the fellowship of
  the mystery, which from the beginning of the
  world hath been hid in God, who created all
  things by Jesus Christ (Eph 39)
• That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of
  the same body, and partakers of his promise in
  Christ by the gospel (Eph 33-6)

• This framing together kept a MYSTERY for ages

10

• THE PRIMARY GROUP NATURAL ISRAEL

• Astray from their hope
• Prone to idolatry
• Letter of Law mentality
• Traditions of the Elders
• In need of repentance
• Hearts /eyes closed
• John, (Elijah)sent to turn hearts
• Then at Pentecost (3000 baptized)

11

• The other group Gentiles (Aliens)

• Strangers, without hope.Dead in trespasses/sin
• Pagan beliefs
• Idolatry (Diana)
• They turned to God (burned their books)
• Raised up with Jews to heavenly places
• Became One body with Jewish converts

12

• Ephesians (Gentiles)

• City of Ephesus was large, wealthy (30,000?)
• Ephesians had a notable presence in the NT
• Acts 18 thru 20
• Timothys ministry at Ephesus
• Beasts at Ephesus?( 1 Cor.1532, cp Tit 112)
• Ecclesia (Rev. 111) left their first love
• Tree of life to him that overcomes! (Rev 21-7)

13
HOW DO YOU JOIN (FITLY FRAME) THESE TWO GROUPS
TOGETHER?

• The whole body fitly joined together, compacted
  by that which every joint supplieth. (Eph 416)
• Joined into one body, glorifying God together?
  (Their future role Zec 4)
• IT SOUNDS SIMPLE Both Wild and Good Olive trees
  made into all one in Christ Jesus (Rom 11, Gal
  327-29)

14
FITLY FRAMED BUT NOT WITHOUT PROBLEMS

• Acts 15 conference/Judaizers
• And certain men which came down from Judaea
  taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be
  circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot
  be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had
  no small dissension and disputation with them,
  they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and
  certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem
  unto the apostles and elders about this
  question.(Act 151-2)

15
FITLY FRAMED BUT WITH PROBLEMS IN EPHESUS

• PAUL EXHORTS EPHESIANS (Acts 2028 -32)-Take heed
  therefore unto yourselvesafter my departing
  shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
  sparing the flock. ..Also of your own selves
  shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to
  draw away disciples after them.
• Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space
  of three years I ceased not to warn every one
  night and day with tears.
• And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to
  the word of his grace, which is able to build you
  up, and to give you an inheritance among all them
  which are sanctified.

16
Problems(even among the leaders)

• But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood
  him to the face(respect of persons-Gal. 2)
• O foolish Galatians perverting the gospel,
  justified by law or faith?
• Corinth Divisions (I am of Paul) feasting at
  memorial table
• Romans judging one another, letter of law
  circumcision of heart not flesh
• Colossians beware of philosophy, vain deceit,
  traditions of men
• 3 John Diotrephes (loveth preeminence..refusing
  brethren
• Christadelphian problems??

17
Ephesians had their own struggles

• Pagan influence/Idolatry/lust!
• This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord,
  that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles
  walk, in the vanity of their mind, (Eph 417)
• That ye put off concerning the former
  conversation the old man, which is corrupt
  according to the deceitful lusts (Eph 422)
• Put on the whole armor of God..For we wrestle not
  against flesh and blood, but against
  principalities, against powers, against the
  rulers of the darkness of this world, against
  spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 612)

18
Timothy (Ministry at Ephesus)

• His advice to the Ephesians (and us)
• Of these things put them in remembrance, charging
  them before the Lord that they strive not about
  words to no profit, but to the subverting of the
  hearers.(2 Tim 214)
• But foolish and unlearned questions avoid,
  knowing that they do gender strifes. And the
  servant of the Lord must not strive but be
  gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In
  meekness instructing those that oppose
  themselves if God peradventure will give them
  repentance to the acknowledging of the truth (2
  Tim 2 23-25)

19
FITLY JOINED One body, many parts!

• Fearfully and wonderfully made
  (Spiritual/Natural- Psa. 1394)
• There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
  called in one hope of your calling (Eph 41-4)
• For as the body is one, and hath many members,
  and all the members of that one body, being many,
  are one body so also is Christ.(1Co 1212-14)

20
FITLY FRAMED Co-dependent!

• A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION WITH PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS
• If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand,
  I am not of the body is it therefore not of the
  body?
• And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the
  eye, I am not of the body is it therefore not of
  the body? (1Co 1215-16)
• We can learn from these examples!

21
FITLY FRAMED into one body by the God of all
grace

• But now hath God set the members every one of
  them in the body, as it hath pleased him (1Co
  1218)
• And those members of the body, which we think to
  be less honourable, upon these we bestow more
  abundant honour and our uncomely parts have more
  abundant comeliness. (1Co 1223)

22
FITLY FRAMED- Caring!

• 1Co 1225 -26 That there should be no schism in
  the body but that the members should have the
  same care one for another.
• And whether one member suffer, all the members
  suffer with it or one member be honoured, all
  the members rejoice with it.
• 1Co 1227 Now ye are the body of Christ, and
  members in particular.
• God has fitly joined us togetherwe should
  appreciate, respect and cooperate with the other
  members in His arrangement

23
FITLY FRAMED many gifts!

• Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high,
  he led (captivity captive, and gave gifts unto
  men..And he gave some, apostles and some,
  prophets and some, evangelists and some,
  pastors and teachers (Eph 48,11)
• The earnest of our inheritance (Eph 113-14)
• For the perfecting of the saints..for the
  edifying (building) of the body (Eph 411-12)
• But(YOU) strive for the greater gifts. And(BUT)
  I will show you a still more excellent way(1Co
  1231 NRSV)

24
FITLY JOINED.bound by love

• There is one body (Eph 44)
• Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and
  of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
  perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
  the fulness of Christ (Eph 413)
• From whom the whole body fitly joined together
  and compacted by that which every joint
  supplieth, according to the effectual working in
  the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
  body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Eph
  416)

25
EDIFYING OF ITSELF IN LOVE

• LOVE is the more excellent way (1 Cor.13)
• _______ is kind?
• _______ seeketh not its own?
• To LOVE one another
• Commandment
• Doctrine
• God is love (He hopes His love will be manifested
  in us!)
• GOD MANIFESTATION! (requires developing THIS
  characteristic)

26
FITLY JOINED.bound by love in the bond of peace

• WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP..HE IS OUR PEACE!
• Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in
  the bond of peace (Eph 43)
• To maintain peace we need the whole armor of God
  ..using only one weapon the sword of spirit
  (Eph 6)
• God of peace..through the blood of covenant(Heb
  1320)
• perfect peace(Isa 263)
• Have salt, peace one with another (Mark 950)

27

• HE IS OUR PEACE
• THE BOTTOM LINE IS PEACE AND REST FOR GODS
  PEOPLE AS PART OF THE HOLY TEMPLE THAT IS TO
  BECOME AN HABITATION OF GOD BY THE SPIRIT
• In our next session we will discuss the
  importance of GRACE

28
Lesson 1 Questions???

• How was the mystery revealed?
• Which Apostle?
• Who was the first beneficiary?
• When were the Ephesians first chosen?
• When were we?
• Which prophetic image shows the whole body
  working together and yet as separate parts?
• What was the purpose of the Holy Spirit gifts as
  related to the Ephesians?
• What are the two of the most essential bonding
  elements for the body?