Ephesians Lesson Four – by Mike Kekel

Here’s a short lesson from Ephesians. It is noteworthy that the bible doesn’t seem to place the burden of child correction on the Mother.  8-)

Children Obey your Parents in the Lord

When they are in the Lord they will obey their parents, but not when they’re married and on their own.

 

 

 

 

Pr. 20 (11)
Even a child is known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Pr. 22 (6) and (15)

Train up a child in the way he should go:

And when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;

But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Pr. 23 (13) and (24)

Withhold not correction from the child:

For if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice:

And he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Pr. 29 (15)

The rod and reproof give wisdom:

But a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

I Tim. 3 (1-6)
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; ⁴ One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵ (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”

Gravity; a : dignity or sobriety of bearing b  : importance, significance especially : seriousness

Nehemiah

The first six chapters tell the story of the man whom God commissioned to rebuild the fallen walls of Jerusalem, Israel. Jerusalem lay a post-war wasteland, and many prisoners of war had been carried away. Nehemiah served the King in his palace (1:1) and was his ‘cupbearer’ (1:11)

Far from his homeland and concerned for his people, Nehemiah began to enquire about their welfare (1:1-4) and once aware, he began to pray for them (1:5-11) More than a story about the rebuilding of a city; rebuilding is something we must all do at sometime in our lives. The principles the Nehemiah put to work are of value to anyone that seeks a new start.

I) His Task (2:1-8)

• He had never been sad in the presence of the King before. Notice 2:2;
• He prayed before responding to the King’s question (2:4-5)
• He asked a lot of the King, but God gave him favor (2:8- end of the verse)

II) His Challenge

• He wasn’t afraid to move ahead, when enemies arose (2:10)
• God put it in his heart to do the work (2:12)

III) His Plan

• He surveys the ruins;  (2:11-17)
• He faces the obstacles
• He has persevering faith in the project (2:18-20)
• His vision gains the cooperation of his team of leaders (2:18)

IV) His Determination

• He inspired many to get to work (Chapter 3)
• He didn’t let enemies stop him (4:1-6:14)
• He turned to prayer when the pressure was on (4:1-5, 9)
• The opposition increased (4:7-8)
• They were ready to fight for their cause (4:14-15)

V) His Wisdom

• He was a peacemaker(Chapter 5)
• He kept praying (5:19)
• He knew how to deal with his enemies (6:1-4)
• He knew how to counter lies (6:8-9)
• He knew how to deal with deception (6:9-14)
• He finished the job (6:15)
• The enemies were discouraged (6:17-19)

V) His Leadership in Governance

In the remaining chapters

• He spearheaded plans for religious reforms and teaching
• He used reading of the word to re-educate the people about God
• He re-instituted their religious feasts and observances of God’s word
• He performed dedicatory functions to dedicate the rebuilt walls, etc., to God

Ephesians Lesson Three – by Mike Kekel

This isn’t a teaching of a full chapter, but rather a look at the idea expressed in Eph. 2

²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

(Cornerstone from NTCC St. Louis, MO - right)

Jesus is God’s Cornerstone

The Cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or replica, set in a prominent location on the outside of a building, with an inscription on the stone indicating the construction dates of the building and the names of architect, builder and other significant individuals. The rite of laying a cornerstone is an important cultural component of eastern architecture and metaphorically in sacred architecture generally.

Time Capsules

Some cornerstones include time capsules from the time a particular building was built. The origins of this tradition are vague but its presence in Judeo-Christian countries can be associated with one quotation from the Old Testament (Psalm 118:22) cited six times in the New Testament (Matthew 21:42,Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:7). (from Wikipedia)

Benefits of the Cornerstone – Matthew 7
I’ll highlight the relevant items in the passages below. These are only a few benefits, and who could list them?

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. ²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. ²⁸ And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: ²⁹ For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

• You will be WISE in the eyes of God
• You will STAND in the inevitable storms
• You have God’s authority (validation) unlike that of religions
• You will have stability and surety
• You will not be abandoned

All life’s constructs must be relative to the placement of God’s Cornerstone; before you build, take a measurement from Him . That means He’s our standard, reference point, fixed platform, constant, and anchor.

Isaiah 28 (16)

¹⁶  Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation
Jesus Christ is exalted, tested and SURE!

Acts 4 (10-12)

¹¹ This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. ¹² Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Ephesians Lesson Two – by Mike Kekel

The Temple of Diana of the Ephesians

Lesson One gives a lot of information about Ephesus itself, and the greatest part is knowing God can establish a church in a place like that.

Again, chapters 1-3 are doctrinal, while 4-6 are practical. It seems that Paul is hoping to enlighten them, (1:18-19) that they would understand (comprehend) the benefits they had in Christ; then they could stand for God (Eph. 6:14) or in other words, walk worthy (4:1). Those first three chapters layout in detail a HUGE lading of benefits, prepared before the world began. Like benefits for those who work for a certain company, i.e. dental, healthcare, etc., God has predestined that everyone in Jesus Christ His Son, will have those benefits He has promised.  They are so magnificent, incredible, awesome!, that we should walk WORTHY  (4:1) of such a VOCATION.

Can you see that the walk is required because of the benefits of His calling, and not to OBTAIN the benefits? We’re saved by grace through faith, but true faith is demonstrated by our behavior (walk). ²⁶ ”For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James Chapter 2)

The Vocation

Vocation, from the Latin vocare (verb, to call), is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn, or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in secular contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity. One definition mentions a person’s employment or main occupation. A VOCATION is different than a JOB, because it requires great dedication. In this case, it is US being worthy of the calling, not the calling worthy of us.

This vocation of God is to those in Christ

In Christ is a key phrase, and it’s “in Him” that all these spiritual blessings are found.  Different than material things, spiritual blessings are many.  That is, a spiritual blessing could be God’s approval, a prayer, a favor, God’s protection, so forth.  But in the general sense, blessings are benefits.

Eph. 1:³ ”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”

In Christ, there are spiritual benefits, and they’re all listed in Eph. 1-3. In the same way, the details of how we should behave in light of all those benefits, are detailed in Eph. 4-6.

‘Christ’, means “Anointed One”; the Chosen One of God (Eph. 1:4-6)

⁴ ”According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

 

The Olive Tree (Romans 11)

The grafting process
By being born again, even Gentiles (non-Jews) could be grafted in to the BENEFITS of God’s people, which we once “FOR JEWS ONLY!”

The blessings upon Abraham  (Gal. 3:8)

Gen. 22 (15-18) - ¹⁵ And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, ¹⁶ And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: ¹⁷ That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; ¹⁸ And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Gal 3 (26-29)

²⁶ For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

See also Hebrews 6 (9-19)

Ephesians Lesson One by Mike Kekel

Ephesus (Ancient Greek Ἔφεσος, Ephesos; Turkish Efes) was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor

It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era. In the Roman period, it was for many years the second largest city of the Roman Empire; ranking behind Rome, the empire’s capital. Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it the second largest city in the world.[2]

Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelation.[4] The Gospel of John may have been written here.[5] The city was the site of several 5th century Christian Councils, see Council of Ephesus. It is also the site of a large gladiators‘ graveyard.

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (Diana)
(completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

which were….

• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Lighthouse of Alexandria
  The temple was destroyed in 401 AD by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom. Emperor. Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths.
  (From Wikipedia)To see 3d tours of Ephesus, see http://www.kusadasi.biz/ephesus/Notice Acts 19; notice there was a theatre, also note how long they cried out (2 hours).  The theatre would hold 25,000 people, but it later became a place for Gladiators. Consider how great a tumult was going on there.Let’s outline the epistle right now…First a few words about the process of outlining;  outlines should kept to general ideas, because if it is too detailed, it isn’t an outline. The following outline is as simple as it gets:

  Chapters 1-3 are doctrinal
  Chapters 4-6 are practical

  It seems that Paul was hoping to enlighten them, (1:18-19) that they may understand the things listed here, and stand for God (Eph. 6:14) or in other words, ‘walk worthy’ (4:1).