Ephesians Episode 4
by Raymond Sloan
August 13, 2020 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4, Ephesians 6:5-9, Ephesians 6:10-17, Ephesians 6:18-20

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--ephesians-episode-4
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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well praise the lord everybody so good to have all of you with us tonight one more time once again we are gathered together for our midweek bible study i have no doubt that the lord is is good to you blessing you uh i'm so thankful that you've joined us online tonight for yet another look into the scriptures go ahead and gather your families together your bibles your pads pen and paper i've had whatever you're taking notes with in case you want to take some notes and we are going to look into one more portion of the letter that was written to the church at ephesus tonight this will complete this particular series but it's been very good very exciting to look at what paul wrote to the church of course we're going to begin with prayer we always do and i think when we pray it invites the presence of the lord it also gives us a right frame of mind to be able to comprehend what the word of the lord is saying please pray for our nation we need now more than ever before in our community and in our nation we need the presence and the power of god uh we pray for our leadership of our nation of our state uh pray for our church family cornerstone apostolic church we we need some guidance and direction of course for our future also i'm sure that there are some that you know family members co-workers neighbors that are hurting have lost jobs lose finances some may be battling with the covid and they're having a difficult difficulty just making ends meet pray for them please do that we're going to pray because uh that is the power of communicating with jesus is when we talk to him and we hear from him we realize uh more than ever before that every time every time we pray he is moving and he is doing things in our lives let's pray together would you lord we love you and we thank you so much thank you jesus for the opportunity to once again go to your word thank you lord for every family every individual every heart every home lord that's represented tonight in our study lord i pray god for our nation god bless the united states of america bless our community bless chattanooga lord i pray bless cornerstone apostolic church or give us guidance and direction i pray as we move forward in the kingdom i pray lord for every family that's gathered tonight lord around our study you know the physical the financial the mental the emotional the the stresses the day in and day out god you know each of those battles that are being fought right now but by the power of the holy ghost we believe there is victory and tonight lord we claim it and we believe you for it help us god give us the wisdom knowledge and understanding we look for as we look to your word in jesus name we give it all to you let your hand be upon us and let your spirit lord abide with us right now in your name we pray amen amen all right as i mentioned just a moment ago we are going to complete our series tonight on the book of ephesians just a little bit of review kind of help us settle in for tonight ephesus of course was a large port city all right there were people from all walks of life that had come into the city merchants and traders and and ship workers and factory workers and whatever they happen to have at that time 300 000 plus people it appears history tells us that live there also ephesus housed the temple of diana which has come become known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world uh very steeped very very steeped in idolatry and and believing in in multiple gods if you will paul he wrote from a jail in rome and this letter to that church and the hand the hand of tychius who was his helper at that time delivered the letter from paul to the churches and he would make sure that there were several established churches if you will in the area that they got to read that letter uh paul lived in ephesus if you'll recall through the story that we read in the bible and so he had a first-hand understanding of ephesus of the ephesians the how they were as a people the difficulties the challenges if you will so um we read at the last session how that chapter five paul specifically speaks about wives and husbands he compares that in a relationship between a man and a woman he compares that into a relationship between jesus christ and the church okay and the the purpose of that paul was establishing with the people in that day that their relationship with one another was very vital it helped them on earth having the relationship to learn about what it was going to be like having a relationship with the church body people that were from different walks of life and whatever but yet coming together in one spirit okay tonight notice here ephesians chapter six okay paul again last week we saw in chapter five he talked husbands wives he talked spiritual things tonight let's notice what happens ephesians six verse 1 children he begins here obey your parents in the lord for this is right honor thy father and mother parenthesis here which is the first commandment with promise that it might be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth and verse 4 says ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord husbands wives last week relationships now we're getting to the children offspring okay obedience to parents is the right thing to do simple right um the fact is is that if you as a child will learn to honor your parents there's a promise that comes with that the way that you interact with your parents okay listen carefully paul again is he speaking of relationships again that is a direct connection with the life that you have here on earth a promise that came in a commandment if you remember back when moses was on the mountain and god gave him commandments one of them was honor thy father and thy mother right uh he's speaking about relationship okay understand the church at ephesus at that time was a new work it had you know recently been started they were growing things were happening people were coming out of idolatry coming into the church the blood of jesus is applied people are receiving the holy ghost they're being baptized in jesus name and now they're having to learn the proper way to interact one with another to trust to have hope to have confidence um to be able to work together in harmony and in unity husbands wives he mentioned last week in in that chapter and now he's speaking children which clearly indicates to us today 2020 that you have to begin a process husband wife jesus church but then as the multiplying happens you need to teach and train those new ones and the reason you teach and train them is if kids let's just say in family time if kids will learn how to honor their parents there's a blessing that's given to that as those generations turn over and the kids grow up to be parents and they have taught their kids and then they grow up then you'll notice in the church there'll be a mind shift a change of personalities of characters people will begin to realize that it takes time and investment to grow children that will be respectful and good honest citizens that will live in life uh be good to their communities honor one another and so forth so much so notice that uh he says to the to the fathers how you interact with your child will determine some of the future roads and paths that they will take notice how he says fathers provoke not your children to wrath in other words dads fathers if you will you need to admonish them to have a relationship with jesus nurture means to develop to guide in the ways of god to nurture means to bring along to to provide for and then have them grow and mature uh it is important to notice here that when paul writes about the issue of kids children if you will being raised by their loving parents and so forth this at that time again was a shift of everything a change of mind and mentality interesting enough today in our society after generations of bible-believing people we are still doing what we're still teaching children how to honor their father and their mothers evidently paul had realized through the spiritual insight that the holy ghost gave him was there are things in the nature of humanity that are going to conflict against the things of god and because of that nurture teaching instruction has to happen there's a foundation here that paul's mentioning in that if you're going to live a long prosperous life honoring your mother and father will be the blessing that brings that okay and and fathers you don't try to push them into a place to where they are wrathful if you will that they fight back against because they don't believe what you believe they don't they don't honor what you honor they don't grasp what you see and therefore which if you raise them up to fear and to know god and to serve god then they in turn will do the same thing when they have children in in this particular letter paul addressed husband's wife's relationship jesus the church he's building a foundation children he now continues in verse 5 here in ephesians 6 servants be obedient to them that are your that are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto christ not with eye service as men pleasers but as the servants of christ doing the will of god from the heart verse 7 with good will doing service as unto the lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth the same shall he receive of the lord whether he be bond or free and verse 9 says ye masters do the same things unto them forbearing threatening forbearing threatening knowing that your master also is in heaven neither is their respective persons with him paul now shifts from husband and wife jesus church children notice it's all relationship to now just to the basic common everyday how you treat people so much so it includes the common worker servants at whatever level that is or whatever position or place that is he doesn't specifically say to you teachers or to you bank workers or to you construction workers servant somebody that is working for somebody that is servant to someone else now you do that monday through friday or whatever on your job you are doing a job and because of that you get paid for it okay it's the same mentality notice here whatever you do do it as unto the lord interesting 2020 the same thing happens in humanity isn't it wonderful here how that we draw from the scriptures and our generation how that paul wrote to his generation you would have thought that by now we would have already overcome a lot of these obstacles and things but not true there's a learning and there's a process in which every generation of humanity has to grow and has to grow in too keep in mind if husbands and wives have a good relationship they understand the principles there and children have a relationship with their parents and they understand the relationship there then as you work as you earn a living you too will understand the relationship here in fact when you work according to paul's writing you don't work like you're doing it unto the boss or the owner of the company no you work the job because you believe you're honoring god in him if you're working a job for an example right now and you're simply just trying to keep out of the view of the boss just trying to maintain what you do and slide away slip away in a corner somewhere and not be noticed and not bring attention to yourself you're doing the same thing then to the lord it's not that he's saying that you need to be brash and boastful and cause problems no what he's saying is is that if you will respect your boss the one you're working with and you will work not as unto him but as unto the lord that will cause you to do your very best because if you're doing it for god and you know the heavenly reward that's out there imagine what your earthly boss is going to think of your work i say this many times even now when i do work for somebody you know i'm not doing this for you specifically i do this because i serve the lord and in doing unto him you need to know you'll get the best work that i can do for you i work hard you work hard you understand the value of working hard you do it as unto the lord and then you leave the rest up to the lord there will be a reward many of you listening right now in this study are direct recipients of the blessings of god because you simply are a hard worker and your boss notices it you see what i'm saying that's why that's there that's why paul wrote it to the church in ephesians now if you continue along again he's speaking of specifically things about how the church in ephesus is growing and maturing verse 10 he starts like this finally my brethren okay i'm going to end this letter finally here's right here here's my point be strong in the lord that's what he says and in the power of his might put on the whole armor of god that you may be able to stand against the wiles or the tricks if you will of the devil four we wrestle not verse 12 says against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places notice here that paul shifts gears into a more spiritual matter okay so you stand against the tricks of the enemy you stand in the knowledge and understanding of who you are husband and wife relationship you stand that children relationships stand that servant relationship you stand there okay because there are spiritual attacks happening at every level and at every place that you're connected to but that flesh and blood is not the actual enemy there are spiritual things happening there he even notice here he doesn't say that that verse 12 he doesn't say for we battle not against flesh and blood he doesn't say for we war not against flesh and blood what does he say he says we wrestle not battling but wrestling is a close hand-to-hand combat action it's that rough and tumbly if you will see in a battle you could shoot from a distance bow and arrow from a distance a missile today from a distance but when you're wrestling man you're sweating you're connected you're pushing you're pulling you're throwing you're you're doing that's a that's a short distance why because the enemy will come in close to you and try to overcome you he'll try to come in your mind your relationships if he can ever get into your relationships he has already won half the battle because then in your mind that closeness he's going to wrestle there and that wrestling match is going to happen if you can understand friend the husband and wife kids servant positions and places and relationships and how they interact and how they connect then you can understand that the conflicts that you're facing can be settled by trusting and keeping a right spiritual balance with god paul was giving the church a weapon to use against the past and the future enemies of the soul deal with your past live in your live in the present while preparing for the future okay relationship is the key he even says they're high in high places this is not something that's simply happening here in in your house on your job in your relationship this is high places stuff and the reason is because there's the magnitude of the fight if you will that's happening god is preparing us for it because notice here as he continues in verse number 13 wherefore take unto you the whole armor of god that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand stand there 4 14 says having your loins gird about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked verse 17 and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of god he calls it here paul does he's telling the church at ephesus whole whole armor of god everything is prepared for defense everything is prepared to stand to defend to fight back okay when the confrontation comes in the day that that that things are conflicting and pushing and moving against one another okay you've worked on your relationships and you've taken in that and you understand where you stand what you do how you interact and you put on this armor through the relationships with each other and when you stand that's all you technically according to this you are standing and withstanding what the enemy is trying to throw at you you don't have to be afraid you don't have to be intimidated uh you are ready you're prepared for an example he's specific here on on the way that this outfit this armor looks loins you are wrapped in truth okay breastplate there is righteousness that covers your heart fine follow this your feet the shoes that you wear they are wearing gospel the good news of peace so where you go peace is with you and then he refers to the shield and that shield is something that you hold in front of you it is faith i believe that this is strong enough to withstand the fiery darts the sword he mentions that's called the sword of the spirit notice that he even pauses here to give clarification that is the word of god you want to know why that we're spending so much time over the these past several weeks we're going to continue on our wednesday evening study we're going to look into the word we have been looking into the words you know why because that's the sword that you can use to fight back against what the enemy is trying to do destroy trying to destroy you and your family and your your life and your livelihood and your peace and your murder the joy and things that's going on in you okay if you can put on this whole complete armor of god then you stand and when you stand prepared you will be an overcomer everything you need hear what i'm telling you today everything you need friend is there to give you the victory all right you're protected and you're prepared you trust in the word of god you trust in the spirit of god that's in you paul encourages the church then to to remember the way that god works in their lives because he's provided he's made a way he's put things into place he knows exactly the lord does what we need and paul was referring to that to the church there continuing here towards the end of chapter number six verse number 18. notice what he says here now you've got the armor on you're able to stand you're there you've got all pieces and parts of protection on praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints and for me that utterance may be given unto me that i may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which i am an ambassador in bonds that therein i may speak boldly as i ought to speak praying always communicating with the master all right listen friend prayer is always the proper thing to do in every situation every question every battle every every mountain you're climbing every difficulty comes your way prayer is always the proper response all right and paul in in all of this letter he brings this whole letter of ephesians he brings it down to this point i want to be able to speak to people and tell them that this is how they can live their lives and they can be overcomers and victorious through the working of the spirit of god in their lives okay maturing continuously growing and maturing together if you were to go back into ephesians chapter one and chapter two and three and four five you'll find out that paul was specifically talking to a group of people in in which he had spent time with rubbed shoulders with elbow grease together and things they did though he knew where the streets were he knew what the temple he knew the idol worship he knew all these things that were going on in ephesus and in there he developed a relationship with those people he saw the weaknesses he saw how their past was over trying to overrun them he saw all these things going on and what he did was is he addressed those and he helped them to realize if i could speak boldly and if i can be be made known that that this is what god is speaking this is how god is revealing things i want you as a church to pray for that that's what he says knowing that if other people can get this victory is there they can be an overcomer as well now we're going to bring this session to a close tonight as we close out this uh the chapter six if you will this is the ending part of the epistle to ephesus we have to remember that the the love and the care in which paul connects to the church that we are a part of that church okay although written back in what 55 60 a.d it still applies today to us okay and what you and i have learned over the last several weeks we learned it in galatians we have now learned it in ephesians is that every generation has to make choices and decisions and you have to decide do i do i really want to believe and pour myself into this word so that it makes sense so it changes so that spiritual man grows matures and becomes stronger than the flesh man then you're going to find your place in the kingdom if you will continuously strive to grow to understand to comprehend the things that god is trying to teach you you my friend can stand in him i can stand in him if i have found my relationship with god and i find my relationship with those around me and i discover that god's plan for my life is to help me and to grow me and to work with me even though i mess up or i have faults or failures like you there's a way that you can mature to a place that you can overcome those things as we close in prayer tonight please pray that god will help you in your relationships one with another with those in family out of family with your job your boss your coworkers your neighbors if you'll follow peace with all men i've used that a few times in our study something very positive is going to happen in your life okay pray with me that god will help you do that in making those daily choices to live for him jesus we love you and we are so thankful lord for our time together thankful for the letter lord that paul was able to write to the church in that day lord and today we can still gain from it learn from it grow from it thank you for that opportunity lord i pray for every heart every home every family that's represented in our study tonight you know the battles the struggles the trials the things going on god i i plead your blood over each one of them give us revival in our day bless our city lord i pray bless our church family as we move forward in you i pray god that you'd help us lord to see the overall picture the way you see it you love people you love the church you love the body of christ we should also we're going to learn from you we're going to grow we're going to mature and we're going to become better people because of your word thank you for that in jesus name we give it all to you amen amen all right remember that every wednesday night we are online with our bible study uh seven o'clock so next week we're going to pick back up with another letter that was written to the church and we're going to again study it a little bit deeper and go into some of the parts of it deeper but if you're able on on sundays we are meeting at three o'clock in the afternoon eastern time at 2101 west shepherd road here in chattanooga and that is metro tab church they are allowing us to use their facility come and be with us at three o'clock we have classes for everybody uh till about 3 30 and then we take a break for some fellowship 3 45 we gather all together for corporate prayer in the sanctuary and then that leaves us right into leads us right into four o'clock we go into worship and the word celebration singing and praying and preaching of the word and and and exalting the lord god encouraging each other in the holy ghost we want you to come and be with us okay if you can't at four o'clock we do have a live stream that's from uh four o'clock in our worship time you're welcome to log on to cac chattanooga.org and watch that live service you can interact there you can worship in your living room or from the job or wherever you are we want you to be involved in that we want you to be included to the cac family don't forget go online see ac chattanooga.org or on your app and uh given your offering your tithe offerings your missions offering your faith promise whatever that is you're building fun we're still doing church you're still following the word of god your responsibility don't give up on that yet let god continue to bless you okay so go on there and give also let me just remind you about our life groups going on the five different choices you can make different things happening you can find those on the website as well sign up for that we'd love for you to come and be involved it'll be a great opportunity for you to get to know people and and so forth i love you guys i believe in you uh don't forget that uh every week we're getting closer and closer to the lord pray that god gives us direction for our future as a church and where we land and how we rebuild after the loss of our building in april and the tornado god is opening doors god is good to us so we're going to continue to trust him i love you i believe in you and until next time god bless every one of you