Messages

Today we are taking a look back at 2024 and as well as casting vision for the year to come. Whether you are new to the church, or a regular church attender, we want to be transparent about the ministry that we are doing and plan to do over the next year.

This is a new command, as the original command to love was to love your neighbor as yourself—the golden rule. Jesus elevates that expectation for us to love each other as He has loved us! Jesus commands us to do this because it doesn’t come naturally. Romantic love or parental love tends to come naturally, but loving people with a Christ-like love does not come on its own.

This is one of the most famous prayers of Paul, and it is primarily focused on knowing the great depth of the love of Christ.

In this section of text, Paul speaks of a mystery that was revealed to him for the sake of the Gentiles. A mystery in the New Testament is typically something that was once hidden but has now been made known. What has been made known? The Gentiles have been given the same standing as the Jews in the family of God.

In Paul's day, the world was divided up in two groups, Jews and Gentiles. The two did not mix, there was hostility between them. The Jews believed they were the ones who had received all the blessings of being God’s people, the Gentiles had been left without hope.

But God’s design from the beginning was to take the two and make them one and he did so through the blood of Christ.

This text is the glorious declaration of the Gospel. It is out of God’s great love that he lavished his mercy on us and made us alive with Christ. We are saved by God's Grace. There is nothing we can do to earn it. It is a gift we receive.

Chapter 2 begins with Paul teaching the good news, but to accurately teach the good news, people need to hear the bad news. Paul shares the bad news first. There is a cultural idea that we are all good people: since we are all children of God we must do something really bad to have that status removed. "Good” is our default position, and we have to behave our way to “bad.”

However, that isn’t what scripture teaches. We begin as those under the wrath of God, and without Christ, that is where we will remain.

After Paul's doxology, he turns his attention to the church. He is overwhelmed with gratitude for them and offers one of the highest and richest prayers in all of scripture for them.

This week our study of the church of Ephesus moves us into the book of Ephesians. This letter was likely written around 60 AD. Paul left his ministry in Ephesus around 56 AD. He went to Jerusalem and was arrested and eventually was taken to Rome. From his Roman detention, Paul writes this letter back to the people he spent over two years doing ministry with. The letter to the Ephesians begins with a reminder of all that comes with being “In Christ”. This term is used in some fashion nine times in the first fourteen verses.

After the riot (Acts 19), Paul leaves Ephesus. A year later he makes his way back to the area but doesn’t have time to stay. So he calls for the Elders to meet him in Miletus, as he has a message for them as they lead the church in Ephesus. This week's sermon should be directed at the QuadCity Elders and the church should overhear what is expected of them.