SHOW NOTES
Ephesians Study, pt3
Leadership in Context with Keith Tucci
Episode 188
My goal is to help you be able to break down one book of the Bible. Sometimes as you learn to do that with one book, it’s like you find the keys to the Kingdom and the whole Word opens up.
Ephesians 3:1
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.
Paul is writing this while in jail, and he explains what was worth going to jail for. He isn’t there because he accidently did the wrong thing or because the devil was the lord of his life. He is in jail because Jesus is Lord of his life, and that was worth going to jail over.
Ephesians 3:2
If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you.
God gave Paul something very valuable that he is a steward of. He had to protect it, disseminate it, and make sure it had a legacy.
Ephesians 3:6
To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Paul gives us three reasons why the Gentiles are completely equal with Jews. These were revelations that were worth going to jail over.
1. Fellow Heirs—In Galatians 3, he makes the same argument of being of the same seed of Abraham. You are not a stepchild. You have no less favor, no less grace, no less heritage, no less privilege.
2. Fellow Member—Not only do you have an inheritance, but you fit in now.
3. Fellow Partakers—The promise now and in the future is that we have been grafted into and are fellow partakers.
Ephesians 3:17-19
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
This is a picture of how Paul sees the church–the saints living together, demonstrating and experiencing every dimension of the love of God.
Ephesians 3:9-10
And to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
He is excited about and in jail for this mystery that has been revealed. The church, in large part, was a mystery. They did not understand that God wanted to establish a church. They were waiting for Him to come back and rule on earth. When we really understand this, our time on earth is one of engaging in the Kingdom, not just waiting to die to go to Heaven.
Ephesians 3:21
To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Where does God want to show His glory? In the church. His bride. His family. Those members who are fellow heirs, fellow members, and fellow partakers of the stewardship and the grace of God.
One of the best demonstrations of the grace of God is when very different people come together in the church in unity because we are so in love with Christ, honored that He would save us, we submit to His leadership and join with Him as He shows off His church.
This is a vision; this is a revelation that Paul was having. It was a revelation that the church was an extension of the nature of Christ where Christ reigns in His church so that He might reign through His church.
Join us next week as Keith Tucci continues to put leadership truth in the context of the local church. And as always, please like, share, rate/review, and invite others to listen. See you next week!
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