1. A Study in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians
Friends & Fellowship Community Group
McLean Bible Church

2. The Ju Tribe Natalia on a Scooter Southern Belle, Miss Rory
Super Elijah!
Signing “I Love You”.

3. Study Overview Session Date Session Title Applicable Verses 1
05/14/2017
The Road to Salvation
God Did All the Hard Work
Our Part is Easy
Ephesians 1:3 – 12; Romans 8:28 – 30
Eph. 1:13 – 14; John 11:25 – 26; Romans 10:8 – 13; 1 Cor. 12:3 2
05/21/2017
Our Identity in Christ
Ephesians 2 & 3; 1 Peter 3
05/28/2017
Discipleship Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12 4
06/05/2017
Disciple's Walk with Christ
Ephesians 5:1 – 6:9 5
06/11/2017
Disciple's Place in God's Army
Ephesians 6:10 – 18; Job 1 & 2; Joshua 5:13 – 6:5; Revelation 19:11 – 21 6
06/18/2017
The Rise and Fall of the Church in Ephesus: A Warning to Make Disciples
Acts 18:18 – 19:41; Ephesians 1:15 ; Revelation 2:1 – 7

4. Session 2: Our Identity in Christ

5. Understanding How Salvation Came to Us
From Session 1:
God did all the hard work
A Non-believer only needed to accept
God raised Jesus from the dead (i.e. Jesus is alive, even now.)
Acknowledge Jesus is (our) Lord
[This can only be done with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.]
God puts His seal on us in the person of the Holy Spirit, to mark us as belonging to Him now.

6. Understanding How Salvation Came to Us
What we were before, even though we did not think so.
Read Ephesians 2:1 – 3
Discussion (5 min.):
What were we like before being saved?
Explain whether you recognized that you were, as described in Eph. 2:1 – 3.
How did we get changed?
Read Ephesians 2:4 – 13
Discussion (5 min.)
Why does God offer us salvation?
How were we changed?

7. The Grace, Peace & Love of Christ
Jesus is our Peace with God
Read Ephesians 2:14 – 18
With whom are we at peace?
Hint: Eph. 2: 1 – 3
Digression: 1947 – 1991
US called this period of tension: The Cold War
What did the Soviets call this period?
When we were non-believers, we were like the Soviets.
By not believing in God we were at war with Him
There was a (spiritual) wall between God & us.
Eph. 2:14 – Jesus broke through that wall
John 14:6 – Jesus is the (only) way to get to God
John 10:7 – 10 – Jesus is the door into Heaven

8. The Way, The Truth, and the Life
Jesus Breached the Wall for Us
GOD's Kingdom of HEAVEN
Son of God
Jesus
Son of Man
The World
The Way, The Truth, and the Life
Man's way
Man's way

9. Becoming a Living Temple for God
We are the Temple of Christ Jesus
Read Ephesians 2:19 – 22
After becoming believers we are brought together to be the living temple, the living church of Jesus Christ.
Read 1 Peter 2:4 – 6
Jesus is the cornerstone of the temple.
See also Isaiah 28:16
The fallacy of “I don't need to go to church, I already believe and can just pray to God.”
Reasons for this attitude vary
Rationalization for not getting up to go to church.
Justification for having other commitments
Disenchanted with other church members or pastors
God sees us as a whole, we see ourselves individually

10. Mystery of God's Purpose
Fallacious viewpoint: God is just the god of the Jews
Read Ephesians 3:1 – 7
Discussion (10 mins)
What mystery does Paul reveal?
How do we know that God has never been just the God of the Jews?
So what purpose did the Jews serve?
SO WHAT?

11. Mystery of God's Purpose
Fallacious viewpoint: God is just the god of the Jews
Read Ephesians 3:1 – 7
Discussion (10 mins)
What mystery does Paul reveal?
How do we know that God has never been just the God of the Jews?
Biblical accounts of non-Jewish high priests (Melchizedek, Jethro)
Chinese characters trace to Genesis
So what purpose did the Jews serve?
Romans 3:1 – 2
“oracles” - λόϒιον – an utterance (of God)
SO WHAT?

12. Mystery of God's Purpose
Why has this been such a mystery?
Read Ephesians 3:8 – 12
Discussion (5 min.)
List the reasons for the mystery found in the passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

13. Mystery of God's Purpose
Why has this been such a mystery?
Read Ephesians 3:8 – 12
Discussion (5 min.)
List the reasons for the mystery found in the passage.
1 Reveal the unsearchable riches of Christ
2 Reveal the fellowship (with God) inherent in the mystery
3 Make known the manifold wisdom of God
4 Give the church the ability to make God known to others in this world
5 Use the church to reveal God's manifold wisdom to powers and principalities in heavenly places
6 Reveal the eternal purposes accomplished through Christ
7 Give His church boldness through faith
8 Give His church access (to be with God) with confidence

14. Mystery of God's Purpose – So What!?
What does knowing this mystery mean for us?
Read Ephesians 3:14 – 21
Discussion: (10 min)
List what knowing this mystery means for us, as identified in this passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

15. Mystery of God's Purpose – So What!?
What does knowing this mystery mean for us?
Read Ephesians 3:14 – 21
Discussion: (10 min)
List what knowing this mystery means for us, as identified in this passage.
1 The Holy Spirit strengthens our inner man (new âdâm) to be mighty
2 Grant us the riches of His glory
3 Christ dwells in our hears through faith
4 We are rooted and grounded in love (ăgăpā – unconditional love)
5 Receive comprehension (understanding) [not just knowledge] of the full dimension of God's love
6 Be filled with the fullness of God
7 Receive exceedingly abundantly from God
8 Have the Power (of the Holy Spirit) working in us

16. Conclusion Purpose behind Session 2: Our Identity in Christ
Growth in faith comes from understanding
From understanding comes wisdom
Theme that we followed
God's love and mercy resulted in God providing a means to come to Him.
Made us alive in Christ Jesus
Gave us a place in Heaven
Breached the wall that separated us from God
Provided His (one and only) path for us to follow Jesus into Heaven
God intent is for us (Jews and Gentiles) to join together to be His temple.
Jesus is the corner stone of the living temple of God
We are the precious stones used to build the living temple