Ephesians ...Pastor Phil Strong

“Growing Up Into Love”

A Study in Ephesians: Intro

Text: Ephesians 1:1-14

1-15-12

Ephesians is a book about “growing up”; about the development and formation that is necessary to realize the fullest experience of life with God.

            Everyone is born, but not everyone matures; not everyone develops properly. We all came into this world, rather violently, “kicking and screaming”, with no experience beyond the womb: it was our entry point into a life that would be challenging and complicated and beautiful and fun.

            Birth presupposes growth. It’s the objective of all human life: the “becoming”.

But, to be certain, none of us will experience what’s it’s like to be “all grown up”.

Ephesians is not necessarily a “how to” offering, but a reflection/portrayal/grand vision of what love looks like (e.g. just like the Beatitudes was not just a new set of “Jesus-rules” to follow, but responses of those whose lives were reflecting the values of the Kingdom).

Growth is slow, steady, complex; and often so gradual that it requires some form of contrast; something that awakens you to growth (parenthetical statement: that form of measure has certainly less to do with some spiritual “to-do” list and more to do with how you are with God and others. It’s the “loving with all” that Jesus anticipated would forever be incomplete, but would joyfully sustain the progress).

● Know that you’ll never love God as much as you can, but you’ll end up being a much better human being for having made the attempt.

It is my conviction that our emphasis on simply being “born again” has somehow permitted our under-development. The “birth moment” (as the active response to God)--- rather than being celebrated as the initiation into life, actually becomes the focal point.

            The “becoming” IS the point and it is affected by a host of influences and stimuli (e.g. time, experiences, commitments, relationships, etc.), but none of those guarantee growth and development.

The Story offers a portrait of life with God that is like a journey, or like human development, with people at varying stages of growth.

            None of us gets to maturity without the season of immaturity, but no healthy person will remain there. There is nothing more disheartening than the human person whose development has been “stunted”: a (20) year old in diapers and unable to interact in ways that are consistent with development.

            1 Corinthians 3  “I gave you milk, not solids, … you just weren’t ready for it.”

            Hebrews 5  “You should have been chewin’ your food by now!”

● I resonate with Paul for (2) reasons: 1) because he’s a guy who formerly was so annoyed by Christians that he just wanted to “hurt” them, but now finds himself actually Pastoring them! 2) He characterizes himself as one who is an “apostle by the will of God”. This was Paul’s way of insisting that this wasn’t the career path he had chosen, but having had an encounter, of some sorts, with the living Jesus, he finds that it is that love that compels him toward mission.

● In the short span of just 4 ½ pages in my Bible, Paul will speak to such issues as God, eternity, Jesus, creation, the world, church, families, marriages, ethical work practices, prayer, spiritual warfare and much more.

            These are not just smaller exposés of topical theology, they are the “stuff of life”.

● This was likely a circular letter, probably written about 60 A.D., to the churches in the area of Ephesus in the Roman province of Asia (modern day Turkey). Ephesus was its capital city.

The letter was likely written while Paul was in prison (under house arrest) in Rome (Ephesians 3:1, 4:1, 6:20)

● It was a time when the church was transitioning from a more rural, grass-roots, counter-cultural movement to a more urban movement.

Many non-Jews are now coming to believe; people who don’t know the Story. They are converts from a Hellenistic (Greek) environment of mystery religions, magic, astrology, amulets, etc. Theirs was a world of “spirits”, but they weren't sure about where Christ fit in or how his relationship to these forces.

● Ephesus was a center of commerce, education and religious-syncretism [being a port city, it was inviting for travelers who would naturally bring with them a variety of worldviews]. It was a multicultural, pluralistic context with a host of ideas and experiences.

● It was a culture where people used sex to get power. Money to get sex. Power to get sex and money; and religion as a means of ensuring the self-gratifying, self-absorbed lifestyle they desired. Sound familiar?

● The writing style of the letter is different from his other offers because the circumstances are different. This is the only letter in which he is not writing to address a particular problem in a church. So, his writing has more of a “reflective” feel.

It’s more of a ‘manifesto’ of sorts where one, free from the burden of simply addressing issue, can simply write from his heart about his thoughts on God, on Jesus and the incredible nature of his own calling: where you can write about the essence of healing community.

Ephesians is an “artist’s rendering” of life.

Not a caricature (distortion/misrepresentation like the drawings at the Fair), but simply a designer’s vision of the project yet to realize completion. At points in the process, the reality looks very little like the artist’s vision, but eventually, the as the reality develops, it begins to better reflect the will of the artisan.

Paul has to describe it for us because it’s a life that we don’t know well enough to describe with any detail.

All of these relationships are designed to functional well and to allow for the optimal experience of life; they allow you to flourish.

● There is a beauty which is inherent in marital, vocational, familial, ecclesial relationships which reflects the genius and majesty of the Creator. Is there anything more beautiful, more fulfilling than a mutually satisfying, mutually-submissive marriage of friendship on display?

            But, when these relationships are dysfunctional, they provide some of the worst forms of pain known to the human experience.        

Paul says that these are all being met with resistance and impediments at every turn: some more tangible, more readily identifiable; some, if more deceptive and covert leave you wondering, “What is going on here?”

            It’s why Paul saturates it all with prayer; with blessing--- the language that keeps us conscious of and interacting with the heavenlies. They are not simply the types of generic prayers offered at casual gatherings, they are specific; they are impassioned; they are compelling. Without them, we need not fool ourselves into thinking that the realization of such a life is probable.

When we look around our world, our life, there is very little evidence to substantiate this grand vision which Paul offers at the beginning of Ephesians.

Our tireless pursuits of wealth and power and status and sensual pleasure all seem to contradict the “power of God.” Hate seems stronger than love. Chaos seems more prevalent than peace. Randomness diminishes our view of any sensible structure or plan.

● All of this contradicts what I believe to be true, putting me in a position where I am not inclined to abandon my faith, but neither am I willing to distort the facts. We’re messed up. Ours is a world that is chaotic and beautiful; that’s evil and orderly--- a world targeted for restoration.

Whatever you have experienced to present, know that it’s not the “best you can do”.

            Would you ever expect to watch an artisan finish a project and hear them say, “Well, that’s the best I can ever do!” Such a posture is inherently arrogant and limiting.

I think that my desire is for an experience of life which is developing “into” the vision of God the “artisan”.

A life which results not just in the temporary and sensational displays of power, but in sustained- commitment to healing in all dimensions of my life.

 And, even if the process is slow and painful and unfinished, it will be those glimpses of my “shalom” (peace) that will allow me to remain hopeful.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (2:10).