EPHESIANS OUTLINE 10 of 34

The Marks of the Church

I. Characteristics of the True Church ( Eph l :15 )

A. Two things Paul had heard about the church that should characterize any Bible

church

1. There are the two identifying characteristics of a healthy Christian.

2. What are they? loyalty to Christ and love to others

3. Jesus said, but this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you love

one another. We know we have passed from death to life because we love the

brethren. Do good unto all men but specially to household of faith.

2. There is loyalty to Christ a love for Him that does not issue in love to

other Christians.

a. Monks and the hermits had a loyalty to Christ that separated them from their fellow man.

b. Some of these like Jerome left ordinary life and went to live alone in a cave.

c. In Jesus day the Pharisees had a loyalty to God but it made them

contemptuous of others.

3. The true Christian knows that true love for Jesus is not a vertical but a

horizontal relationship.

a. I really show my love for God by caring for others.

b. However orthodox our church, however pure our theology it is not a true church unless it is characterized by its love for our fellow men.

B. The true church is marked by a double Love

1. Love for Christ and love for our fellow man

2. Swift once said, we have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

II. The Criteria of Genuine Prayer

A. The burden of His supplication

1. If Paul felt the need to offer the prayer for the Ephesians most certainly

we need to do so.

2. Here we have the ingredients of effective prayer

B. The Spirit of Wisdom

1. We mentioned that sophia (wisdom) can be defined as the knowledge of the

most precious things.

a. It is the Holy Spirit who author this wisdom

b. This wisdom is not earthly in origin but it has its source in heaven

(James 3:13-17)

C. The blessed Holy Spirit is to function not only as our in dweller

but as our teacher.

2. We need wisdom there is only one source let's ask Him to grant it to us.

C. Spirit of Revelation

1. Revelation means an unveiling, this unveiling is given in order that we may

know Him.

2. The reason we need this unveiling is found in I Cor. 2:9,10,12,13,14.

3. John 14:16,17,21,26.

D. The Result of this Unveiling

1. The knowledge of Him ( 1: 17 )

2. The difference between Notional & Experiential knowledge

a. Reliable witnesses tell me that fire will cause extreme pain if I thrust my hand on it

b. If I have had a prior experience of being burned I have quite a different order of knowledge.

c. One is notional the other experiential.

3. The Greek word for knowledge here means full knowledge-knowledge plus.

a. This does not mean a perfect knowledge but a first hand, intimate

knowledge of His Person.

b. Notice this wisdom and revelation is not given to supply information about Him.

c It is to supply us a knowledge (intimate) of Him.

d. You might know the facts about how to be saved through Christ but have you been saved by Him.

E An Enlightened Heart (1:18)

1. He floods us with an inner light in order to give us assurance about four things.

2. Hope of His Calling

a. Hope is a word that looks to the future it signifies far more than a wish that it may be realized.

b. Rom. 5:5 We are hoping in the glory of God and this hope will never

disappoint us.

C. The unregenerate sinner is with out hope (Eph. 2:12)

d. What is His calling?

e. He has called us to be conformed to the image of Lord Jesus.

f. Finally the hope of His calling is to one day see Him and be with

Him for all eternity. (I John 3:2-3)

F. Riches of His Inheritance

l. Paul is praying that we might have a full appreciation of our worth to God.

a. Did you know God has an inheritance?

b. His inheritance is His saints.

c. Paul says God's wealth is His saints not His universe.

2. Someone has well said; God is not satisfied in possessing suns and stars; He

wants sons and saints.

a. We seldom if ever think of what we are worth to God

b. Remember it cost God His Son, it cost His Son His blood, to buy us out of the slave market of sin.

c. No wonder that God's wealth is in the church that He purchased at infinite cost.

d. Paul wants us to take a moment and appreciate our dignity.

III. The Power of God (1:19)

A. The availability of that Power

1. It is for us who believe- believe in that power

a. But we will never believe without the unveiling of the Holy Spirit.

b. How much power is available to us; is it enough to conquer every foe

and break our habits?

2. There is power available to conquer every foe.

B. The Manifestation of that Power (1:20)

1. What kind of power is available to us.

a. The same power that raised Christ from the dead.

b. The same power that lifted Him to the heavens and caused Him to be seated at God's right hand.

2. That same power has put all thin under His feet.

Second, all creatures are set in subjection to Christ, for that is the meaning of "and hath put

all things under his feet" (v. 22), an expression importing the highest sovereignty and power. Christ is not only elevated above all creatures but He has dominion over them. They are subordinated to Him and governed by Him. Jesus Christ has been made Lord (Acts 2:36), "He is Lord of all" (Acts 10:36), He is "Lord over all" (Rom.10:12), He is "Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom. 14:9). The one who died at Calvary is now

the Ruler of the universe. This very day He holds in His hand "the keys of hell and of death" (Rev. 1:18). Since the hour of His ascension He has been "upholding all things by the word of his power" (Heb. 1:3). At this moment He is ruling