As we will see in Ephesians 4, the church is one body, uniquely gifted, each part building one another up toward the full stature of Christlikeness. I asked Laura Cabaniss to summarize our study of Ephesians 1-3 and resource us to look ahead to 4-6. Laura serves TCBC in love. One of the ways she uses her gifts to build up TCBC is by resourcing our teaching ministry. She oversees Prepare and the resource pages for our studies such as Ephesians. If you have any questions around these or other resources, Laura is a great person to ask.
Through our study of Ephesians, we have been confronted with gospel realities. God—the Great I AM, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the King of kings—has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. This is not for our own sake, and not because of our own merits, for we are dead in our sin. But because of God’s mercy, He makes us alive together with Christ. By grace we are saved through faith. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
As a church, may we not get distracted by things that are lesser, and may we not become numb to the riches of God’s glorious grace.
Ephesians 1-3 have been a reminder to us that we are set apart, called according to God’s purpose. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that this is true so that we would walk in the good works that God has prepared for us. We will see these realities over and over as we begin in Ephesians 4.
In light of the gospel—now that we have been brought from death to life, from far off to near—we walk according to His calling. These next chapters are rich with practical exhortation for how we are to live as Jesus followers, united with one another as the church.
We are responsible for one another, called and set apart as the saints to do the work of the ministry which is to build one another up into maturity in Christ. Ephesians 4-6 will get into our business. It will call us to reject passivity. It will call us to consider how the gospel impacts and informs every aspect of our lives: how we relate to one another in the church (4:1-16), what we believe (4:14; 5:6-12), how we live (4:17-24; 5:1-5), how we speak (4:25-31), how we spend our time (5:15-21), our marriages (5:22-32), our parenting (6:1-4), our pursuit (6:10-18), and our proclamation (6:19-20).
We will spend the next four months walking through Ephesians 4-6. To help you consider and study these things deeply, our team has put together some resources to help you. Many of these can be found online at tcbchurch.org/ephesians. There are more supplementary sermons, articles, videos, and podcasts there than you will need or be able to use. Use what is helpful for you and your family to grow in your pursuit of abiding deeply in God’s Word over the next few months.
Behind the Message is another great resource to help you grow in understanding and applying God’s Word. Bring your questions from the message and from your own study to a table at BTM, every Wednesday night at 6:30pm downstairs.
As a church, may we not be deluded by the lie of our culture that tells us we can have the gospel promises of Ephesians 1-3 without the purposeful zeal that walks accordingly in Ephesians 4-6.
Ephesians 3:20 – 4:1: 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…
Daniel Broyles
Elder / Pastor Teaching/Vision
Daniel Broyles has served as the Leadership Pastor and Elder at Tri-Cities Baptist Church since 2012. He is married to his wife Amy and they have a daughter named Lena.