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Ephesians series message 44
Text: Ephesians 6:10-20
Inn this message we tie together the pieces of armor we are to put on, and those we are to take up. Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace enable me to move in concert with the glorious liberty of the gospel, and the shield of faith extinguishes the incoming flaming arrows from the devil.
Ephesians series message 43
Text: Ephesians 6:14
God’s provision to combat the schemes of the devil is intrinsically tied to the glorious gospel truths so faithfully presented in Paul’s letter. The breast plate of righteousness is designed to safeguard the deepest part of who we are in the day of battle, protecting us against profound spiritual maladies encountered throughout our lives.
Ephesians series message 42
Text: Ephesians 6:13
Thus far we have noted the reality of spiritual warfare and highlighted some of Satan‘s common schemes. Now we turn to God’s wonderful provision; His armor. We cannot stand idly by and think that God will just work things out. We have a responsibility to understand what the armor is, how to use it, and to put it all on! We will begin talking about the specifics of the armor.
Ephesians series message 41
Text: Ephesians 6:10-12
When life is full of difficulties and distractions, sometimes we lose sight of the spiritual warfare that surrounds us. Before we engage God's provision in our passage - the armor of God - let's first talk about the necessary disposition and mindset for every Christian. The New Testament is replete with commands such as be alert, be sober-minded, and be watchful. We must not be aloof in this process, but fully engaged and laser-focused.
Ephesians series message 40
Text: Ephesians 6:10-20
As we examine Paul's teaching on spiritual warfare, our focus will be on one phrase: "the schemes of the devil". Sports teams scope out their opponents to prepare for game day, and we should do no differently. As we keep in step with the Spirit, it is so helpful to know Satan's schemes so he doesn't catch us off guard. Yes he is a formidable foe, but he is also a defeated foe: greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!
Ephesians series message 39
Text: Ephesians 6:10-12
For Christians, to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, we must both be filled with the Spirit AND suited up. No other passage in all Scripture explains spiritual warfare with such clarity, while providing the defense to Satan's wiles: put on the whole armor of God. In this message, we'll present the real characteristics of spiritual warfare so we can properly understand how to put on the armor of God.
Ephesians series message 38
Text: Ephesians 6:1-9
Paul continues to address godly living in specific life settings. We also review key gospel truths in this letter in preparation for beginning our exposition of spiritual warfare and spiritual armor in the weeks to come.
Text: Psalm 23
The Lord truly is our shepherd! Elder Johnny Guy shares a timely message for us all to hear during these troubled times.
Text: Philippians 3:8-17
Becoming and developing as disciples doesn’t just happen; it takes intentionality and help all along the way. Paul shows us the mindset of a disciple in Philippians. He models what the church should strive for as a whole, the culture we should build, and how it is passed to following generations. Are we ready to follow Paul’s example and get in the trenches and live life together, as messy as it might be? Jesus commissioned the work with all of the authority of the Son of God raised from the dead and seated next to the Father. The apostles began the work laying the foundation of the gospel. Today we, the church, continue to build on that foundation one disciple at a time. How do we make this our culture, at DBC, in our families, and beyond? That is what we will explore in this message.
Ephesians series message 37
Text: Ephesians 5:21-33
Time to make specific application - Paul is relentless in showing us how doctrine forms our convictions in every area of our life. He takes two concepts recently discussed, love and submission, and uses them to paint a moving picture of what marriage can be. And, in case we're wondering, marriage principles are gospel principles. We'll see how this all matters - even outside our homes.
Ephesians series message 36
Text: Ephesians 5:18-22
Paul has shown us the high calling God has on the Christian - to live his or her life all to the glory of God. This makes sense because in Christ we are a new creation - the old has passed, and the new has come. Along the way, Paul's given us guidance on how to pursue these kingdom priorities. But now he begins to lay down some serious tracks that will form our disposition and perspective, put a song in our heart, and grant the supernatural strength we need for the journey.
Ephesians series message 35
Text: Ephesians 5:15-17
Paul continues to hammer home and develop his central thesis for the second half of his letter: walk in a manner worthy of your calling. He goes beyond naming specific vices to avoid and virtues to aspire to; we must apply wisdom because life does not come to us neatly wrapped in a bow. We must be intentional in our walk with the Lord, knowing we live in evil times, and strive to know the Lord's will in all that we do.
Ephesians series message 34
Text: Ephesians 5:7-14
The consistent call of God in each generation is for His people to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. Paul says this, in so many ways, just in Ephesians alone: walk in a manner worthy of your calling, no longer walk as the Gentiles do, put off the old & put on the new, and walk as children of light. It's the latter that we'll consider in this message, with special attention given to the corollary given in Israel's deliverance from Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover meal provide a blueprint for every generation to follow.
Ephesians series message 33
Text: Ephesians 5:3-7
How do we walk in a manner worthy of our calling? Paul began by speaking to community issues - how my actions affect other people. Now he speaks to sins which are self-indulgent and fueled by lust and greed, which must be replaced with thanksgiving. He adds a dire warning; one he clearly talked about with them in person. (Acts 20): An unchanged life with continual unbroken sin is a fraud and does not bear the evidence of the indwelling work of the Spirit.
Ephesians series message 32
Text: Ephesians 5:1-2
Paul sums up what he's been telling us in chapter four with this simple command: live a life of love. What's compelling is what we find around that statement. This is how we imitate God. The standard of love is Christ's love expressed to us. His service and sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to God. In this context, love is not a fluffy or fleeting feeling. Love is determined, intentional, and willing to do heavy lifting. It is worth focusing on this one passage to fully understand this statement, we need it so desperately in society today.
Ephesians series message 31
Text: Ephesians 4:31-32
Paul moves from general injunctions to more specific instructions. We
all need to hear this! By the power of the Spirit and in the hope of
the gospel, we are to replace vices such as bitterness and wrath and
become kind and tenderhearted towards one another. That's real
transformation! It develops as we have the spirit of our mind renewed
in the truth and hope of God's Word.
Ephesians series message 30
Text: Ephesians 4:30
We'll spend our time unpacking this one magnificent verse. Once again we are reminded that God's Spirit lives inside of us, an earnest of our inheritance. What a gracious injunction - now that God is in you, the One you lean on for salvation, do not grieve Him. A powerful reminder that the Spirit is not an "it", He's a "He." We'll look at various ways we can grieve Him and how to avoid that. This verse is a powerful why behind our Christian ethic, and unlocks the key to Christian sanctification.
Ephesians series message 29
Text: Ephesians 4:25-29
We've looked at the general admonitions to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. We understand that there is a difference between light and darkness. We know we can no longer walk in our old ways but must constantly have the spirit of our minds renewed. With that disposition, Paul starts filling in the details. He addresses lying, stealing, anger, and speech and tethers them to specific reasons why certain behaviors are completely incompatible with the new life.
Ephesians series message 28
Text: Ephesians 5:8
We’re skipping forward a bit in this message because it's worth developing a theme which plays predominately in Ephesians and complements recent injunctions: walk in a manner worthy of your calling, and put on the new self. Another way of viewing this is to understand that we were once darkness but now must walk as children of light. It's both fascinating and compelling to see how this contrast is developed and utilized throughout Scripture.
Ephesians series message 27
Text: Ephesians 4:20 - 24
"Put on the new self" (or, put on the Lord Jesus Christ - from Romans) is our daily priority during our brief pilgrimage to glory. Yes, we are casting away our old way of living but we are also replacing that with our new self each and every day. God has been so good to us. We have a future. A beautiful and never ending future - with Christ, away from everything that is hurtful in this life. That's what motivates us to life in this way. We do so because God has shown us His grace and mercy!