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Book: Ephesians
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Ephesians 1:22,23
I. "Not only in this world, but the world to come."
A. People are sorely mistaken thinking that this world is all
their is.
1. Paul said that if our hope in Christ was in this world
only, we are of all men most miserable.
2. This world is far from an ideal place to live.
3. It could be much better than it is, but this present
world is being controlled by the prince of darkness,
who is in rebellion against God, and we see that fruit
of rebellion all around us.
B. Concerning the world to come, God said in Isaiah,
ISA 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the
former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
ISA 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [in that] which I create:
for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a
joy.
ISA 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the
voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of
crying.
ISA 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,
shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and
your name remain.
1. The Hebrew word for create here is bara, the same that
is used in Genesis 1:1 To create out of non-existing
material.
2. This new heaven is spoken of again in Revelation 21,
REV 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and
the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
REV 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
REV 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with
them, [and be] their God.
REV 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.
REV 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful.
REV 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
the fountain of the water of life freely.
REV 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son.
3. Peter also spoke about it.
2PE 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2PE 3:11 [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation
and godliness,
2PE 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2PE 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
II. "And He hath put all things under His feet."
A. Remember the declaration of God to Satan, how that the Lord
would put enmity between the serpent's seed and woman's seed,
and how that the seed of the woman would bruise his head, but
that Satan would bruise his heel.
B. In psalm 8 the psalmist declares,
PSA 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all [things] under his feet:
PSA 8:7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
PSA 8:8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, [and whatsoever]
passeth through the paths of the seas.
C. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
1CO 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1CO 15:26 The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.
1CO 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all
things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted,
which did put all things under him.
D. The book of Hebrews tells us,
HEB 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in
that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing
[that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things
put under him.
HEB 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that
he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
III. "And gave Him to be head over all things to the church."
A. The word head as used here means authority. Jesus is the
authority over the church.
1. We begin every board meeting acknowledging that Jesus
is the head over His church, that we are there only to
implement His will and His wishes.
2. We gladly submit ourselves to His authority.
B. In Chapter 4 Paul writes,
EPH 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, [even] Christ:
EPH 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual
working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love.
C. Paul speaks of the Church as the body of Christ each one of us
having a different function, yet each one interdependant upon
each other, and needing each other that the body might
function smoothly.
D. Paul wrote to the Colossians,
COL 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he
might have the preeminence.
COL 1:19 For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fullness
dwell;
IV. Paul speaks of the church "Which," he says,"Is His body."
A. The church is the body of Christ, He is the head we are
members of His body.
1CO 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is]
Christ.
1CO 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we
be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1CO 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1CO 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of
the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1CO 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of
the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1CO 12:17 If the whole body [were] an eye, where [were] the hearing? If
the whole [were] hearing, where [were] the smelling?
1CO 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the
body, as it hath pleased him.
1CO 12:19 And if they were all one member, where [were] the body?
1CO 12:20 But now [are they] many members, yet but one body.
1CO 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee:
nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1CO 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be
more feeble, are necessary:
B. In the fourth chapter Paul says, "There is one body and one
Spirit even as you are called in the one hope of your calling."
1. In the fifth chapter he says, "For we are members of
His body, His flesh and His bones."
C. "The fulness of Him that filleth all and in all."
1. When Solomon dedicated the Temple that he had built in
Jerusalem, he acknowledged that the heavens of heavens
could not contain God.
a. God is so vast that even the universe cannot
contain Him.
b. I wonder what God thinks when puny little man
exhalts Himself against God?
c. When I think of the heavens the works of Thy
fingers, the moon and the stars which you have
ordained, what is man that you are mindful of
him, or the Son of Man that thou shouldst visit
him?
d. The marvel of the psalmist and to me is that
God even thinks about me.
e. When Solomon declared that the heavens of
heavens could not contain God, he then asked,
"Who am I to build a house for Him, this is
only a place to offer sacrifices before Him."
2. In Paul's second prayer for the Ephesians in chapter 3,
he prays that they might be filled with all the
fullness of God.
a. No wonder he closed that prayer with these
words, "Now unto Him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think.
3. Writing to the Colossians he said,
COL 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have
the preeminence.
COL 1:19 For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fullness
dwell;
4. He then added in chapter 2,
COL 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
COL 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality
and power:
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