For the diversity of the Body, God has a unique calling for everyone in it. Sam Pascoe, a returning friend and pastor, explains some ways of looking at the kinds of roles God gives the members of the body to properly divide the responsibilities of the church. Even in the Old Testament, God divides the offices of leadership among several people. In Numbers 11, for instance, He gives gifts and roles of leadership to 70 people. In our modern age, God still works this way, giving each member a role that best fits the gift God He given them.
For Paul, the mystery of Christ isn’t just the forgiveness and redemption. It isn’t that you go to heaven when you die. It’s that, for the first time, the Gentiles are included as full and equal members of the covenant. Jesus isn’t just saving the Gentiles who are far away and keeping them separate, he’s joining the Jews and Gentiles together into one new people for Him. When Jesus is joined to the Church as a bridegroom to a bride, the bride is one body– not divided by race or any other significant identity marker. In Christianity, whatever makes you unique is secondary to your identity in Christ. We’re all Christians first, and so we all share our most significant trait in common.
Instead of looking inward to as we re-orient in the New Year, Paul in Ephesians 1 encourages us to look to God’s promises and all that God has done for us in Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-24
– Dean Miller
– November 22, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
Ephesians 5:22-33 (Marriage)
– Johnny Kurcina
– November 15, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
Books on Marriage referenced in sermon
Allender & Longman, Intimate Allies
Keller, The Meaning of Marriage
West, Theology of the Body for Beginners
Ephesians 5:1-21
– Johnny Kurcina
– November 8, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
*The message failed to record through the system properly, so sound quality is poor for this recording.
Ephesians 4:17-32
– Johnny Kurcina
– November 1, 2015 (CCV Anniversary)
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
*The recording of the service on Oct 25, 2015 failed to save. However, Dean Miller’s same sermon later that day, 5:00pm Service at Church of the Church of the Ascension (Arlington), has been uploaded here.
EPHESIANS 4:1-16
-Dean Miller
-Preached at Church of the Ascension
Ephesians 3:14-21
– Johnny Kurcina
– October 18, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
Ephesians 3:1-13
– Matt Hemsley
– October 11, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
Ephesians 2:11-22
Race, Reconciliation & the Gospel
– Johnny Kurcina
– October 4, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
Ephesians 2:1-10
– Johnny Kurcina
– September 27, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians
Ephesians 1:15-23
– Johnny Kurcina
– September 20, 2015
– Sermon Series | Ephesians