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Flight EPH01
Ephesians 1-6
Skip Heitzig

Ephesians 1 (NKJV™)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 2 (NKJV™)
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 3 (NKJV™)
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles--
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 4 (NKJV™)
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
8 Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
9 (Now this, "He ascended"--what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 5 (NKJV™)
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Ephesians 6 (NKJV™)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21 But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you;
22 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Bible from 30,000 Feet - 2018, The

Who are we in Christ? In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, he answered that very question as he addressed a group of believers who were ignorant of their spiritual wealth in Jesus. He explained how the Christian is the bride of Christ, a temple in the Lord, and a soldier for the gospel. On this flight, we see how Paul also emphasized unity among believers, describing the church as a body that works together for a common goal.

Take your knowledge of the full scope of Scripture to soaring heights with The Bible from 30,000 Feet. In this series, Skip Heitzig pilots you through all sixty-six books of the Bible, revealing major themes, principles, people, and events from Genesis to Revelation. Fasten your seatbelt and open your Bible for this sweeping panorama of Scripture that will increase your faith in God's plan for the world-and for you.

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Ephesians 1-6 - The Bible from 30,000 Feet - Skip Heitzig - Flight EPH01

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The Bible from 30,000 Feet, soaring through the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Let's turn in our Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Chapter 1. This is our survey through the Bible. We call it The Bible from 30,000 Feet.

We have come a long way. We're already in the book of Ephesians, which means a few more books away from ending this journey that we've been on for over, or for about a year. I don't even remember when we started. But anybody here remember? Do you have it written down?

A while back.

A while back-- very, very precise on your dating. So we're in Ephesians. The book of Ephesians comprises six chapters of one of the greatest of all treatises that Paul gives. It is considered by some scholars to be the Grand Canyon of the New Testament, covering the depth and breadth and heighth and length of God's plan in our salvation. Ephesians, Chapter 1-- let's pray before we start.

Father, we want to thank you that we are able in the middle of a week to gather together, to push things aside that clamor for attention, to be filled, to be fed, to understand a little more of what your plan is for the Church, which this book highlights, and in particular, where we fit in with our individual gifts as being part of the whole of the body of Christ, not only locally, but worldwide. Thank you, Lord, for those who come with a hunger and thirst after Your truth. You said, Lord, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness would be filled. So we pray, Lord, that everybody who has that hunger and thirst would be, indeed, filled. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

So we believe it was around the spring of AD 52 when Paul the Apostle first visited the city of Ephesus. He didn't stay long. It was his second missionary journey.

But he brought with him a couple, a couple that have cute names and were very influential in the early church, Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. He brought them to Ephesus. He left. And he left them to do whatever.

We're not exactly told. Some actually believe that Paul may have evangelized that place early on, but it was Aquila and Priscilla who founded the church there. Can't be certain. We're not told how it started.

But we know that he left them there. And while they were there visiting the synagogue, on one day-- this is all in Acts, Chapter 18-- they heard a very eloquent Jewish speaker from Alexandria, Egypt by the name of Apollos. Apollos was riveting to listen to. He was very persuasive.

But he did not know the totality of Christian doctrine. It was Aquila and Priscilla who gave him the rest of the story. And so perhaps, through Aquila and Priscilla and Apollos that that church started taking root.

But this we do know. That was AD 52. That was Paul's second missionary journey. Paul eventually comes back to Ephesus on his third missionary journey and now spends between two to three years.

We don't exactly know the full length of time. But probably closer to three years Paul spends going to the synagogue, then running his own little room called the School of Tyrannus, where for about three years he teaches and evangelizes that part of Asia. So the church, through Paul, through Aquila, through Priscilla, through Apollos, becomes established.

He shares with them. The church grows. But Paul goes on after a few years, goes back to Jerusalem. That was his heart's desire to do so. Gets arrested, gets taken to Rome, and he is in prison in Rome for a couple of years.

While he is in Rome, around AD 61, so nine years from when it started, Paul writes a letter to the church at Ephesus. And that is the letter that is before us. And Paul has a theme in this book.

The theme-- and I loved Mike's testimony, because it comes into this theme beautifully. Paul speaks about in this book the new society that God wants to establish on Earth called the Church. Jesus, you remember, said in Acts, Chapter 16, I will build my ecclesium, my Church, my called out assembly.

So the theme of this book is the new society built on Jesus Christ. That was always the plan of God from the Old Testament until now. Part of it was a mystery. He uncovers that in Chapter 3.

But this is a new society of both Jew and non-Jew, brought together on equal footing in this new society called the Church. So it is a new family with new life, with new standards, with new relationships. All of that is outlined in this book.

The book of Ephesians can be conveniently sliced into two parts. Now I haven't done that. I've sliced it into three parts, if you've read my book, The Bible from 30,000 Feet.

But it can be sliced, and probably fits easier, into two slices-- Chapters 1 through 3, slice number 1, Chapters 4 through 6, slice number two. Now this is Pauline or Pauline pattern. This is how Paul often writes.

He did it also in the book of Romans. The first part of the book is doctrinal. The second part is practical. So Chapters 1, 2, and 3, he kind of lays the foundation of this new society, what God's plan was, how it works, what it is, kind of defines those things.

Then beginning in Chapter 4, he uses one of his favorite words after a doctrinal section. And that is the word, therefore. Based on all that you know from what I have previously written, therefore-- then he gets very practical.

So chapter 4, 5, and 6, he moves from doctrinal to practical. And that is Paul's style in his writings. He talks about doctrine. Then he talks about duty. He talks about what you should know, but then he moves to how you should live based on what you know.

He did that in the Book of Romans. The first 11 chapters are doctrinal. But beginning in Chapter 12 of Romans, verse 1, "Therefore, I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, God, which is your reasonable service"-- same pattern.

So you could, if you would like, divide the book of Ephesians up into those two sections. I've given it a third section. Not just the doctrinal and the practical, but I've gotten a little more specific, based on one of my favorite commentaries on the book of Ephesians. I divide it up into the wealth, the walk, and the warfare of the believer-- the wealth, who you are in Christ and what you have in Christ; then the walk of the believer; and then finally, the warfare of the believer.

So we're going to learn how to grow, we're going to learn how to walk, and we're going to learn how to fight. All of that is in the book of Ephesians. Now a little bit about Ephesus before we jump in and do our survey.

The city of Ephesus was the capital of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. It was a very wealthy city. It was the seat of government. It was the seat of religion, Roman religion.

Several different temples were there. But it was wealthy because of where it was situated. If you have a map in the back of your Bible and you find Asia Minor, you kind of notice right in the middle, on the Western coast of Asia Minor, lay the city of Ephesus.

One of the great temples that was in that city was a temple to the goddess Diana, also known as Artemis, same person. One is the Greek name. One is the Roman name.

She was depicted in this really grotesque, weird fashion of a woman with multiple breasts because she was seen as the goddess of fertility, the goddess of all blessing. If you're wondering what it exactly looked like, there is a copy of the Statue of Diana from that temple in Ephesus, oddly enough, in the Vatican in Rome. All of that aside, that temple was located in the city of Ephesus.

It connected the trade routes going from West to East and East to West. They would often stop there. That's where it would get its wealth.

The population at the time of Paul the Apostle was roughly about a half a million people that lived in that city. They would come there to spend time, worship in the temple, make new contacts, sell their goods, buy other goods, et cetera. Now today you can visit Ephesus. And I've done it on a few different occasions when we've done our cruises of the journeys of Paul, or our long bus trips of the journeys of Paul.

And we've stopped in through Turkey. We stop at Ephesus. Now I bring it up, because if you go, it is, like, the highlight of the trip of the journeys of Paul. It is one of the greatest archaeological digs in existence.

You can walk today down the streets of Ephesus on the same tiles that Paul the Apostle walked on 2,000 years ago. You will pass the remains of the Odeon, the theater. You'll pass the remains of the great library of Celsus, that huge, double story edifice.

Right down on Main Street, you'll walk through the Agora, the ancient marketplace. You'll turn right going toward the harbor. And you'll see, uncovered, the 25,000 seat theater-- 25,000 seats at the time of Paul.

It was in that theater where Paul was almost torn to pieces as the people of Ephesus stood and cried, Great is Diana of the Ephesians for, like, about an hour or two. All of that is there today. You can see it.

What's amazing is what you see today in terms of the archaeological digs of Ephesus. Only 25% of that city is uncovered. 75% of it still remains undug, underground. So it was absolutely humongous. So it has a very, very prominent place in the ancient world, thus in the New Testament.

So I mentioned Paul's second and third missionary journey. After spending time at Ephesus in his third journey, three years, he leaves. But he goes back on his final trip to Jerusalem before he gets arrested.

And when he goes back, he feels compelled to meet with the elders of Ephesus. But he didn't want to go to Ephesus because he didn't want to stay long. So he goes to the shores of Melitus, a little bit nearby.

So the elders go to the shores of Melitus to meet Paul. And Paul sort of unloads this incredible message in Acts, Chapter 20. He says, you've watched my manner of life.

I've been with you for three years. You saw how I labored. You've heard my teaching.

But he said, now, after my departure, I know that savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Even among your own leadership, false apostles will arise and draw people to themselves. Paul could see that in the future.

That's interesting, because although Paul knew that was coming, he said, I'm not hanging around. God has called me to go to Jerusalem. That's where he gets arrested and then taken to Rome.

What we do know after this point is Paul puts another pastor in charge of Ephesus. He was there three years. The pastor he put in charge was none other than his protege by the name of Timothy. Timothy pastored in Ephesus.

Paul pastored in Ephesus. And according to the church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, the Apostle John spent his latter years in that city. And what did he spend his latter years doing? Defending the truth against false teachers that arose and were destroying the flock, the gnostics, that brand of teaching that was already infiltrating the Church.

So that's sort of a synopsis. They had the best leadership. They had Paul. They had Timothy. And they had the Apostle John.

Yet, by the third century AD, there really was no church of Ephesus. It became insignificant. It lost its witness. It lost believers.

Today, there is no Christian assembly in that area. And you may want to remember that somebody else wrote a letter to the church of Ephesus. Somebody even more famous than Paul.

His name was Jesus. In Revelation, Chapter 2, he wrote a little letter, a postcard, you might say. And he said to the church of Ephesus, I'm warning you. You have left your first love. Be careful, or I will remove your lamp stand from out of its place.

That is exactly what happened to this incredible work of God. All of that should sober us up as church people. It does not take many generations before a vital, vibrant church in an area can lose its witness. It happened here with this church.

OK. Paul is arrested. He's taken to Rome. In Rome, he writes four letters from his two year prison stay in that city.

He writes Ephesians. He writes Philippians. He writes Colossians. And he writes Philemon. Those are called the prison letters. And Ephesians is the first one.

We begin in Chapter 1 with our overview, looking at what we have in Christ, who we are in Christ. Let's call the first couple of chapters the wealth of the believer. That's chapters, actually, 1, 2, and 3.

Now there's a phrase that is an important phrase in this book, and especially in this first part, that sort of is the tip off that he's dealing with the wealth of the believer. And that is the phrase "in Christ" or "in Christ Jesus." He uses it 27 times.

He wants you and I to know we are linked to Jesus. We are in Him. And because we're in Him, we have so much. We're wealthy. We're rich.

Ephesus was considered the bank of Asia Minor. And so Paul, knowing that, uses language like inheritance, fullness, filled, all of these kind of terms that speak to the wealth of the believer. Because the city of Ephesus, as I mentioned, was a very wealthy city.

So let's begin in verse 3 with our wealth. Why are we so wealthy? Why are we so rich?

We are rich because of our Father in Heaven. Blessed be-- verse 3-- the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. Have you ever been to your ATM, tried to draw money out, and it says cannot process request, insufficient funds?

Oh, man. I don't have enough in the bank account. What Paul wants the Ephesians to know is you have so much in your bank account, more than you'll ever need, certainly more than you know or ever will use. But you have all of God's power, God, the Father's power, at your disposal.

You and I are rich. You are rich because of the Father that you have. So what does that mean, exactly? Well, first of all, He chose you in Christ. Verse 4, Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

I always love what Charles Spurgeon said. He said, it's a good thing God chose me before I was born. He never would have picked me after I was born.

Well, the truth is he did choose you before you were born. But that's even when he knew what you would become. He knew you all through and through. And yet, He chose you.

Now I've read enough books over my lifetime to know that there are some people that this bothers, that God chooses, pre-elects, predetermines, predestines people. It's not fair that God would choose somebody and not choose somebody else. Why is that unfair?

You have the power of choice. What if I said, when you chose something, that's not fair. You shouldn't choose that. You shouldn't choose who to marry. What, are you nuts?

If you have the power of choice, why can't God have the power of choice? And there are certain factors about that choice. We don't need to get into. We've covered that before.

But one of the great truths is we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And that should excite you. Jesus chose Judas, knowing Judas would betray Him.

Jesus chose Peter knowing that Peter would deny Him. Jesus chose Thomas knowing that Thomas would disbelieve Him. But He chose them anyway, before they were born, and worked through them so they could become vital witnesses.

So we're rich because of our Father. He chose us. Not only that, but He adopted us. Verse 5, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the beloved.

So He chose us. He adopted us. That is, He placed us as adult sons, giving us all the inheritance, as if we were natural born children. And then, finally, He redeemed us.

In verse 7, in Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. This is the language of the slave market. To redeem is to buy a slave back or to give a slave its freedom by paying a price. So He redeemed us. He paid the price to set us free.

What did He use to pay that price? Blood, the blood of His son-- we call it, theologically, a vicarious atonement, a substitutionary atonement. II Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 21-- God made Him, Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

So by this doctrine of substitution, or this idea of replacement, He took you off the punishment course, put Jesus in your place, treated Jesus like you deserve to be treated, letting Him die, so that now, because of that sinless substitution, He can treat you like Jesus deserves to be treated.

That's redemption. That makes us rich. We're chosen. We're adopted.

We're redeemed. He expands on that in this chapter. He offers a prayer for them on that behalf.

Go to Chapter 2. He continues with this theme of wealth and shows in Chapter 2 we're not just rich because of our Father. We're rich because of our forgiveness from the Father.

In Chapter 2, Paul shows that we were in the graveyard. But we went to glory. We were dead, but we've been made alive.

Chapter 2, verse 1, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the Spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience among whom also, we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath, just as others."

Paul tells us in this chapter that when you were born, you were born dead. You were D-O-A, dead on arrival. You were born.

You say, well, I was born. That's life. You were only physically alive. You were spiritually cut off. You were separated from God.

All people are born separated from God because of the sin of Adam. Romans, Chapter 5, by one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and death spread to all men, and death reigned. So that's the flow of sin in the world. Sin entered, death entered, death spread, death reigned.

So everyone born after Adam was born dead on arrival. You were dead. It's not that you were just sick.

You were dead. You had no capacity at all to act on your own behalf. Now, most people don't believe this. And I'm convinced most Christians don't even know how bad off they were.

The theologians call this depravity, total depravity. Now total depravity doesn't mean you're as bad as you can be. But it does mean you're as bad off as you can possibly-- before God, you are hopeless, apart from Him, doing something. So you who were dead, he made alive. You were dead in trespasses and sins.

So he talks about your past life. But look at verse 4. But God-- remember that series we did called, But God? It's a phrase that shows up 45 times in the Scripture.

It shows that because God enters the situation, everything after that changes. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

When did God love you when you were lovable? Did God love you when you were lovely? When you decided, Lord, I'm going to give my life to Jesus? OK. Now I love you.

God loved you when He knew the truth about you, when you were at your very worst, when you were dead, when you were alienated. So because of that-- and here's Paul's contention-- no matter your background, Gentile, Jewish, Jew, or non-Jew, you're all in the same boat before God, with the same needs. So that when you are brought into this new society, this new family, there's no second class citizens.

You were dead. Now you're alive. Everybody, Jew and Gentile, was dead. Everybody, Jew and Gentile, can be made alive.

Thus, we have equal status before God as natural born children or adopted children. That's the new society. That is the new family.

So we're rich because of our Father. We're rich because of our forgiveness. And we're rich because of our family.

If you go down with me to verse 11, he says, therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcisioned by-- what is called circumcision, the Jewish people, made in flesh by hands, the ritual of circumcision-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens-- not little aliens from space, but alienated-- from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world.

God made a covenant with the Jewish nation. Read the Old Testament. It's unmistakable. There was no covenant made at that time with Gentile nations. Gentiles were separated by the law that was given to the Jewish nation, the commonwealth of Israel.

But Paul says, it's a new day and age. It's a new society. But now, verse 13, in Christ Jesus, you who were once a far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace. And that's put in a very emphatic syntax in the Greek language. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one-- Jew and Gentile, one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.

Now some believe he is referring to the Jewish temple. I'll explain that in a minute. But he's writing to the Ephesians. Chances are they really had no mental construct of what the temple in Jerusalem looked like.

Yes, there were Jews in that city. But the idea of temple worship and the courts of the temple in Jerusalem was foreign to them. So it could be that what Paul was talking about is taking this wall of separation down, is he's speaking about the law that was like a protective layer around the Jewish nation. God made a covenant of the law with them.

It protected the Jews. But it also separated the Gentiles from the covenant promises that God made to Israel. So God removed that, bringing in Christ so that we have no second class citizens, all at the same level, all the same footing.

Or this could be a reference to the Jewish temple. That's what many commentators believe. In the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem, there were different courts.

If you were a Gentile, you had to be on the outer courts. You couldn't go closer. There was a wall that separated the non-Jewish person from Jewish females and Jewish males. There was even a sign on that wall that said death to any Gentile past this point. So that could be a reference to that.

Go down now to verse 19. Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ being, Himself, the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building is fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Couple thousand years ago temples were not only very elaborate, but very stable. Because they were made of pure stone-- no two by four studs, no stucco, but massive stones-- the temple of Diana, massive structure. The temple in Jerusalem was so large, the one built by Herod the Great at the time of Jesus, you that are coming with us to Israel will notice this, some of the large stones, the foundational stones that are called ashlars are 29 feet long.

A single stone is roughly the size of a railway boxcar. And the mystery is always how did they move those stones and put them in place. Another study-- come with us to Israel. We'll explain it.

So foundation stones were laid. And that determined the unity as well as the symmetry and the strength of the rest of the building. Notice that Paul speaks about the apostles and the prophets, the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament apostles. He doesn't say that the Church is built-- that this new society is built on them. The foundation is Jesus.

And then they are those kind of lower ashlar stones that that kind of help form after the foundation. And then we are all built as sort of smaller stones on top of that. Today, we might say Jesus is the slab.

The apostles and prophets are the stem walls. You and I are the two by four studs and the drywall and the shingles and all the little parts that make the rest of the house. We're all being built together on that. But the foundation is Christ.

Now in Chapter 3, he expands on this, on this new society, the Church. But he uses a word that's important to this book. It's important to theology in the New Testament.

It's the word musterion. That's the Greek word. Musterion sounds like what word in our language? Mystery, something was a mystery.

Doesn't mean that it was a puzzle that you had to try to figure out. It means that it was something that was in God's mind, but unrevealed until now. And what is that mystery?

I'm glad you asked. Chapter 3, verse 3-- or let's begin in verse two. If indeed you have heard the dispensation of the grace of God, which was given to me for you, how that, by revelation, He made known to me the mystery, as I have briefly written already, by which when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed in the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets-- that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel.

That's the mystery. The mystery is not that Gentiles would be saved. That was always God's plan. In the Old Testament, God said, I want the Jewish nation to be a light to the Gentile nations that people around the world may know the one true God.

The mystery is that you won't have, like, God, and then Jews, the covenant people, and then, way at the bottom of the totem pole, us, Gentiles, non-Jews. Now that was the Jewish thinking. God created the Jews, who were the covenant society. And everybody else?

Second class citizens-- in fact, a lot of the Jewish people didn't believe that Gentiles could even be saved or shouldn't be saved. Some even taught that God created them as kindling to make hell hotter. Throw in a few of us, a few non-Jews, make hell really hot for the bad people. That's how they saw it.

Paul said, let me tell you a mystery. Not only does He want to save Gentiles, He's giving non-Jews exactly the same covenant footing before God that He intended for the Jewish people. We are fellow heirs.

Jew and non-Jew are both unsaved, apart from Christ. Jew and non-Jew can only be saved by Jesus Christ. There's not one covenant for the Jews and one covenant for the Gentiles, as some wrongly teach in Christian churches today. It's called dual covenant theology.

There's only one new covenant for Jew and non-Jew that makes us fellow heirs in the same new society. And that is the cross of Christ. So now we are in the covenant family. That's the mystery kept secret in the Old Testament.

By the time you get to Chapter 4, we come to our second section of the book. First section is the wealth of the believer, who we are, what we have. We're rich because of our Father. We're rich because of our forgiveness. We're rich because of our family, both Jew and Gentile, this beautiful covenant.

But now he speaks about the walk. Now notice the change. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, or beg you, or entreat you, or encourage you to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called. Let me tell you about your wealth.

You're pretty rich. You have everything you need to succeed. You have all of God's power and God's resources at your disposal. You'll never run out of your spiritual ATM.

But knowing that you're that wealthy, here's what you ought to do about it. Walk worthy. Walk based on your wealth. What you know should impact what you do.

Doctrine is what is the foundation for duty. That's why this section now is the very practical section. It says this is what you got to do. This is how you carry out your life. You walk.

For years in this country, we have known that cigarette smoking is bad for our health. But I'll never forget being in the UK, over in England, and seeing how they package cigarettes. And basically, on the front is big black bold letters that basically says this will kill you.

You are looking at death in the face. They even have grotesque pictures on some of them. That's the law.

One that I actually picked up the box. I said I've got to take that home. What a great illustration.

It says in big letters on one side, smokers die younger. What's funny is people buy those boxes, open them up, and smoke the cigarettes. Well, wait a minute.

Don't they know that it's bad for them? Uh huh. Don't they know that this will kill them? Yep.

Don't they know that they're going to die younger? Obviously, if they can read, they know that. Does it affect their behavior?

No. Their philosophy is you've got to die of something. Only the good die young. Yeah. You'll die after 10 years of drooling in a wheelchair. But if you want that, go ahead.

Here's the point. Knowing something doesn't guarantee that you live according to what you know. People still smoke even though science has proven over and over again it is monumentally bad for you.

So this is what you know, who you are as a believer. Therefore, walk like you know that. Walk worthy.

Worthy means weigh as much. Let what you do weigh as much as what you know. Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

He elaborates on that in verse 2. With all lowliness, gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love. Now this is our walk before other believers.

He kind of divides up these next couple of chapters of the walk of the believer into a few categories. First, this is how you walk with others who walk with God. So you walk with God. I walk with God.

How do we walk together? How do we get along with each other, fellow believer, fellow walker with God? This way-- lowliness, gentleness, long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body, one spirit. Just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.

Then he speaks about spiritual gifts that we have, differing from one another and how they are to be used. Briefly he talks about that. Verse 12, here's the purpose. For the equipping of the saints-- all of the gifts that He gives to the body of Christ are for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect, or better yet, a mature or complete human, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

You've been given a gift. You've been given a talent. Not so you can go, look how talented I am. Isn't my gift cool? But rather, to build one another up-- you are part of the whole.

Yes, you're an individual. Yes, you have individual rights. But though that is sort of an American, sacrosanct value-- I am an individual-- in this new society, it's not about you. It's not about the individual. It's not about me.

It's about us. One of the things I have noticed and I've always been attracted to in Japanese culture is they esteem the group as more important than individuality. Now in America, it's different.

It's all about me, individually, man. Don't tread on me, man. Let me do my thing. Well, your truth isn't my truth, all of that nonsense that we have to get rid of as believers. And say, yes, I'm an individual.

But I'm part of you. You're part of me. It's us. You know?

This even shows up in Star Trek theology. Right? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. That's what Spock said to James Kirk in 1982. I remember it well.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. You are and have always been my friend, James T. Kirk. I don't know. All these things are stuck in my head. Forget that.

That we might come to a complete person, a complete man, a mature man, perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. So that's our walk before other believers. Now look at verse 17, when he begins talking about our walk before unbelievers.

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk-- unbelievers walk-- in the futility of their mind. You're not a pagan anymore. You've been delivered from that. You were dead, but now you're alive.

You're not part of that system any longer. So don't emulate them. Don't be like them. Go down to verse 22.

That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. The old man is the old you, the old way of life, the old humanity.

Like having rags, having dirty clothes that you've worn for-- let's say you wore them without taking them off for six months. Can you picture what that would smell like? Is it going through your mind?

Do people want to hug you? Right? Do they kind of walk the other way? You're gnarly, dude. You stink that way, right?

Strip those off. Cast them aside. And put on a whole new set of clothes called the new man, the new you, new behaviors, new walk. When you wear those new clothes, then you kind of parade those new clothes, the new you, the new values in front of the world.

And they see the changes in your life. And hopefully, because you're sporting those new duds, your new lifestyle, your new values, they're attracted to the Designer. Hey, where'd you get those clothes? That's awesome.

You smell good. You look good. I love your personality. I see the changes. How do I get that?

That's the idea of taking off the old, putting on the new man, the new you, the new humanity. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man, verse 24, which is created, according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. You were dead. You're alive.

You left the crowd. But now you have to leave the way of the crowd. See the difference? It's one thing to take the Christian out of the world. It's another thing to take the world out of the Christian.

You were taken out of the world the day you said, Jesus, I believe in you. I trust in you. I repent of my sins. I give my life to you.

At that moment was the single event, split second. You were transformed from darkness into light. That's taking you out of the world. But the process of taking the world out of the Christian is a lifelong process called sanctification.

Taking a Christian out of the world, that's salvation. Taking the world out of the Christian, that's sanctification. That's the walk.

And because you walk before your brothers and sisters a certain way, God gives you the power also to walk before unbelievers a certain way. Verse 25, therefore put away lying. He gets specific. Let each of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer. But rather, let him labor, working with his hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification that it might impart grace to the hearer. See how practical Paul is here? He gets theological. Here's your wealth.

He gets very practical. Here's your walk before believers, before unbelievers. Go down to Chapter 5, verse 6. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore, do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness. But now you are light in the Lord. So walk as children of light.

When you came to Christ, you were enlightened. You stepped out of darkness into light. And here's probably what some of you said, I get it. I see it.

I didn't see it before. But now I see it. Now I understand it. Right? That's the whole idea behind the song Amazing Grace. "I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see."

When you step into light, light floods everything. You see clearly. You were in darkness. You couldn't see it before.

You tell a person who is unsaved you need to be saved. I don't need to be saved. You're a sinner. I'm not a sinner.

They're blind. They don't see it. You get it now. You see it now.

I've always been fond of the story of the man looking for his car keys. He was outside under a streetlight. His friend was helping him. And other neighbors came. He's looking, looking, looking.

And finally, somebody, after about an hour, said, are you sure you lost your keys out on the street here? He goes, no, no, no. I lost them in the garage. He said, well, why are we looking out here? He said, well, the light's better.

I don't know how you lost your way. But you can see clearly now. At some point, you lost your way.

Now you get it. Now you see. The light's better here. You were once darkness. Now are you light in the Lord.

So our walk before other believers, our walk before unbelievers, also now in Chapter 5, our walk at home. Our walk at home-- our walk as husbands, as wives, as children, as workers-- that takes us down to verse 21. Now why does Paul cover this?

Because if your Christianity doesn't work at home, it doesn't work. That's the seminal relationship-- mother, father, husband, wife. Howard Hendrick said that. He said, if your Christianity doesn't work at home, it doesn't work. So don't export it.

Live it at home. Live it around other believers. That's the walk with other believers. Live it then in the world.

But it begins at home. Verse 21-- I want to begin there because there's a very important word. Submitting to one another in the fear of God, wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the Church. He is the Savior of the body.

Therefore, as the Church is subject to Christ, let wives be to their own husbands in everything. Now to husbands, husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. Chapter 6, verse 1, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for it is right.

Verse 4, you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath. But bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Verse 5, bond servants, be obedient to those who are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in sincerity of heart as to Christ. Not with thy service, not as men pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

Here's why I began in verse 21 with this little section. Because that's where the thought begins. Most teachings I've heard, most preaching I've heard on the family, when preachers do a series on the family out of Ephesians, Chapter 5-- a lot of times that's where they begin-- is they begin their series in verse 22.

Which is, wives, submit to your own husbands. I know husbands, that is their life verse. They've memorized it in every translation.

They know it in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, Spanish, Japanese. They know that verse. It's their life verse. Wives, submit to your husbands.

[IMITATES WHIP CRACKING]

Here's the problem. The word in verse 22, you see the word submit? In many original manuscripts, it's not even there. Now I did that to pique your interest.

And I'll tell you why it's not there. It is in verse 21. The word submitting is in verse 21. Notice it says submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Verse 21 is a transitional statement of how to get along with each other in the family. Here's how you get along. You submit to one another. It's a mutual submission.

You do it in the fear of God. So you submit to the Lord and then you submit to one another. Then he gives four paragraphs, four examples, of how submission looks within the different roles.

Wives, submit to your own husbands. But the word submit isn't there. It's implied. Therefore, it's written in many translations.

So the thought is in verse 21, wives, your role of submission is to get under your husband's leadership. But then husbands, you have a role of submission as well, which is you love your wife like Christ loved the Church.

Jesus died on a cross. Jesus sacrificed his life. Husbands go, my role isn't to submit to my wife. You bet your bippy it is.

And your method of submitting to your wife is to love her sacrificially. I know of no greater act of submission than to be willing to die for somebody. Right? So the sacrificial love a husband shows is similar to that that Jesus showed, like Christ loved the Church.

Then, children, you submit to your parents by honoring them and obeying them. Fathers, you submit to your children by not exasperating them. And then, employees, or slaves, you submit to your masters by doing your work as to the Lord. So you see all of these are examples of that single role of submission. It's just meted out in different ways.

Now we come, in Chapter 6, to the final little section that I'm calling the warfare of the believer. Because here's the truth, Baby Ruth. When you know your wealth in Christ, when you know the power and resources at your disposal, and then you decide to walk in them, you take your wealth and walk in that wealth before other believers, before nonbelievers, in the home, that walk, that path will take you to the battlefield.

Because if you're honoring Christ that way, Satan will have you in his crosshairs. That shouldn't worry you. You shouldn't go, oh, no. You should-- oh, yes! Oh, yes!

And here's why. Every human being has a relationship with the devil, everyone. Your relationship with the devil is he is your enemy.

You go, well, that's a bad thing. No, it's a good thing. Spurgeon said, this should make you very happy. If you're going to have any relationship with the devil, it should be that he's your enemy, not your friend.

If you don't know Christ, you're on the devil's team. You're doing his work. You're in lock step with his plan.

Once you step out of darkness and get into the light, you defect from the kingdom of darkness and Satan puts a bullseye right on your back. Not to worry, it's part and parcel of the walk. Because, well, we should look at verse 10 to kind of get this under our belt.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God. So you might be a pacifist. But you cannot be a spiritual pacifist.

Well, I don't believe in war. You're in one. Deal with it. Win it.

Learn what you have to win it, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. That's your enemy, the devil. Diabolos means slanderer, Revelation 12. He accuses us before the throne of God day and night.

For we do not wrestle, verse 12, against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Now beginning in verse 14, all the way down to verse 18, he talks about our body armor, metaphorical body armor, spiritual body armor. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you are able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.

So here's the bad news. Satan hates you. He has a miserable plan for your life.

He studied human nature for thousands of years. He knows how to craft a temptation and an attack custom fit for you, based on your personality, your weaknesses, and strength. That's the bad news.

Now it gets worse. He has help. It's not just Satan. It's not just the devil, a real entity, a real fallen angel.

He has buddies called demons. The Bible indicates that a third of all the original angels God created fell with Satan in a rebellion. So a third of those angels are demons, and they're all against you. That's the bad news.

The good news-- they're outnumbered. If 1/3 fell, 2/3 are left, good angels, the Bible says, in Hebrews, they are marshaled for your ministry. They are sent to minister to those of us who are heirs of salvation.

So instead of saying, man, there's demons, and there's the devil. So what? Devil's created by God. God's on your side. And 2/3 of heavens angels are ministering to you, so you'll get through. This is the good news.

[APPLAUSE]

Christians who have always heard about demons and devils. It reminds me, in II Kings, Chapter 6, when Gehazi, the servant of Elijah, saw that the city of Dothan was surrounded by enemies. And Elijah said, Lord, open his eyes.

And Gehazi's eyes were opened spiritually. And he saw angels of God camped around the enemy that was camped around that city. And he said to Gehazi, his servant, those who are for us are more than those who are against us.

So you got more angels than demons. Not only that, but greater is He who is in you-- who's in you? Jesus is in you. God, the Father of Jesus, said would come along and be in you. And the Holy Spirit's in you.

God is in you. You're a receptacle, a temple of the Holy Spirit. God is in you. 2/3 of the angels are working for you.

Who cares about the devil and a third of the demons? It's a serious fight. Put on these things, and you're going to win it. You're in it to win it.

[APPLAUSE]

We're over time. But a final note in verse 21 and we'll close. But that you may also know my affairs and how I am doing, what's the name there?

Tychicus, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you. Tychicus was from Ephesus, visited Paul in Rome. Paul wrote this letter, told Tychicus what was going on. The letter was delivered to the Ephesians church, along with Tychicus, who bore the letter and filled them in on what was going on.

So that's the book. That's the whole book of Ephesians. The wealth of the believer-- who you are, what you have; the walk-- a walk before believers, before unbelievers, in the home; the warfare of the believer, walking with Christ takes you to the battlefield. It's a battleground, not a playground.

But you're in it to win it. You have victory assured beforehand. So walk in victory.

Father, thank you for this book. Thank you for this glorious letter, where Paul outlines, like no other book, this mystery not shown in the Old Testament. The Messiah was predicted. The future of Israel was predicted, the kingdom age.

But not the idea that Jew and non-Jew would be brought into a commonwealth, believing in the Jewish messiah would make Gentile as well as Jew on the same footing, enjoying the covenant promises from the Old and through the New Testament.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Thank you for that. Thank you for this book. Thank you for this Church. Thank you for this new society built upon what Jesus did and the love that He puts in our hearts. In Jesus' name, we pray. And we all said?

Amen.

Amen. Let's all stand and sing together.

[LOGO MUSIC PLAYING]

We hope you enjoyed this message from Skip Heitzig of Calvary Church. For more resources, visit Calvarynm.church. Thank you for joining us for this teaching from The Bible from 30,000 Feet.

Additional Messages in this Series

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8/8/2018
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Flight GEN01
Genesis 1-11
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We're going back to the beginning in this first flight. Written by Moses and inspired by God Himself, Genesis means origin. From the formation of all created things and the fall of man to the flood and the fallout of man's rebellion, Genesis 1-11 chronicles the beginning of everything. It all starts here.
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8/15/2018
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Flight GEN02
Genesis 12-50
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This flight takes us through the biographical part of Genesis and God's response to man's rebellion. Four men are prominent in the formation of the nation of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Through this lineage, God would fulfill His promise of salvation for humanity.
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8/22/2018
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Flight EXO01
Exodus 1-18
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The central event in this flight through Exodus is the redemption of God's people, the Israelites, from their bondage in Egypt. We fly over Egypt and the wilderness where Israel wandered for forty years. The plight of the Israelites, their disobedience, and God's deliverance all foreshadow Jesus Christ.
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9/5/2018
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Flight EXO02
Exodus 19-40
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The Sinai Peninsula is the backdrop for this flight to Exodus, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments along with detailed instructions for how He was to be worshiped. Miraculous signs of God's absolute power abound, along with the revelation from God that would define Israel's national identity.
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9/12/2018
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Flight LEV01
Leviticus 1-27
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Leviticus describes the worship life of the nation of Israel. We discover how the Israelites were instructed to make atonement for their sin through sacrifice. The overarching theme of this book can be summed up in one word: holiness. After centuries of captivity in Egypt, the Israelites needed a reminder of who God is, His absolute holiness, and how they were to live set apart for Him.
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10/10/2018
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Flight NUM01
Numbers 1-36
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Numbers contains two censuses of the Hebrew people. The first is of the generation that left Egypt, including how they were organized, their journey in the wilderness, and their refusal to enter the Promised Land. Due to their disobedience, the first generation of Israelites failed to enter the land God had promised; however, God remained faithful by leading a new generation into the Promised Land.
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10/17/2018
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Flight DEU01
Deuteronomy 1-34
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After forty years of wandering, the Israelites were finally ready to enter the Promised Land. The book of Deuteronomy can be organized around three messages Moses gave while the Israelites waited to enter the land. With the key word of this book being covenant, Deuteronomy speaks of the special relationship God established with His people.
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10/24/2018
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Flight JOS01
Joshua 1-24
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In this flight over the book of Joshua, we get to know its namesake, who shared in all the events since Exodus and held the place of military commander under Moses' leadership. We'll also get a tour of the Promised Land and follow Israel's conquest of Canaan, after which Joshua divided the land among the twelve tribes.
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11/7/2018
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Flight JUD01
Judges 1-21
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The Israelites experienced a period of victorious conquests in Canaan after Joshua's death. But as their obedience to God's laws and their faith in God's promises diminished, Israel became entrenched in the sin cycle. God divinely appointed Judges to provide leadership and deliverance during this chaotic time. Sadly, God's people repeatedly did what was right in their own eyes.
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11/28/2018
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Flight RUT01
Ruth 1-4
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In this flight, we'll see the godly love and courage of two very different women from very different backgrounds. And we'll meet Boaz, who became Ruth's kinsman-redeemer, a type of Christ. Although the book of Ruth is short, it is prophetically important in terms of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Ruth's story of romantic grace places love at the center of each of its four chapters.
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12/5/2018
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Flight 1SAM1
1 Samuel 1-31
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In this flight, we find the nation of Israel in desperate need of direction and leadership. We will meet the man whose good looks, physical stature, and success in war made him an obvious choice from a human perspective, but Israel's first king had a tragic flaw: pride. From the ashes of King Saul's calamitous reign, God raised up an unlikely man who would become Israel's next king, a man after His own heart.
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1/16/2019
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Flight 2SAM1
2 Samuel 1-24
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David went from shepherding livestock to serving as God's sovereign king in Israel. His faith and obedience assured him military and political victory as one by one he defeated Israel's enemies. In this flight, we both celebrate David's successes and identify with his failures as we get to know this man whom God called, "a man after My own heart."
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1/23/2019
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Flight 1KIN1
1 Kings 1-22
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After years of being a powerful unified nation under King David, Israel, because of their disobedience, became a divided nation under many different kings. This book reveals a story of good kings and bad kings, true prophets and false prophets, and faithfulness and disobedience to God.
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2/6/2019
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Flight 2KIN1
2 Kings 1-25
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Despite the many kings who took control of Israel, the nation still lacked true leadership. Second Kings continues the history of a divided Israel, and we see what happens when a nation passes from affluence and influence to poverty and paralysis.
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2/13/2019
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Flight 1CHR1
1 Chronicles 1-29
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The book of 1 Chronicles recounts the lineage of King David as well as God's promise that He would establish His reign on earth through this man after His own heart. As we see how God fulfilled His promises to David, we discover how that presents a witness of His faithfulness to us today.
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3/6/2019
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Flight 2CHR1
2 Chronicles 1-36
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After King Solomon's reign and death, the nation of Israel went on a spiritual roller coaster ride that ended with the division of the kingdom and the people's exile. From the temple's building to its decline and destruction, we see a parallel to 1 and 2 Kings from a spiritual viewpoint.
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3/27/2019
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Flight EZR01
Ezra 1-10
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The book of Ezra begins with King Cyrus' decree for the children of Israel to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Ezra tells of two different returns: the first led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple, and the second by Ezra to bring reformation to the people. In this flight, we see God's faithfulness in keeping His promise to return His people to their homeland.
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4/3/2019
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Flight NEH01
Nehemiah 1-13
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At the end of Ezra, the temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt and dedicated, but the city walls were still in ruins. After gaining permission from the king of Persia, Nehemiah led a group to repair and rebuild the walls. Though he was met with hostility and conflict, we see how Nehemiah gathered his spiritual strength from God during trialing times.
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4/10/2019
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Flight EST01
Esther 1-10
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Esther reads almost like a fairy tale: A Jewish maiden becomes queen of Persia. The villain launches an attack to destroy the Jews. In the end, his plot is thwarted by the hero and the brave maiden, who risks her life to save her people. Though the name of God isn't mentioned once in this short book, we clearly see God's providence and faithfulness in dealing with His people.
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4/24/2019
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Flight JOB01
Job 1-42
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The book of Job opens in the throne room of heaven with a conversation between God and Satan regarding the faithfulness of a man named Job. God allowed Satan to test Job, and Satan caused Job to lose his health, wealth, and even his beloved family. But in the midst of Job's tragic circumstances, God revealed His sovereignty and faithfulness, and Job's steadfast faith prevailed.
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5/1/2019
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Flight PSA01
Psalms 1-150
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The book of Psalms is a collection of songs, prayers, and poetry that express the deepest of human emotions. These artistic masterpieces were compiled over a period of roughly 1,000 years from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra and the return from the Babylonian exile. As we fly over the Psalms, we'll see beautiful writings of gladness and grief, pleading and prayers, and reverence and worship—all with one overarching theme: a complete dependence on the love and power of God.
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5/8/2019
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Flight PRO01
Proverbs 1-31
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Known for the wisdom it contains, the book of Proverbs reveals how to deal with everyday situations. But more than just good advice, it is God's words of wisdom, which we need in order to live righteously. These proverbs are universal principles that apply to all people for all times, because they speak of the character of God and the nature of man—both of which remain constant.
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5/15/2019
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Flight ECC01
Ecclesiastes 1- 12
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The book of Ecclesiastes records King Solomon's intense search to find meaning and fulfillment in life. In this flight, we discover some significant truths—namely, that all worldly things are empty and that life's pursuits only lead to frustration. After tasting all that this world has to offer, Solomon ultimately concluded that life without God is meaningless.
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5/22/2019
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Flight SON01
Song of Solomon 1-8
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The Song of Solomon portrays a moving love story between King Solomon and a shepherdess. The story reveals the intimacy, love, and passion that a bridegroom and his bride share in a marriage relationship. Even more than the fulfillment found in the love between a husband and wife, we'll discover that the spiritual life finds its greatest joy in the love God has for His people and Christ has for His church.
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5/29/2019
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Flight ISA01
Isaiah 1-27
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The prophet Isaiah's ministry lasted around fifty years and spanned the reigns of four kings in Judah. His prophecies are quoted in the New Testament more often than any other prophet's. In this first flight over Isaiah, we focus on his prophecies of condemnation that pulled no punches and pointed out Israel's need for God.
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6/26/2019
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Flight ISA02
Isaiah 28-66
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Of all the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah is thought by many to be the greatest, in part because of his clear prophecies about the Messiah. In this second flight over his book, we see his continued work and how God used his prophecies of both condemnation and comfort to generate change in the individuals he encountered.
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7/3/2019
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Flight JER01
Jeremiah 1-20
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The book of Jeremiah is a series of oracles written in the southern kingdom of Judah over a period of fifty-plus years. It speaks of judgment, the promise of restoration, and the protective hand of God over those He loves. In this flight, we catch a glimpse of the man behind the prophecies as he allowed God to speak through him in unusual ways to open the eyes of the people of Israel.
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7/10/2019
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Flight JLA01
Jeremiah 21-52; Lamentations 1-5
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The prophet Jeremiah allowed God to speak through him in unusual ways to open the eyes of the people of Israel. As we complete our flight over his book, we find the prophet reinvigorated by God's promises as he continued to prophesy Babylon's impending invasions and, ultimately, Judah's captivity. Then our flight continues over the poetic book of Lamentations, which Jeremiah wrote as he wept and grieved over Jerusalem's destruction, ending the book with a prayer for Israel's restoration from captivity.
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7/17/2019
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Flight EZE01
Ezekiel 1-48
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Written by Ezekiel the priest, this book takes place during the second Babylonian captivity and documents the fulfillment of several prophecies from previous Old Testament books. In this flight, we see God continue to offer promises of restoration through Ezekiel, bringing the nation hope despite their tribulations.
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7/24/2019
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Flight DAN01
Daniel 1-8
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Chronologically, the book of Daniel links the time of the kings in 2 Chronicles to the restoration of Jerusalem in the book of Ezra. It begins with the first Babylonian captivity and ends with Daniel's vision of seventy weeks. In it, we witness both prophetic history and the four prophetic visions of Daniel, as well as powerful stories that reveal a faithful man of God who was unwilling to compromise his beliefs.
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7/31/2019
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Flight DAN02
Daniel 9-12
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Midway through the book of Daniel, the focus shifts from the historic to the prophetic. Daniel's four prophetic visions reveal the stunning accuracy of biblical prophecy, as well as Daniel's uncompromising faith in God's fulfillment. From the rise and fall of human kingdoms to the Messiah and the day of judgment, Daniel's visions drove him to his knees in fervent prayer for the people of Israel.
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8/7/2019
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Flight HOS01
Hosea 1-14
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Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II, and he had a clear message to deliver: Israel had rejected God, so they would be sent into exile and become wanderers in other nations. On this flight, we see a clear parallel between Hosea's adulterous wife—whom God had instructed Hosea to marry—and Israel's unfaithfulness. But even as Hosea endured a rocky marriage, he continued to share God's plan that He would bring His people back to Himself.
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8/14/2019
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Flight JAO01
Joel 1-3; Amos 1-9; Obadiah
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Through three ordinary men—Joel, Amos, and Obadiah—God delivered extraordinary messages to His people, warning them against greed, injustice, false worship, and self-righteousness. On this flight, we witness God's patience and love for Israel, and we see how He stands ready to forgive and restore all who turn away from their sin.
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8/21/2019
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Flight JON01
Jonah 1-4
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Rather than focusing on prophecy, the book of Jonah narrates a prophet's story. Jonah was blatantly disobedient to God's call, but despite his defiance, God redirected his path through a unique situation. The resulting revival in Nineveh shows us that God's grace reaches beyond the boundaries of Israel to embrace all nations.
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8/28/2019
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Flight MNH01
Micah 1-7; Nahum 1-3; Habakkuk 1-3
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God used three prophets—Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk—to criticize, comfort, and inspire: Micah encouraged social justice and the authentic worship of God. Nahum prophesied against the Assyrians for returning to their evil practices. And though Habakkuk didn't address Israel directly, his message assured them that evil does not endure forever. Through these prophets, God's people confessed their sins and grew confident in His salvation.
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9/4/2019
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Flight ZHA01
Zephaniah 1-3; Haggai 1-2
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The prophet Zephaniah addressed the social injustice and moral decay of Judah and her neighbors, proclaiming the coming day of the Lord and His wrath upon the nations—both an immediate judgment and a future end-times judgment. God sent Haggai the prophet to preach to the restored community of Jews in Jerusalem after their return from exile in Babylonia. Haggai encouraged the nation to set aside their selfishness and finish rebuilding the temple, an act of obedience that would align their desire with God's desire.
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9/18/2019
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Flight ZMA01
Zechariah 1-14; Malachi 1-4
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As we fly over the last books of the Old Testament, we first look at the expanded message of rebuilding the temple when Zechariah encouraged Israel to anticipate their ultimate deliverance and the Messiah's future reign. One hundred years after the temple was rebuilt, the book of Malachi revealed that God's chosen people had once again slid back into their sinful practices. Malachi declared God's promise of a coming messenger, John the Baptist, and a coming Messiah.
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10/2/2019
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Flight INT01
Intertestamental Period
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In between the Old and New Testaments lies 400 years of history. During this intertestamental period, God chose not to speak to His people through prophets as He orchestrated people, politics, and events in preparation of the coming Messiah. Scholars have come to call these four centuries the silent years. Remarkably, the silence would be broken by a newborn baby's cry in Bethlehem.
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10/9/2019
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Flight MML01
Matthew 1-28; Mark 1-16; Luke 1-24
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These three Synoptic Gospels give us our first glimpses of Jesus' life and death here on earth. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, and the Son of Man, respectively. On this flight, we'll see the service, sermons, sacrifices, and sovereignty of Jesus as we witness the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies.
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10/16/2019
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Flight JOH01
John 1-21
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The spiritual depth of John sets it apart from the other Gospels, with one-third of its content dedicated to the last week of Jesus' life. Rather than focusing on what Jesus did, John focused on who Jesus is, presenting Him as God incarnate and highlighting His deity. On this flight, we'll see seven miraculous signs of Jesus, as well as seven statements that He used to identify Himself as God.
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10/23/2019
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Flight ACT01
Acts 1-28
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The book of Acts presents the history of a dynamic, growing community of believers that started in Jerusalem and went on to spread the gospel throughout the known world. In this book, the gospel writer Luke also recorded how the early church received the Holy Spirit, who enabled them to witness, love, and serve with boldness and courage, even when faced with persecution.
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10/30/2019
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Flight ROM01
Romans 1-16
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The book of Romans is the apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, and it focuses on God's plan of salvation for all humankind. Romans is the most systematic of Paul's letters, reading more like an elaborate theological essay rather than a letter. On this flight, we look at Paul's strong emphasis on Christian doctrine as well as his concern for Israel.
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11/13/2019
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Flight 1COR1
1 Corinthians 1-16
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In 1 Corinthians, Paul confronted the problems that had infiltrated the influential church at Corinth and defended his position as an apostle of Christ. He later rejoiced over their repentance and acceptance of his God-given authority. On this flight, we discover the power of a new life in Jesus as we see how Paul shared the heart of the gospel with his fellow believers.
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11/20/2019
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Flight 2COR1
2 Corinthians 1-13
Skip Heitzig
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After Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, false teachers began spreading opposition to him in the Corinthian church. Paul sent Titus as his representative to deal with them, and most of the church repented. Paul wrote this epistle to express his joy at the turnaround and to appeal to them to accept his authority, which was confirmed by the many hardships he suffered for the gospel. On this flight, we find beautiful truths to carry with us through our own times of suffering.
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12/4/2019
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Flight GAL01
Galatians 1-6
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Galatians is a firm statement of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. When Paul wrote this letter, the false doctrine of legalism and faith by works had infiltrated the church throughout Galatia. As a result, believers had traded their freedom in Christ for bondage to the old Jewish law that had been fulfilled by Jesus. On this flight, we discover the differences between law and grace as well as the practical application and results of the proper doctrine of grace.
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1/15/2020
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Flight PHI01
Philippians 1-4
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Referred to as the epistle of joy, Philippians contains the message that joy is possible in all of life's circumstances, including suffering. Paul wrote this very personal letter while in prison, and despite his trials, he rejoiced over the caring and generous church in Philippi and encouraged them in unity, humility, and prayer.
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1/22/2020
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Flight COL01
Colossians 1-4
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On this flight, we see how the young church in Colossae became the target of a heretical attack that included angel worship, the depreciation of Christ, and reliance on human wisdom. In Paul's letter to this church, he refuted the heresy by exalting Christ as the very image of God, the preexistent sustainer of all things, the head of the church, and the first to be resurrected.
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2/12/2020
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Flight THE01
1 Thessalonians 1-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3
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The apostle Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians in response to a report that some errors and misunderstandings about his teaching had crept into the church at Thessalonica. But Paul also used the opportunity to encourage the believers there, exhorting them in the Word, warning them against pagan immorality, and urging them to remain steadfast in God's truth in the face of persecution.
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6/10/2020
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Flight TIM01
1 Timothy 1-6; 2 Timothy 1-4
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These loving letters to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, reveal Paul's true love for his brother in Christ. Timothy was facing a heavy burden of responsibility, so Paul not only instructed him about the conduct of the church and its ministers but also encouraged him to stand strong for the faith against false teachings, to endure hardship, and to preach the Word.
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6/17/2020
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Flight TPH01
Titus 1-3; Philemon
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Paul's brief letter to Titus focuses on Titus' role and responsibility in the organization and supervision of the churches in Crete. Throughout the letter, Paul also stressed the importance of sound doctrine and church order. In Philemon, on the other hand, the apostle took a more personal approach and spoke on the application of the great principles of Christian brotherhood to social life.
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6/24/2020
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Flight HEB01
Hebrews 1-13
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Although this well-written book's author is unknown, it reveals a man with a great desire to encourage Jewish believers to live in the grace of Jesus, especially since many of them were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism to escape persecution. The letter centers on the person and work of Christ, inspiring believers through all the ages to pursue Jesus in every area of life.
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7/1/2020
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Flight JAM01
James 1-5
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While it's vital for Christians to understand that salvation comes by faith, the book of James emphasizes an active faith, characterized by good deeds that flow from salvation. In this unmistakably Jewish epistle, the author encourages believers to live out and grow in their faith by embracing trials, carefully controlling their speech, and letting God's love flow through them to others.
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7/15/2020
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Flight PET01
1 Peter 1-5; 2 Peter 1-3
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The apostle Peter wrote these letters to encourage persecuted Christians and to defend the authenticity of God's Word against false teaching that had infiltrated the church. He called on believers to grow in their faith so they might detect and combat the spreading apostasy. On this flight, we see how these letters uniquely encourage us as we live in conflict with our culture, giving us incentive for holy living as we look forward to Jesus' second coming.
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7/22/2020
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Flight 1JOH1
1 John 1-5
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In this letter, John lived up to his nickname—the apostle of love—as he urged the church to continue living a life of faith in Christ. He defended the nature of Jesus against heretical teachings and warned his readers about those who taught such things. John not only addressed the preeminence of God's love for us but also emphasized our duty to love others in return. This flight shows you how God can transform your life when you follow Him wholeheartedly.
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7/29/2020
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Flight JJU01
2 John, 3 John; Jude
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These three epistles were written to encourage the church to keep a strong biblical foundation. The authors exhorted believers to walk in love but to be discerning in their expression of love, to have and enjoy fellowship with other Christians, and to stay strong in the faith. On this flight, you'll discover why it's so vital to balance love and truth to reach a lost world with the gospel of Jesus.
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8/5/2020
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Flight REV01
Revelation 1-11
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Considered to be one of the most powerful books in Scripture, Revelation is a direct vision from God to the apostle John. It's both a warning to the world of a coming tribulation and a source of hope for believers as we anticipate Jesus' return. The book is filled with prophecies of future judgment, but in it, we find a glimpse of heaven and the glories awaiting Jesus' bride, the church.
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8/12/2020
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Flight REV02
Revelation 12-22
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In the second half of Revelation, we read some of the most thrilling text in the entire Bible, getting a preview of a future judgment, Jesus' thousand-year reign on earth, the eventual fate of unbelievers, and the church's eternal destination in the new heaven and earth. As we conclude our journey at 30,000 feet over the Scriptures, we discover how the history of the world culminates as we look to Jesus in all His splendid glory.
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8/19/2020
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Visit to the Cockpit Q&A with Pastor Skip
Skip Heitzig
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Our midweek series The Bible from 30,000 Feet came to a close with a final Visit to the Cockpit Q & A session. In the last message of our series, Pastor Skip answers questions from the congregation on topics throughout the Bible, from creation to the end times.
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There are 58 additional messages in this series.
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