EXALTED LIKE NO OTHER

Transcription

1 SESSION 8 EXALTED LIKE NO OTHER The Point Honor Jesus as Lord. The Bible Meets Life Many of us live segmented lives. We try to keep our home lives separated from school. Recreation and hobbies go in another silo, and we often do the same with church. One area of life often does not impact the others. Life in Christ is not simply another segment of life it is life. Christ is exalted over all things; consequently, following Him means we honor Him as Lord of every aspect of our lives. The Passage Ephesians 1:7-10, SESSION 8

2 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Ephesians 1:7-10,18-23 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 7 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 9 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 10 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 18 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 19 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 20 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 21 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. The Setting As Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers, he doesn t seem to have been addressing any particular local theological or moral problems. He had already spent three years in the city on his third missionary journey, and the church there had already benefited from the ministries of Aquila and Priscilla as well as Apollos. Rather, than intervening in problem areas, Paul wrote to emphasize the significance of the believers as the body of Christ, and began by stressing the blessings believers have in Christ. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 89

3 ENGAGE (15 MINUTES) GET INTO THE STUDY ENGAGE: Begin the session with one or more of the Engage Options on the next page. (This is optional. If you d rather skip the Engage Options, just begin with the first discussion question.) SAY: Many of us live segmented lives. We try to keep our home lives separated from school. Recreation and hobbies go in another silo, and we often do the same with church. One area of life often does not impact the others. Life in Christ is not simply another segment of life it is life. DISCUSS: Have students discuss the question, What s your favorite way to honor others? GUIDE: Call attention to The Point. Explain that this is the key idea to keep in mind throughout the session. 9 Leader Pack: Use the Segments of Life poster during the session. Ask your students what areas of their lives that they are not honoring the Lord with. Encourage them to submit all areas of their lives to the authority of the Lord. THE POINT ITEM Honor Jesus as Lord. READ: Read and summarize The Bible Meets Life for your group. I love movies good ones, that is. Movies full of action, adventure, or intrigue are my favorites. In most of them, though, once the climax has been reached the person is rescued, the hero wins the fight, or the mystery is solved the movie immediately goes to the credits. Ever wondered what happened next? The classic book and movie Gone With the Wind ends with this statement: After all, tomorrow is another day. People would ask the author, Margaret Mitchell, What happened when tomorrow came? What happened to Scarlett O Hara? Mitchell never had an answer. She had no plans for a sequel, and as far as she was concerned, the story was over. Jesus earthly life ended with a great climax: His resurrection, post-resurrection appearances, and a physical ascent to heaven. But have you ever wondered what happened next? To put it another way: What is Jesus up to these days? The story continues! Jesus is exalted to heaven, and the Book of Ephesians gives us a glimpse into Jesus role and reign now. As we look at Ephesians 1 and the exalted state of Jesus, we will see how we are to live in response to Him. PRAY: Transition into the session by praying that students surrender all areas of their lives to the authority of Christ. 90 SESSION 8

4 Engage Options YY Lead with Action Hand out a notecard or piece of paper to everyone in the room. Tell the group to consider a typical week in their lives and have them jot down the top two or three things that receive most of their time outside of school. Maybe it s soccer, homework, youth group, or going to the movies. Then, have everyone in the room place their notecards in a basket or bucket in the front of the room. Once everyone has done this, say: This is what Christ demands of us. We are called to make Him Lord of all. Sometimes it is tempting to segment our lives and only let Christ reign in certain areas. However, Jesus is worthy of our complete submission. YY Lead with Atmosphere Post the following quote by Abraham Kuyper somewhere in the room where all can see it. There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine! Ask students to read the quote and give them a moment to consider it. Then read the quote aloud. Say, The Bible calls believers to complete submission to Jesus. Every bit of our lives belongs to Christ, not just certain segments. Jesus is Lord, meaning He deserves everything. YY Lead with Media Consider showing your students a tribute video for a celebrity who has passed away (i.e., Robin Williams, Steve Jobs, etc.). Say: This video declares the best parts of this person. It recognizes who he/she is and sings his/her praises. Do we take time to honor Jesus in this way? Unlike this person, Jesus is not dead, but He lives exalted, seated at the right hand of God. He is our Lord and Savior. Direct students, then, to the opening question. OPTION: Search the Internet for the famous Wax on Wax Off clip from the movie the Karate Kid. After showing this clip, say, In this scene, Mr. Miyagi agrees to train Daniel in karate, as long as Daniel commits to following all of his instructions. God asks us to completely submit to Him, giving Him reign over every aspect of our lives. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 91

5 IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: Honor Jesus as Lord. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. EPHESIANS 1: EPHESIANS 1:7-10 GUIDE: Help students understand what it means to have victory in our lives because of Jesus. I love cream in my coffee. I never drink my coffee black. Whenever I pour myself a cup, I always add the white cream and mix it together. At that point, a union has occurred. I once had black coffee and white cream, but now I have brown coffee. If I take the coffee with me into my office, the cream comes too. If I take the cream with me into my den, the coffee comes too. Nothing can separate these two once they have been joined. Jesus Christ brings all things together in heaven and on earth. God s will is to bring everything together in the Messiah. Jesus is before all things, and by Him all things hold together (Col. 1:17). In Him, the One who stands exalted like no other, you will discover both the fullness of everything you will ever need in heaven and on earth. It s all there in Him. Everything you need for victorious living is in Jesus. YY In Him you have redemption through His blood. YY In Him you are forgiven of your sins. YY In Him you experience His wisdom and understanding. DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, What things in your life usually distract you from remaining in Him? 92 SESSION 8

6 Commentary EPHESIANS 1:7-10 The Letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul, most likely sometime between A.D during his imprisonment in Rome. Ephesians 1:3 14 makes up a single, exceedingly complex sentence in the original Greek language. It s as though once Paul started writing about the wonder of God s plan of salvation, he couldn t find a place to come to a stop. This passage falls naturally into three sections: the work of the Father in planning our salvation (1:3 6); the work of Christ in accomplishing our salvation (vv. 7-12); and the work of the Spirit in securing our salvation (vv ). [VERSES 7-8] Redemption is one of several important biblical terms used to describe salvation. It refers to the payment of a price (ransom) in order to set someone free. The death (blood) of Christ was the price paid to free sinners from their bondage to sin. The price Jesus paid on the cross, and that alone, makes possible the forgiveness of our trespasses. The word forgiveness refers to the cancellation of a debt (see Matt. 18:27). The basis of God s actions in redemption was and is the riches of His grace that He lavished on us. We still don t deserve forgiveness, but He loves us. TIP: Take a moment to contact the parents of your group this week. Let them know you are praying for them and ask if there is anything you can do to help their student while you are his or her leader. The term lavish means to have more than enough, to abound in excess. God has been extravagantly generous. The riches of His grace toward undeserving sinners has overflowed like a mighty waterfall. Grace is God s undeserved favor. Not only does God lavish upon believers the unmerited gift of redemption, but He also provides the wisdom and understanding (insight, prudence) we need to live properly in relation to Him and what He has accomplished for us through our redemption in Jesus Christ. Wisdom means seeing things as they really are, from an eternal perspective. Understanding suggests the ability to solve problems and make good life choices. [VERSES 9-10] In Scripture, a mystery is a spiritual truth that previously had been obscure or hidden but is now made known. Paul rooted this new revelation in God s good pleasure (in eternity past), which as God s will is certain to be accomplished. The apostle also looked ahead to the days of fulfillment. God s plan is more inclusive than the salvation of individuals. He will bring everything together in the Messiah. The entire universe will finally add up (a way to translate bring everything together). Everything will be recognized as submitting to the authority of Jesus Christ. Nothing and no one will escape, whether in the supernatural realm (things in heaven) or in the natural realm (things on earth). Paul was not teaching universalism here, the notion that every person will eventually be saved. Rather, he was stating that one day every part of the universe will be renewed and brought into subjection to its true Lord (Rom. 8:20 21; Phil. 2:10 11). BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 93

7 IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: Honor Jesus as Lord. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. EPHESIANS 1: EPHESIANS 1:18-21 SAY: In a football game, the players tower over the referees. The players are bigger, stronger, and more powerful than the older, smaller, and often out-of-shape referees. In a game, the players can use their power to knock you down but the referees can use their authority to put you out of the game. Never confuse power with authority. READ: Read aloud or call for a volunteer read the following: Satan may be able to knock you down. But he has absolutely no authority over you if you re a believer. Of course Satan knows that, but he doesn t want you to know it. So Satan tries to intimidate with lies and pressure and deceive you into believing he has authority over you. On the cross, Jesus Christ deactivated, dismantled, and disarmed Satan s rule over sin and death (Col. 2:13-15). Ultimate authority belongs to Jesus. In order to experience the authority and power of Christ in your life, you must abide in Him. To abide means to dwell, to align your thoughts, choices, and perspective under God s thoughts, choices, and perspective. It means connecting with Him and honoring Him in everything you do. This is such an important part of the victorious Christian life. You can go to all of the church services you want, read all the spiritual books you want, even do all the Bible studies that you want, but experiencing all God has planned for you comes only through aligning yourself under and abiding in the One who reigns over all, the exalted Lord Jesus Christ.. DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, How would your life be different if you actually lived in Christ s power and authority? DO: Direct students to complete the Action Point, Power Struggle. Power Struggle What are some common areas where Christian teenagers struggle in being victorious? List these areas and discuss as a group a strategy to start being victorious today. 94 SESSION 8

8 Commentary EPHESIANS 1:18-21 [VERSES 18-19] The first part of verse 18 is found only here in the Bible. It is more literally rendered the eyes of your heart and is a beautiful picture of a person s inner self having the ability to see ultimate reality. Natural light must strike our external eyes in order for us to see external realities. Likewise the eyes of our inner self must be enlightened by God s revelation in order that we may see ultimate reality. The first ultimate reality we need to see with our heart-eyes is the hope of His calling. God took the initiative to call us as individuals to salvation (1:4), which means we can look forward to a glorious future hope: the fulfillment of eternal life guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. The second ultimate reality we need to see is the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints. The Israelites had previously been spoken of as God s inheritance (Deut. 4:20; Zech. 2:12). Now Christians are also called God s esteemed possession. Paul did not think of this merely in individualistic terms; rather, we are all among the saints. We are part of a family of believers, in the local church as well as the worldwide collection of believers who compose the body of Christ. The third ultimate reality we need to see with our heart-eyes is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe. Only divine power is sufficient to bring the two previous realities to fulfillment. Thus, Paul prayed that believers would understand the vast power that God has deployed on their behalf. [VERSE 20] In verses 20 23, Paul spelled out specifically God s great power expended on behalf of believers. God s energy working in Christians is the same power He used to raise Christ from the dead, to exalt Him, and to give Him supremacy over all things (seating Him at His right hand. By in the heavens, Paul meant the supernatural realm invisible to natural sight. [VERSE 21] In Psalm 110:1, God declared that the Messiah would sit at His right hand until all His enemies become His lowly footstool. Paul surely had that psalm in mind as he named enemies of God opposed to Jesus exaltation. Four similar terms (ruler and authority, power and dominion) point to various supernatural and natural opponents of Christ. By every title given, Paul was considering names that people use to refer to powerful individuals. Today this could include political titles (king, emperor, and president); religious names (priest, prophet, and cleric); popular names (star, celebrity, and hero); and anything else. None of these threaten Christ s supremacy during the present period (this age, the time between His first and second comings) or in eternity (the one to come). Although not all such enemies of Christ have conceded His sovereignty, they have already been defeated. Christ s enthronement at the Father s right hand demonstrates that He already reigns in complete supremacy. TIP: Teenagers like giving up way too much, especially when it s a fight they believe is much better losing than trying to fight. Encourage a thoughtful discussion of ways to overcome the daily struggles that are constantly in the face of young Christians. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 95

9 IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: Honor Jesus as Lord. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. EPHESIANS 1: EPHESIANS 1:22-23 DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, How should your relationships with other church members change as you grow in your relationship with Jesus? SAY: Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He established His church as His own body, of which He is the head. As His body, we are called to serve one another. Love one another. Honor one another. Encourage one another. Forgive one another. Instruct one another. Simply put, we are to reflect and honor Jesus in our words and actions with one another. SUMMARIZE: Discuss with students how the church is to be under the authority of Jesus Christ and how that affects our relationships. Our vertical relationship with God our intimacy with Him and our access to His authority and blessings is tied to our horizontal relationship with His body, the church. Because Christ is in us, others should be able to see Jesus in us. He is our head and we His church, His family of believers are His body, living under His lordship. Parkinson s disease occurs when there is a disconnect between what the brain signals and what the body does. The nerve impulses that control movement malfunction. This is highly frustrating for the individual because the body is designed to follow the signals from the head. The same is true for the body of Christ. We are to function fully under the direction of our head, Christ. We are to reflect Jesus in all that we do. We are His hands and feet. 96 SESSION 8

10 Commentary EPHESIANS 1:22-23 [VERSE 22] Paul quoted from Psalm 8:6 with the words that He put everything under His feet. There the psalmist was reflecting on the grandeur of mankind created in God s image as the pinnacle of creation. Yet human dominion has been distorted by sin and human rule over creation is often abusive and corrupt. Thus the psalmist also looked forward to the perfect God-Man, Christ Jesus, in whom the true dominion God intended for humanity has been established (Heb. 2:9). The supremacy of Christ raised from the dead and seated at God s right hand is summarized in that He was appointed as head over everything. The term head is related to Christ s authority and rule over everything. Nothing is excluded everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen. (Note the term everything is used twice in this verse.) Therefore, one reason for Jesus supremacy over everything is for the church. [VERSE 23] By analogy to human anatomy, we can understand how Christ is the head and the church is His body. What is puzzling, however, is that His fullness will fills all things in every way. Due to the difficulty of the grammar in the Greek, there have been multiple interpretations of this. First, the fullness can refer to the church as filling Christ. Second, it can refer to Christ as the fullness that is, the complete expression of God. Third, it can refer to Christ as filling the church. The third interpretation is perhaps the best. The church is the fullness of Christ in the sense that it is filled by Him, who is the One who fills everything. Meaning, He exercises His sovereign rule over all things. TIP: Continue to emphasize the importance of our vertical relationship and how it impacts our horizontal relationships. The image you can use is the cross. You have Christ s vertical connection with the Father, which caused Him to stretch out His arms horizontally to save you and me. Although He fills all things, in a special, unique way, Jesus is constantly filling the church with His presence and power. The Lord of the universe has been pleased to express His fullness in the church, to which you and I have the privilege of belonging. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 97

11 IMPACT (10 MINUTES) APPLY IT TIP: Challenge your students this week to only use words that build others up. That means no gossip, insults, cussing, etc. Ask them next week if they saw a difference in their relationships as a result. READ: Ask for a volunteer to read aloud a few ways students can take what they have learned and Apply It. YY Thoughts. Ask yourself: Do my thoughts honor the Lord or am I preoccupied with myself? YY Words. Make it a habit of showing Jesus honor through your words by talking to others with the honor they deserve as people made in His image. YY Actions. Keep a journal for one week of how you spend your time. After reviewing your journal, assess if you are honoring Jesus with the first place position in your life. GUIDE: Lead students to consider which of the three suggested responses to the Bible study most closely applies to them and their current circumstances. ASK: Which of these responses do you personally need to focus on most as you live this session out? Allow time for responses. WRAP UP PRAY: Close in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to help your students be the hands and feet of Jesus as they live under His authority. ASK: Ask students about last week s Live It Out options. Discuss any responses and encourage students as they choose to apply the Bible to their lives. GUIDE: Encourage students to complete one or both of the Live It Out activities for the week. Let them know you will discuss them next time you meet. For free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 98 SESSION 8

12 LEADER LIVE IT OUT To find the One Conversation for all ages, visit Before the session, challenge yourself to grow with your students through this Live It Out. Alignment Ephesians 1:22-23 Notes: One of the things you probably know about a car is the importance of alignment. If your tires are out of alignment, it will affect how the car drives and it will shorten the lifespan of the tires. In other words, your tires might be new, but without proper alignment, they will be ineffective. The same is true with our relationship with Christ. We have entered a new relationship with Him, but in order to be effective in our walk, we need to be in proper alignment. This week, spend some time doing a self-inspection to see if you are in proper alignment with Christ. Look at these critical areas of your faith: YY Daily time with God in His Word and prayer YY Worship lifestyle outside of church on Sundays YY Sharing the gospel with those who are far from God, but near to you YY Relationships with other believers YY Purity of your thoughts and actions ONE CONVERSATION Scripture: Ephesians 1:7-10,18-23 Topic: Christ s Work Today Use these discussion starters to help foster a spiritual conversation with your family. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Many of us live segmented lives. We try to keep our home lives separated from school. Recreation and hobbies go in another silo, and we often do the same with church. One area of life often does not impact the others. Life in Christ is not simply another segment of life it is life. Christ is exalted over all things; consequently, following Him means we honor Him as Lord of every aspect of our lives. STUDENTS THE POINT: Honor Jesus as Lord. How do you honor the Lord with how you live your life? How can you bring glory to God in your family, work, friendships, and church involvement? Discuss the following quote: The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God. 1 Richard Sibbes 1. Richard Sibbes, The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 7 (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1864), 185. LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities in the Personal Study Guide. Here are some suggested ways to help your student: If he or she plans to complete Remain: Create your own list of things that distract you from Jesus as your student completes his or her list. Pray your student would learn to abide in His presence. If he or she plans to complete Alignment: Invite your student to share what he or she learned during this self-evaluation process. Pray over your student in the areas he or she wants and needs to grow. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 99