Ephesians

Yesterday I went to church and heard one of the best sermons I've heard in a long time. Dr. John Barton was guest speaking at Lake Orion COC and delivered a lesson on Ephesians. Now, if someone had asked me to tell them everything I knew about this book before Dr. Barton's sermon I would have most likely shrugged, scratched my head, and said something along the lines of, "Paul wrote it while he was in prison. It talks about wives submitting to their husbands and also how husbands should love their wives."

Dr. Barton broke the book down into two parts. Splitting it right down the middle, chapters 1-3 then 4-6. In the first half of the book we learn that we are blessed. As Dr. Barton even said, "We are filthy rich!" We have a loving father in Heaven who spoils us rotten. He continuously blesses us and showers us with his loving affection. We often find ourselves complaining about bills, work, and the other hardships of life, but we need to remember how much God has blessed us too. I admit this is an area I need to work on.

The second half of the sermon focused on part two (chapters 4-6) which teach us how to live Christian lives. However, this is what confuses people in the church often. We strive to be "good enough" which is actually impossible. It isn't some check list that God has up there, "Did she pray enough? How often did she read her Bible? Did she treat others with respect and love them as with Jesus' love at all times?" It's more of a system in which grace takes over, and we just do the best we can.

The last part of the sermon.... REMEMBER to keep this book in order. We don't act a certain way in order to reap God's blessings. Rather, we are blessed just because He loves us, and then we should strive to serve him to the best of our ability...that is all. (For now at least.)