Study Questions: Ephesians #5
On a Mission
Ephesians 3:1-13 (CGS#5)
INTRODUCTION: As we begin chapter three of Ephesians, we are going to hear a little more about Paul’s current life situation. He is a prisoner. This is the season of Paul’s life that he was on house arrest in Rome. You can read about Paul’s arrest and journey to Rome in Acts 21-28. In this season of Paul’s life, he wrote the letters of Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. That is why they are often referred to as the “prison letters” (epistles). What should stand out to us is not that Paul mentions his imprisonment but that his posture towards his suffering is something that he sees as normal. You can almost hear Paul say it this way, “I am a prisoner because I am a follower of Jesus, and that is ok with me.” Yes, that is my translation, but I hope it points to Paul’s perspective. To be like Christ is to be misunderstood and is to suffer so that some may know the wonderful and mysterious gift of eternal life. Paul is on a mission because he has been changed by Jesus. And he even sees his challenges and sufferings as part of that mission. Simply put, Paul’s whole life is defined by following Jesus. He is reminding the Ephesian believers of this reality. And before we think that Paul is boasting in any way about his suffering, he will say in verse 8, “I am the least of all the saints.” Paul is truly humbled not by his suffering but by the immense riches and blessings he has received from Jesus. Again, wow, what a perspective! Too often, I find myself considering the difficult things of following Jesus, and instead of considering them with the posture of Paul, I am either filled with bitterness or pride. Neither of these is seen in Paul, and he encourages Ephesian believers not to lose heart or give up. A truth that must have landed home with them as they knew and intimately understood what Paul was going through. He wasn’t encouraging them with something he wasn’t living out. No, his words matched his life. A life of mission. This how Paul said it, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)
The question for you and me is, do we see our lives the same way? Is Jesus what defines us, or is he just a part of our lives? This can be a tough question to sort through. Some folks will hear that we must jettison anything that isn’t spiritual and live a monastic life. Others will hear the weight of legalism. But what Paul is getting at and wants us to experience as he is experiencing is the freedom of a life of purposeful responsiveness. It is what allows him to see his suffering positively. It is what informed his life choices and direction. Purposeful responsiveness is an opportunity for Godly obedience and living in the everyday spaces in which we find ourselves. It is a call to remember that we don’t order our days, but the Lord does. Paul takes seriously the call to purposeful responsiveness, and he reminds the Ephesians of the inheritance that they have received because of God’s purposeful responsiveness. What we see in this section is something that we have seen time and time again in the Bible and have heard in Ephesians so far, God is in the business of redeeming a people for himself. And as the redeemed people of God, we are made new. The old is gone, and the new now defines us. So we are to live as new people with a new perspective and new purposes. Our purposes are God’s purposes. Again, Paul isn’t telling them or us anything that he hasn’t lived out. He doesn’t want us to miss the reality that new people live with a new purpose.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. What would you say is the primary purpose of your life? How might others answer that by looking at your life from the outside?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What stands out to you or even challenges you in this passage about Paul and his posture?
- If someone asked you what it means to live a purposefully responsive life, how would you answer? How do you think Paul would answer?
- What do you think are some of the greatest risks to not living in a purposefully responsive way?
- What is Paul’s motivation for obedience to God? What is yours?
- Paul continues the theme of unity in this section. How does unity help us corporately be a purposefully responsive church?