THE BIBLE-TEACHING MINISTRY OF CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
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From head to heart, separation to unification, and Christ to humanity, the book of Ephesians runs the theological gamut. It begins with God in the heavens, takes us to the humble descent and loving sacrifice of Christ, and ultimately leads us upward in His glorious resurrection that, together, we might live well in His grace.
As Chuck Swindoll preaches his way through this letter, allow God’s Word to reaffirm your faith in His sovereign will and to encourage you to live submissively and humbly in light of His Son’s gracious sacrifice.
01) Ephesians: A Life-Changing Letter 02) Unloading the Theological Truck 03) Ten Reasons to Give God Praise 04) Praying Like We Mean It 05) What Is Christ Doing Now ... And Why? 06) You Were Dead ... But God! 07) God's Artwork on Display 08) Breaking Down the Barrier 09) God's Household 10) The Mystery, the Ministry, and Me 11) Paul on His Knees ... Again 12) A Worthy Walk 13) His Gift and Our Gifts 14) Body Life at Its Best 15) Here's How to Get Dressed 16) Steps That Lead to Freedom 17) A Stirring Summons to Purity 18) This Little Light: Is It Really Mine? 19) The Christian Life 101 20) The Most Challenging of All Relationships (Part 1) 22) The Most Challenging of All Relationships (Part 2) 23) Honouring God in Our Occupations 24) Standing Firm against Satanic Schemes 25) Strong Armour for Weak Sheep 26) Here's How to Finish Well
01) Ephesians: A Life-Changing Letter
An Overview of Ephesians
In Paul’s collected letters, he spent a great deal of time fighting off various troubles in the churches—false teaching, dissension, legalism, and immoral lifestyles. However, when he wrote to the church at Ephesus, he avoided all that. Instead, Paul offered a view of what Christ did for us and why. His letter provides us with a higher perspective—a new vision of our purpose and calling as the body of Christ and how we are to live it out. It blends some of the loftiest theology in Scripture with some of the most practical teaching. And it shows us the deeper reality of God’s all-encompassing rule and how our daily, seemingly mundane lives contribute to the accomplishment of His glorious plan.
02) Unloading the Theological Truck
Ephesians 1:1-14
The books of Scripture certainly stand among the relatively few works worthy of being absorbed into our minds and hearts. They lie on a separate, distinct plane above all others. Not only are they wholly accurate and infallible, but they also come from the very mouth of God—they contain His words, not just those of the human authors who penned them. As such, God designed the Scriptures to nourish us and to penetrate every cell of our souls. He wants the words to fill us and become part of our deepest being. The book of Ephesians is no exception.
03) Ten Reasons to Give God Praise
Ephesians 1:3-14
Complaints and grumbling come so much more easily to us than praise and thanksgiving—this in spite of the fact that God has lavished us with His goodness and mercy. His ultimate act of love is His plan to save us from our sins. God has consistently acted on our behalf to bring us to Himself and, ultimately, to “seal” us—to make our salvation sure. In a world that seeks to undermine our confidence in the unseen, God assures those who believe in His Son that they will be forgiven and saved to spend eternal life with Him. For this, He deserves our praise!
04) Praying Like We Mean It
Ephesians 1:15-19
Praying is usually one of the last disciplines we master. Have you found that true in your life? God’s people can share their faith with others, open God’s Word to read and study it with delight, and even stand up to teach or offer devotional thoughts on a passage from its pages. But praying is another animal, isn’t it? Devoting ourselves to prayer in private can seem boring and unhelpful because it may not yield tangible and immediate results. However, if we pray in faith—like we really mean it—the benefits, tangible or not, will be more than apparent.
05) What Is Christ Doing Now ... and Why?
Ephesians 1:18-23
Many Christians live every day disconnected not only from one another but also from God. This can lead to dysfunction in every area of life. However, when we accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we gain access to a source of power beyond our comprehension. The might that carved the Grand Canyon, that showered the earth with dazzling oceans, and that rolled the stone away from the tomb is at our disposal. This power stands ready to enable us to overcome temptation. It’s available when depression overtakes us or when life’s troubles overwhelm us. But if we don’t connect to it, we’re only as good as a waterless sprinkler or a darkened lamp.
06) You Were Dead ... But God!
Jonah 3:3-10
Jonah obeyed when God came to him a second time. Jonah journeyed east to Nineveh and delivered what just might be the shortest sermon ever preached.
As God’s message of truth spread through Nineveh, God ensured that a seed of just a few words sprouted a full harvest of spiritual fruit. Every Ninevite, perhaps as many as 600,000, turned away from their brutal and wicked ways toward the living God.
What did God do? He averted His judgment. Chuck Swindoll walks us through the remainder of Jonah chapter three to teach us the power of God’s Word and the grace in God’s heart; He’d much rather replace destruction with compassion.
07) God's Artwork on Display
Ephesians 2:8-10
Like a bell, God’s grace rings through the pages of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, and nowhere louder than where Paul taught that we have been saved from our sins and trespasses by grace through faith. This salvation comes to us as a gift, lest we come to believe we can earn our way to eternal life with God through our works. However, that’s not to suggest that good works are unimportant. On the contrary! They stand as a testimony to the saving work God has already done in our lives.
08) Breaking Down the Barrier
Ephesians 2:11-16
The book of Ephesians makes clear that we were once dead in our sins but God has made us alive through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Instead of living our lives without Christ and without hope, the sacrifice of Jesus has brought peace between God and people by breaking down the barrier between us. In this, He has also reconciled Jews and Gentiles, building us into one body who can worship God together in His Son and by His Spirit.
09) God's Household
Selections from Jonah
As we reach the end of our study of the book of Jonah, it’s fitting that we really let it sink in. It’s one thing to go through the book of Jonah but quite another to have that divine word go through us.
Chuck Swindoll, in this last sermon on Jonah, teaches us four principles from Jonah that can help us in our walk with Jesus. Listen in and learn what Jonah never did.
10) The Mystery, the Ministry, and Me
Ephesians 3:1-13
Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged when life dishes out more than our share of troubles. But Paul, who was put in chains for faithfully preaching the gospel wherever he went, could rejoice and rest contentedly in God. He knew that all things that come to us first pass through the hands of God, a fact that gave him great comfort and allowed him to go on preaching the union of the Jews and the Gentiles in Christ. Paul’s example and his message provide reason for us to feel secure in God’s hands, that we might not suffer discouragement before Him.
11) Paul on His Knees ... Again
Ephesians 3:14-21
What do you do when you lose heart? When the wind goes out of your sails and your morale drops to a new low? When life has weighed you down once again and those times of encouragement and joy seem no more than a distant memory? Paul, sitting in a Roman prison and yet filled with the joy of the Lord, was concerned about the Ephesian believers falling into discouragement over his fate. He wanted none of that! So he prayed to God on their behalf that they would be filled with the love of Christ and the strength of His Spirit.
12) A Worthy Walk
Ephesians 4:1-6
Many of Paul’s letters begin with doctrinal truths, instructing readers in basic Christian beliefs. Then, after the reader has a clearer understanding of faith in Christ, the second half of the letter deals explicitly with how to live out the Christian faith in the world. The two sections are often joined by a single verse. These “hinge” verses can be clearly seen in Romans (12:1), Galatians (5:1), and Colossians (3:1). The same is true for Ephesians, where in 4:1 we see the beginning of a highly practical section, one that teaches believers how to apply the great truths of God’s sovereignty and salvation in day-to-day life.
13) His Gift and Our Gifts
Ephesians 4:7-11
Many of God’s people live like simple sheep rambling across the land—grazing here and there, eking out an existence, and hoping that one day we will be transported to a better life, from a life on earth to one in heaven. Too often, though, we don’t realise or remember to drink from that great pool of resources available to us. We need to remember that God’s power in the resurrection also works in us, and we need only to access His power through the gifts He gives us by His Spirit.
14) Body Life at Its Best
Ephesians 4:11-16
In recent decades, many churches have taken on a corporate mentality that suggests everything should be slick, efficient, and planned for the greatest profit or expansion. We have begun to lose a sense of family or “body life,” where each of the members is an integral and related part with all the others. This has left churches increasingly disconnected and diseased. We need an infusion of healthy thinking that will bring us together, so that many individuals can work together as one for our common purpose of bringing glory to God.
15) Here's How to Get Dressed
Ephesians 4:17-24
Image is everything—or so the saying goes. We live in a world consumed with how things look rather than what they are. Often, the same is true of ourselves, when we worry about our appearance to others rather than our hearts, which guide our thoughts and deeds. Paul was aware of this tendency in people, so he encouraged the Ephesian believers to throw off the old self—the one stuck in darkness, callousness, impurity, and greed—and put on the new self—the one characterised by holiness and righteousness. Only in this way will we begin to look like Christ’s followers inside and out.
16) Steps That Lead to Freedom
Ephesians 4:25-32
Sometimes we sin in ignorance—we didn’t know it was wrong at the time—and when we discover the error of our ways, we feel terrible and quickly seek God’s forgiveness. More often, though, we sin knowing full well the significance of our actions. But because we have done it for so long, we have no plans to stop, even though it hurts us and those we love. Old habits are so hard to break, and often we have no desire to break them either. However, God’s saving grace provides us freedom, and in the power of His indwelling Spirit, we can break those old habits and devote ourselves to Him.
17) A Stirring Summons to Purity
Ephesians 5:1-7
Belief and behaviour always go hand in hand—in that order. What we do is always based on what we believe . . . About God, about ourselves, about others. However, some will suggest that what we do is not as important as what we believe. Others will suggest that belief is not as important as action. But belief without deeds is hypocrisy, while action without beliefs ends in confusion. After discussing right belief in the first half of the book, Paul shifted his focus to action, calling Christians to pure living.
18) This Little Light: Is It Really Mine?
Ephesians 5:6-14
The apostle John wrote of the true Light that enlightens every person, and through whom the world was made (John 1:9-10). Later in the book, Jesus identified Himself as the light (John 9:5), something God did throughout the Old Testament (Psalm 104:2). Christ is the light of God made tangible for His people to see and to follow. Paul discussed this idea in his letter to the Ephesians, calling believers “Light” and telling us to “walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8). In other words, Paul wanted us to imitate God by imitating God’s Son, a point Paul elaborated further in this passage.
19) The Christian Life 101
Ephesians 5:15-21
At various points in our lives, when mundane, day-after-day events wear down our defences or when trials and tribulations of all kinds knock us around, getting back to the basics can help. When we stumble over many obstacles or when we’ve lost our clarity to a settling fog, we can stop and steady ourselves with those things that are absolutely foundational. Paul knew that, and in the midst of describing the life and deeds of a Christian, he offered five foundational actions that bring us back to the basics of what it means to follow Christ.
20) The Most Challenging of All Relationships (Part One)
21) The Most Challenging of All Relationships (Part Two)
Ephesians 5:25-33
Have you ever noticed that the valuable things of this world take time to accomplish? Often, the more valuable they are, the more time they take to maintain and to appreciate. Marriage is one of the most valuable relationships God has given us. But in our fast-paced society, people seem less and less likely to give marriage the time it needs to grow and mature into something beautiful and holy. Instead, we give up on the pattern God instituted, looking for quick fixes and easy outs. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reminds us that there is a better way.
22) Secrets of a Nurturing Home
Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:1-4
When people hear the word parenthood, in rush all kinds of thoughts and feelings—some positive and some negative. One may remember the joy of having a faithful dad or the comfort that comes with a diligent mom. Another may remember the horrors of an abusive father or the loneliness created by an absent mother. However, the Scriptures hold out hope to every parent who is listening: no matter what kind of home you came from, it is not too late to start doing right in that all-important parent-child relationship.
23) Honoring God in Our Occupations
Ephesians 6:5-9
Too often we divide the realm of the sacred from that of the secular. We seem to believe that certain subjects are more worthy, more special, and more godly than others. For instance, we sometimes believe that it’s the pastors or missionaries of the world who are doing the truly significant work, while our daily nine-to-five stints in the cubicles don’t make a lick of difference. That is simply not true! We have each been called by God to our work—vocational ministry or not—and therefore each of us plays a significant role in God’s kingdom simply by fulfilling that calling. Let’s take a look at what the book of Ephesians has to say about your place in the workplace.
24) Standing Firm Against Satanic Schemes
Ephesians 6:10-13
When we entered into the Christian life, we didn’t step onto a playground; we walked into a battleground. We may not have heard the bombs bursting in the distance or seen the flash of the bayonets right in front of us, but we have most certainly been in harm’s way. Satan’s schemes are many, and while we don’t often speak of them, we must always be on the alert to protect ourselves against them. Thankfully, God has graciously given us the means to defend ourselves against the attacks of the Evil One, a topic Paul raised near the end of his letter to the Ephesians.
25) Strong Armour for Weak Sheep
Ephesians 6:13-20
When we come to a passage such as Ephesians 6:13-20, our tendency is to think that we need to be strong in ourselves, that we need to get ourselves in shape for the battle. Wrong. We are actually mere sheep—we can’t fight, we don’t run very fast, and we don’t come across as very menacing to our enemies. And it is precisely because we are sheep that God’s armour is so important in our lives. He provides us access to His armour that we might have a chance of success in the battle against evil.
26) Here's How to Finish Well
Ephesians 6:18-24
Enoch. Moses. Caleb. Paul. When we think about these men, we recall how they lived fully and finished well. We remember them for their faithfulness to God, but how did they remain faithful? What makes a person walk with God for three hundred years or do his best work in the last decades of life? We attain some insight into these questions in the final verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he provided four guidelines for finishing well.