What is God’s “plan for the fullness of time,” and how extensive is its reach? Ephesians 1:9-10.

Paul uses three labels for God’s plan. It is (1) “the mystery of his will,”(2) “his purpose,” and (3) “a plan for the fullness of time” (ESV). What is God’s ultimate, final plan? To unite everything, everywhere, in Jesus.

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

The term that Paul uses to describe the plan is a picturesque one (Greek, anakephalaiosasthai), to “head up” or to “sum up” all things in Christ. In ancient accounting practice, you would “add up” a column of figures and place the total at the top. Jesus heads God’s final, eschatological plan. This Christ-centered plan was crafted “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) and is so broad that it encompasses all time (“the fullness of the times,” NKJV) and space (“all things … things in heaven and things on earth,” ESV). Paul announces unity in Christ as the grand, divine goal for the universe.

In discussing God’s “plan for the fullness of time” (Ephesians 1:10, ESV), Paul shares the theme that he will weave through the letter. God begins His plan to unify all things, rooted in the death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of Jesus (Ephesians 1:15-2:10), by founding the church and unifying disparate elements of humankind, Jews and Gentiles, in it (Ephesians 2:11-3:13).

In this way, the church signals to the evil powers that God’s plan is underway and their divisive rule will end (Ephesians 3:10). As the Bible says elsewhere: “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12, NKJV).

The last half of Paul’s letter opens with a passionate call to unity (Ephesians 4:1-16) and continues with a lengthy exhortation to avoid behavior that damages unity and, instead, to build solidarity with fellow believers (Ephesians 4:17-6:9). Paul concludes with the rousing image of the church as a unified army, participating with vigor in waging peace in Christ’s name (Ephesians 6:10-20).

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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Jesus Said Go Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com]

A while back a lady went into the hospital for a few days. While she was there, a local elder, and deacon came to visit her. However she was released from the hospital before the Senior or Associate pastors of the church could come see her. After her release, she mentioned to me that none of the pastors had come to see her in the hospital. I corrected her, and told her that two pastors came to see her. According to 1 Peter 2:9 the local elder and deacon are both pastors.

The New Testament church was an active church with everyone pastoring and evangelizing. In Acts 8, Philip, a deacon, is evangelizing and baptizing. In Acts 7, we see Stephen, another deacon, being stoned to death – and it wasn’t for taking up the offering or adjusting the Sabbath School classroom thermostat. No, he was stoned to death for preaching the gospel! Wait a minute. I thought preaching was the pastor’s job? Not in the New Testament church! In the New Testament church all the members were ministering and evangelizing.

In the Dark Ages a wide separation was made between the clergy and the laity but that was not the biblical design. As we progress out of the Dark Ages the gap between clergy and laity must be narrowed, in order to get back to being a remnant of the New Testament model church.

Many years ago I moved to Texas to be a Bible Worker. The church had thousands of Bible study lead cards that needed to be mailed out. The pastor asked a lady in our church if she could take them to the post office to be mailed. She responded, “Well if I do that, then what is William going to do?” She felt that since I was the paid “Bible Worker,” I should be doing all the work and should mail them myself. Wrong! Fact is, if I am doing all the work, then I am not doing my job.

My job, now as a pastor is to equip and empower the laity to do evangelism.  If I go by myself to give a Bible study, then shame on me! I should always bring another church member with me so they can learn how to give Bible studies and also to bond with the student and be another link to the church family. As well as giving Bible studies I also teach people how to chain reference their Bibles, to give presentations and get decisions for Jesus. Currently I have been working with FC Life, the Lay Institute for Evangelism in the Florida Seventh-day Adventist Conference. .I have traveled around the state of Florida with FC Life training lay people to do evangelism by giving personal and group Bible studies.  A small study group is a church within itself. Remember, in New Testament times, churches were in people’s homes. The non-churched small-group Bible study members see those who come to the home of the Bible study leaders as their church family, and they see the Bible study leaders as their pastors. Remember that “pastor” is also a verb and not just a noun. Whoever you are, if you are caring and nurturing others then you are pastoring.

If pastors or Bible workers think of themselves as the ones who are to do all of the preaching and evangelizing, then they are not biblical but are stuck in the Dark Ages. Very few pastors today still want to create a huge gap between pastors and laity, while more and more pastors are like Moses, when he said, “would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!” Numbers 11:29 With this spirit upon our paid clergy, the gospel can spread like wildfire and turn the world upside down, just like it did in the book of Acts when every member was an evangelist! Please keep in mind that if the pastor or Bible worker are doing all of the preaching and teaching, then they are not doing their job. You know the pastor and Bible worker are doing their jobs when encourage and empower you to share the Gospel. 

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The book of Ephesians does show us “How to Follow Jesus in Trying Times”: 
Hymn 623 – I Will Follow Thee, My Saviour so that our actions will always speak louder than our words.

Sabbath afternoon’s introduction to our week of study explains the beginning of the “letter to the Ephesians with a majestic thank-you note, praising God for the blessings He has poured out”. There are many hymns of praise:
Hymn 1 – Praise To The Lord,
Hymn 4 – Praise My Soul The King of Heaven,
Hymn 11 – The God Of Abraham Praise,
Hymn 14 – Let Us Praise The Name Of The Lord,
Hymn 20 – O Praise Ye The Lord,
Hymn 25 – Praise The Lord, His Glories Show,
Hymn 26 – Praise The Lord! You Heavens Adore Him,
Hymn 28 – Praise We The Lord,
Hymn 29 – Sing Praise To God, and
Hymn 30 – Holy God, We Praise Your name to name just a few.

We are thankful that when Jesus went to Heaven He left us the Holy Spirit, as we find on Sunday:
 Hymn 261 – The Spirit Of The Lord Revealed, 
Hymn 268 – Holy Spirit, Light Divine and 
Hymn 266 – Spirit of God. May we all listen to the Holy Spirit and share 
A Song of Heaven and Homeland – Hymn 472.

The staggering cost of our redemption and the lavish forgiveness given to us is found in verse 3 of 
Hymn 601 – Watchmen, On The Walls of Zion with 
Forgive Our Sins As We Forgive – Hymn 299 all because there is 
Power In The Blood – Hymn 294 of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is with God’s blessing “to unite everything, everywhere, in Jesus: 
Hymn Sent Forth By God’s Blessing – Hymn 407. (Tuesday)

Once again our praise songs come forth on Wednesday (see listing above), and Thursday refers back to our hymns of the Holy Spirit on Sunday (as above).

So, dear people, be encouraged to go forward and
“Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring, Jesus IS coming again” – Hymn 213.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Key Thought: Paul’s opening makes Ephesians especially valuable in modeling how to worship God and praise Him for the many blessings He has provided.
July 8, 2023

1. Have a volunteer read Ephesians 1:7,8.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What does redemption mean in these passages?
3. Personal Application: What does it mean to you that through Christ’s sacrifice, you are forgiven and redeemed? Share your thoughts..
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “How exalted are your communications? How does the content of your oral, written, or graphic communications reveal that your life has been touched and transformed by the grace of God?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Ephesians 1:9,10.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Is God’s plan for the fullness of time, and how extensive is its reach?
3. Personal Application: How can you celebrate that your redemption is part of an ultimate plan to unite all things in Christ? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “What choice ultimately decides whether a person has salvation in Christ or not?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Ephesians 1:11,12.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Why is the idea of inheritance so important to Paul?
3. Personal Application: What is the difference between working for something and inheritance? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “Doesn’t Paul state here that we are predestined according to God’s will? Why don’t you believe in predestination?” How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Ephesians 1:13,14.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What are the steps Paul gives in the conversion story of his readers?
3. Personal Application: How does Paul reveal salvation by faith alone and not by works of the law? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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