The Master's Touch small group Bible studies
Spiritual Inheritance, Ephesians 1:1-14
Recommended Procedure. Timeline. Map. Go to today’s Bible reading
Leader idea: Pass out 5x7 rolled up papers tied by ribbons. Inside put one word for each part of their inheritance along with the corresponding verses as given below. Have children and adults open them and read them as you talk about each one.
Introduction: You all like mysteries, don't you? I have given to a few of you little scrolls tied with ribbon. They are mysteries to you until you untie them and look inside. The Bible speaks of mysteries, not as something that is spooky and weird, but as something that has not been previously revealed, like your scrolls.
Background: The Apostle Paul wrote letters to churches and individuals as a prisoner in Rome after his third missionary journey. The book of Ephesians was one of his letters we call prison epistles. He wrote to the church of Ephesus to reveal the mystery of their heavenly inheritance and to answer the question, “are the non-Jewish (Gentile) Christians as good as the Jewish Christians?” God's favor had always been on the Jews; they were his people. When the Ephesians unsealed the scroll Paul wrote, the mystery was revealed; both Jews and Gentiles had received a valuable inheritance, an inheritance received by God's grace through their faith in Christ. Today, we want to look at our inheritance as believers.
The little scrolls given to you tell you about our spiritual inheritance. Each gift of inheritance that is given is given with a purpose. Open up your scrolls and look at what you have been given and why it was given by reading the verse included with it. This inheritance is for all those who truly know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Through him we have forgiveness, peace, and spiritual life (more...).
After Paul's greeting to the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 1:1-2, in verse 3 he gives praise for God who blessed us with an inheritance in the heavenly realms. An inheritance in heaven is worth more than any earthly inheritance.
Open up the first scroll. Whom did God choose to be saved, when did God choose, and for what purpose? Ephesians 1:4a
Open up the second scroll. What do you find about our inheritance? Why did he do this for us ? (Ephesians 1:4b-1:6)
Open up the third scroll. What else has God given us as an inheritance? How did he give it? Eph 1:7-8
Open up the fourth scroll. What else did God give us as an inheritance? Eph 1:9-13a.
Like the Jews God was gracious to us in order that we might live for what purpose? (Eph. 1:12)
Open the fifth seal. How does God guarentee our inheritance? Ephesians 1:13-14
Lessons to Live by: (ask for members' input first)
Today's Bible memory verse:
Ephesians 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (NIV)
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A1: As verse 4 states, God saved "us". Since there are two groups Paul is addressing, that means both Jews and Gentiles. How does that make you feel? Extremely humble and grateful? The word "us" is inclusive throughout the first chapter.
God chose us to be saved before the creation of the world. How does that make you feel? Awe-struck? Special? Thankful?
God chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight. What does that mean? It means he wants us to live a life totally devoted to him, a life of living in awesome reverence for the Lord, a life of goodness and integrity, blameless before God and our fellow man.
A2: In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons [children] through Jesus Christ”. It is through accepting the death of Christ on our behalf that we are adopted as God's children. (more...)
Why? “… in accordance with his pleasure and will -- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
God chose us because it pleased him and glorified him to be gracious to us. He wanted to show his love to us. When a couple goes to an adoption clinic they predetermine that they will adopt a child. They want to adopt that child and shower him with all their love. Why - because they deserve it? No, because it pleases them to be gracious, to choose one (or more) and bring him to their home, to feed him, to clothe him, to speak words of comfort, encouragement and praise, to give him hope and a future. What does the couple want in return? They want love, appreciation and obedience. They eventually want to have their child become a responsible, and giving adult like themselves. That is also what God wants of us.
How does it make you feel that, though you were spiritually adopted, you are included in God's family as an equal person with equal rights, and even a heavenly inheritance? Awe-struck? Extremely thankful?
A3: God gave us redemption through the blood of Jesus. His blood paid the penalty for our sin, which enslaved us.
How did he give it ? “in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
How does it make you feel that God, who is rich in mercy, in his abundant grace, sent his very own Son from the majesty of heaven to pay the expensive price of his own blood to forgive your sins? Thankful? Humble? We might liken this to a rich billionaire who makes an expensive sacrifice so that we can be freed from death row in prison. The payment for our freedom is that his own son, his only heir, must take our place on death row and be executed. He knew we were guilty. He willing made this sacrifice, knowing that our sins must be paid for; he understood the cost before he made the sacrifice. He did this so we might be adopted into his family, made into model citizens, and would become heirs of his fortune. How does that make us feel? Unworthy? Extremely grateful?
A4: God has made know to us the mystery of his will. As was stated earlier, a mystery is not something spooky. A mystery in the Bible usage of the word means something that was hidden is now revealed or made known. And what is it that has been made known? It is that the Gentiles were also included in God's family when they heard and responded to the gospel by faith. If you are not Jewish, how does that make you feel? Extremely privileged?
Jews were the first chosen to hope in Christ and be included in his family. He did this so that they might be for the praise of his glory. Then we non-Jewish people were included in God's family when we responded by faith to the message of the gospel. The church today is mostly Gentile because most Jews persist in their unbelief, rejecting Jesus as being their messiah. However, one day when the times have reached their fulfillment (a probable reference to the Millennium), both Jews and Gentiles will come together under the headship of Christ (when he is king).
A5: In order that we might live “for the praise of his glory.” What does that mean to you? How are we living - for ourselves or for the praise of God's glory? When we relate to our family members and friends do our relationships cause others to praise God? When we are at work or are carrying out our business, do others recognize our integrity and best efforts to enhance the reputation of the firm? Do they realize they profit because God is with you? How are we doing in church? Are we involved and doing our best for God's glory? Are we genuinely caring for people in and outside the church? How do we behave in our community? Do we behave lawfully and with consideration? Do we care? Do other people realize with pleasure that we are Christians living for God?
A6: Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-- to the praise of his glory.”
How does it make you feel that God guaranteed your eternal inheritance by giving you the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God's mark in you that you are his child, his possession.
Why? “…to the praise of his glory.
- Both Jews and Gentiles are included in God's family by faith in Jesus Christ
- God wants us to live a life totally devoted to him, a life of living in awesome reverence for the Lord, a life of goodness and integrity, blameless before God and our fellow man.
- It is through accepting the death of Christ on our behalf that we are adopted as God's children. (more...)
- God gave us redemption through the blood of Jesus. His blood paid the penalty for our sin, which enslaved us.
- God wants us to live for the praise of his glory.
- The Holy Spirit is God's mark in you that you are his child, his possession.
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