Lesson 5: The Heavenly Realms (Ephesians 1:3) – Bible Study in Ephesians

[Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome to this edition of the deeper Christian Bible study series in the book of Ephesians in our previous study we began to look at verse three which begins the blessing section that continues down to verse 14 now as a quick review in chapter 1 verse 3 through 14 Paul is listing the blessings that God has for you which finds their fulfillment in one single place Jesus Christ now if you missed lesson 4 I encourage you to go back and listen to it as it lays the foundation for where we are going to be building on today now in verse 3 verse they're coming gives the basis or the context for this entire blessing section so let me just read it to you so it's fresh in our minds Ephesians chapter one verse three says this blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ now as we looked at last time Paul uses three specific blessing words to talk about what's happening in the spiritual realm so one's an adjective one's a verb and one's a noun the adjective then is blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ that they here's God sitting upon his throne and just God lives in a state a blessing and emanating out of him it's just as praise it's just as adoration is this blessed this in fact this blessing this is so gripped God that it says hey you've got to do something about this and so God what is he gonna do oh he speaks forth blessing which is the verb that he is blessing us well what is he blessing us with oh that's the noun every spiritual blessing now realize that every spiritual blessing that God is like proclaiming to you as we talked about last time is literally centered in fulfilled in Jesus Christ and all of that is taking place and what Paul terms the heavenly realms so let me just give you a quick illustration have you ever woken up from a you know from sleep and you're kind of in that weird hazy misty state in your you're really not sure is that the dream world that I just left the real world or is what I'm waking up into the world will real world and I know about you but I've had dreams where I wake up but that's actually still a dream and I wake up from the waking up it's a little confusing but when you do that you start you're kind of in this confusion in this fog and you're wondering you know was this reality or was this reality and you start asking questions like well you know like where I am I in Who am I and what am I in why because you're trying to figure out reality in second Kings chapter 6 there's this great story of Elijah and a servant and the Syrians and as the story goes the the king is serious is searching he's trying to get you know capture and destroy Israel but interestingly every time he shows up Israel already knows about it and so he goes to the goes to his men into kind of a powwow and says hey which one of you is a traitor which one of you is a spy because obviously one of you are telling is telling Israel because every time we show up Israel already knows about it and of course all of his men saying none of us are spies in fact there's a man in Israel by the name of Elijah and he even hears your pillow talk at night that's a scary thought and so the King says well obviously that the secret is let's get a lie shut which never made sense to me if you think about it because if a lie she can hear the thoughts of the king late at night and the King says hey let's get Elijah don't you think Elijah would already know that but regardless the king of sirius sends his entire army Neeley surrounds where Elijah was in Israel and 2nd Kings chapter 6 verse 15 picks up at that point this is what it says and when the servant of the man of God arose early and he went out there was an army surrounding the city with horses and chariots and the servant said to Elisha alas master what shall we do and so Elijah answered do not fear for those who are with us are more than those who are with them and Elisha pray and he said lord I pray open his eyes that he may see then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha wow what an incredible story could you picture this scene you are completely surrounded by an army their whole intent is to destroy you this sort Rush's and says hey we're surrounded and Elijah says and not a big deal for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them of course if I was a servant I've been like buddy there's only two of us I think you're mistaken and the licenses no no you don't understand and after he prays that the servant looks around and he sees the mountains full horses in Chariots of Fire what confidence that would just steal it's interesting this idea of the dream that the the dream versus the awake or the story of Elijah is servant this physical reality versus the spiritual I have on the reality you realize that is true for a Christian that you and I as Christians live in a dual citizenship if you will we live in two places at once now both are real and both are factual see we live in a physical world down here we live in a physical earthly realm here and yet we have a spiritual reality that there's a spiritual realm that we get a partake in now Paul calls this spiritual realm in the Greek it's uber a Neos which is this heavenly realms idea I can be translated the throne room or the heavenly place where God dwells heaven the heavenly temple the sanctuary or the place where spiritual battles take place and interestingly this idea of the perennial shows up 20 times in the New Testament but the way the grammatical structure that how Paul uses that here in Ephesians is only used here in Ephesians and it's used five times in fact it becomes kind of the structure or the backbone for the entire book itself well you could look and say well when is the heavenly realms now get this it's not some point in the future see the heavenly realms is taking place right now well where is the heavenly realms see the heavenly realms is not out there somewhere see they're having arms is pressing in upon us it's and yet if though it's pressing it's like it's just beyond us see is beyond our abilities beyond our strength or resource or talent or intellect so that how do we enter into the heavenly realms we can see only Jesus can enter and only Jesus is worthy which means that for you and I to be there we must be in him as Paul talks about all through chapters one through three see jesus is our robe of righteousness that Isaiah talks about in isaiah 61:10 that if we desire to enter and we must be covered with this robe of righteousness which is Jesus Christ see the best that we can produce is filthy rags but when I am clothed in his righteousness as I live in total surrender submission and dependency then I have access to come boldly before the throne of God himself now this word again this this heavenly realms term is used five times in the book of Ephesians and I think it's going to help our understanding if we look at this term all throughout Ephesians and figure out what Paul is doing with it or how Paul uses it so let me just read those five passages to you so you can see how they fit together so the first one obviously is in our passage Ephesians 1 verse 3 which says again blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ the next one shows up in Ephesians 1:20 which says which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms Ephesians 2:6 declares and raised us God raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus Ephesians 3:10 declares to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms and the last time Paul uses the word is in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 which says for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the principalities against the powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms well what I want to do is I want to look at these really quickly with you so let's look at the first one after our passage which is Ephesians chapter 1 verse 20 now in the context of Ephesians 1:20 Paul is praying for those in Ephesus and he's praying that you would know the power of God so Ken let me read this context to you because it totally sets the stage for our passage this is Ephesians 1 19 through 23 Paul writes that you wouldn't know what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believed according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated Jesus at the right hand in the heavenly places which is far above all principality and power and might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also and that which is to come and he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all so get this idea Paul is saying that you would he's praying that you would know this reality of the power of God he says you know what the power of God has done the power of God has Lea reached into the deadness of Jesus so here's Jesus deader than a doornail he's pushing up daisies he's he's food for worms if you will and what has the amazing power of God done well God has li reached his hand into the deadness of jesus and he ain't the dead physical Jesus from physical death and brought him in a physical life oh that's amazing he rose him from the dead on the third day and if that wasn't enough he Lily took this resurrected Jesus who is now full of life and they brought him into the heavenly realms and seated Jesus at his right hand the right hand of the Father which is a place of a relationship and intimacy but it's also a place of power or authority might and Dominion Paul says everything is in place under the feet of Jesus and Jesus now has a position over all things why because he is the head what an amazing reality so get this that Jesus right at this very moment is seated in the heavenly realms at the right hand of the Father why because God has reached reached into the deadness of Jesus and yanked cheeses from death into life and brought him into the heavenly realms now as you go to our second passage in Ephesians 2:6 Paul says that exact same thing has happened to you and I but not physically spiritually listen to this Ephesians 2:6 Paul says and God raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus so here's the idea just as Jesus was physically dead so you and I are spiritually dead in fact verses 1 through 4 Paul is just over emphasizing this idea that you and I were dead spiritually and we were we were just pushing up daisies we were food for worms we were little living in a state of death spiritually and just as God reached his hand into the physical dentist of Jesus so God reaches his hand into our spiritual deadness and just as you raised Jesus in the physical life so he raises you an eye into spiritual life because of Christ Jesus and just as he elevated Jesus into the heavenly realms and seated Jesus at his right hand so - he takes you an eye and brings us into the heavenly realms and seats us at his right hand but in Christ Jesus see our position our salvation us coming from death into life only takes place because God himself has done that through Jesus Christ that you and I now get to partake in this heavenly realms reality why because you and I are seated in Jesus Christ in the heavenly realms not physically spiritually now as you move into Ephesians chapter 3 verse 10 Paul has this phenomenal phenomenal statement he makes he says this he says to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms it's interesting that Paul is talking about the fact that that you and I that the body of believers the church become a demonstration of a spiritual reality to the spiritual realm think about this stick with me but think about this that here we are living in a physical realm you and I are physical hey we live in a physical realm but not only are we living in a physical realm we live in a spiritual realm as chapter 2 told us then we are seated in Christ that in this position that you and I can't have freedom you and I can live victorious you and I can just walk triumphant every day of our lives okay we can have peace and love and joy and patience and kindness and hey the fruits of the spirit can fall out of us why because we're seated in a heavenly realm now Paul says that when you and I and the body of believers who are living here in the physical are actually truly demonstrating this reality up here in the spiritual than what's taking places is that we are declaring in the physical how the spiritual is taking place which means you and I become this declaration to the spiritual realms that the spiritual realms are really real and then awesome now I know it's slightly confusing but it's like we are declaring to the angelic host we're declaring to the demonic hordes that hey this thing that God has done is in fact true it is efficacious it works this is this is powerful this is hey this is real would it be interesting if we didn't just live in a physical realm that you and I can actually live from a spiritual perspective a spiritual position which is all about being in Christ Jesus see we look at our bank account in the physical and it's oh no what are we gonna do how are we gonna handle this well what if we saw that from a spiritual perspective see we look at the flat tire and say oh I didn't plan for this I don't have time for this this is hey this is inconvenience but what if we saw the flat tire from a spiritual perspective did you realize that yes it's true we have to live here in the physical but as a Christian we don't just live a physical existence we live a spiritual existence and what would happen if if you and I could take the spiritual and just like live this here down in the physical I love this story of David and Goliath I here's this little strapping boy probably twelve thirteen years old probably doesn't have a lot of muscles he's he's been a shepherd and you know he shows up to the field of battle one day and for 40 straight days is just mammoth of a man named Goliath has come out and he's he's a made fun of the Israelites and David of course looks around said who is this guy in and why isn't anybody else gonna shut him up now you realize that the Navy SEAL of that day were afraid to face Goliath that the best warriors of the land refused to fight Goliath and here is his 12 13 year old boy who comes up to the king and says Oh King Saul let me Adam and of course you know King Saul looks at David says buddy you're just a little kid and of course David's like just no big deal why cuz God has proven me with a lion with a bear and he's just gonna be like one of those and somehow for some odd reason the King says okay go do it so David marches on in the field of battle and all he has is no armor just a sling in a couple stones and he looks straight at the face of the Philistine and he says you come to me with a sword and with the spear with a javelin but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the god of the armies of Israel whom you have defied this day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you and take your head from you and this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth get this that all the earth may know that there's a God in Israel you look at the physical reality of what David was encountering you realize it in the physical this was an this was crazy this was insane you do not sin at 12 13 year old boy to go against this nine to twelve foot giant who has been trained since he was a little boy see this is makes no sense in the physical but David was not looking at it from the lens of the physical he was looking at it through the lens of the spiritual David said hey in the spiritual realm God has empowered me hey I have taken on bears and lions and Goliath will be nothing more than but one of those and he says at the end of that statement that that hey when this takes place and when God comes through and when my physical life demonstrates a spiritual reality all the world will know that there's a God still and Israel see that idea shows up again and the story of Elijah in the prophets of Bill in 1st Kings 18 there's this idea that that here's Elijah and he calls the prophets of Bel and and you know the story well but they set up their altar and they they try to bring down Bell to bring fire down upon the sacrifice and after several hours it doesn't happen and Elijah rebuilds the altar of the Lord on top of Mount Carmel and he prays and fire comes down and not only licks up or or takes over the sacrifice but the water that they poured over the whole thing and that's licked up in fact it says even the dirt of the ground was removed and at the very end of the passage in verse 39 it says that when all the people saw it they fell on their faces and they cried out the Lord he is God the Lord he is God see something was taking place that does not make sense in the physical but Elijah wasn't looking at it from the physical perspective he was unit through the lens of the spiritual perspective would it be interesting if you when I could live from this reality see if we truly saw our position in Christ in the heavenly realms and that we are seated in Jesus who is above all things all principalities powers mice and dominions don't you think that that we could live from this position of the heavenly realms and Paul says in chapter 3 that when you and I living in the physical realms live as if the spiritual realms are true and we're living from this position in the spiritual realms then what's taking place is that our physical lies become at this demonstration of this heavenly reality and it declares not only to the physical world but it also declares to the spiritual realm all that God is doing that it's true well the last time Paul uses this word in Ephesians is in chapter 6 verse 12 and Paul writes for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the principalities against the powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms Paul says hey you and I are in a battle but this is not a physical battle like the Old Testament see in the New Testament it's been raised to a whole nother level and our battle is not flesh and blood our battle is spiritual but get this far Moors at risk far more dangerous here in the spiritual realms but it's also far more adventurous and glorious see the spiritual boughs that you and I are taking that you and I got a part partaking in happen here in the spiritual realms so take all that and bring it back into our blessing section Paul is saying that that every single blessing that God has for you is found in Jesus Christ and it's all contained here in the heavenly realms which is what the very place where Jesus twelves see you and I are seated in Jesus Christ and as we live from this reality in the heavenly realms here down in the physical world than what's taking place is that you and I have this demonstration hey you and I become the the reality the visible representation if you will of the reality that God is wanting to do and perform in the world see as you are partaking in the blessings that God has for you it's not just a physical thing that he's giving you see he's giving you Jesus and all those blessings are contained in this how does the this heavenly spiritual realm but if you would live from this reality if you would live from the spiritual the spiritual truth if you live from the spiritual perspective down here on the earth wow that would change everything wouldn't it wouldn't it change how you lived when that change how you thought when that change how you saw your bank account wouldn't just change how you saw flat tires I want my entire life to be lived here in the physical from a position of the spiritual I love the story of this old hymn there's this man and living in Chicago and Chicago had a great citywide fire back in the day 1800 or so and the man just lost everything lost his business and he decided he's going to take his family and send him over to England and start over in England and he had to finish up some business and so he went over and he put his wife and his daughters on this boat and sent them off on the way to England along the way the ships sank and very few survivors and the wife made it and and while she was over in England she telegraphed her husband and the Telegraph basically said I was a lone survivor all is lost our daughters have died and though the man finished up his business and and finally went over and got on a boat and made his way over to England to comfort his wife now partway across the sea the captain the boat supposedly came down and looked at the man and said sir you asked about where the boat went down this is the best is that we can figure this is probably where it is I don't know about you but could you imagine here's this man who has lost everything lost his business lost his fortune just and and lost his daughters the grief that the physical pain of that whole thing must have just been excruciating and so he went over to the side of the boat and held on to the railing and he was looking down into the waters and the deep waters that had swallowed his daughters now you realized that in the physical there's pain and then the physical there's agony and then in the physical there's his heartbreak and the physical there's questioning but the man refused to live from the physical he lived but with a spiritual reality and as he was looking down to the waters he penned these words which you and I often sing he said when peace like a river attendeth my way when sorrows like sea billows roll whatever my lot thou has taught me to say it is well it is well with my soul what would it be interesting if you and I lived not just from a physical reality but from a spiritual one see when I change how you just lived and encountered every moment see the temptations that bombard you if you realize that that yes maybe in the physical you are weak but you are strong in Christ Jesus that may things may not make sense in the physical you may be surrounded by the entire Syrian army hey there's no hope there's only hey there's only you and one other but would you just see that there are more with us than with them well would you reality we realize that the mountains are full of horses and chariots of fire see what of you and I can live from a spiritual perspective what what if every problem was seen from this reality so you see what if every circumstance was seen not just from the physical but from the spiritual well what if your bank account one of your time but what if the difficulties what if one of your family situations what if one of everything that was happening your life to be seen from this spiritual perspective beam in Christ Jesus and what would that look like if your life became the demonstration of the spiritual realm to the entire world that's what Paul is arguing that's what Paul's heart is is that you and I wouldn't just live here in the physical but that we would live from this position of being in Christ which is in the heavenly realms well in our next study we're gonna continue to examine verse three one more time and we're going to talk about the simplicity of the gospel and the essence of Christianity which is all about being wrapped up in Christ and as usual if you want to get a jump start on the study here's a couple things you could do number one read the entire book of Ephesians this week preferably every day number two saturate soak in ponder meditate read over and over chapter 1 verse 3 through 14 which is this blessing section and number 3 ponder what does it mean biblically to be in Christ and thanks for joining me for this study today if you would like to see an outline of this study or read a commentary version of the passage you can do so by going to deeper Christian com forward slash Ephesians 0-5 for lesson number five also these weekly studies are available in audio format by subscribing on Apple podcasts or by visiting deeper Christian com forward slash Ephesians and until next time no I am cheering you on as you build your life around Jesus Christ see you then [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

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Keywords: Bible Study, Ephesians, Bible, Nathan Johnson, NRJohnson, Deeper Christian, deeperChristian, God’s Word, Ephesus, Apostle Paul, expositional study, Scripture, Christian, deeper Christian life, Jesus, Jesus Christ, sermon, Bravehearted, saturation, verse by verse, Ellerslie, Cross Style, study of Ephesians

Id: QayjldQmKaU

Length: 26min 32sec (1592 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 18 2018