After praying in the garden, Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss. This leads to his arrest and is the first domino in the series of events to follow. Every one of us has experienced betrayal, whether in overt or more subtle ways. In this sermon, we will see the importance of this particular betrayal in Jesus’ life.

We begin with a look at Jesus’ agony as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s an important look at the role prayer played in Jesus’ life when He was confronted with intense suffering.

As we close our time in Ephesians we see that we are in a battle. Satan attacks all those who follow Christ. Ephesians 6:10-24 gives us essential insight into that battle.

This passage is a haustafeln, or table of household rules. There are some challenging things in it for sure. Above all, though, we see that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes the way Christians approach relationships at every level. There’s something for all of us in this text.

The call to love others can be so difficult, especially in a world where true love isn't always reciprocated. But when we come to know the source of Love in Christ and the promise offered by the Love of God, we can answer the call to Love through the power of the spirit.

You can tell a lot about a person by their walk. Body language reveals characteristics of mindset, character, and confidence. That makes it a strong metaphor for the way we live our lives – careful to be aware of what our walk reflects about our hearts, minds, desires, pursuits, and relationships.

The glorious gospel and the central role of God’s people, the church, that is laid out in 1-3 is now fleshed out for us as we see how Jesus has built His Church. Specifically, we will see the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ, the call from God of what Christian leaders are actually supposed to do, and the way that every member of the body is part of the work of ministry.

In this chapter the Apostle Paul outlines the motivation and foundation for his ministry. He shows us that God’s new society, under King Jesus, has one core message that shapes it. This gospel reveals the mystery of God in Jesus Christ and extends to His people, the church. The chapter concludes with an ascendant prayer that outlines the aspirations of the Christian life for us.

Ephesians 2:1-10 applies the glorious gospel that is put on display through chapter 1 more directly to us. 2:11-22 then shows how the gospel of Jesus Christ shapes the new society of God’s Kingdom. The first half is the favorite of Christians who like to soak in the ascendant theology of the gospel, while the second half tends to be favored by Christians who prefer to focus on the outworking in our lives, particularly toward reconciliation. By walking through the whole chapter at once we will see that the two should not and must not be divided.

The letter opens with an explosion of worship to God our Father. We saw that through Jesus Christ we are brought together as One Family by the Holy Spirit. This week builds on the brilliant display of the gospel that precedes it by calling us to look to Jesus who is the One King over all things. In our current cultural climate, this is an essential concept for us to grasp. We will spend our time together exploring the foundation for Jesus' authority and kingship and the implications for those who are citizens of His Kingdom.