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Unity to All Under Christ - Part 9 - Ephesians 1:22-23 - Living Between Two Ages: The Church's Role in God's Kingdom
Paul's claim that all things are placed under Jesus' feet (Eph. 1:22-23) speaks to the inaugurated kingdom of God—a reign that has begun but is not yet fully realized. The tension between "this age" and "the age to come," as understood through Paul's and Jesus' teachings, reflects the present reality of a broken world alongside the promised renewal through Christ. The Old Testament's "Day of the Lord" (Joel 2, Isaiah 13, Malachi 4) initially conveyed the expectation of a swift and catastrophic intervention by God. Yet the New Testament reframes this, revealing a gradual unfolding of redemption and victory through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The church, as God's outpost in the current evil age, embodies the values and hope of the age to come—serving as a living model of new creation and a tangible expression of God's kingdom amidst adversity. This dual identity challenges the church to live faithfully and courageously, demonstrating God's transformative power even in enemy territory.
Discussion Questions
1) How is it that Paul can claim that God has placed all things under the feet of Jesus for the church (Eph 1:22-23) when it so often feels like Satan and sin and death and the powers and the authorities have their way every minute of every day, especially within the church?
2) What do you think Paul and Jesus are talking about when they refer to “this age and the age to come”? How does our exploration of the “Day of the Lord” inform our understanding of their perspective?
3) Do some reading on the “Day of the Lord” in the Old Testament (Joel 2, Isaiah 13, Malachi 4, etc.). How is the New Testament challenging and reframing the belief in an instantaneous shift from the present evil age to the age to come?
4) Consider these descriptions of our identity as the church and how we live into them as people who occupy two worlds, destined to inherit the age to come while still living in the present evil one:
i) the embodiment of a new reality/age
ii) a working model of new creation (N.T. Wright)
iii) an outpost of the kingdom of God in enemy territory
Watch this sermon on YouTube!!!
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By Philpott ChurchPaul's claim that all things are placed under Jesus' feet (Eph. 1:22-23) speaks to the inaugurated kingdom of God—a reign that has begun but is not yet fully realized. The tension between "this age" and "the age to come," as understood through Paul's and Jesus' teachings, reflects the present reality of a broken world alongside the promised renewal through Christ. The Old Testament's "Day of the Lord" (Joel 2, Isaiah 13, Malachi 4) initially conveyed the expectation of a swift and catastrophic intervention by God. Yet the New Testament reframes this, revealing a gradual unfolding of redemption and victory through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The church, as God's outpost in the current evil age, embodies the values and hope of the age to come—serving as a living model of new creation and a tangible expression of God's kingdom amidst adversity. This dual identity challenges the church to live faithfully and courageously, demonstrating God's transformative power even in enemy territory.
Discussion Questions
1) How is it that Paul can claim that God has placed all things under the feet of Jesus for the church (Eph 1:22-23) when it so often feels like Satan and sin and death and the powers and the authorities have their way every minute of every day, especially within the church?
2) What do you think Paul and Jesus are talking about when they refer to “this age and the age to come”? How does our exploration of the “Day of the Lord” inform our understanding of their perspective?
3) Do some reading on the “Day of the Lord” in the Old Testament (Joel 2, Isaiah 13, Malachi 4, etc.). How is the New Testament challenging and reframing the belief in an instantaneous shift from the present evil age to the age to come?
4) Consider these descriptions of our identity as the church and how we live into them as people who occupy two worlds, destined to inherit the age to come while still living in the present evil one:
i) the embodiment of a new reality/age
ii) a working model of new creation (N.T. Wright)
iii) an outpost of the kingdom of God in enemy territory
Watch this sermon on YouTube!!!