1 A Riot That Birthed a Church

This first sermon on the Ephesians series provides the background context of how the church was started in Ephesus and offers an overall view of both the city and the epistle. The city was located in a strategic location in present day Turkey, was a prominent cultural, religious, and economic centre. It was the first metropolis of Asia minor, the centre of the Artemis cult whose temple was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 

The sermon provides a great overview of the two haves of the Epistle to the Ephesians. As Darrell Johnson says, "chapters 1-3 are the good news, chapters 4-6 are the good advice." he adds that Chapters 1-3 are tell of "the wonder of grace"; and chapters 4-6 describe "the walk of grace."

From Ephesians 1:1 we learn four important facts that help us understand the rest of the book. The sermon concludes with two important reminders.