Jon Augusta

Jon Augusta | Ephesians 1:1-2

A Story About Legacy

I don’t want to hear any “band nerd” jokes — because I was cool. I went to Hart High, home of the Hart Regiment, a 16-time California State Champion marching band. One of my favorite memories was from my senior year.

We were walking into the stadium to perform. The best bands always go last, so we were the final performance of the night. As we passed another school waiting to take their seats, I overheard a group of students whisper:

“There’s the school who never loses.”

In that moment, I felt a deep pride in what we were about to do.

Mr. Bailey, the band director at Hart for nearly 30 years, started with a “my way or the highway” approach — and about half the students walked out that day. But since then, he’s led 16 state championships (10 of them back-to-back) and taken the band across the country, performing in top venues with world-class composers writing for them.

Over time, a legacy was built. And every new group of students was challenged to step up, practice, and honor that legacy. The support staff had to get on board with his vision. Together, they kept winning.

That’s exactly what Paul is calling the church in Ephesus to do — honor the legacy of Christ, rise to the occasion, and stay faithful.

Setting Sail into Ephesians

Today, we’re “pushing the boat off the dock” into the sea that is the book of Ephesians. Written around AD 60, this letter from Paul wasn’t just for one church — it was an encyclical letter, meant to be circulated among believers in different cities. “To the saints at Ephesus” was likely a later addition; the letter probably went from Ephesus to the next church, and the next, and so on.

Ephesians has been called the Believer’s Bank, Biblical Checkbook, Treasure House, and even the Queen of the Epistles. It mirrors Colossians closely — in fact, 55 verses are word-for-word the same. The main difference?

• Ephesians focuses on the church as the body of Christ in God’s new order.
• Colossians focuses on Christ’s relationship to the entire world.

Both are all about Jesus — but they approach it from two different angles.

Who Were the Ephesians?

The Ephesian believers were mature in their faith, as Paul calls them “faithful” in verse 1.

Ephesus was a bustling port city on the western coast of what’s now Turkey. It rivaled Egypt for business and was a hub for commerce, education, and religion. The defining feature of the city was the massive temple of Artemis (Diana to the Romans), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Worship there was steeped in immorality — temple prostitution was part of their rituals.

Spiritually, Ephesus became a key center in the early church. The story in Acts 18 and 19 tells us:

• Priscilla and Aquila helped start the church.
• Apollos became an early leader.
• Paul spent three years teaching and strengthening believers there.
• Timothy later pastored the church (Paul’s letters to Timothy were written during this time).
• Onesimus (Philemon’s runaway slave who came to Christ) eventually led the church.
• Even the apostle John spent years ministering there.

Why Paul Wrote the Letter

Though the church was thriving, Paul saw a problem: they didn’t realize the spiritual wealth they had in Christ. They were living like they were spiritually broke.

Ephesians is a reminder that believers have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). It contains some of the clearest teaching on salvation (chapter 2), the mystery of the Gospel (chapter 3), and practical Christian living (chapters 4–6).

At the time, so many people in Ephesus were turning to Christ that it was affecting the local economy. Idol makers were losing business, leading to an uproar in Acts 19. Paul writes to solidify the believers’ identity and mission.

Fast Forward: Revelation 2

About 35–40 years later, in Revelation 2, Jesus sends a message to the church in Ephesus through John:

“I know your works… you cannot bear with those who are evil… you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember… repent… and do the works you did at first.”

They were strong, doctrinally sound, and steadfast — but they had lost their first love. They knew about God, but didn’t love Him like they once did.

Grace and Peace

Paul opens with “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Grace (charis in Greek) is God’s unearned kindness toward us. Peace flows from that grace — peace with God and the peace of God (Philippians 4:7).

When Paul says “Grace and peace,” he’s not just saying hello — he’s reminding believers of the riches they already have in Christ.

Don’t Miss Heaven by 18 Inches

Someone once said millions will “miss Heaven by 18 inches” — the distance from the head to the heart. You can know all about God and still not truly love Him.

Jesus’ words to Ephesus are clear: Remember. Repent. Repeat. Go back to the passionate love you had when you first met Him.

My Prayer for Us

As we walk through Ephesians together, my hope is that our love for Jesus will be reignited. That we’ll not only know Him better but love Him deeply. That our lives will be marked by both truth and affection for our Savior.

Because every good thing we have comes from Him — and He is worthy of our whole lives.