Lessons From Paul's Imprisonment

How many of you play sports? Okay, now out of those of you who play sports, would you say you are a competitive person? Okay, good. Now let me ask you this, “Why do you practice, or weight lift, or run, or diet?” The reason you do this is for the end game right? For that feeling of being able to say, “Hey, we won it all that year!” That’s the goal isn’t it? You put yourself through grueling workouts and all of this hard work for the purpose of the end game. Well, as we look at our text for today, we will find that there is a purpose for the places God puts us in life and sometimes those are difficult places where we find ourselves discouraged or beat down. But what we will learn today is that there is purpose behind the problems we face for being Christians. As we look into the life of Paul here in Ephesians 3, he is going to show us the privilege of grace and how we can positively face hardship in our life. So, if you are feeling discouraged as someone who is trying to live for Christ, this is for you. If the people on your team, in your class, or at your lunch table think your weird for wanting to honor Christ, this is for you. If people you care about have started to shun you and avoid you because of your desire to share Christ with them, this is for you. And it’s with this in mind that I want you to learn that whenever I face adversity, I must remember: (1) I am defined by Christ. (2) Christ has purpose for my difficulty.

I Am Defined By Christ, Not My Circumstances

Illustration: If any of you have taken pictures of anything, you know that there is always a purpose behind what you’re wanting to capture. Maybe you’ve asked a friend to take a photo of you in front of a waterfall, maybe you’re taking a picture of your dog, or maybe you’re trying to take a pictures of the flowers in spring time. Well, imagine you’re taking a picture of your dog and the camera focuses in on your dad’s car pulling in the driveway and totally blurs out your dog. Whatever it might be, when you take that picture, you’re not wanting to focus on the irrelevant stuff in the background, right? You’re wanting to focus on what matters to you.

Well, this is what Paul is demonstrating for us as we look here in verse one as he says, “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus...”

Here we find that Paul has been arrested and imprisoned for the cause of Christ by the Roman Government. But he doesn’t think of himself as a prisoner of Rome, but a prisoner of Christ. Paul doesn’t look at this as though he is sidelined and kept from his mission, instead he looks at these circumstances and teaches us that it is Christ that defines him and not his circumstances. Why? Because all along he has been defining himself as a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ and because he realizes that his Lord is in charge, well, wherever the Lord puts him, that’s where he’ll be. And if he’s going to be a prisoner, He is going to be Christ’s prisoner.

Listen to how he describes this same imprisonment to the church in Philippi as he says, “it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ.”

Now, this isn’t how I am prone to behave when I find myself facing hardship. But to Paul, he has Christ on his mind and he is aware of the Lord’s power over the different seasons and events of his life. Is this your perspective when problems pop up? Well, if you’re anything like me. Sometimes there are times where I feel like yelling out, “Lord, I know you’re in control. But I just don’t see the big picture here!” But we have to remind ourselves of this second point, which is that”

Christ Has A Purpose For My Difficulty

Illustration: Building muscle is easy, but also quite hard. To see any progress and growth, you have to consistently push the muscle to it’s extreme. You have to exhaust it. Your muscle will burn, your body will sweat, your mind will scream at you to stop, but if you’re trying to achieve your goal of building muscle, you’ve got to push. There is purpose in the pain.

Well, as we look at verse one here we will find that Paul is letting us know that Christ is using his imprisonment. Not to teach Paul a lesson, but for the purpose of the gentile believers, that they might come to know the fullness, the richness, the depth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, it would be discouraging to read that one of your heroes and an apostle of God is in prison, wouldn’t it? But not only that, but to hear that he’s in prison for you? This probably broke their hearts to read, but Paul, in verse 13 says, “I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” What is my glory? Why shouldn’t I be discouraged?

Paul, in verse 2 begins to tell them of the privilege that He has to bear the mystery of of Christ. What’s the mystery here? Verse 6, “This mystery is that the gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise of Jesus Christ through the gospel.” And he goes on to the them that it is God’s purpose that he brings this message to the gentiles that they might know that in Jesus they can be fellow heirs, they can belong with the Church, and they can taste of the promise of God.

It is in the midst of this difficulty that Paul rejoices knowing that Christ is as work through this difficulty. As a matter of fact, in Philippians he tells us that through this imprisonment many Christians were encouraged to preach the gospel! Paul could rejoice in knowing that Christ was in control, in knowing that trials bring patience, in knowing that all who live righteously shall suffer persecution. Paul took this difficulty as a stamp of approval that he was doing the right thing.

So what do we learn from this for us today? We can learn three things.

1. Jesus is in control of what happens in my life and no matter what, my identity belongs in Him.

2. The grace of God is an invitation to action.

Paul wasn’t merely saved to sit on the sidelines, but to deliver the good news of the gospel to the gentiles! And we were also saved for a purpose. Jesus called us to go into all the world to spread the gospel. One writer said, “Grace always brings responsibility; it is never merely privilege. To receive grace is to be taken into its service. Grace connects, enlists, and empowers. It will not allow us to be passive, for it is God’s power at work in us.”

3. “The Value we place on something determines the hardship we are willing to endure for it.”

Klyde Snodgrass said, “Do we value the gospel enough to endure hardship for it? Would we go to prison? Most of us will probably not face prison, but are we willing to suffer the hardship of being belittled, of study, of financial investment, and of personal risk?