Mission-minded Christianity: Ephesians 3:1-13

I do hope you have your Bibles open to Ephesians 3, as we look closely at this passage of scripture that Pastor Alex just read for us. As we come to a new chapter, its perhaps helpful to think of how we got to this point in the letter. The apostle Paul began Ephesians, much like he does his other writings. He began with theology and spoke of the various doctrines of grace. The first two chapters of Ephesians are full of some of the deepest theological truths found anywhere in the Bible.

And twice in first three chapters, Paul pauses to pray, because he knows how much we depend on God’s grace to understand the character and ways of God. The first prayer came at the end of chapter one after the apostle detailed some of the most wonderful heavenly blessings of man’s salvation. And now here at the beginning of chapter three, immediately after he explained how God’s salvation reaches to all nations, uniting both Jew and Gentile, he is about to pray again. If you have your Bibles open, just notice that at the end of verse 1, there is an em dash– a long hyphen like line that implies a pause and change in direction.

Now, most Bible scholars believe that Paul was going to pray as he does in verse 14 (you can see how it begins with the same words as verse one “for this reason… I bow my knees.” Yet, before he can utter or pen that prayer, something else crosses his mind. Something that he believes is important for his audience to hear before his prayer.

Interestingly, it is here that Paul speaks of his personal ministry and mission. He already mentioned in chapter 1 verse 1 that he was an apostle of Christ jesus by the will of God, but its here that he speaks of his God-given call to share the gospel with the Gentiles and make disciples of all nations. Now as Christians, we too share in this calling. Though we certainly are not apostles like Paul, we are God’s ambassadors. Instruments in His hands, who are to carry out the Great Commission and make disciples of all people groups around the world.

Today, as we look to this passage, I want you to see what a mission-minded Christian looks like, so that we may walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called. The apostle Paul was perhaps the greatest missionary to ever lived, and here in these verses we get a clear glimpse into his heart and we can clearly see his love for Christ, the Church, and the nations.

Listen church family, our heart for missions should reflect the heart of Paul, for his heart reflected the very heart of God. Just study the scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments and you will see that God has always longed for the nations to love and worship Him. Even our text today makes it abundantly clear, that God’s plan from the very beginning was to draw a people from all nations to Himself. So, as we study this text today, I want you to see 5 characteristics of a mission-minded Christian.

1) Mission-minded Christians discover rest in the sovereignty of God (vs. 1 & 13).

Paul begins this section of his epistle with the words, “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles–“ The apostle is literally penning this letter from prison. At this time, it is believed that he has been incarcerated for about three years. That’s a lot of time to think, a lot of time to wrestle with God and reality. And out of that long season of imprisonment comes some of Paul’s finest writings to the church.

There under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote not only Ephesians, but Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. Books that contain a very high view of Christ and detail His sovereignty over all things. In Philippians Jesus is labeled the slave of God who humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on the cross. He was exalted to the highest degree, to the point where every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. In Colossians, Jesus is described as first-born over-all creation, who created all things, is before all things, and holds all things together. And twice in the small book of Philemon, Paul describes himself just as he does here in Ephesians 3, “a prisoner of Christ Jesus.”

You see, Paul understood that he was not in prison because he sinned, or because God was punishing him for some reason. Instead, Paul knew with absolute certainty that his incarceration was only due to his own faithfulness, his faithfulness to his missionary calling to take the gospel to the Gentiles. This is made abundantly clear in the book of Acts chapter 21, where we read of Paul’s arrest. Turn with me to this passage if you will for just a minute. I want you to see this… Acts 21… Here in this chapter the apostle was in Jerusalem worshiping at the temple, when some Jews from Asia spot him and starting in verse 28 they cry out… “‘Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains.” (END VERSE 33)

Thus Paul was arrested for taking the gospel to the Gentiles, for inviting the nations to join Israel in worshiping the one true God. Therefore, he saw himself, not as a prisoner of Rome, not as a prisoner of the emperor Nero, or even the Jews, but as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, the One who sovereignly rules over all things, and the one who called Him to be an apostle to the Gentiles. You see, Paul could rest his weary soul in doctrine of God’s sovereignty. Charles Spurgeon once preached these words, “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.” Listen, Paul may have been a prisoner, he may have been inconvenienced and uncomfortable, but Paul knew he was exactly where God wanted him. That’s why he could say in verse 13 of our passage, “Therefore, I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.”

The apostle only viewed his seemingly unfortunate circumstance as a unique opportunity to further gospel, for the glory of others. You see this imprisonment gave Paul the time and space to write the sacred and timeless truths we study here today. Listen, the great doctrine and application of Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians could never have been written in a local Starbucks. Paul’s not casually enjoying a cup of coffee challenging us to rest in God’s control of all things. Nor, is He simply looking for something to fill his time as he awaited trial. No, the missionary apostle is making the most of every second of his precious life, to exalt Christ and build His church.

In Philippians 1:12-14, notice what Paul writes about his time behind bars… “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”

Church family, if you live on mission with Christ. If you seek to see the gospel impact lives around you, and share it with others, then I promise this: Things will take many surprising turns along the way. Conversations may not go as you imagined, and you may find yourself in unforeseen places and challenging situations, but we can rest in knowing that God is sovereign over it all. Proverbs 16:9… “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” You see, the Lord, Himself will surely put you exactly where you need to be, when you need to be there. He will use you as He seems fit. Your job is simply to rest in the Lord’s sovereignty and make the most of all those God ordained moments of time, whether good or bad, to glorify Christ with your thoughts, words, and actions. Oh, what great rest we can discover in the sovereignty of our great God, who is constantly working all things for both His and our good.

2) Mission-minded Christians are willing to die to self and live for others (vs. 2-7).

Not only is Paul contently and joyfully serving the Lord behind bars as a result of his ministry and God’s sovereignty , notice verse 2, “if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;”. Look closely at those last words, “given to me for you.” You see dying to self, doesn’t simply mean forsaking our comforts and privileges, it also involves a willingness to deny personal merit. Notice how Paul takes zero credit for his ministry. He had no desire for the applause of others. He simply says the stewardship of God’s grace, that’s a rather fancy way of refereeing to the responsibility he had to preach the gospel to the Gentiles,“was given to me.” In other words, the apostle’s ministry was not earned or deserved, but it was just simply “given” to him.

Now, look with me through the next few verses, and notice how Paul continuously expounds on this point. In verse 3, the mystery of salvation for the Gentiles, Paul says “by revelation was made known to me.” He didn’t unravel the mystery of God on His own, but rather God made it known to him. Skip down to verse 5, notice the phase “as it has been revealed,” and then again, in verse 7, he adds, “I was a minister, according to the grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”

Over and over again, Paul refuses to take any credit for the work of God. In both his imprisonment and self-denial, Paul models a willingness to die to all forms of selfish gain. What else should we expect from the man who wrote the powerful words of Galatians 2:20… “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Church family, these words flow from the heart of a man who was on mission for God. A man, who was willing to daily take up his cross and follow the Lord, wherever He may lead. Oh, what an example to follow!

But not only was Paul willing to die to self, he also models for us what it means to live for others. Look again back to verse 1, “Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.” Then in verse 2, Paul writes of the stewardship of God’s grace which was “given to me for you.” You see Paul was a prisoner and steward for the sake of others. He continually died to himself in order to make God’s grace known, so that others may discover abundant and eternal life.

Listen, living for others, always, always involves a willingness to reveal the mystery of the gospel. The word mystery is certainly a keyword in this text, it first appears in verse 3 and is used several times after. A mystery in the New Testament was an unknowable, completely incomprehensible truth hidden from everyone until revealed by God, and Paul uses this word to speak of how believing Jews and Gentiles are made one in Christ.

Such a thought literally rocked the ancient world. Certainly, Paul understood how both the Jews and Gentiles would balk over the thought of having equal status before the God of Israel through Christ. So, notice what he does in verse 6. He plays on the word “fellow” which means “together” and uses it three specific times to form an echo effect. And in doing so, he is stressing the importance of the supernatural unity we discover in Christ.

Notice, Paul says that Gentiles and Jews are fellow heirs, meaning they are one family who will receive the same kingdom blessings in the future. Secondly, he says these two opposing groups are fellow members, implying they are literally of the same body, and lastly, they are fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. This phrase refers to the empowering of God’s Holy Spirit, whose presence was promised in the Old Testament as the chief blessing of being the people of God. This is what the gospel does, it unites us to Christ so that are one with Him, found in Him, and it unities us with one another into one amazing family of God.

Now think about it, just for a moment, how controversial this mystery message of the gospel was to both the Jews and the Gentiles. We must remember that these two people groups detested one another. And Paul was given this mission to go and proclaim a message that would be hated by most people. This is why Paul was beaten on numerous occasions, stoned, and imprisoned.

Church family, if we are going to be on mission, if we are going to go to the ends of the world with the gospel message, then like Paul we must be willing die to self and live for others. We must be willing to leave our comfort zones and gracefully enter the battlefield where we will potentially be misunderstood, hated, mocked, cursed, and attacked. But we do so in joyful obedience to the One who gladly gave His life for us. The one who was bruised, pierced, and crushed under the enormous weight of our own sin on the cross. We do it so others may be made alive in Christ to experience all the profound spiritual blessings of being in God’s family, where we are united in grace with Christ and one another. Are you willing to die to yourself so that others may live?

3) Mission-minded Christians are humbled by God’s amazing grace (vs. 7-8a).

ITs easy to notice an overarching theme of God’s amazing grace that runs throughout all of Paul’s letters. As a former blasphemer who persecuted the early church, the apostle was greatly humbled by God’s grace. In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, Paul said this… “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”

Listen, mission minded Christians love grace for they understand that it is only by grace that we are saved. And Paul’s profound affection and passion for grace teaches us how humbling God’s grace is. Notice in our text verses 7 and 8. Paul writes, “… I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.” Twice, in these two verses, Paul says “grace was given to me.”

By definition alone we know that grace is never earned for it is an underserved gift. And to stress this truth, notice how Paul describes himself in verse 8 as “the very least of all saints.” By no means is this a statement of false humility, but something Paul genuinely believes about himself.

In 1 Timothy he actually described himself as the chief among all sinners, a statement he makes in the present tense. How could he make such statements, as an apostle, missionary, and church planter? It’s only… only, because Paul had such a usually clear understanding of God’s righteousness, and as a result he also had an unusually clear understanding of how far he fell short of that righteousness. You see Paul on the Damascus Road encountered the resurrected Christ in all His glory, and he was never the same.

He never got over his unworthiness, in fact he was completely overwhelmed by it. He was permanently humbled on that day and made new. The great reformer Martin Luther once wisely wrote, “God creates out of nothing. Therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him.” Such a quote seems fitting to describe the transformation that took place in Paul’s life.

Does it yours? Have, you been humbled by the grace of God? Can you see or comprehend His perfect righteousness and see how far your own heart and life are from reflecting such glory?

Listen church family, as we continue to grow in knowledge of Christ, as we behold His righteousness through the studying of Scripture, we too should begin to see ourselves as the “least of all the saints.” And that lowly attitude will certainly not limit our Christian service but will prove to be the key to its usefulness.

You see as grace humbles you, you begin to identify with everyone around you, for no one is any longer beneath you. The poor, the weak, those entrapped in sin, those who typically annoy you, they all become worthy of your attention, they become worthy of your love, time, and energy. But when our selfish pride lingers within, do we not grow hard and stingy with our affection, time, and energy. Do we not move away from others in need, instead of moving towards in grace. Oh, how we need the grace of God to be worked deep down into our hearts, like it was Paul’s. Oh, how we need to repent of our pride and meditate on the grace God, constantly consider our own sinfulness, and the glory of the cross, where Jesus bled and died so that we may live.

4) Mission-minded Christians proclaim the glory of both Christ and the Church (vs. 8-10).

In verses 8 through 11, we see how God’s grace is not just humbling, but it is also empowering. For the grace of God enabled Paul, just as it enables all believers, to effectively share the gospel and minster to others. Notice in verses 8 through 10, how Paul focused his message in three distinct directions. First, in verse 8, he preached salvation to the Gentiles, in other words, he took the gospel to the nations. Specifically, he proclaimed “the unfathomable riches of Christ.” This phrase in the original Greek, is literally, “the riches that cannot be tracked.” Using the language of a hunter or skilled tracker, Paul is saying there is an untraceable, inexplorable, and unfathomable nature to the riches of Christ. You see His riches and blessings are unsearchable, not because they are hard to find, but because they so overwhelming fill every aspect of our faith, life, and eternity.

Too often, we as Christians fail to see how Christ enriches our life. We live in perhaps the most depressed and anxious culture that has ever existed. Instead of enjoying the unfathomable riches in Christ, our hearts and minds are obsessed with what we lack in this world. Oh, church what a message we have to share with a world that constantly longs for more. In John 7:37-38, Jesus himself said, “If anyone is thirsty, let Him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From His innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” The psalmist wrote, in Psalm 107:9… “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” That’s the wonderful message that Paul took to the Gentiles, that’s the hope of the gospel that we can carry to our neighbors, our friends, and family. You see, we can honestly tell everything that everything you truly need in this world can be found in Christ. That He alone can satisfy the deepest longings of your heart and bring lasting contentment to your heart and soul. Why? or How? Because you were created to live for Him and enjoy an intimate relationship with God forever. That’s your purpose.

Notice secondly, that Paul directs his message to inform the world of the church. We see this in verse 9, where the apostle said he preaches “to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things.” Like Paul, we as believers have a calling to enlighten all of humanity regarding the mystery of God bringing together the Jews and Gentiles to form a new humanity. One that is created and made new in Christ. This, Paul says, is no plan B. no afterthought in God’s mind, but rather His one and only plan from the very beginning. Our great God longs for all the nations to praise Him as their Lord, Creator, and Savior.

Our ministry and our message are one of illumination. Earlier in chapter 1:18, Paul prayed, that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened,” and now he uses the same word to describe his and our role in illuminating God’s plan of salvation through evangelism and missions. Listen, our calling is to bring the warmth and illuminating grace of God’s light to a dark world full of blind men and women.

When I was a child, one of my favorite songs that we sung as children at church was “this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” Are you letting your light shine for Jesus? Do you enjoy the warmth of God’s light?

Lastly, notice a third and surprising purpose or direction to this gospel mystery which was and is to be proclaimed. In verse 10 we read, “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” What an awesome thought the angels and heavenly beings stand awestruck to what God is doing within His church.

Listen, the angles long to look into the way we live for Christ together. Have you ever felt like someone is watching you? If you are part of the church, you literally have a heavenly audience. Author, pastor, and theologian John Stott writes, “The history of the Christian Church is the graduate school for angels. It is through the old creation (the universe) that God reveals his glory to humans; it is through the new creation (the church) that he reveals his wisdom to the angels.” You see, just as we can stand on the beach or on the edge of the Grand Canyon and stand in awe of all the glory of God on display, the heavenly angels stand in awe of wisdom of God displayed in our unity as the church.

I love how Paul uses the word manifold, God’s manifold wisdom. The word is rare, but it was used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Old Testament, to describe the multicolored coat that Jacob gave to Joseph. You see the many-colored fellowship of the Church. The colorful combination of Jews, Gentiles, souls from Europe to Africa, from America to the Orient, from Princeton MA to Boston, and everywhere in between. Furthermore, we not only have the combination of skin color and races, we have manifold personalities joined together as one. You have quirky people, weird people, uptight people, easy going people, controlling people, laid back people all made into one family… What possibly can go wrong? Listen, God knows what he is doing. He is making a new race of people, united in Christ, untitled in the love for God and for one another. And one day we experience this unity in all its fullness as we gather around His throne as the fully untied Church in glory!

You see, Paul is saying to be in Christ, as he thoroughly explained in chapters 1 and 2, means that you must be “in the Church as well.” United in a new family, united under the banner of His amazing grace. Listen, the bottom line is this: church attendance and participation is not an option for the Christian. Now, you may be thinking… what a minute Pastor Kevin, are you saying you must go to church to be a Christian? No, I’m not… but as one commentator I read this week wisely said, “you don’t have to go home to be married either.” Yet, if you are married and never go home, your relationship with your spouse should seriously be questioned.

Church family, in a world filled with broken relationships, broken homes, abuse, and broken promises, we can offer the world a new home, a place to be accepted, loved, cared for, and an environment where we grow up together in the Lord. We are far from perfect, but we are an awesome family that displays the manifold wisdom of God.

That’s the gospel message that Paul proclaimed and it’s the message we are too are to share. That Christ Jesus alone can satisfy the deepest desires of your heart, that He alone, as the true light of the world, can illuminate our world so that we can see and enjoy the warmth of His love, and that He alone can unify us with Himself and unite us with one another as one giant eclectic family of redeemed sinners. Any yet, all of it is done in a way that makes the angels and heavenly beings pause and marvel over His wonderful grace. What a gospel we have to share. What a Savior we have!

Listen, if you are here and your heart has never experienced true contentment, if your heart is just always longing for more, can I just encourage to look to Christ. Look to His cross where out of His great love for you, He physically bled and died for your sin. So that you can be forgiven and blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies. Maybe you are here, and your world is dark and cold, can I share a little light with you, that will push back the darkness and warm your heart. In John 8:12 Jesus said… “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” You see in Him we have abundant life, eternal life, and true light to walk with Him in truth.

Or maybe you are here today, and feel alone, and yet right now God is calling you to come home. He longs to adopt you into His household and into His family. You simply must believe in Christ, place your hope in His life, death, and resurrection. That in those sacred actions He became our substitute, He paid the price of our sin debt, appeased the wrath of God that our sinful actions deserved, and in His grace, He offers you a new and wonderful life in Him. You simply must turn from your sin and begin to live a life of obedience to His Word. I pray that you have done that, and I pray that if you haven’t that you will not leave this building until you have. With all the grace He offers, how you possibly walk away, without placing your faith in Him.

Church family, we have so much to offer this world, and we are going to be mission-minded then we must treasure and proclaim the glory of both Christ and the Church to anyone who gives us the time to listen.

5) Mission-minded Christians confidently draw near to God in prayer (v. 11-12).

Look with me quickly once again to verses 11 and 12… Paul writes, “this is in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” Listen church, when we put our faith in Christ Jesus, we can humbly and boldly enter His presence. In the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter His holy presence, and that was only for a brief moment once a year on the Day of Atonement. If anyone else dared to enter His immediate presence, they would die instantly because God cannot allow sin into His presence. His holiness will not allow it! But now, Paul says, in Christ, the new man who has been forgiven and made righteous through faith can come before God at any time with boldness and confident access, with no fear of rejection.

You see part of this glorious mystery is that all believers can experience a nearness to God that far exceeds the old covenant. If you are a Christ follower you can pray anytime and anywhere. As Hebrews 4:16 states, “we can draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Whatever time that may be.

Church, there is no doubt that mission-minded Christians take full advantage of prayer. In fact, they live by prayer. They love others through their prayers, and they proclaim the gospel and make Christ known by prayer.

In the early 1900’s there was a book written by an unknown author entitled “The Kneeling Christian.” It’s a little book, a quick read, but its full of great truth. And in it, the author makes this observation “Every convert is the result of the Holy Spirit’s pleading in answer to the prayers of some believer.” Church, we see in scripture that salvation is completely of the Lord, Ephesians has made that abundantly clear. For there is no one who just wakes up one morning and decides to believe in Jesus Christ. You see the only reason anyone believes is because the Holy Spirit convicts them of their sin, draws them to Christ, raises them to a new life, and grants them faith. That’s what we see in the Bible. Yet nevertheless, we should pray for the lost as if their salvation relied upon the sincerity of our prayers. Because we know God chooses to work through prayer.

Brothers and sisters, do you pray for those in your family that do know the Lord? Do you pray for your neighbors, co-workers, fellow students, who have yet to place their hope in Christ? Do you pray for our missionaries? Every week we highlight one, and we have the map in the foyer, can I encourage you to visit it often and pray for them, that God would use them to spread the gospel around the world.

This week, will you pray for VBS? That gospel seeds will be planted deep in the lives of the children who will attend. That they would respond in childlike faith to what they hear. Oh, that God, would stir in our hearts a passion to pray, and a deep longing to see souls come to Him for salvation through faith.

Today, we have looked at five distinct characteristics of a mission-minded Christian. (Place them on the screen). How does your walk with God line up? How does your heart line up with these truths? What changes do you need to make in order to align your heart with God’s heart for the nations? Pray with me.

KSW.1