Ephesians 3:4-13

[Announce the Text] Please turn with me to Ephesians 3:4-13

[Help those unfamiliar with the Bible to find it] If this letter is new to you, take your time. Ephesians is located in the New Testament. You will find it to the right of the Gospels just after the letter to the Galatians and just prior to the letter to the Philippians.

[Scripture Introduction] As you are finding your way to the passage, I would like to explain what Paul means here with Jew and Gentile. The Jews as you probably know are the people of Isreal. In the Old Testament, they are the people of God, the ones to whom God makes himself know and with whom he dwells. The Gentiles are people of any other nation. In the Old Testament they are not the people of God but as we will read, Jesus changes this.

[Read the Text] Ephesians 3:1-13

Ephesians 3:4–13 ESV

4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

[Prayer for Illumination] Let’s pray . . .

[Introduction] Two years ago, I went on a ski-tour with my friends in Austria. Well, kind-of. I went with my friends on a ski-tour but I have any touring skis. So, I strapped my snowboard on my back and hiked up the mountain with snow shoes. If anyone knows anything about ski-touring and snowshoe hiking, you probably know that people on touring skis are not as fast as people on snow-shoes. I was told this before the hike but figured I was fit and could probably still keep up.

Well I was wrong. I started out strong and excited for the adventure. I was able to keep up until about the final third of the trip. As we got to the final third of the mountain, my friends started to go faster as their excitement, and probably high levels of adrenaline pushed them up the mountain. I could not keep up. As their excitement grew, so did my anxiety of being left behind at this high elevation. My mood shifted from excitement to fear and my body noticed this right away. I got really cold all of a sudden and feared felt my fingers start to go numb. I could hardly adjust my clothing to maximize warmth. My friends were very comfortable at this elevation, but I was just a boy from Georgia, a state in the US with neither mountains or snow, and I suddenly began to panic. I felt alone and doubted if I would make it to the top on my own so I sat down in the snow and contemplated turning around.

[COR] Paul is writing to Christians that are tempted to give up and loose heart. As I studied Ephesus, I realized that the context of these Christians is actually similar to our context in Munich in many ways. This means that the reason they may loose heart are similar to the reasons that we might loose heart as well. So I think this passage is very relevant to us in Munich.

How was Ephesus similar to Munich?

Ephesus was called the mother city of Asia because of her influence over politics, commerce, and religious atmosphere in the province. Like Munich, People would move from all over the world to Ephesus for the new life of endless opportunities. As a result, it was, like Munich, a multi-ethnic city that offered a lot of different religions and ways of life other than Christianity. For new believers, it must have taken courage to say no to all the other ways of life and to choose Christianity. especially when it seemed so powerless compared to the others.

Christianity seemed small and powerless in Ephesus. Ephesus was the home of the goddess Artemis. She had a huge temple that was 4 times the Parthenon in Athens. In comparison, Christianity did not have it’s own building. There were just a few house churches scattered throughout the city. On top of that, Paul, their leader was in prison so it felt like the government was stopping them and they felt powerless against this.

In our passage today, Paul assures them of the plan of God. It seems like God may has been out powered by the other gods and the rest of the city, but Paul assures them that God is sovereign and that His plan is far bigger than what they see in Ephesus.

[FCF] We also get discouraged and feel like Christianity is irrelevant and powerless. It can feel like God has lost control when we see the people of Munich continue to live a godless lifestyle.

Gospel Church is growing which is encouraging, but when we leave these walls we may feel like God has abandoned this city. We feel alone and greatly outnumbered.

Perhaps we feel foolish when our co-workers mock faith and religion and we wonder if our faith is reasonable. Why not just live for our careers like everyone else? Or practice eastern religion?

[garden lens] God knows that following him can get discouraging at times. That is why he gives us passages like this to encourage us. Passage like this remind us of God’s sovereignty and lead us back to trust in his power. This passage will help us remember the big picture and God’s grand plan for the world that He has been bringing about throughout history.

In this passage, Paul says that...

The church must not lose heart.

Why?

Because the PLAN of God unites us.

Because the POWER of God’s grace reconciles us.

Because the PERSEVERANCE of the saints holds us together

Because the PLAN of God unites us.

Ephesians 3:4–5 ESV

4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

Paul starts with excitement about the mystery of God’s Plan that has been revealed to this generation in a way that other generations have not known.

Throughout history, God has made promises to his people, and over the years, he revealed more and more of what his plan was. This mystery that is his sovereign plan.

So what is this mystery?

The mystery is this,

Ephesians 3:6 ESV

6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Now before we talk about the unity of Jews and Gentiles, we must consider the cultural and religious context that this takes place in. That the Jews and Gentiles unite is a radical from both the Jewish and the Gentile perspective.

The Jews did not like the Gentiles. They considered the Gentiles unclean and were not even supposed to go into their houses. [This by the way was a law they came up with. It is not in the Old Testament]. So before the gospel had it’s impact, the Jews never would have imagined reconciliation with the Gentiles.

But The hate went in both directions. The people of Ephesus (Gentiles) did not like the Jews either. Historians tell us that Jewish rights were regularly violated in Ephesus. Josephus, a Jewish historian of the 1st century wrote about the Ephesians, that “they feel a hatred for our religion which is undeserved and unauthorized” (Ant. 16.45)

So no one, Jew or Gentile expected or even wanted this change. There is no historical reason for Jews and Gentiles to suddenly unite which points to the supernatural power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is encouraging them that they are evidence of the Plan and Power of God. God is at work and they should not loose heart.

The Greek here is poetic and powerfully clear. Paul describes the Gentiles with three words and each one of those words starts with a prefix sun that means with/together. He says that the Gentiles are together heirs, and together members of the same body, and together partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel

They are together heirs of the promises of Israel that the children of Abraham are to receive

The contents of the inheritance are not described here, but we know from the Old Testament promises that the people of God are to expect many descendants, land, a king, and New Testament reveals more detail as it describes the Kingdom of God and the New Heavens and the New Earth where all is restored and made right again. Most importantly, the inheritance promises that we, as adopted sons, will be with our Father. Intimately close to him.

They are together members of the same body - the church.

In order to keep the linguistic pattern of the together prefix, Paul combined the prefix together onto the word for body part/members and created a new word that is not used before this. We not only receive the same inheritance, but until that happens, we live together as one. We each have different functions in the church and we need each other. Jews and Gentiles are no longer enemies - they need each other. We are part of the same body.

Finally we are together partakers of the promise in Jesus Christ through the Gospel. Based on Ephesians 1:13 , just a few paragraphs earlier, we see Paul describe the Holy Spirit the promised Holy Spirit. So partakers of the promise means, among many other things, that the Gentiles and the Jews partake of the Holy Spirit. Of course, it also includes the promises of the Old Testament that are fulfilled in Jesus.

partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel

this occurs through the Gospel. The gospel is the good news that Paul was called to share:

that Jesus is the son of God who innocently died in the place of sinners to pay the penalty for their sin.

The gospel says that Jesus did not remain dead, but that he rose again on the third day - thereby conquering death and the devil and all the ways darkness manifests itself in this earth.

The gospel says that because Jesus rose from the dead, so all of Creation will experience a similar sort of death and resurrection and will be completely restored and glorified.

The gospel says that through Jesus, the lost sheep, in this case the Gentiles who believe, will confesses that Jesus is God, and that they have sinned. They will be forgiven of their sin and united with Christ. They will be together with him, with the Jews who also believe in Jesus Christ.

This invitation extends to all of you as well.

Earlier in this letter, In Ephesians 1:7-10, Paul writes that

Ephesians 1:7–10 ESV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Believe in Jesus and become part of this glorious plan of God!

Galatians 3:28 ESV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The mystery that people have been longing for is that Gentiles are together heirs, and together members of the same body, and together partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel

One of the commentators that I read, his name is Clinton Arnold, he said “This threefold stress on “together” emphasizes the obliteration of any distinction in God’s way of bringing salvation to his people. God’s people will now be identified by their togetherness in a multiethnic loving group endowed by the Spirit of God.”

This fulfillment of the promises is not what anyone expected. It goes over and above what anyone expected. It far exceeds what God promised.

Its like if BMW announced that they were coming out with a new car… We would expect a car similar to their other cars but with a bit better technology.

What if they came out with the car, and it turned out that they combined with Mercedes, and Volks Wagen, and not only German companies but also Toyota, and Chevrolet, and all the brands in the whole world and together they designed a flying car! This would not only break down these barriers we have in our minds concerning car brands, but it would

[transition] The Plan of God unites Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles are together heirs, together members of the same body, and together partakers of the promises. Of course, such unity is not easy. When people from all over the world come together as one, conflict is bound to happen. It is only a fake unity of true reconciliation does not occur. It takes hard work. But Paul also us not to loose heart because the plan of God unites us.

Human response: the church must not lose heart.

Because the PLAN of God unites us.

Because the POWER of God’s grace reconciles us.

One of the beautiful aspects of this mysterious plan of God is the reconciliation that occurs between enemies.

We saw earlier how on a broad scope, unity occurs between Jews and Gentiles. Now we see the focus narrow on the specific reconciliation of one man Paul, who used to be Saul. A man who used to persecute the church and do anything he could to stop the plan of God. Saul now Paul is reconciled to Christ and to the people he tried to kill.

The language hear is powerful and emotional as he speaks of his conversion.

Ephesians 3:7–9 (ESV)

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

It’s beautiful that the greatest enemy of Christ was converted and entrusted with such a beautiful task as an apostle of the church.

As we consider our identity as Christians, we must recognize that who we are, is a body made up of members that were previously enemies. We come together as a church with people who we would otherwise find very challenging and difficult. People we would otherwise hate.

Maybe you are upper class and you have a really hard time associating with poor people

Maybe you are poor and find rich people unpleasant.

Or maybe you are a politically right and you can’t stand the left - or vice versa.

OR maybe there are specific people who you can’t stand because of something they have done to you.

I don’t know your situation but I expect as humans in a diverse church, that there is plenty of reconciliation that we should engage in. We should not pretend like it is always easy for people from all different continents to come together. It takes work but the work is beautiful

The grace of the gospel empowers us to reconcile with one another. It is our identity to be a people who are reconciled that would otherwise be enemies. This reconciliation is about far more than you and the other person! In fact, it’s about the plan of God unfolding on this earth. It may seem like no big deal for you to make that apology to that person you wronged, or to confront someone who wronged you.But take this seriously, it has cosmic implications!

In fact - it’s such a big deal that even the heavenly forces are watching it unfold!

Lets look forward to verse 10. Paul writes that

Ephesians 3:9–10 ESV

9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

When you have that hard conversation and reconcile with your brother, the rulers and authorities in heaven are watching! Who are these rulers and authorities in the heavenly places? Paul gives us more insight into these characters in Eph 6:12

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

So the primary audience that Paul has in mind when he speaks of the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, are the antagonistic ones that have rebelled against God. When these rulers and authorities saw Jesus crucified, they thought that they had won the battle. They thought that Jesus died and that everything would be destroyed by sin. But they are not omnipotent. They did not know the rest of the story.

Ephesians 1:10 ESV

10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

When they see you reconcile with your brother, they see that they have lost. They see the fruit of Jesus’ resurrection playing out in our lives and they hate it. Jesus came to unite all things to himself, things in heaven and things on earth, and they see this happening in the church, between you and your enemies when the gospel makes you brothers. They are starting to see evidence that they lost.

In 1994 the Miracle of Bern occured -one of the greatest upsets in soccer history. It was the world cup final between West-Germany and Hungary. Hungary was the tournament favorite that was unbeaten for 32 games while West-Germany was a hodge-podge of semi professional players with other regular jobs that only played a few games together before the tournament.

Only 8 Minutes into the final Hungary was up 2:0. I imagine that at this point, the Hungarians felt like the battle was over and that they had won. This is how the rulers and authorities of the heavenly places probably felt when Jesus breathed his last on the cross.

But the game was not over! Germany fought hard that rainy day and managed to score 3 goals before the final whistle blew, winning the game 3-2.

This comeback story is just a hint of how unexpected the comeback is that we get to be a part of . Jesus won the victory by rising from the dead. He scored those three goals and we get to live the celebration of that victory. Imagine how the Hungarian players felt at the end of the game when all the fans were chanting Germany! Germany! When we reconcile with one another, that is us cheering the victory of Jesus. When they see us reconcile, they see the joy that comes from the victory of Jesus.

Ephesians 1:10 ESV

10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

They see the plan of God unfolding in the church. They see the Jews and Gentiles coming together and know that the eventually all of heaven and earth will be united with him.

Remember this the next time you ask yourself if it is worth it to make that hard apology or to confront that person that hurt you. You need it in your life, but it’s also a lot bigger than just you and the other person. It’s cosmic big. The enemies of God see that forgiveness as evidence that they lost.

[transition] We also can have confidence in our reconciliation because we know that this hard work of reconciliation will last for forever.

the church must not lose heart.

Because PLAN of God unites us.

Because the POWER of God’s grace reconciles us.

Because the PERSEVERANCE of the saints holds us together

Ephesians 3:11–13 ESV

11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Another way that the plan of God far exceeds what was promised in the the Old Testament is the intimate access that those of faith can have to Jesus. Since the curtain was torn in two, Christians can approach Jesus boldly, not because of what we have done, but because of our faith in the finished work of Christ.

John 6:37–40 ESV

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus is holding onto us and will no NEVER loose any of those he came to save. We, Jew and Gentile, who have faith in Jesus will be raised up on the last day

It is for this cause, their future Glory that Paul is gladly imprisoned. Paul suffers for the Gospel because he knows wonderful plan of God. He knows that it is worth it to suffer for such a cosmic glorious and powerful plan. He knows that his team will come out victorious He has his eyes on the prize!

Paul tells them not to loose heart either, but to hold onto Jesus who will preserve them until their glorious home with Him

When I was sitting in the snow on the way up that mountain, during the ski tour, I was defeated. I felt like I had lost and the mountain, the cold, and the elevation had beaten me. I had lost heart. I didn’t know if I could continue up the mountain. I didn’t know what to do.

In that moment, a friendly man passed me on his skies and pointed to the top of the mountain and said “you are almost there!” I followed his pole that he was pointing with to the peak and realized, in that moment, that I was actually not as far from the top as I thought! I had seen that peak but I didn’t know if it was the last one.

Knowing that this peak that I could see was our goal, I realized that I would make it. My mood changed completely. I was encouraged and excited. I had the energy I needed and I rushed to the top at a similar pace that my friends left me in. I reached the top in joy and enjoyed a glorious view. It was definitely worth the climb. I also got to snowboard down one of the coolest back country routes I have ever boarded.

Knowing what the goal is, and that it is not as far off as it often seems encourages us to not loose heart. We can be strengthened knowing that our suffering leads to glory

Romans 8:18 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

So press on church do not loose heart! Your glory is near.

not only that. You also should not loose heart because you are part of this wonderful mysterious plan of God

The power of God’s grace reconciles us.

and the perseverance of the Saints through Jesus holds us together until we are with him forever.