Ephesians:Paul's Benediction

So by way of introduction I want to look at Pauls benediction to his readers then we will summerize what the Holy Spirit has shown us ove rthe past six chapters.

I have a long introduction and a short message, so just sit tight, make sure you are bukled. The landing gear is down and we have the clearence to land.

I) Encouragement to Remain Strong

A. The Messenger of Encouragement

The man Ty-chi-cus, whose name means “Lucky,” was a trustworthy servant of the Lord from Asia Minor.

Along with some other men, he accompanied Paul on part of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4).

He was one of the men who helped take the collection to Jerusalem.

He went to the trouble of going to Rome to be with Paul in his first imprisonment.

Now Paul is sending him back to Asia with the letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

He also escorted the runaway slave, O-nes-i-mus, who had now become a Christian, back to his owner, Philemon.

Tychicus was responsible to intervene before Philemon so that he would welcome Onesimus back as a brother, rather than punishing him as the law would have dictated.

It is likely that Paul sent him to relieve Titus on the island of Crete (Titus 3:12).

Ty-chi-cus was again with Paul in his second imprisonment.

Paul sent him to Ephesus, freeing Timothy to try to get to the apostle’s side before he was executed

Steven J. Cole, Ephesians, 2017, Eph 6:21–22.

Tychicus was very important to Paul’s ministry.

There are four things that we see about Tychicus that we can apply to our lives as fellow soldiers in the fight.

a. Be someone worth loving

beloved brother

Paul’s words here are almost identical with Colossians 4:7–8.

In both places, Paul refers to Tychicus as a beloved brother.

He could have called him just a “brother,” but he adds this word, beloved.

It shows that Ty-chi-cus was a warm relational man.

He wasn’t cold and indifferent

He wasn’t brash and insensitive

He wasn’t grumpy and difficult

He was beloved.

If someone had to describe you, could you be labeled as beloved?

He that has friends must show himself friendly.

Are you beloved by others?

b. Be someone that is faithful

(faithful minister in the Lord)

Also in Col.4:7.

It means trustworthy

Tychicus did what he said he would do.

He did his job with integrity

Paul could trust him to deliver the letters.

In a day when it would have been easy to mishandle the large gift for the Jerusalem saints, Tychicus could be trusted to deliver it all without pocketing some of it for himself.

He could be trusted to deliver safely the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

He had know clue that they would become a part of Scripture, but we have them in our New Testaments today because Tychicus was a faithful man.

Being faithful is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)

But it is becoming more and more common that fewer Christians actually posses this fruit.

A person that posess this fruit can be given a task and leadership does not have to constantly check on them.

Faithfulness is a crucial part of caring relationships, becasue people know that they can count on you! Can people count on you. Will, at the Judgement seat, Christ say Well done my good and faithful servant?

c. Be someone that serves

Faithful minister.

That word minister means nothing more than a servant.

Paul in Col. 4:7 calls him a fellow minister and fellow servant. This means that Tychicus was a fellow slave (bond-slave).

Paul is saying Tychicus made such a great servant because he knew that he was not his own man.

He belonged to Christ and he lived to serve Christ.

Could this be said about you?

Do you faithfully serve the Lord Jesus Christ? Not just on Sunday’s but every day?

Do you live to do His will?

Do you look for needs in the Church?

There are two types of people who walk in the door of the church.

One type thinks, “Here I am, church! Meet my needs!”

These folks often leave the church disappointed, because the church just didn’t meet their needs.

The other type walks in, looks around, and asks, “Where are the needs that I can meet?”

These are the Lord’s servants.

They’re not here to be served, but to serve Christ by serving His church.

They care about others.

Steven J. Cole, Ephesians, 2017, Eph 6:21–22.

d. Be someone that encourages

In Ephesians 6:22, Paul says that he is sending Tychicus so that “he may comfort your hearts.”

It is the Greek word for comfort, parakaleo, Means to exhort, urge, implore. It implies to come alongside to help.

Paul knew that the Ephesians were prone to lose heart over his trials (Eph. 3:13).

If Tychicus had been a gloomy, negative sort of guy, he would have told the Ephesians about how dismal Paul’s circumstances were.

he wasn’t that sort of man.

Paul knew that Tychicus would convey to the church Paul’s spirit of trust in the Lord, even in the midst of his difficulties.

This cheerful report would encourage them.

What a ministry there is for a person who learns to be an encourager!

This doesn’t mean that you put on rose colored glasses and deny the reality of problems.

Nor does it mean that you never acknowledge and confront wrongs.

Rather, it means that you get people to see things from God’s perspective, which always brings hope and encouragement.

No doubt, Tychicus would have conveyed Paul’s perspective that we read throughout Philippians 1 and other places.

Again the DHH version

“Yeah, Paul is in prison and his living situation isn’t exactly great. But you wouldn’t believe the ministry that God has given Paul with the soldiers. Every time they change the guard, Paul gets a new opportunity to tell about Christ. Now there are believers all through the praetorian guard and even in Caesar’s household!”

That was God’s perspective, and it would have brought encouragement and hope.

So let’s learn from this beloved, faithful, serving, and encouraging brother, how to be caring and godly brothers and sisters in Christ.

II) The Exhortation to Remain Strong Together

v.23-24

Paul concludes this letter just like he started it. Eph.1:2

Ephesians 1:2 KJV 1900

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that it is only by the grace of God and having the peace of God in our hearts that we are able to do what we do.

Paul also knew that it is much easier to fight a battle with reinforcements then it is alone.

Knowing that there are fellow soldiers in the fight makes it easier to fight.

But all of us have times of discouragements and times of faithlessness, its at these times that the prayers of fellow soldiers matter most.

The only way we are going to stay strong in the fight together is to pray one for another.

How do we do this?

What do we pray for when we dont know what to pray for?

Paul lists out three things that we need to pray for that will help others remain strong in the fight.

A. Pray Peace Among the Brethren

One of the main thrusts in Ephesians is that through the cross of Jesus Christ, we have peace with God and peace with those from whom we formerly were alienated (2:11–22).

We have peace with God because the blood of Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, which God’s perfect justice demands.

Drawing near to God is not a matter of being religious.

The Jews had been as religious as anyone could be, but their religion was not good enough to reconcile them to God.

Also, the good news is that being a sinful pagan who has never darkened the door of a church does not mean that there is no hope for you ever to be reconciled to God.

Rather, as Paul has shown, the blood of Christ has made it possible for both non-religious pagans and religious Jews to draw near to God through faith in Jesus.

But this peace with God through the cross of Christ also reconciles groups that formerly were alienated from one another.

As Paul wrote (Eph. 2:14

Ephesians 2:14 KJV 1900

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

a large part of the glory of the church for Paul was that it contained no individual groups (Col. 3:11

Colossians 3:11 KJV 1900

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

To many churches have split and are splitting.

This is mainly due to the fact that they cant get along.

There is no peace.

Paul wants to be sure that the churches in Ephesus remain strong, so he tells them “Peace be to the brethren”

Every day we are in a battle.

Satan’s dogs of war will bark at our heels and hound us right down to the river. (Phillips)

It should not be fellow soldiers that he is using.

We are not at war with the brethren.

We may not agree with some of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We may dislike and dispute some of their doctrines, or the way they have church, but we are not at war with them.

If we are, we are fighting the wrong battle.

It is not our job to pastor other churches.

If the church down the road is preaching the truth but do church differently then we do, its not my job or yours to try and fix them.

We waste more time talking about other churches when we should be praying for them.

John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series, (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 6:23–24.

B. Pray Love with faith

The way Paul lists his benediction reminds us of how Peace and love go hand in hand (Eph. 4:1–3

Ephesians 4:1–3 (KJV 1900)

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

God’s love for us is the example that we should follow for our love for one another (5:1–2).

Our homes should radiate the self-sacrificing love of Christ between husbands and wives, and parents and children (5:22–6:4).

In the church, we must work at building and maintaining loving relationships between one another (4:31–5:2).

Paul adds faith because it also is closely connected with love.

In Gal. 5:6

Galatians 5:6 KJV 1900

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

using the DHH version, we could say, “It aint what you do outwardly that matters, it is your faith that shows itself by the deeds done with love.”

Paul makes sure that he puts who all of this comes from.

Our peace, love and faith all come from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

They are the source of love and the givers of faith.

I love how John Phillips puts it. He says, “ Love is the source and faith is the force. Love reaches down; faith reaches up. Love is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end; faith lies in between. Love reaches out the hand of God; faith takes hold of it. Love provides all we need; faith appropriates it.” - J. Phillips

c. Pray Grace for All

This is Paul’s second benediction.

He pray’s that God’s grace would be with all believers.

They have already experienced some of the riches of God’s grace. Eph. 1:7-8a

Ephesians 1:7–8a (KJV 1900)

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Which He hath abounded towards us...

They know that it was by God’s grace that they are saved Eph. 2:5

Ephesians 2:5 KJV 1900

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Ephesians 2:8 KJV 1900

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Paul has also told them that it is only by God’s grace that they can do what they do. Eph. 3:2

Ephesians 3:2 KJV 1900

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Ephesians 3:8 KJV 1900

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Ephesians 4:7 KJV 1900

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

But what I think Paul is trying to get across here is, God’s grace is inexhaustible, it is a storehouse that never runs out and because of this we need to pray for one another and ourselves the we would experience grace upon grace. James 4:6

James 4:6 KJV 1900

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

We all need more grace!

So verses 21-24 are Pauls benediction.

His closing remarks to his readers.

He tells them to remain strong in the fight.

By Paul closing his letter like he opened it, allows us the opportunity to think back over the past 6 chapters and summarize what Paul has so diligently taught.

III) The Ephesian Summary

To wrap up the entire Letter to the Saints at Ephesus There are five things that we gain from it.

I pray that this series has been a help and an encouragement and if there is anything you take for this remember these five things.

A. The Gospel is Life Changing

Whether you are from a religious background, as the Jews in Ephesus were, or from a pagan background, as the Gentiles were, believing in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord drastically changed your life.

As we saw, many of the people in Ephesus were heavily involved in the occult (Acts 19:18–19).

Many had engaged in immorality with the temple prostitutes at the famous Temple of Artemis or Diana in Ephesus.

But when they came to Christ, they burned their occult books and they abandoned their immorality (Eph. 5:3–12).

God created them anew in righteousness and holiness of the truth (4:24).

Granted, this transformation works itself out gradually, as we lay aside the old life, are renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new life (4:22–24). But those who have been saved by grace embark on this new life of transformation in holiness.

B. The Right Belief is Is Crucial for Right living

Paul would not have spent the first three chapters of Ephesians laying the doctrinal foundation if doctrine were not crucial for your Christian life!

What you believe determines how you live.

If you claim to believe the gospel but live as the world lives, it proves that you really do not believe the gospel.

We live in a day when professing evangelical Christians have belittled doctrine as irrelevant or even as divisive.

While truth necessarily divides, we should hold to the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

C. God Loves the Church and Sacrificed for it

Ephesians emphasizes the vital importance of the church.

As Paul said (Eph. 1:23 the church is Christ’s body,

Ephesians 1:23 KJV 1900

Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

If Christ loved the church and gave Himself for the church as His bride (5:25–27), then we must love the church and give our time and efforts for her.

True, she is not yet glorified, without spot or blemish.

Yes, you will get wounded in the church.

But, yes, you must commit yourself to that to which Christ is committed.

You can’t say, “I love Jesus, but I hate His bride.” Or, “I love the Head, but His body stinks!”

D. Our Relationships Should Resemble Christ and the Church

This is the main thrust of Ephesians 2:11–22, 3:4–11, and 4:1–6:9.

It’s not a minor theme!

Remember, in that culture, Jews and Gentiles were completely alienated from one another.

But the church was to demonstrate the saving grace of God, who reconciled these two humanly incompatible groups into one new man.

It is vital that we work through relational differences and show the world the love of Jesus Christ through our reconciled relationships.

E.God has supplied all we need to Remain in the Fight.

The Spirit (Power and Might)

The Security (Salvation)

The Shield (The Armor of God)

The Sword (The Word of God)

The Saints (Prayers of Other Soldiers)

As long as we are here on earth we will have to fight and Paul has writen to them and us and is telling us,

“Don’t give up and don’t give in, Remain Strong in the Fight”

Conclusion:

Maybe you are here this morning and you have never had the life changing encounter that Paul talks aboiut in chapter 1 and 2. You can have that today.

Maybe you are here this morning and you have not loved like Christ loves, you can start today

Maybe you are here and you want to be like Tychicus, a servant, a beloved brother or sister, faithful. Wont you come and ask God to help you become more like Tychicus.

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