What was Mystery, is now Known

For their Preparation (v17a); For their Perfection (v17b); For them to know their Purpose (v18a); For their Prosperity (v18b); For the Fulness of His Power in Them (v19)

Concerning the Placement of Christ (v20-22) - At the Right Hand of the Father; Above Everyone and Everything Else; At the Head of the Church

Concerning the Position of the Church (v23)

You Were Dead, but Now Alive (2:1-10)

It’s Personal (v1)

You were Dead; He made you Alive

Our Past (v2-3)

Our Path was Perverted; Our Conversation was Corrupt; Our Nature was Offensive

God’s Passion (v4)

Regardless, God…; The Riches of God - His Mercy, His Love

God’s Power (v5)

To Give Life to the Dead; To Give Fellowship to the Fallen

Our Placement (v6-7)

He has Elevated Us in Christ; He has Provided an Expectation of the Ages

Our Present (v8-9)

Salvation is by Grace through Faith; It’s a Gift to be Redeemed, not a Wage to be Earned, Glory is therefore God’s Not Man’s

Our Purpose (v10

Created In Christ, Unto Good Works; Expected by God to Walk Therein

You were Far Off, but Now Nigh (v11-22)

They’re Called to Remember their Past (v11-12)

They were Pagans, Aliens, Strangers, Hopeless & Alone

They Must Recognize their Present (v13-18)

Christ made us Nigh, Brought us Peace & Given us Access

That they Might Realize their Place (v19-22)

In the Household of God; As an Habitation for God

As we begin Chapter 3, we see another comparison between what was to what is.

The Comparison was ‘You were Dead, but now Alive’

The Comparison was ‘You were Far Off, but now Nigh’

Now we see that the Comparison is ‘What was Mystery, is now Known’.

*Disclaimer* - tonight will most likely be more of a teaching lesson than preaching

The Mystery is known because of…

I. Paul the Prisoner

We have in this passage

A Preempted Prayer (v1a)

Notice first the similarities between v1 & v14 - ‘For this cause I…’

Well, in v14 through the remainder of the chapter, Paul prays for the church at Ephesus (again). As we begin Ch. 3, it’s almost as if Paul was beginning to pray when he interrupted himself to address the topic which we are speaking on tonight - the Mystery that Paul speaks about here.

If you’re unsure as to what the mystery is, then hold on, I will explain it shortly.

We see a Preempted Prayer

A Prisoner for Purpose (v1b)

This is such an interesting statement - ‘the prisoner of Jesus Christ FOR YOU Gentiles.’ What does he mean by that? Just exactly what he says - he’s a prisoner because of them.

Two things to consider:

Ephesians is known as a ‘prison epistle’ because Paul wrote it while in a Roman prison.

The reason Paul was in prison is found in Act. 22.

Paul had been taken out of the Temple, a riot was erupting and the Roman guard came in and essentially rescued Paul from the beating (Act. 21:31-32). At the close of Act. 21, Paul asks to address the Jews. In Act. 22, Paul preaches unto them & gives his testimony - and they’re all listening… until (Read Act. 22:17-21) Then we see this: Acts 22:22 “And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.”

So Paul very much was in prison because he followed the direction of the LORD and preached unto the gentiles.

I wonder how many of us would continue to preach Jesus if it meant prison? Not many. Do you know how I know? Because many won’t preach Jesus out of shame, much less incarceration.

Paul was a Prisoner for Purpose

Paul the Prisoner. Next we’ll see Paul the Prophet

II. Paul the Prophet

We don’t consider much Paul the Prophet, but it’s an easy conclusion when you begin to think on what he’s saying in this passage

The Dispensation (v2)

Paul speaks of the ‘Dispensation of Grace’

Dispensation (def) house law; stewardship, management

In short, it’s a period of time where God’s ‘management of men’ changes. ***Note - God’s principles don’t change, but his methods of dealing with mankind do throughout history***

(Ill.) If you go back to Ex. 19, you see that God chose the COI to be a ‘kingdom of priests’ - the Jew was given the oracles of God to be a light to the world. That was under the ‘Dispensation of Law’, but things are different now. We have a priesthood of believers in the church. The Crucifixion and Resurrection ushered in this Dispensation we’re in now. When Jesus returns, a new Dispensation will begin - culminating with the ‘Dispensation of the fulness of times’ Paul spoke about in Eph. 1:10.

Paul speaks of the Dispensation

The Revelation (v3-6)

This revelation - the mystery - that Paul is expounding upon is how the Gentiles are not excluded from the promise, but fellow-heirs of the promise of God.

We saw in the preceeding portion how Paul speaks about how God united the Jew and Gentile (Read Eph. 2:13-18)

This revelation he also spoke unto the Galatians as well: Gal. 3:6-9; 14-18; 28-29.

This revelation was truly REVELATORY. We can hardly understand the division between Jew and Gentile, but for Paul to preach unto the Gentiles and NOT treat them as second class citizens was so foreign to pop culture of the day.

The Revelation

The Custodian (v7)

Paul says here ‘I was made a minister’ - in other words, he was made as a caretaker of this Gospel.

Not only that, but it was a ‘Gift of Grace’

By His Power

Church, Paul was faithful to be a custodian - a minister - to what God entrusted unto him. How about you?

God has given us a mission

Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

God has given us a ministry

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

God has given us a position and authority

2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Paul made a positive difference in the lives of others, because he took series the calling of God on his life and the commitment that he made unto the LORD.

The Custodian

Paul the Prisoner. Paul the Prophet, lastly Paul the Preacher

III. Paul the Preacher

The Riches of Christ (v8)

Here we see that Paul was used by God to preach the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’. The first thing that we’ll notice is:

Paul’s humility

Paul didn’t think of himself as though he had arrived nor that he was above anybody else. He was in his eyes ‘the least of all’ but was driven to do the most he could for Christ!

But Paul preached the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ - what does this mean? It means that Christ’s riches are so great, they are far beyond complete comprehension.

The Riches of His Grace

Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

The Riches of His Love

Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

My Jesus is rich in love - He’d have to be to do what He did for me! Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Riches of His Compassion

Stephen said: Acts 7:34 “I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.”

There was a time when I was in Egypt. I was a slave to my sin - but the Compassion of Christ was revealed unto me that he made me free!

The Riches of His Rewards

1 Peter 5:4 “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

It’s amazing for me to think that Christ wore a Crown of Thorns, but will give unto me a Crown of Glory! What riches He has to bestow upon His people!

Paul preached the Riches of Christ

The Revelation of Christ (v9-10)

Two things:

Paul wanted ‘to make all men see’. He wasn’t content with a plurality - he wanted EVERYONE to understand the revelation of God.

Secondly - as far as the mystery is concerned, this revelation was something that was a new understanding to that generation - how the gentiles would be grafted in. However, that’s not new to us today.

But I’ll tell you what is new to many:

The fact that they’re sinners

The fact that there’s a penalty for sin

The fact that Jesus loved them and died for their sins

The fact that if they will turn to Jesus, their sins will be forgiven and God will give them a home in Heaven.

Many of you will say ‘That’s no revelation - that’s basic Christianity’ - but that’s the point! Basic Christianity is foreign to many people - to hear that is a revelation!

We need to be faithful to preach revelatory truth unto the world, just as Paul was!

Paul preached the Revelation of Christ

The Reasons for Christ (v11)

Jesus wasn’t an afterthought

Jesus wasn’t ‘plan b’

The purpose of Jesus was eternal. God knew Jesus would be the sacrifice for man’s sins, BEFORE God even created mankind!

Jesus came because we needed Him!

People today need the LORD, we must be diligent about making Jesus known!

The Reasons for Christ

The Resiliency in Christ (v12-13)

Paul desired that they ‘Faint not’.

Though Paul suffered tribulations, he didn’t want that to hinder them. RATHER, through Christ exhibit the boldness and confidence that we have through faith in Him.

In other words - Paul said ‘I’m a prisoner because of you, but rather than you sorrow about that, live boldly with purpose by Faith in Him!’

We see the Resiliency in Christ

Conclusion

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