To Encourage You
Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Prayer
“Turn the Page”
Ephesians 6:21–24 (NIV)
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Who is Tychicus?
Who is Tychicus?
-Acts 20:4
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.
12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
Dear Brother
Faithful Servant in the Lord
Fellow Minister
We know that Paul trusted him deeply because he gave Tychicus the letter and entrusted him to not only deliver it to the church in Ephesus, but to read it to them and to share their stories with the church and encourage them.
What’s his job?
What’s his job?
To deliver the mail
To tell them everything, so they would know how Paul is doing and what he is doing.
Then Paul explicitly tells them Tychicus’ purpose…Ephesians 6:22
22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
To encourage them through testimony.
What again are Paul’s circumstances?
Paul is sitting in prision, most likely in Rome or perhaps Cesarea, writing not only this letter but the letter to the church in Philippi.
And if he is in Rome, then Tychicus could testify to everything that has happened to Paul and him since Paul had his heartful departure from the Ephesian elders on his way back to Jerusalem.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. 25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. 1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.
After they had torn themselves away from the elders of the church in Ephesus, Pauls journey took him to Jerusalem, where they were finally able to deliver the offering that the Gentile churches had been collecting for the church in Jerusalem to help them during their time of difficulty.
So Tychicus could tell them all about the offering and how it was used to bless the church of Jerusalem.
Likewise, Tychicus could then tell them all about the amazing events that took place once Paul and his company got to Jerusalem. How Paul was accosted and arrested by some Jews who were from Ephesus, and dispised his message and methods. Tychicus could testify about God’s amazing providence for having the Romans step in right before Paul was about to be killed and arrested him, thus saving his life. He could testify about how God gave Paul not only the ability to clearly proclaim the gospel to the crowd before he was taken to jail. I am sure he told them all about how God spared Paul’s life again after Paul testified in front of the Sanhedrin, who then came up with a plot to take down Paul and take him out once and for all. He could tell them all about how God promised Paul not to worry about this plot against his life because Jesus promised Paul In Acts 23:11
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
He could then tell them all about how Paul was transported to Caesarea, and how Paul was dragged before Governer Felix, about how Paul had to wait in prison for 2 years before Governer Festus took over and then in God’s providence, Paul was then able to share his testimony before governers and even kings.
And church, if Paul was in Rome when he wrote this letter, then Tychicus could then tell the church in Ephesus all about how God spared Paul’s life miraculously as Paul was travelling to Rome in chains. How God sent a storm, the ship they were on was shipwrecked but when it landed on Malta, God spared Paul’s life again even though he was bit by a viper, Paul was able to shake the snake into the fire and not only lived to tell about it but it led to him being able to proclaim Jesus to the island chief. God allowed Paul to pray over the chiefs sick father, and in fact the whole island saw a revival. But after they had wintered in Malta, they finally set sail for Rome.
I would say that would be extremely encouraging, to hear all these stories of God’s amazing providence. But what would be most encouraging is hearing words like these from Paul…
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
Now he wrote that to the church in Philippi, but he wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus at the same time he wrote the letter to Philippi and so I know that Tychicus could testify all about how God was able to take every single circumstance that Paul was facing and turn it into Good.
So that even the chains of imprisonment, chains that are meant to keep a person from freedom, chains that are meant to stop progress…cannot and will not deter God’s will. See in Christ, even chains of imprisonment, even a jail cell could be the very place that God wants you to be so that…
what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.
We know this to be true. We believe the words of Paul in Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
But along the path we need to be encouraged. And so God in his providence allows us to encourage one another through testimony.
This was Tychicus’s true purpose. To encourage the believers through sharing the stories of what God had been doing.
And that’s what testimony is all about. A true Testimony begins and ends with God. It witnesses to the work of God in the ordinary lives of you and me.
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
We are in this great cosmic battle church and the only power we have is the blood of our Lord Jesus and the Word of our Testimony.
Do you ever wonder why it is so tough for some people to share their faith?
- Fear holds many back…
- What I am going to say.
- What if I mess up?
- I don’t know the bible?
- What if they reject what I have to say?
Fear is a liar, and fear holds us back from sharing the amazing gift of a relationship with Jesus to those around us because it turns our attention from Jesus to ourselves.
But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but he has given us a Holy Spirit who empowers us, equips us and fills us to be his witnesses.
God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self control. 2 Timothy 1:7
When our attention is on ourselves and we start letting fear get in the way of sharing our faith, we allow the enemy ground. And if we are in a cosmic war then we need to advance and take back ground from the enemy. We are knocking on the doors of hell advancing the Kingdom of Christ with nothing but the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.
There can be no question that Jesus calls us to speak on his behalf…
Matthew 28:18-20- “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciple of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Mark 16:15- He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
John 20:21- Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Acts 1:8- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Romans 10:13-15
Even Paul said, “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear with one someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”
And church, as blood bought, redeemed and sanctified believers who are now filled with the very Spirit whom raised Jesus from the dead, we are called to be witnesses. To testify, to give our testimony of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Some of us are called to be apologists, people who can defend the faith. People who can come up with sound arguments and argue the best philosophers out there, but that is not everyones calling. Each and every person who is called a follower of Christ is called to be a witness for Him.
So this leads me to ask. Do we know how to share our story? Do you know how to give a testimony, a witness so that when God gives you the opportunity, you can make the most of it?
I want you to listen for these 3 things…
Acts 22:3-21
Life before Christ
Meeting Christ
Life after Christ
Pauls Testimony:
Acts 22:3-5- His Life before Christ
Acts 22:6-13 Meeting Christ
Acts 22:14-21- His life since meeting Christ
Paul’s testimony reminds me of a story that happened to Jesus and a man who was blind from birth. Jesus healed him and instantly he gained his sight. The Pharasees were ticked off that Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath and so they brought the blind man before him to testify about what happned.
The blind man’s testimony is so simple yet beautiful…
John 9:24-25
“A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner” (speaking about Jesus). He replied, “whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
See our story doesn’t have to be an elaborate, exaggerated and embellished story to give glory to God. We simply tell the truth about
- Who we were.
- Who me met.
- We we are now.
When we share our story. When we witness and testify of the glory of God in Christ, we advance His Kingdom. The we are partnering with Him in what he is already doing and we allow the Spirit to bring covnicition of sin. We allow the Spirit to bring about new life in Christ. We simply share our story of His Glory in us. Who we were…who we met and who we are now.
