How do we Join Christ’s Mission?

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“What difference can a person really make?”

Maybe we get bogged down in the question…a teacher in a classroom, a retiree thinking their prime years are behind them, a person serving quietly in the shadows in the local church.

Yet, God has always used every day people to accomplish His purposes.

We tend to idolize Paul, but he writes this letter from prison. Still, it wasn’t his Roman chains that drove him. It was his service to Christ, so that even in prison with a limited audience and a narrow reach, he was still committed to Christ’s mission.

That mission still continues today.

As we study this passage, let us remember that God has uniquely placed us in different crossroads in life where we join Christ’s mission and gladly surrender to God’s will.

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Commit to the Will of Christ

Paul seems to begin a prayer here before interrupting his thought process. What he’s about to say is rooted in his previous teaching and spurred on by the fact that he is a prisoner of Christ for the sake of the Gentiles. While it seems Paul is bound by physical chains according to Eph.4:1, his true chaining is to Christ and His will. What is God’s will? It was first laid out in the opening line: Paul, an apostle of…Jesus by the will of God. Now, there is a little more clarity to God’s will. Not only is Paul an apostle, but he has been called and commissioned by God to take the gospel (the message of Jesus’ death on the cross to pain the sin-debt of the world and His resurrection that offers new life) to the Gentiles.

Why did Paul find himself in chains? He was arrested for preaching the very thing he’d just written to the Ephesian church: Gentiles are now a part of the true people of God. Most religious leaders of his day did not embrace Jesus as the Messiah, and they wanted to keep the walls of separation in place. Therefore, they pressured the Romans to arrest Paul for inciting the Jews. It would be tempting when facing a situation like this to think that God had lost control or to doubt the truthfulness of the gospel. However, Paul’s confidence in his call and his commitment to the will of God should remind us that every circumstance falls under God’s sovereign sway and there is a purpose for it all.

We even see Paul’s suffering as an aspect of his commitment to God’s will. As we get to verse 13, we see a different aspect of Paul as a servant of Christ. While we tend to be more familiar in his role as an apostolic missionary, preaching the gospel to the Gentiles and spurring the church on to works and good deeds, verse 13 gives us a glimpse of Paul’s heart. He displays a true shepherd’s heart—don’t lose heart over what I am suffering. Certainly there could/would have been the temptation to become discouraged or lose fervor because of Paul’s situation, but their faithfulness is what mattered to Paul. He encouraged them to not let his situation dampen their commitment to Christ.

Had Paul not preached the gospel, he wouldn’t have been in jail, but the Ephesians would not have heard and responded to the gospel, either. So, just as a mother willingly endures the pain of childbirth to see her baby enter the world, so Paul willingly (even joyfully!) suffered for the sake of the gospel that new believers would be born again.

We join Christ’s mission by surrendering ourselves to His will, trusting that even suffering and hardship can serve God’s greater purpose in advancing the gospel.

Commit to the Message of Christ

Paul saw his ministry as a stewardship of God’s grace. He was called to tend and manage the affairs of the gospel in regards to the Gentiles, including the Ephesian church. Given what we know from the NT, this primarily included proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ (“I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” - 1 Cor.2:2). However, it also involved teaching believers truth and encouraging them to live obedient to God in light of the gospel (see general structure of Pauline letters). Paul would also instruct leaders in the churches so that they could effectively teach and shepherd God’s people (see pastoral epistles).

Here, Paul further explains his ministry, noting that the mystery of the gospel was made known to him by revelation. Paul spent the latter part of chapter 2 discussing this mystery. In verse 6, he says it plainly: “Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” This is what he’d just written briefly about. Paul elsewhere writes that he did not receive instruction from man. Rather, it was revealed by God (Gal.1:12). Though he’d received this gospel directly from Jesus, he later confirmed his message was consistent with the apostles’ message in Jerusalem…fourteen to seventeen years later! You know what? The only thing added to his ministry was to remember the poor, which Paul was already eager to do.

This mystery that Paul now proclaims was not made known…in other generations the same way it had been now. Promises were certainly made in from the beginning. Moses and the prophets told of the Anointed One who would bring salvation to the ends of the earth, and God had promised to bless all of the nations through Abraham. Still, this wasn’t fully realized until Jesus came. Hewbrews says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Heb.1:1-2a).

We join Christ’s mission by faithfully proclaiming and living out the gospel message that unites sinners to Christ and to one another.

Marvel at the Grace of Christ

As a minister, Paul has been charged—according to the gift of God’s grace—with a particular area of responsibility. The term here is actually diakonos: deacon! It was his duty, as charged by God, to be a servant of the gospel. However, notice that he does not count this as a burden. Rather, it is a gift that he has received from God. It’s important to remember that as God’s people, his grace gives us what we need to effectively serve the kingdom. The opportunities we receive come with the strength to do them (see also Eph. 2:10). As believers make themselves available, God uses their willingness.

Specifically, his service of the gospel is to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. It is a humbling task for Paul, for he is keenly aware of his sinful nature, noting that he is very least of all the saints. Some may see a play on Paul/Saul’s name here. The term Paul—Paulus in Latin—means “small” or “insignificant.” In poetic fashion, the one who’s called “insignificant” realizes just how insignificant he is apart from Jesus. What an encouragement. If we think ourselves or our ministries insignificant, they are not. God has a purpose and plan, no matter how we reckon our own roles and giftings.

It is interesting how Paul refers to himself. Not only does he know his previous life well, but if there were pre-requisites for whom we minister to, Paul certainly would not be a missionary to the Gentiles. He was, after all, a Jew of Jews, a Pharisee, with a traceable lineage and zealous for the law and traditions. Instead of all his “achievements” in Judaism, God placed him in a ministry where none of that would count for anything. Instead, his simple purpose was to proclaim the riches of Christ which are impossible to plot, numerate, and trace the end of, making them therefore incomprehensible! It’s as if God is reminding us…

Our service of the gospel can never outpace our keen awareness of our own personal NEED for the gospel!

We join Christ’s mission by humbly serving through the grace God supplies, recognizing that our usefulness comes not from our greatness, but from His mercy.

Esteem the Church of Christ

First and foremost, the church is the vehicle! The church is the unified body of believers. Established on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone and built upon the apostles and prophets, the church now reveals the manifold wisdom of God. Manifold means something that is varied and multi-faceted. God’s wisdom is like a beautiful jewel, each turn reflecting something stunning and glorious, and it is revealed in the church.

As the church is built, God’s multi-faceted wisdom is revealed, and the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places now know it. Who does this refer to? There is debate whether it could be angels (in line with 1 Pt.1:12) or powers and principalities that are hostile toward God (Eph.2:2; 6:12). Honestly, the context may very well include both. If Jesus is seated above ALL rulers and authorities, would not both be included? In the former (angels), a mystery of God’s eternal plan and infinite grace is revealed in the salvation of any sinner who surrenders his life to Jesus. In the latter (demons), the victory of Christ is proclaimed over through the church as death is constantly defeated through eternal life in Christ alone.

This mystery that is now revealed has in fact been the plan all along. God had an eternal purpose that He has realized (brought to fruition) in Christ. God’s plan for all of history comes to a head in Jesus. He stands at the middle of all of history as the OT looks forward in eager anticipation of His arrival, and the NT looks back in humble adoration that Jesus has accomplished it all.

We join Christ’s mission by investing in and participating in the church, because God reveals His wisdom and displays Christ’s victory through His people.

Draw near to God Through Christ

God’s plan of salvation, realized in Jesus, executed on the cross and gloriously affirmed in the resurrection, clears the path for believers to have access to God. Now, because of Jesus, believers have boldness (willing to undertake an activity that could be deemed dangerous or full of risk) and access (the ability to appear before a superior). Remember in this gift that no one was allowed in the throne room, but believers now enter boldly (Heb 10:19). Whereas before there existed a multitude of cleansing rituals to enter into the presence of God, Christ Himself became the access point for any and all who come to Him in faith.

Don’t simply count this as a theological truth. Believers have confidence and freedom to enter into the presence of God Himself.

We can come to our Father in times of hurt, sorrow, and pain, knowing that He cares.

We can come to our Savior in the midst of struggles with sin, knowing that He welcomes our confessions and repentance.

We can come to our God with songs of adoration and praise, for the worthy One dwells on the praises of HIs people.

We can come to our infinitely wise Father when the path before us seems treacherous and unclear, and He will give us wisdom.

We can come to our King who owns the cattle on a thousand hills whenever there is provision that is needed in life.

We can draw near, and we can pray, Gracious Father, all praise to Your name. Let Your kingdom be realized in our lives and in this world, that Your will would be done. Supply all we need today according to Your glorious riches, and forgive us as we forgive others, for we are sinners living among sinners. Guard us from temptation and lead us in righteous paths for Your Name’s sake, Amen!

You see, access isn’t just a truth for the head. It’s a comfort for the heart and a help for the weary hand.

We join Christ’s mission by confidently drawing near to God in prayer and dependence, knowing that Christ has given us full access to the Father.

Experience

Jesus Christ is worth giving your life to. He is building His church and saving sinners. Jesus is revealing the wisdom of God to the world and even to the heavenly places. And amazingly, He invites us to participate in that mission.

So don’t think your life is too small, your gifts are insignificant, or your past is too broken for God to use. Paul—the former persecutor of the church—became a servant of grace. What mattered was not Paul’s greatness, but Christ’s mercy.

The same is true for us.

So commit yourself to the will of Christ. Proclaim the message of Christ. Marvel at the grace of Christ. Invest in the church of Christ. Draw near to God through Christ.

Because at the center of history stands Jesus—the crucified and risen King—and there is no greater privilege than joining His mission.