Listening to God's Message
Notes
Transcript
EPHESIANS 3:1-7
LISTENING TO GOD’S MESSAGE
A YOUNG MAN APPLIED FOR A JOB
•AS A TELE-GRAPH OPERATOR.
•WHEN HE ENTERED THE LARGE, NOISY
OFFICE WITH THE TELEGRAPH CLACKING
AWAY IN THE BACKGROUND.
•HE NOTICED 7 OTHER APPLICANTS WAITING.
•EACH ONE HAD HIS JOB APPLICATION FILLED
OUT.
THERE WAS A SIGN ON THE DOOR
•TO THE INNER OFFICE SAYING
APPLICANTS MUST WAIT TO BE
SUMMONED.
•AFTER STANDING THERE A FEW
MOMENTS IN THE NOISY OFFICE
•THE YOUNG MAN, CROSSED THE ROOM
TO THE DOOR OF THE INNER OFFICE,
AND WALKED RIGHT IN.
•THE OTHER APPLICANTS WERE
SHOCKED, WHAT WAS GOING ON.
•WHY HAD THIS MAN BEEN SO BOLD?
•THEY HADN'T HEARD ANY SUMMONS
YET.
•THEY ASSUMED THE YOUNG MAN WHO
WENT INTO THE OFFICE↓
WOULD BE REPRIMANDED
•FOR HIS PRESUMPTION AND
DISQUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.
•WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THE YOUNG
MAN & THE INTERVIEWER CAME OUT..
•"GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR COMING, BUT THE JOB HAS BEEN
FILLED BY THIS YOUNG MAN."
THE OTHER APPLICANTS BEGAN
•"WAIT A MINUTE -- I DON'T
UNDERSTAND.
•HE WAS THE LAST ONE TO COME IN
•WE NEVER EVEN GOT A CHANCE TO BE
INTERVIEWED. YET HE GOT THE JOB.
THAT'S NOT FAIR."
•THE EMPLOYER RESPONDED,
"ALL THE TIME YOU'VE BEEN
•SITTING HERE,
•THE TELEGRAPH HAS BEEN TICKING OUT
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE:
•'IF YOU UNDERSTAND THIS MESSAGE,
THEN COME RIGHT IN. THE JOB IS YOURS.'
•NONE OF YOU HEARD IT OR UNDERSTOOD
IT.
THIS YOUNG MAN DID.
•SO, THE JOB IS HIS."
•TO BE ABLE TO TRUST THE GOSPEL
MESSAGE
•WE HAVE TO HEAR IT…
•AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT…
•BUT FOR SOMEONE TO HEAR IT
SOMEBODY HAD TO PROCLAIM IT…
AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE CALLED
•TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS…
•THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST…
•BY GOD’S GRACE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN
STEWARDSHIP OVER THE GOSPEL MESSAGE…
•A MESSAGE THAT HAS BEEN REVEALED OR
MADE KNOWN TO US…
•THROUGH GOD’S WORD… THE BIBLE…
IF WE ARE GONNA FULFILL THE CALL
•TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL
•THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE NEED TO
KNOW….
•TODAY WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT
PAUL EXPLAINING SOME OF THESE THINGS
•AS HE TALKS ABOUT HIS MINISTRY TO THE
GENTILES.
TURN TO EPHESIANS 3:1
•PAUL SPENT ALL OF CH. 2 TALKING
ABOUT THE UNITY OF THE JEWS AND
GENTILES IN THE CHURCH…
•HE TOLD THE GENTILES THEY WERE NO
LONGER STRANGERS
•THEY ALL WERE BEING BUILT UP INTO A
HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD…
EPHESIANS 3:1–2
FOR THIS REASON I, PAUL, THE
PRISONER OF CHRIST JESUS FOR THE
SAKE OF YOU GENTILES— IF INDEED
YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE
STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S GRACE
WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME FOR YOU;
THE GOSPEL BRINGS UNITY
•PAUL WROTE THIS LETTER FROM PRISON.
•HE IS IN PRISON BECAUSE OF A RIOT IN
JERUSALEM…
•THE RIOT STARTED WHEN PAUL WAS
ACCUSED OF TAKING AN EPHESIAN
GENTILE INTO THE TEMPLE…
•WE READ ABOUT THIS IN ACTS 21
THE JEWS ACCUSED HIM OF THIS
•BECAUSE HE KEPT PREACHING THAT THE
GENTILES WERE FELLOW HEIRS IN
CHRIST…
•WHEN PAUL SAYS FOR THIS REASON I,
PAUL, THE PRISONER OF CHRIST JESUS
•HE IS EXPLAINING THAT HE IS A
PRISONER ↓
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN
•PREACHING THE GOSPEL.
•HE HAS BEEN LOCKED UP FOR TEACHING
UNITY BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES.
•DID YOU NOTICE WHO PAUL SAID HE
WAS A PRISONER OF…
•HE DID NOT SAY HE WAS A PRISONER OF
ROME…
HE DID NOT SAY HE WAS
•A PRISONER OF THE EMPEROR….
•PAUL SAID HE WAS THE PRISONER OF
CHRIST JESUS
•THIS IS PAUL’S WAY OF SAYING THAT
ROME DOES NOT CONTROL HIS FATE…
•THAT CHRIST AND NOT THE EMPEROR
WILL DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS TO HIM.
HE IS A PRISONER IN A ROMAN JAIL
•BUT HE BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST…
•AND WE NEED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION
TO WHY PAUL IS THERE…
•HE SAYS HE IS THERE FOR THE SAKE OF
YOU GENTILES
•PAUL IS SUFFERING IN PRISON FOR
THEIR BENEFIT.
PAUL HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN
•THE GENTILES AND JEWS BEING MOLDED
TOGETHER INTO “ONE NEW MAN”… THE CHURCH…
•AND THE GENTILES HAVE BENEFITED FROM PAUL’S
WORK
•GOD HAD CHOSEN PAUL TO BE THE APOSTLE TO
THE GENTILES…
•AND FULFILLING GOD’S CALL HAS RESULTED IN
PAUL’S IMPRISONMENT…
THE GOSPEL BRINGS SUFFERING
•I KNOW WE DON’T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT
THIS…
•BUT OVER THE LAST 2000 YEARS OR SO…
•A LOTTA PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED FOR
BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS…
•AND THE TRUTH IS PEOPLE ARE STILL
SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL TODAY…
PAUL WANTS THE EPHESIANS
•TO UNDERSTAND HOW HIS
IMPRISONMENT WAS FOR THEIR SAKE…
•WHEN HE SAYS IF INDEED YOU HAVE
HEARD
•HE IS NOT QUESTIONING IF THEY HAVE
HEARD… HE IS POINTING OUT THE FACT
THAT THEY HAVE HEARD ↓
OF THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S
• GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO PAUL FOR YOU;
FOR THEIR SAKE…
•THAT PHRASE THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S
GRACE
•IS A DESCRIPTION OF PAUL’S CALLING TO BE
THE APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES…
•A STEWARDSHIP…. IS A SET OF PLANS OR
ARRANGEMENTS…
AND THE PLAN OF GOD’S GRACE
•IS THE GOSPEL..
•AND THIS GOSPEL PLAN OF GOD’S
GRACE WAS GIVEN TO PAUL BY GOD…
•WHEN PAUL TOLD THE PLAN OF GOD’S
GRACE TO THE GENTILES…
•HE ENDED UP IN JAIL… HE SUFFERED…
IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD
•WE NEED TO KNOW IT WILL INVOLVE
SUFFERING…
•I AM NOT SAYING WE WILL ALL END UP
IN JAIL LIKE PAUL…
•BUT IF WE SERVE GOD AND PREACH THE
GOSPEL THERE WILL BE SOME LEVEL OF
DISCOMFORT…
MAYBE IT COSTS US TIME OR MONEY
•MAYBE WE SUFFER THROUGH
AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS
•WHEN WE TRY TO EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL
TO LOVED ONES.
•IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD PEOPLE
LOSE FREEDOM… AND EVEN THEIR LIVES
FOR SERVING GOD
2 TIMOTHY 1:8
THEREFORE DO NOT BE ASHAMED
OF THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LORD
OR OF ME HIS PRISONER, BUT JOIN
WITH ME IN SUFFERING FOR THE
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE
POWER OF GOD,
SOMEONE ASKED C.S. LEWIS,
•"WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER?"
•"WHY NOT?" HE REPLIED.
•"THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN TAKE IT."
•WHEN WE SUFFER FOR THE GOSPEL WE CAN
KNOW IT WAS WORTH IT….’
•THE THING ACCOMPLISHED WAS WORTH THE
PRICE PAID.
THERE IS SOMETHING HERE I WANT
•US TO SEE… AND WE MIGHT MISS IT IF
WE ARE NOT CAREFUL…
•PAUL WAS GIVEN THE MISSION… THE
TASK… OF TAKING THE GOSPEL TO THE
GENTILES…
•AND HE DID THIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF..
•FOR THE SAKE OF THE GENTILES…
HE DID NOT SERVE GOD
•FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT…
•HE DID IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS…
•I KNOW THIS SOUNDS OBVIOUS… BUT I
THINK SOMETIMES WE MISS IT…
•WE ARE SO USED TO DOING THINGS
BASED ON WHAT WE GET OUT OF IT…
WE HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME
•SERVING FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS…
•ARE WE SERVING TO IMPRESS OTHER
PEOPLE?
•DO WE THINK WE SCORE POINTS WITH
GOD WHEN WE SERVE?
•DO WE THINK WE CAN EARN HEAVEN BY
OUR SERVICE?
IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD
•WE NEED SERVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF
OTHERS…
•AND NOT FOR OUR OWN BENEFIT.
•WE SERVE GOD OUT OF THANKS AND
GRATITUDE FOR WHAT HE DID FOR US…
•WE SERVE GOD OUT OF RESPECT AND
HONOR FOR WHO GOD IS…↓
THE CREATOR SUSTAINER
•OF THE UNIVERSE…
•WE SERVE GOD FOR THE SAKE OF…
•FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS…
•AND NOT FOR WHAT WE GET OUT OF IT…
•AND THIS GOSPEL THAT WE SHARE WHEN
WE SERVE GOD
•IT HAD TO BE REVEALED IT TO US…
EPHESIANS 3:3–5
THAT BY REVELATION THERE WAS
MADE KNOWN TO ME THE MYSTERY,
AS I WROTE BEFORE IN BRIEF. BY
REFERRING TO THIS, WHEN YOU
READ YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY
INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERY OF
CHRIST,
WHICH IN OTHER GENERATIONS
WAS NOT MADE KNOWN TO THE
SONS OF MEN, AS IT HAS NOW BEEN
REVEALED TO HIS HOLY APOSTLES
AND PROPHETS IN THE SPIRIT;
THE GOSPEL IS REVELATION
•PAUL IS IN PRISON FOR TEACHING THE
UNITY OF THE JEWS AND GENTILES IN
CHRIST.
•BUT PAUL IS NOT TEACHING HIS OWN
IDEAS…
•HE DID NOT INVENT THIS CONCEPT OF
UNITY…
PAUL SAYS THAT BY REVELATION
•THERE WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME THE
MYSTERY,
•THE MYSTERY HE IS TALKING ABOUT HERE IS
•THE FACT THAT GOD’S PLAN INCLUDED THE
JEWS AND GENTILES
•BEING JOINED TOGETHER TO FORM THE
CHURCH.
AND WHEN PAUL SAYS THIS
•WAS MADE KNOWN TO HIM BY
REVELATION…
•HE DID NOT MAKE IT UP…
•THAT MEANS HE DID NOT FIGURE IT OUT
ON HIS OWN…
•MAYBE PAUL RECEIVED THIS REVELATION
ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS
WHEN CHRIST APPEARED TO HIM…
•MAYBE IT HAPPENED WHEN ANANIAS
REMOVED THE SCALES FROM HIS EYES…
•MAYBE IT WAS DURING HIS TRAINING IN
ARABIA…
•BUT THE POINT IS… THE REVELATION CAME
FROM GOD…
•BECAUSE GOD IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF
REVELATION.
AND JUST LIKE GOD HAD TO
•REVEAL THE MYSTERY OF THE GENTILES.
•GOD HAS TO REVEAL THE MYSTERY OF THE
GOSPEL…
•NO ONE FIGURES OUT THE GOSPEL ON THEIR
OWN…
•GOD HAS TO REVEAL IT TO THEM…
•AND WE ARE BLESSED TO BE PART OF THAT
REVELATION…
WHEN WE TELL PEOPLE ABOUT CHRIST
•WE PARTICIPATE IN GOD REVEALING, OR
MAKING KNOWN THE GOSPEL…
•THE AMAZING THING ABOUT THE GOSPEL
•IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CAN’T FIGURE
IT OUT ON OUR OWN…
•WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT ONCE IT IS
REVEALED…
THE GOSPEL CAN BE UNDERSTOOD
•PAUL WANTS THE EPHESIANS TO KNOW
THAT THIS MYSTERY
•OF THE GENTILES AND JEWS BEING
UNTIED IN THE CHURCH…
•HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL…
•WHEN HE TELLS THEM…
•BY REFERRING TO THIS, ↓
WHEN YOU READ YOU CAN
•UNDERSTAND
•HE IS TALKING ABOUT THEM GOING
BACK AND READING
•HIS EXPLANATION OF HOW THE
GENTILES AND JEWS
•ARE NOW FELLOW HEIRS AND FELLOW
CITIZENS..
HOW THEY ARE BOTH
•IN GOD’S HOUSEHOLD…
•AND WHEN THEY GO BACK AND READ
HIS EXPLANATION…
•THEY WILL UNDERSTAND PAUL’S INSIGHT
INTO THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST,
•AND THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST IS THE
GOSPEL MESSAGE…
ROMANS 16:25
NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO
ESTABLISH YOU ACCORDING TO MY
GOSPEL AND THE PREACHING OF
JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE
REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY
WHICH HAS BEEN KEPT SECRET FOR
LONG AGES PAST,
IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE
•GOSPEL MESSAGE BETTER…
•IF WE WANT GAIN INSIGHT INTO GOD’S PLAN
FOR OUR SALVATION…
•WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ…
•WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ THE
GOSPELS…
•WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ THE
EPISTLES…
AND THE BOOK OF ACTS…
•WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ THE
OLD TESTAMENT…
•WHEN WE READ OUR BIBLES WE WILL
GROW IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
GOD’S PLAN FOR SALVATION…
•WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT IS WRITTEN
IN GOD’S WORD
THE GOSPEL IS MADE MORE CLEAR
•THE GOSPEL IS IN THE BIBLE FROM
GENESIS TO REVELATION…
•BUT THE WAY IT IS PRESENTED CHANGES
AS WE MOVE FROM START TO FINISH…
•FROM GENESIS TO MALACHI THE GOSPEL
IS FORESHADOWED…
•IT IS HINTED AT… OUR SIN IS REVEALED…
OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR IS SHOWN…
•THE PROMISE OF A COMING SAVIOR IS
GIVEN…
•BUT THE EXACT MESSAGE OF THE
GOSPEL IS VEILED…
•FROM MATTHEW TO JUDE THE GOSPEL
IS EXPLAINED IN GREATER AND GREATER
DETAIL…
AND IN REVELATION THE GOSPEL
•IS COMPLETED…
•THAT IS WHAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT
WHEN HE SAYS…
•WHICH IN OTHER GENERATIONS WAS
NOT MADE KNOWN TO THE SONS OF
MEN,
•THEY MYSTERY OF CHRIST…
THE GOSPEL.. THE GOOD NEWS…
•WAS NOT MADE CLEAR TO THE
PREVIOUS GENERATION…
•BUT THIS SAME GOSPEL MESSAGE
•HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED TO HIS HOLY
APOSTLES AND PROPHETS IN THE SPIRIT;
•WHEN HE SAYS NOW… IN THE CHURCH
AGE…
AND NOTICE HOW THE FULLNESS
•OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE WAS
REVEALED
•TO THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS OF
THE NEW TESTAMENT…
•IT WAS DONE… IN THE SPIRIT…
•JESUS TOLD THE APOSTLES THIS WOULD
HAPPEN…
JOHN 16:13
“BUT WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH,
COMES, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL
THE TRUTH; FOR HE WILL NOT SPEAK
ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, BUT
WHATEVER HE HEARS, HE WILL SPEAK;
AND HE WILL DISCLOSE TO YOU WHAT IS
TO COME.
AND THESE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS
•OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
•WROTE DOWN WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT
GUIDED THEM TO WRITE…
•AND WE CAN READ THOSE WORDS AND
COME TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING
OF THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST…
•THE GOSPEL MESSAGE…
WE CAN LOOK BACK ON THE O.T.
•AND SEE FORESHADOWS AND REFERENCES TO
THE GOSPEL…
•WE CAN SEE OUR SIN.. OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR..
GOD’S PROMISE OF A COMING SAVIOR…
•BUT TO GAIN CLEAR UNDERSTANDING WE NEED
TO
•SEEK INSIGHT INTO WHAT PAUL AND THE OTHER
AUTHORS OF THE N.T. WROTE…
WHEN WE LOOK IN THE SKETCH
•BOOKS OF LEONARDO DAVINCI,
•WE FIND DRAWINGS OF SOME OF HIS
MOST FAMOUS PAINTINGS.
•THESE CHARCOAL SKETCHES ARE
FANTASTIC WORKS OF ART ON THEIR OWN.
•THEY SHOW GREAT EMOTION, THEY HAVE
GREAT IMPACT.
BUT THEN WE LOOK AT THE
•COMPLETED PAINTINGS.
•THE FORMS OF THE SKETCHES ARE STILL
THERE,
•BUT NOW THE DETAIL IS FAR GREATER,
•THERE IS COLOR AND DEPTH TO THE IMAGES IS
AMAZING.
•THE BEAUTY AND MAJESTY OF THE
COMPLETED MASTERPIECE
FAR OUTSHINES THE SIMPLE
•CHARCOAL SKETCH.
•THIS IS KINDA HOW THE BIBLE WORKS.
•THE OLD TESTAMENT IS KINDA LIKE THE
CHARCOAL SKETCHES.
•THE FORMS OF GOD’S PLAN ARE
WRITTEN THERE,
•THEY ARE FANTASTIC WORKS OF ART.
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS ACCURATE
•AND TRUE, IT HAS GREAT IMPACT ON
OUR LIVES.
•BUT WHEN WE READ THE GOSPELS, THE
BOOK OF ACTS, THE EPISTLES…
•WE ARE READING MASTERPIECES THAT
DISPLAY THE SAME PLAN IN FAR MORE
DETAIL,
WITH GREATER COLOR AND DEPTHS.
•THE NEW TESTAMENT CONTAINS THE
SAME PLAN AS THE OLD TESTAMENT
•IT SIMPLY DESCRIBES THIS PLAN MORE
CLEARLY AND MORE DIRECTLY.
•IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD
•BY TELLING PEOPLE THE GOSPEL…
THEN WE NEED TO KNOW
•THE GOSPEL… AND TO KNOW THE
GOSPEL
•WE NEED TO GO BACK AND READ WHAT
THE BIBLE…
•WE NEED TO READ OUR O.T. TO SEE OUR
SIN… OUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR… AND
GOD’S PROMISES…
WE NEED TO READ THE N.T.
•TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE MYSTERY OF
CHRIST…
•THE MESSAGE OF TRUTH… THE GOSPEL
OF JESUS CHRIST.
•AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE WILL
SEE IF WE GO READ IS THAT THE GOSPEL
UNITES…
EPHESIANS 3:6–7
TO BE SPECIFIC, THAT THE GENTILES
ARE FELLOW HEIRS AND FELLOW
MEMBERS OF THE BODY, AND
FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE
PROMISE IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGH
THE GOSPEL, ↓
OF WHICH I WAS MADE A MINISTER,
ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF GOD’S
GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME
ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF
HIS POWER.
THE GOSPEL UNITES
•THE KEY INSIGHT PAUL WANTS HIS
READERS TO UNDERSTAND
•WHEN THEY GO BACK AND READ HIS
WRITINGS IS
•THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH…
•THAT THE JEWS AND GENTILES ARE
EQUAL IN CHRIST…
AND PAUL COMMUNICATES THIS
•EQUALITY WITH THREE STATEMENTS…
•FIRST HE SAYS…THAT THE GENTILES ARE
FELLOW HEIRS
•TO BE FELLOW HEIRS MEANS THEY RECEIVE
THE SAME INHERITANCE…
•IT MEANS TO BOTH THE JEWS AND THE
GENTILES HAVE THE SAME HEAVENLY
DESTINATION…
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GIVEN AS A
•PLEDGE TO BOTH JEW AND GENTILE…
•NOT ONLY ARE THEY FELLOW HEIRS THEY
ARE….
•FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY,
•TO BE MEMBERS OF A BODY
•MEANS TO WORK TOGETHER TO
ACCOMPLISH THE WORK OF THE BODY…
AND ALL THE MEMBERS
•OF CHRIST BODY ARE CALLED TO WORK
TOGETHER…
•AND WE ARE NOT JUST WORKING
TOGETHER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST..
•WE ARE FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE
PROMISE IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGH
THE GOSPEL,
THIS PROMISE… IS THE PROMISE
•OF SALVATION… THE PROMISE THAT WE
HAVE ETERNAL LIFE…
•AND BOTH THE JEW AND THE GENTILE
PARTAKE IN THIS PROMISE
•THROUGH THE GOSPEL…
•WHICH RESULTS IN THEM BEING IN
CHRIST…
GALATIANS 3:28
THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR
GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE
NOR FREE MAN, THERE IS
NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE;
FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST
JESUS.
AND WHEN WE ARE IN CHRIST
•WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE… WE ARE
CALLED TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL…
•WE DON’T SERVE GOD BECAUSE HE
NEEDS HELP…
•WE DON’T SERVE BECAUSE WE ARE SO
AWESOME…
•WE ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE↓
THE GOSPEL BY GOD’S GRACE
•PAUL HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIS
SERVICE TO GOD…
•HIS IMPRISONMENT… HIS STEWARDSHIP
OF THE GOSPEL…
•HIS MESSAGE OF UNITY BETWEEN JEW
AND GENTILE..
•BUT PAUL WANTS TO MAKE SURE↓
GOD GETS THE GLORY
•SO HE SAYS HE WAS MADE A MINISTER,
ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE
•PAUL DID NOT EARN HIS POSITION AS
MINISTER…
•HE DID NOT MAKE HIMSELF INTO A
MINISTER…
•IT WAS THE GRACE OF GOD…
IT WAS AN UN-MERITED GIFT…
•AND THAT IS TRUE FOR EVERY ONE OF
US…
•NO MATTER HOW WE SERVE GOD…
•WE DID NOT EARN IT…
•WE ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE GOD BY
GOD’S GRACE AND GOD’S GRACE
ALONE…
I DID NOT EARN THE RIGHT
•TO STAND UP HERE AND PREACH…
•THIS DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE I AM
SO AWESOME GOD JUST HAD TO PUT
ME IN THE PULPIT…
•THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF GOD’S
GRACE…
HIS UN-EARNED FAVOR…
•AND NOT ONLY DO WE ENTER
•INTO SERVICE THROUGH GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR, HIS GRACE…
•WE DO THE WORK GOD CALLS US TO DO
BY HIS STRENGTH AND NOT OUR OWN..
WORKING BY GOD’S POWER
•NOW THIS IS KINDA HARD TO SPOT…
•BUT THE GRAMMAR IN THE GREEK IS
PRETTY CLEAR…
•PAUL ENTERED INTO SERVICE BY THE
GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE
•AND THAT LED TO HIM DOING THE
WORK HE DID BY GOD’S POWER
THAT IS WHY PAUL WRITES
•THAT HIS SERVICE
•WAS GIVEN TO HIM ACCORDING TO THE
WORKING OF HIS POWER.
•IF WE ARE GONNA SERVE GOD
•WE NEED TO TRUST THAT WE SERVE BY
GOD’S POWER AND NOT OURS…
•THIS CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE ↓
IN HOW WE APPROACH MINISTRY
•IF WE ARE DEPENDENT ON OUR OWN
STRENGTH... OUR OWN POWER…
•WE CAN END UP OVERWHELMED…
•WE CAN END UP FEELING INADEQUATE…
•AND THE TRUTH IS IF WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE
GOD BY OUR OWN RESOURCES
•WE ARE INADEQUATE…WE SHOULD BE
OVERWHELMED…
ONLY WHEN WE SERVE GOD
•BY RELYING ON HIS POWER AND NOT
OUR OWN….
•ARE WE ADEQUATE FOR THE TASKS HE
SETS BEFORE US.
•CHARLES SPURGEON ONCE SAID…
•“WITHOUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD,
•WE CAN DO NOTHING.
WE ARE AS SHIPS WITHOUT THE WIND
•BRANCHES WITHOUT SAP,
•AND LIKE COALS WITHOUT FIRE,
WE ARE USELESS.”—
2 CORINTHIANS 9:8
AND GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL
GRACE ABOUND TO YOU, SO THAT
ALWAYS HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN
EVERYTHING, YOU MAY HAVE AN
ABUNDANCE FOR EVERY GOOD
DEED;
ONLY THROUGH GOD’S POWER
•AND BY GOD’S GRACE CAN WE LIVE IN THE
UNITY HE CALLS US TO LIVE IN…
•ONLY THOUGH GOD’S GRACE AND POWER
CAN WE BRING THE GOSPEL TO THE LOST…
•ONLY THOUGH GOD’S GRACE AND POWER
CAN WE SERVE HIM AS HE CALLS US TO
SERVE…
GOD’ WILL… GOD’S PLAN…
•IS PRESENTED IN HIS WORD, THE BIBLE…
•BUT JUST LIKE THE YOUNG MAN IN THE
TELEGRAPH OFFICE…
•WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE
MESSAGE…
•WE HAVE TO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT
NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HIS MESSAGE…
AND WE HAVE TO RESPOND
•BY GOING THROUGH THE DOOR…
•THIS MESSAGE CALLS FOR US TO TRUST
IN CHRIST
•THAT HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS PAID
FOR OUR SINS…
•BUT THE MESSAGE DOES NOT STOP
THERE…
THIS MESSAGE ALSO CALLS
•TO LIVE IN UNITY…. BEING FELLOW
HEIRS…
•FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE BODY…
•FELLOW PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISE…
•THIS MESSAGE… FOUND IN HIS WORD…
•CALLS FOR US TO SERVE GOD
IN THE MINISTRY HE HAS PLACED
•US IN… ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF HIS
GRACE…
•AND TO SERVE BY HIS POWER AND NOT OUR
OWN….
•THIS MESSAGE CALLS US TO…
•TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL MESSAGE…
•THAT GOD LOVED US SO MUCH HE CAME IN
THE FORM OF A MAN…
LIVED A SINLESS LIFE
•DIED ON THE CROSS, ROSE AGAIN AFTER
THREE DAYS…
•ASCENDED TO HEAVEN…
•AND HE IS COMING BACK…
•IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE….