To the Missionaries in Afton
Notes
Transcript
ME: A Missionary for Christ (Eph. 3:1)
ME: A Missionary for Christ (Eph. 3:1)
The gifted preacher, C.H. Spurgeon once said in a sermon,
“Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor…You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about him.”
These are powerful and convicting words,
And they remain true today.
Every Christian serves as a missionary in a unique way.
Making it vitally important for every Christian to embrace this posture of a missionary,
Testifying the grace offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The author of our “Family Letter,” the book of Ephesians, is a wonderful example for us.
The Apostle Paul serves as a model Christ-centered missionary.
Our passage this morning details Paul’s unique ministry.
I personally, am extremely grateful for Paul’s example.
He was given the ministry of proclaiming God’s plan.
God’s plan is reconciling people back to Himself, in Christ.
Paul displays a great heart for Christ’s Church in his letter.
And he is faithful in his endeavor to make Christ known to all.
As the Church today, we continue in that endeavor.
This morning we are in Ephesians 3:1-13,
This portion of Paul’s letter is addressed to the Missionaries in Afton.
In Eph. 1:15-23, we looked a Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer for the saints in Ephesus.
In vs. 1 this morning, he begins to introduce a prayer for his readers, but he doesn’t actually get to his prayer until vs. 14.
Which, Lord willing, we will look at next week.
Instead, in our passage this morning, Paul outlines his unique ministry to the Gentiles.
As we work through this passage,
We will learn from Paul the marks of a Christ-Centered missionary
First, in Eph 3:1, we are introduced to this Missionary for Christ
In vs. 2-6, we will look at the Message of Christ
In vs. 7-9, we see the Grace and Riches of Christ
In vs. 10-11, the Church of Christ is highlighted
We will conclude our passage this morning Near to Christ in vs. 12-13
This section is rich with some big time themes in Ephesians
Paul talks about suffering as a missionary
He continues the primary focus of last weeks passage, discussing the inclusion of Gentiles into the people of God
He presents this cosmic nature of the church
And proclaims the riches of Christ and the privileged access to God we enjoy as believers
If we embrace the application of Paul’s example,
We will rightly understand our passage this morning as a missional text
So, let’s prepare our hearts this morning by going before God in prayer.
PRAY
We understand this passage is missional because it is loaded with missional language.
Running parallel with Col 1:24-29
We read about Gentiles or nations (Eph 3:1,6,8; Col. 1:27-28).
As I mentioned earlier, Paul talks about suffering for the sake of the mission (Eph 3:1; Col 1:24).
Both passages present administration of grace given (Eph 3:2; Col 1:25).
Paul writes about the revelation of the mystery or the plan of God (Eph 3:4-6; Col 1:26-27).
And lastly, both proclaim Christ as the focal point of God’s plan (Eph 3:8; Col 1:28).
Paul is clearly passionate to see the nations worship Jesus Christ.
Making Him a suitable Missionary for Christ.
Let’s look start by looking at this Missionary for Christ in Ephesians 3:1
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
We’ve dedicated a good amount of time doing a character study on Paul on our first week in Ephesians.
You might remember he looks like Shrek,
Although, I talked with Stephanie after the fact, and she brought up a good point
That the old man Jafar disguises himself as on the original Aladdin cartoon looks pretty accurate
And I’d have to say that I agree with her.
But anyway, my point is, I won’t be spending as much time on another character study.
But as we talked about during that first study,
We see Paul reveal here that he is a prisoner.
Later in Eph 6:20, he describes himself as an ambassador in chains.
In Colossians 4:3, 10, and 18, he refers to himself as a prisoner or in chains three more times.
Back in Acts 28:16, we see Paul is under house arrest,
And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.
vs. 30 says he was under house arrest for two years and welcomed visitors.
He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,
So we know Paul is literally in prison when Ephesians was written.
But notice, he does not say he is a prisoner of Rome,
Instead, describes himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
Not a prisoner ‘for’ Christ Jesus, but a prisoner ‘of’ Christ Jesus.
You see, it was following Christ’s will that resulted in Paul being a prisoner.
Paul understands that he is under the authority and ownership of Christ.
Can we say the same of ourselves?
Are we a prisoner of Jesus Christ? Are we under His authority and ownership?
Are we willing to follow Him wherever He may send us?
We should be.
Christ has promised to go with us to the end of the age.
Paul did not describe himself as a disciple or a missionary here.
It would seem, Paul used prisoner because it depicts the nature of a missionary for Christ.
Understanding this with what Paul writes at the end of this section in Eph 3:13;
So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Paul is showing following Christ entails suffering.
But he is showing a willingness to suffer for the sake of the mission.
Not only that, he is providing encouragement to others while he is suffering.
Reminding his readers that his suffering is part of God’s will,
This understanding produces an enduring hope in Paul.
Now, this does not mean we intentionally seek out suffering,
But we also are not caught of guard when it comes.
Our focus is not the suffering, it is following the will of Christ,
And we understand as Jesus tells us in John 15:20,
“If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”
As a persecuted and imprisoned missionary, Paul teaches us that the most important thing is the mission.
Not safety or protection from suffering or a retirement plan,
It is the mission.
Paul was not imprisoned for some moral failure, it was because He followed the will of God.
And in 1 Cor 11:1 Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Christ.
So let us do that,
Let us be imitators
Let us follow this missionary of Christ in the will of God.
God’s will is worth suffering for.
This is the first mark of a Christ-centered missionary Paul demonstrates.
A Christ-centered missionary follows the will of God.
WE: The Message of Christ (Eph 3:2-6)
WE: The Message of Christ (Eph 3:2-6)
Paul continues in Eph. 3:2-6 with the Message of Christ;
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Paul begins the message of Christ introducing his unique ministry as missionary to the Gentiles.
Back in vs. 1, he said he was imprisoned on behalf of the Gentiles.
Here he is revealing that he has been given God’s grace to manage for them.
Peeking ahead, He makes a similar point in vs. 8 saying that he was given grace to preach to the Gentiles.
In vs. 2, Paul is talking about this stewardship of God’s grace that was given to him
The word here is actually the same word translated as plan in vs. 9,
In reference to the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God.
This word communicates an administrative role.
We also see this word used in reference to administrating the fullness of time back in Eph 1:10.
The exact definition is a method of tending to or managing the affairs of a group of people.
So in vs. 2 here, Paul is saying he has been given God’s grace to manage for the Gentiles.
The CSB Bible translates it as the administration of God’s grace.
This ministry was given to Paul as a commission from God,
Revealing that it is a part of God’s divine strategy.
So even though Paul is an administrator, God is the CEO.
As this administrator, this missionary to the Gentiles,
Paul’s responsibility is to communicate the message of Christ.
He wants us to understand this message.
Don’t overlook this important fact,
If we are missionaries bringing a message, it is vital we understand the message.
Implying the need for us to study God’s Word.
Continue to explore the glories of Christ.
Study the truths of the Bible.
Meditate on Jesus’ death in our place
Embrace the centrality of the Church!
There are a lot of false religions out there seeking to spread their message.
Some claiming to be spreading the message of Christ.
I often shine a light on the lies of the prosperity gospel.
This teaching that greater faith in Christ will result in greater health and wealth.
This false message is especially detrimental in impoverished nations.
It is imperative that as Christ-centered missionaries,
We understand the message of Christ.
So that we can help others understand the sound teachings of the gospel.
We don’t seek to conform people into our culture.
We proclaim Christ.
[PAUSE]
Paul tells us in vs. 3 that he wrote about this mystery briefly.
Likely referring back to Eph. 1:9
When he was talking about us being incorporated in God’s community.
Or perhaps, he could even be referencing the verses we looked at last week in 2:11-22.
Paul talks a lot about this mystery in our passage this morning.
This mystery is not a riddle we need to solve.
It is a divine secret concerning supernatural information.
In this case, the method and history of God’s redemption.
God has revealed this mystery to Paul,
As he says regarding this same mystery in Gal 1:12;
For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Paul has received this mystery and he understands it.
As he says in vs. 4, he has insight into this mystery.
Insight is the same expression used to describe the revelations God repeatedly gave to Daniel that we saw in our study in Daniel.
So we have confidence that Paul understands this revelation from God.
In vs. 5, Paul talks about how this mystery was not made known to people from earlier generations.
Likely talking about how the OT doesn’t speak explicitly about salvation uniting the Jew and Gentile.
Which was the primary focus of last weeks passage,
And still prominent in what Paul is writing in this morning’s passage.
This is not to say it was completely absent from the OT.
But parts of God’s plan remained hidden in the OT.
Until Christ appeared as the Messiah, revealing the mystery.
As R.C. Sproul comments;
“Only in the light of Christ’s sacrifice does God’s plan become clear: in one magnificent act He removed the enmity between Himself and humanity and also took away the divisions that fracture humanity.”
In vs. 6, Paul states three parts of the mystery;
First, that Gentiles are fellow heirs
Paul has already taught on inheritance back in chapter 1
It is a continuation of God’s promise to Abraham from Gen. 12:3.
Second, that Gentiles are members of the same body.
Paul continues to build the imagery of the church being members of one body with Christ as the head.
Members of the same body literally means same-bodied
We are fellow body-members.
This phrase is very rare in ancient Greek, some believe Paul may have even coined this phrase.
If this mystery hasn’t been made clear by the first two points,
Third, Gentiles are partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
We went from being strangers to the promise back in Eph 2:12,
To now being partakers of the promise.
How has God mysteriously incorporated us as heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise?
Through the Gospel!
This was always God’s plan, Paul says later in vs. 9.
To summarize, this mystery has once been hidden in secret, but has now been revealed through Jesus Christ.
Think about this, the reason we can study Paul’s Words today like this,
Is because faithful missionaries understood, preserved, and passed on the message of Christ for generations.
We must always value understanding the message of Christ.
Which is the second mark of a Christ-centered missionary,
Understanding the message of Christ.
GOD: The Grace and Riches of Christ (Eph 3:7-9)
GOD: The Grace and Riches of Christ (Eph 3:7-9)
Let us continue in vs. 7-9, where we see the Grace and Riches of Christ (Eph 3:7-9);
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,
Our last section concluded with Paul communicating what the mystery was
And Paul ends that lesson by saying, it is through the gospel that this mystery is revealed.
He picks right up with the gospel at the start of this section.
Earlier he described himself as a steward or administrator.
Here he describes himself a minister or servant of this gospel.
But notice how he became a minister,
He was made a minister, it was a divine appointment.
Immediately after that, he was given the gift of God’s grace by God’s power at work.
This theme of being given God’s grace is all over Paul’s writings.
Just in our passage this morning, we already saw him say that God’s grace was given to him in vs. 2
Now, in both vs. 7 and 8, he says, God’s grace was given to him two more times.
This missionary is overcome by God’s grace.
I mean he never gets over it.
Back in 1 Cor. 15:9, he describes himself this way;
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Similar to the way he describes himself here in vs. 8.
But also even later in his life, Paul says in 1 Tim 1:15;
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
His entire saved life, Paul saw himself as the worst of all believers.
And the greatest of all sinners.
He does not see himself as a hero of the faith, but a servant of the Lord.
This self-awareness infatuated him with God’s grace
Look at what he says surrounding the passages I just referenced:
Back in 1 Cor 15:10;
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
Again in 1 Tim 1:14;
and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
God’s grace both humbled and overwhelmed Paul,
Which in turn, fueled his mission.
A Christ-centered missionary loves grace!
God’s grace should humble us, as it does Paul.
Paul knew he could do nothing without God’s grace,
That is why he reiterates it again and again.
He always deflects attention from himself, toward God.
Tony Merida describes Paul this way;
“Even though he is an inspired apostle, Paul knows he is following our foot-washing Suffering Servant. Do not forget this.”
I yearn to be more like Paul in this way.
When I am confronted with the way Paul sees himself,
I am instantly convicted of how much more I need to grow.
I can’t say with any sense of genuineness that I am the very least of all the saints.
I have so much room to grow!
How about you?
Do you genuinely feel that you are the very least of all the saints?
What you will find is that when you view yourself this way,
You will gladly serve with joy.
God’s grace teaches that no one is beneath you.
The very least give their love, time, and effort to everyone created in God’s image.
We need this grace to work deep into our hearts, as we see it demonstrated in Paul’s heart.
This comes from meditating on God’s grace contrasted against our sin,
and from the glory of the cross drawing us to repentance.
This grace, we see in vs. 7, was given by the working of God’s power.
Meaning God’s grace serves as a fuel that empowers.
The power of God will prove to be sufficient for us feeble, frail, average people as we seek to proclaim the grace of Christ.
This grace is overwhelming.
You see, the Bible teaches that every human has done wrong,
Committing what the Bible calls sin.
If you are listening and you don’t consider yourself a Christian,
Or perhaps you feel like you may have fallen away from God.
I am certain you would agree that you have done wrong at some point in your life.
You have felt that twisting of your conscience telling you that you shouldn’t be doing this.
That is God’s law written on your heart.
Well, every time you commit sin, it both hurts and offends God.
It builds a greater and greater distance between you and God until the concept of God becomes unrecognizable to you.
But by God’s grace, Jesus Christ died to bridge that gap.
To offer forgiveness for all the times you have hurt and offended God in the past.
And every time you will again in the future.
All you have to do, is believe this to be true.
And confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ has saved you
and that you trust in Him as Lord in your life.
Then you are forgiven and welcomed into God’s family and Kingdom.
This grace, it is overwhelming.
Regarding this grace, Bryan Chapell says;
“Being enraptured with grace is the nature of Christian calling. Such awe of grace certifies our calling as genuine and energizes it in the face of sacrifice. The truly called are so enraptured by the grace of God toward them that the attacks of others, the difficulties of circumstances, their lack of worldly comfort, and their lack of recognition in the world do not dissuade them from the joy of proclaiming Christ.”
May we never lose this awe of the grace of Christ.
God’s grace is purposeful.
A Christ-centered missionary proclaims the grace of Christ with joy.
As we see Paul demonstrate in vs. 8.
He was empowered to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Or if your a fan of the Princess Bride,
the riches of Christ are...
What’s interesting is this particular word for unsearchable is nowhere outside of biblical Greek.
Paul was trying to come up with a word to describe the riches of Christ.
But he just kept getting to this point where he thought...
So, he made up a new word!
It is related to the word used by trackers that were following footprints.
So it would be like saying to a tracker that the riches of Christ are footprint-less, or better yet, un-footprints.
These are not real words but you get the idea, you won’t be able to track them down.
That is what Paul is trying to express.
The unsearchable riches of Christ!
[PAUSE]
Paul talked about riches earlier,
In Eph 1:7 described us having the riches of God’s grace,
In Eph. 1:18, Paul prayed that we may know the riches of God’s glorious inheritance.
Then, most closely related, taught about the immeasurable riches of God’s grace in kindness toward us in Eph. 2:7.
Paul is expressing the all-consuming nature of Christ.
He is always writing about, talking about, teaching about, and preaching about Christ.
Can we say the same about us?
That we are so consumed by Christ that people know to talk with us is to hear about Christ.
Maybe you think, talking about Christ all the time will get boring.
Well, vs. 8 reminds us that’s simply not true, His riches are unsearchable.
He never gets old, or drab, or meh.
As long as we proclaim Christ, we never run out of stuff to talk about.
This should be a daily practice,
Proclaiming the grace and riches of Christ to yourself, first.
And as you do this daily, it will overflow into proclaiming the grace and riches of Christ to others.
This can be done in conversations with others, through social media posts, or in opportunities you may have to speak to a group of people.
And it is not to attract praise to yourself, but to God.
For example, I’d rather hear you say to me after a sermon,
Pastor Josh, Jesus is so good!
Instead of,
Pastor Josh, that sermon was so good!
Christ is central to our mission, to our proclamations, to everything!
He is the Hero!
He is the revealer of the mystery!
He is the One who brings to light what has been hidden!
Remember, Paul prayed that God would enlighten hearts back in Eph. 1:18.
And he tells Timothy what is brought to light in 2 Tim 1:10;
and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
Here in vs. 9, we see Paul was commissioned to explain this glorious plan in Christ.
The plan is the gospel.
It was hidden for ages in the OT, but now is being illuminated.
As each Jew and Gentile believed in Christ and were joined together,
This plan was being revealed more and more.
And it wasn’t a make-it-up-as-you-go plan
Or an altered plan.
No, it was a plan developed by the God who created all things!
God is a missional God.
Christ is the Alpha-Missionary.
We get our passion for missions because God is passionate for missions.
The Bible is saturated with the theme of missions from creation through Revelation.
God’s message is for everyone.
And everyone needs Jesus.
So the third mark of a Christ-centered missionary is proclaiming the grace and riches of Christ.
YOU: The Church of Christ (Eph 3:10-11)
YOU: The Church of Christ (Eph 3:10-11)
The next mark is related to the Church of Christ,
Which we read about in Ephesians 3:10-11;
so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Paul shows that the church is the vehicle through which His multi-faceted wisdom will be made known.
At that time, the division between Jews and Gentiles was the deepest division in the human race.
The fact that these two extremely hostile people groups could be united in Christ,
As the Church,
Displays God’s varied and profound wisdom.
This wisdom proves to all supernatural powers that Jesus Christ is Lord of the universe.
As Paul teaches in Colossians 1:20,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
When Jews and Gentiles are reconciled through Christ into the Church,
It will also disarm and put to shame these rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
As Paul explains in Colossians 2:15;
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Jesus has triumphed over every enemy,
Spiritual and physical.
He is Lord over everything, this includes the spirit world.
This is a high view of Christ,
And Christ puts this high view on display, through the church.
Paul communicates this high view in Ephesians.
Lord willing, next week we will see his prayer for God to be glorified in the church.
In Ephesians 5:25 Paul says;
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Now, we are seeing here in chapter 3 that the church reaches into the spiritual realm.
Spiritual forces of evil look at the unity God accomplishes in Christ through His Church and they tremble in terror!
And they should!
The cross has already defeated these forces and the church is a resounding gong remind them of their defeat day after day after day
Christ is victorious!
Christ reigns supreme!
Christ triumphs!
Again and again and again until the final judgment comes when Christ returns.
This means that so much more is going on through the church than meets the eye.
If you are a part of the church, then you are a part of this ongoing message being spoken against spiritual forces of darkness.
All of this means you are to hold a high view of the church.
Tony Merida describes the church well;
“His grace and glory are displayed in a diverse people—a many-colored fellowship, a multi-cultural and multiethnic fellowship—who have been called, redeemed, forgiven, made alive, and united in Christ.”
As Paul says in vs. 11, this plan, going all the way back to vs. 9,
Has been crafted for all eternity and was intentional.
And Jesus Christ accomplished this plan.
He came and fulfilled the plan, He achieved it.
Christ is the key to God’s plan.
You, as the church, testify to spiritual forces about Christ.
This is mind-blowing!
Please do neuter the power of Christ’s church!
Do not put a muzzle on Christ’s Church!
The church is central to human history,
Christ cherishes His bride.
As a Christ-centered missionary, you must uphold a high view of the Church of Christ!
This is the fourth mark of a Christ-centered missionary,
That you uphold a high view of the Church of Christ.
WE: Near to Christ (Eph 3:12-13)
WE: Near to Christ (Eph 3:12-13)
Lastly, we will close on the topic of drawing Near to Christ in Ephesians 3:12-13;
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Our passage concludes with a great encouragement.
That in Christ, we have boldness and confident access to God through faith.
We can understand this simply that Christ gives us this boldness and confidence.
The access Paul talks about communicates nearness.
Meaning, we are so fortunate we experience nearness to God!
We approach God with confidence!
Not with arrogance or pride,
But with freedom, with openness, with nothing holding us back!
So take advantage of that!
As Christ-centered missionaries, we pray.
We both survive and thrive by prayer!
We draw near to Christ in prayer,
Any time, all the time, often, and in between!
Hebrews 4 describes us as approaching God on His throne of grace where He hears us.
God is for us, and if He is for us, than what can stand against us?
He is with us always, we are never alone!
As a Christ-centered missionary, Paul draws near to Christ in prayer.
Lord willing next week we will study Paul’s prayer in the second half of chapter 3,
Where Paul intercedes for the saints, pleading with God to empower the church.
That is what we need!
We need prayers for God to empower the church.
We need to pray for God to empower the church!
We need that power to sustain us for the mission God has given us.
The fifth and final mark of a Christ-centered missionary is that we draw near to Christ
Before closing, briefly, I’ll comment on Paul’s heart in vs. 13.
As we highlighted at the start of this passage,
Paul demonstrates greater concern for the saints than his own situation.
He wants to make sure the Ephesians do not lose heart over his suffering.
His suffering is for them, he says, for their glory!
Paul just went through modeling five marks of a Christ-centered missionary.
We should be inspired by these marks.
So, Paul wants us to be cautioned,
Do not be discouraged by suffering!
Paul implies that suffering is part of God’s divine plan.
Suffering, imprisonment, even death can not stop our calling as missionaries.
As missionaries for Christ, our eternal salvation is already secured.
We don’t have to go across the world to be a Christ-centered missionary.
We can go across the street.
If you are a Christian, even here in Afton,
You have been called to be a Christ-centered missionary.
The five marks of a Christ-centered missionary are:
Following the will of God in Christ.
Understanding the message of Christ.
Proclaiming the grace and riches of Christ.
Upholding a high view of the Church of Christ.
and Drawing near to God through Christ.
Are you going to answer that call?
Please join me in this fifth mark and draw near to God as we close in prayer
Benediction vs.: Rom. 16:25-26