Cosmic Proclamation Through The Church (Eph 3:1-13)
Three or text for today is verses 1 through 13. We're continuing and are sermon series through Ephesians the title of this sermon series. Is that the gospel transforms? It transforms in so many different ways and it transforms every relationship that we have it completely redefines how we relate to God. Any completely redefine how we relate to one another in deed the gospel transforms for today. It's Cosmic Proclamation through the church. But our church. We make a proclamation not only to one another. and to our society are we make a proclamation? To the cosmos to the Heavenly beings Angels and Demons here a proclamation we make and we're going to learn about that in a fusions chapter 3.
Summitview are musical. I am not. So for those of you who are musical, you might be thinking of you know, something of orchestras while a Philharmonic Orchestra is a full Orchestra. This is an orchestra that includes string and Brass woodwind percussion Mallet percussion instruments at times. They might even include a piano or perhaps a heart and Freddy buddy who is seeing a live Philharmonic Orchestra, you know that when the instruments play a song together in harmony. That the song is profound.
Tell me if you like sports. I like sports better than music and fortunately. And some of you have seen or witnessed or been a part of a sold-out sporting Arena on the day of a championship game. and when you're in that Arena you to hear an orchestra of sorts, you hear fans celebrating and singing one song together. and the song quality and the quantity is a men's whether or not you're hearing a Philharmonic Orchestra multiple instruments singing one song together or hundreds a hundred thousand sports fans chanting at their Champions together.
The word you here is immense. Brothers and sisters time and history is moving toward a Philharmonic Orchestra of immense quality and toward a championship song Some of immense. quantity NST the song that the church sings right now and the song that all of time and all of history is heading toward is that Jesus has one and you and I Get to sing this song and the audience that hears this song isn't just people. But it's Cosmic Powers Angels and Demons here this song main point of this sermon text and the main point of this sermon today. Is that the church that you and me, we proclaim the manifold wisdom of God to the cosmos. So let's investigate this truth together in Ephesians chapter 3. Let's read verses 1 through 13 and expect the word of God to transform us. The perfect word of our God says to us an Ephesian chapter 3 starting to verse one for this reason. I Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming that you've 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 and other Generations as it has 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 of Christ Jesus Through The Gospel. 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 a bring to light for everyone. What is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things 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 internal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our lord and whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I asked you not to lose heart over when I am suffering for you, which is your glory. The first section of these verses is found in Verses 1 through 6 and hear Paul tells us that he is a prisoner with a stewardship of God's grace. That means first of all Paul's Ministry and because you and I have the same ministry as Paul is that our mission is first defined as a duty and as a responsibility Paul says, he's a prisoner now Paul is writing this letter from prison most likely he's riding it and 62 ad from house arrest in Rome. Now, we learn about how Paul got there and Acts chapter 21 through chapter 28 and what we learn is that Paul went to Jerusalem. To give the Christians their gift but while he was there in Jerusalem. Devout Jews who did not trust in Jesus stirred up a crowd against him in Acts 21 and acts 22 so that he's arrested Paul pleads with his captors to address the crowd and he does and when he addresses them in Hebrew, it catches their ear. Who tells them about his ministry and when he gets in verse 21 by saying that the gospel is also for the Gentiles they respond in verse 22 by saying way with such a fellow from the earth for she should not be allowed to live. Paul when you wrote this letter isn't house arrest because he took serious his responsibility to preach the gospel to the Gentiles show first Paul understands his mission to understand his mission as a stewardship of God's grace. That was Stewart is not an owner. A stewardess somebody who manages our overseas. Somebody else's property household or Goods. Paul is a steward. The likely all of us have had good managers and bad managers. I used to work at a restaurant for six years when I was doing my end dude and good managers when you're in rush hour. They're on the floor with you bad managers there in the office doing something. They shouldn't be doing at that time. They fly away. Paul is a good Steward of God's grace because what does he do? The hold and Embraces his stewardship, even it when it leads to his imprisonment. and even when it leads to his death So we learn that Paul is a prisoner because he's been faithful to his stewardship to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. The next thing in these verses we learn is that Paul is a prisoner of a of God's Cosmic mystery. Now, we all like Mysteries. We all like Sherlock Holmes, you know mystery is a secret that's been hidden and that's covered and every good Ministry every good mystery stays hidden from the authorities and bring the people who need to know until the opportune time. Will there is a cosmic mystery that dwarfs any mystery we learned about in Sherlock Holmes. That mystery is that God from the beginning of time.
Plan to unite Jews and Gentiles together in Christ. As one new man. He defines this mystery in Chapter 3 Verse 6. He says here that the mystery is that Gentiles are fellow heirs members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ. Jesus Through The Gospel you see in the Old Testament Jews understood that God's desire was to say people from All Nations Genesis 12 tells us that God chose Abraham to be a blessing to the nation's so many songs Psalm 67 being one of them talk about Israel's mission is to spread God's glory to All Peoples. And yet there's an aspect of this Mission that's remained hidden in the Old Testament and what that aspect is is that Gentiles are fellow heirs. They're not secondary errors. And they come to know God and have fellowship with God independent of Judaism Christians. Do not first have to become a Jew to get saved. This is the message that Paul was preaching everywhere. He's telling them that in order to be right with God. You don't have to be circumcised. You don't have to keep Sabbath. You don't have to abide by all of the festivals in the regulations in the food laws that you can be made right with God by trusting in Jesus Christ. And this on the one hand has brought so much joy to Gentiles, but on the other hand has infuriated devout Jews so much so that an acts 22 verse 22, like I only read when they hear that Gentiles are fellow heirs. They say way with such a fellow. He should not be allowed to live.
Being devout Jews in the time of Paul fundamentally misunderstood that Judaism is a shadow. The Old Testament is a shadow. The law is a shadow. That's meant to point to Christ. Edwin Christ cops you no longer need the shadow. These Jews fail to understand the purpose of the law. But Paul gets it therefore. He preaches the mystery of the Gospel. Even if it means his imprisonment. Brothers and sisters church family the Apostle Paul understand that his mission. The preach the gospel to All Nations is a responsibility. He must Embrace despite any suffering. He will receive because of it. Do we know that? Which family do we know that there is a purpose to our suffering because some of us are experiencing a lot of suffering right now some more than others. And certainly suffering looks like a can look like a lot of different things. But we're experiencing suffering. We need to know that God uses suffering to spread his glory to All Nations Paul gets this Indian braces his calling despite suffering his stewardship of God's grace his his responsibility. But on the other hand, we learn in verses 7 through 9 that tall also understands his calling you understand that he is a minister with a gift. of God's grace Paul's Ministry is a duty and a responsibility. That is also a joy and a privilege. So, let's see why in verses 7 through 9 first Paul's mission is a gift because of the message. This message of the Gospel. Has incredible dollar. Do you remember in chapter 2 verse 1? Paul says that the Ephesians before they came to know the Lord were dead in their trespasses.
Every person outside of Christ is spiritually dead. Not kind of dead not just in need of recitation. We are spiritually dead and then he says that we also once walked. Following the prince of the power of the air and if you remember my sermon I talked about who that is. That's the devil. Non Christians are dead and they followed the devil and then next notice and verse three that they are by Nature children of Wrath. That means God's intense anger is upon every person who does not trust in Jesus. And then in verse 11, he says outside of Christ. These Ephesians were once separated from Christ alienated from God's kingdom and strangers to the Covenant of Promise. They had no hope and they were without God.
This message is a gift and Paul understand that he has a Ministry to give a gift because this message is the greatest gift of all it has the power to take those who are spiritually dead and make them alive this message that Christ came and live the life. You were called living and died the death. You deserve has the power to make people who wants followed after the devil followers of Jesus Christ. This is the message that has the power to give. Hope to the Hopeless God to the Godless. This is the message on which the whole world hinges. This message gives life. And that's why it's a gift. You know, I was talking to Roma one of our members of our church beloved member of our church. Her family is from Pakistan and India and I called her this week. Maybe it was last week and I asked you to tell me her testimony and she gets this. She gets that Paul is a minister with a gift of God's grace because you know what? She told me. She told me the story how missionaries came to India and preach the gospel to her grandparents and about how her grandparents came to no reward and she told me they think those missionaries every day for coming and freezing them. She done went and told me that those missionaries have had an effect for Generations now.
Her grandparents knew the Lord came to the Lord her parents Roma does and now her son does and she gets it that we once followed meaningless Idols. We were with Hindus and Muslims worship. No Gods is what she told me and now we serve the Living God. You see brothers and sisters our ministry Paul's Ministry is a gift to Those whom we preach to because it is the power to transform. This is the message that transforms. It is also a gift because of the king who authored this message notice what Paul says in verses 8 through 9. He says that Grace was given to preach to the Gentiles. Unsearchable Riches of Christ. I love it. Let's think for a moment at the glory of our God every week. I want to do this for your brothers and sisters. I want to help you gaze into the beauty of our God. Our God is our King Jesus is the son of God. He is God the son and what does this passage delos in verse 8 the immeasurable riches Paul preaches the immeasurable Riches of our working. So let's think about that. Kings have richest their called Treasures So let's think about Treasures that people own in this world. I think the first thing I thought of was Scrooge McDuck, does that mean anything to anybody here? Who knows who Scrooge McDuck is cocktail there any Disney movie Scrooge McDuck is the greedy uncle right who has the Money Vault. Do you guys remember the iconic movie that you would dive into the Money Vault and swim around the money. You see that Scrooge mcduck's riches were meant for himself. What's think about the crown jewels of England? Those Jewels are for the monarchy.
And the purpose of those Jewels are to aggrandize the monarchy. So on their coronation that on their weddings you think wow, these monarchs are amazing. You see treasure in this world often is reserved for the person who owns the Treasure by not a hard God. If you look back to chapter 2 verse 7 Ephesians 2 verse 7. We see that the purpose of God saving us in verse 7 is that in the coming ages? He might show us the immeasurable Riches of his grace The Riches of our God is his grace. What a God or God would choose that the most precious thing that he owns would be not something he reserves for himself but something he lavishes on those who don't deserve. The Riches of our God is his grace to you and me.
The Riches of a king Indicates the value of the king. Typically the more gold a king has the more valuable he has our God. his treasures Grace and it's in measurable enough Grace to give to any Jew or any Gentile who were trusted Jesus. Isn't that incredible? Is that amazing God decided his Sovereign Freedom that his precious treasure would be the expression of Grace cuz you and me I loved it didn't have to be that way. What is what is God decided that the most precious thing would be judgement.
My most precious rich is judging you sinners. He could have done that and indeed the expression of judgment demonstrates the value of our God demonstrates his power to judge Sinners, but the immeasurable riches that God has member chapter 1 verse 6 chapter 1 verse 10 chapter 1 verse 12. The Pinnacle of God's glory is his grace. That's what our God decided. He would be most magnified in showing you and me Grace So Paul Ministry is a Ministry of a gift because of the message. It has the power to transform and secondly, it is a gift because of it depicts the author of our message and our author is amazing. He decided that his riches would be grace. I noticed in verse 9 how he describes the message as this chapter 3 verse 9. He says he says his mission is to bring to light for everyone. What is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages on the one hand. His mission is to Proclaim The Riches of Christ. Another headed is to bring to life where everyone what is the plan of the mystery? Notice how Paul describes God if you're in this verse who created all things. I really spent some time. scratching my head Why does Paul describe God this way at this moment? Why is Paul describing God? As the savior of the world but then you transition and says he's the creator of the world who created all things why I think there's at least two reasons. First of all, the God hates the world into existence.
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spoke the mystery at his time so far. God has the power to breathe the world into existence speak it into existence. Then I need to have control over all things right. There's a lot of power. Thor God is in control over everything for speak that into existence also controls when to Veil the mystery. If you decide to do it in the person of Christ and in the ministry of Paul, and the purpose is to give Comfort to the Ephesians. You see the Ephesians there Gentiles you notice dogs in the Old Testament and their reading the Old Testament as their scripture cuz it is there scripture and they offered to read about themselves and they don't read about themselves in good terms. Therefore ball comes in and says you've been elected you've been predestined and he says the God who created all things also unveils this mystery at the right time Cy Paul's using this terminology why he's talking about these Doctrine it's to comfort the church. But they're not here by accident. They have been saved on purpose so they should have comfort but then secondly, I think the reason why he describes God as the creator of all things isn't just the highlights of his control over creation and his control over when this message will be proclaimed but also would indicate That when the gospel is proclaimed. We Proclaim words that create. Just as God created the world through words now God recreates the world through words. Remember last week how we talked about how Jesus came in preach to the Jews into the Gentiles remember that and then I scratch my head and I said, but in Jesus Earthly Ministry the only preach to the Jews, so what does it mean to preach to the Gentiles? And remember what I said he preaches through you and me. God is recreating the world bringing light Into Darkness. When we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ there for Paul understands his mission as a gift.
Mount verses 10 through 12. We learn the purpose of Paul's Ministry Ministry and the universe and first 10 is so incredible. You notice how the first ten begins with the words so that that means first 10 tells you a purpose.
What is the purpose of what the action is describing verses 8 through 9 in these verses we learned that God is giving Grace to Paul preach the immeasurable Riches of Christ in the bring to light that which was in darkness. And the purpose of God getting this gift to Paul and by the way church family. Send gift given to us in Ministry tall and to us for the purpose described in verse 10. So what did it say so that through the church that's you and me. The manifold wisdom of God might be now might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly places. Title of the sermon Cosmic Proclamation through the church Cosmic proclamation to the church. So let's unpack verse 10 together.
The pathway brothers and sisters to this Cosmic Proclamation is first when we proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. When people from every tribe tongue and Nation hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the church is on the pathway 2 verse 10 when we preach the gospel people indiscriminate of where they live how much money they have and their skin color when we do that. We are walking toward Cosmic Proclamation. And when the gospel is preached to the Gentiles churches are formed and that's why Paul says in 1st 10 that it's through the church. Church family you and I 11th Street Baptist Church. We are a sign not only to our society that new creation has come we talked about this last week. We are also a sign that the Angelic beings and to the Demonic beings that new creation has arrived notice. It says through the church what that means is that the church is the greatest institution in the universe. The government is not the greatest institution in the universe Amazon and Apple. They are not the greatest institutions in the universe. Social justice platforms are not the greatest institution in our universe. Neither is a Christian non-profit like Compassion International. Although I love this ministry worldvision are seminaries even the INB. The greatest institution in the universe is the church.
God gave us the promise that the Gates of Hell will not will not Prevail against us. It's against the church. Church family. We are at the sign to our society and to the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly places that new creation has come when we come together. As one new man. We're we experience Unity together amid God glorifying The Varsity experience equality, and we express to another dignity despite our differences. We Proclaim to the Heavenly beings that the kingdom of God is here. The talk of the cosmic Proclamation is made through the church when the gospel is preached to the Nations and churches are established now the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly places. Paul has two things in mind first. He has in mind good angels. We see this in Psalm 103 bless the Lord. Oh my soul. And all that is within me bless His. Holy name. We know that song It Ends by saying Bless the Lord O you his angels? I did iPad preach Psalm 103. Psalm 103 the song about the gospel And as Angels Working the gospel Day praise God for the gospel the same ideas found in 1st Peter. 1:12. Where Angels are said to be peering over and looking intently into people who preach the gospel Angels desire to earnestly learn about the gospel the year the gospel to proclaim. The gospel babies are honestly to see people from every tribe tongue and Nation come to know the Lord and has good angels in heaven. See this at least two more profound worship for 10. but Paul also has in mind the demons who are Fallen Angels notice in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12, he refers to rulers and principalities and he says they're the Demonic forces.
So when you and I preach the gospel to the Nations and established churches and our ourself a church where we experience unity in Christ God glorifying diversity. We Proclaim to the demon that they lose we Proclaim to the demon that new creation is here right now and Jesus wins. This is the cosmic Proclamation. We make as the people of God. The purpose of Paul's Ministry is to make this Proclamation. The purpose of our ministry is to make this Proclamation and this is the purpose of the universe. the church family we have to embrace that the mission of spreading God's glory to every people tribe and nation is our mission to this is the Great Commission where God told us to make disciples of all Nations.
All Peoples That mission has not been accomplished right now their 3.2 2 billion people. On this planet who never even heard the name of Jesus. That means they know enough about God damn them to hell but not enough to save them. If you look at this screen. This is a this is a graph a chart about the people groups in this world. Are you delete 17,500 people groups? It's a group of people who share a common background language culture. and notice the red 7397 of these people groups are unreached. That means there's less than 2% of the population.
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The Demonic forces are hearing a grand Orchestra right now, but they're only hearing it from rough 8000 people groups. There are eight ten thousand people groups 3.22 billion people countless languages languages that were made to praise God that I'd never said Jesus is king of King and Muhammad are all eyes King. They've given praise to idols and never to the God who created them. It all job. We have a responsibility at Stewart's.
And we have the privilege. Give me directions to gift to take this message to all people groups. So is that the cosmic Proclamation that's heard is a full Orchestra.
Right. Now the Demonic beings are hearing us sing, but it's muted. Reddit missing 10,000 people groups right now. The angels are praising God for the gospel. But it's muted because there are 10,000 people groups have never heard the name of Jesus. This mission is not yet complete.
We still have a job to be done.
And this job will lead to suffering we see this in the last section of this verse if you look again at verse 13.
Paul says so I asked you not to lose heart over what I'm suffering for you which is your glory gear. Paul is embodying two things. We've learned throughout the sermon on the one hand Paul's mission to make Cosmic Proclamation. Is a responsibility that leads to suffering. And it's also a gift that leads to Joy me see both of those things in verse 13 He is suffering. An image that is suffering. People are receiving immense Glory. Remember church family Paul is writing this letter in prison while he's under house arrest in Rome.
He's in prison because he has embraced with seriousness his responsibility and his Joy. We do the same. Well, we embrace our responsibility to proclaim the gospel. We embrace the gift given to us to spread Joy To All Peoples despite suffering suffering will come we will be verbally abused. We will be physically abused we will be economically abused people have died since able for righteousness. Are dying right now? And we'll die for this message.
But the Nations depend on it the glory of God being expressed in this world depends on it.
And the cosmic Proclamation that announced his great joy to the angels and Damnation to the demons depend on it. church family for the glory of the loss. Their understanding that they have worth in God. Depends on you and me being about this Cosmic reconciliation. So what will we do about it?
We need to preach the gospel to the unreached. Well, it's hard to find the unreached. It's hard to know where the unreached are. It's the hard. So I'm asking you this week to pray that God would give us as a church wisdom to preach the gospel to the unreached. There is an app called Joshua Project. They have something called the unreached people group of the day. I'm challenging every single member of our church to pray every day for the unreached people group of the day. You could Google unreached people group of the day find the people group of the day and pray for them. That's the challenge this week now and if there's any non-Christian in this audience any non-Christian on our video I asked right now that you would trust in Jesus he would turn from your sins and Trust in Christ. He desires to save you.
God give us Grace. To Proclaim with boldness and confidence the gospel. And we pray that the result of this would be more profound worship by your angels and heaven and a greater signs are spiritual enemies that they lose and you win you pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.