A Dose of Perspective
\\ "A Dose of Perspective" by Kirk Romberg
Ephesians 3:1-13 (NLT)
1 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles …
2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.
3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.
4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.
5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.
6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.
Introduction
Thomas Wheeler, former CEO of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, tells the story about a day when he and his wife were driving along a highway when he noticed their car was low on gas. Wheeler got off at the next exit and found a rundown gas station with just one pump. He asked the attendant to fill the tank and check the oil, then went for a little walk around the station to stretch his legs. As he was returning to the car, he noticed that the attendant and his wife were engaged in an animated conversation. The conversation stopped as he paid the attendant. But as he was getting back into the car, he saw the attendant wave and heard him say, "It was great talking to you." As they drove out of the station, Wheeler asked his wife if she knew the man. She admitted she did. They had gone to high school together and had dated for about a year. "Boy, were you lucky that I came along," bragged Wheeler. "If you had married him, you’d be the wife of a gas station attendant instead of the wife of a chief executive officer." "My dear," replied his wife, "if I had married him, he’d be the CEO and you’d be the gas station attendant."
· There’s nothing like a good dose of perspective to keep us grounded in life.
· That can be true when things are going well and we’re tempted to think too much of ourselves.
· That can true when things are not going well and we’re tempted to become discouraged and let our circumstances get the best of us.
· And apparently this was the case for many believers in Paul’s day.
o Throughout the New Testament we learn that many believers grieved over Paul’s extended years of imprisonment and over the almost continual suffering he endured because of his ministry.
o And this was apparently true for the believers in Ephesus.
· So in the first half of chapter 3, Paul offers his friends a good dose of perspective, divine perspective, so that they won’t be discouraged because of his sufferings.
· In verse 1 Paul begins “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles…”
o But then he stops himself in mid-sentence.
o In fact, he doesn’t even return to his thought until verse 14.
o And he does this because as he says these words he suddenly realizes there’s something he needs to address with the Ephesians, and that’s discouragement.
o And we know this from what we read down in verse 13.
o He knows that his imprisonment and his sufferings have been hard on them.
o So he presses the pause button on what he was going to say long enough to speak perspective into their life, perspective that will encourage their hearts.
· And this is something that every one of us needs as followers of Jesus.
o A divine perspective, an eternal perspective is all-important.
o How we view and react to circumstances is more important than the actual circumstances themselves.
o If all we can see is our immediate situation, then our circumstances control us.
o We feel good when our circumstances are good but miserable when they are not.
o But when we keep a divine perspective in the midst of our circumstances, then our circumstances don’t get the best of us and we stay on track with God’s purposes for our lives.
o In our passage this morning, Paul encourages the believers in Ephesus by sharing with them what it means to have a divine perspective.
o And he does this by drawing their attention to three realities.
1. An Immediate Reality (v. 1)
“For this reason, I, Paul, the Prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.”
· Back in the opening of this letter Paul introduced himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.”
o But here he calls himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
o By this point he had been a prisoner for some five years, two years in Caesarea and the rest in Rome.
§ He had been arrested on false charges made by Jewish leaders of his day.
§ They had accused him of taking a Gentile into forbidden areas of the Temple, which he hadn’t.
§ So Paul had faced hearing before the Sanhedrin, before the Roman governor Felix, before Festus, and even before King Agrippa.
§ Eventually he was taken to Rome, where he was placed under house arrest with a soldier to guard him.
· Although Paul was arrested on Jewish charges, he didn’t not consider himself a prisoner of the Jews.
o Although imprisoned by the Roman authorities, he didn’t consider himself a prisoner of Rome either.
o As far as Paul was concerned, he was a prisoner of Jesus, bought with a price, and given the special mission of bringing the Good News to the Gentiles.
o He was therefore a prisoner of Christ for the sake of Gentiles. Whether free or in chains, he was a glad-hearted prisoner of Jesus.
o He understood that whatever he did and wherever he went, Christ was in total control.
o Without the Lord’s consent, Paul knew that he was not subject to the plans, the power, the punishment, or the imprisonment of any man or government.
o The only reason why he was in prison was because Christ allowed it.
· And that brings us to our first lesson from our passage this morning.
o Keeping an eternal perspective means trusting the sovereignty of God in my circumstances.
o See, Paul understood that somehow his circumstances fit God’s purpose for his life to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.
o No doubt there were times when he wondered exactly how they fit, but he understood they fit nevertheless.
o Corrie Ten Boom once wrote that she considered that wherever she was, that was just the part of the world that God wanted her to take the gospel to – even if where she was, was in a German concentration camp.
o She wasn’t a prisoner of Germany, but a prisoner of Jesus.
o Her encounter with the German guard years later in a church meeting where she spoke.
o And see this was the perspective of Paul as well.
o It was a divine perspective that trusted the sovereignty of God in his circumstances.
· And see as Christians this is a very important perspective for us to keep in our lives as well.
o And this is not simply a defeatist mindset where we resign ourselves to our circumstances and simply let circumstances have their way with us without any effort on our part to change our circumstances.
o In some parts of the world when a little child gets sick, the family will refuse to take their child to the hospital to get medical attention.
o “It is the will of God that my child is sick,” they say as they resign themselves to that circumstance.
o That’s not what Paul is doing here.
o Paul is saying that when I have no control over my circumstances and no say in what’s happening in my life, there is Someone who still has a say and that’s God.
o He’s in control even when I’m not.
o So I can trust Him that He has allowed this.
o I can trust Him that this somehow fits within His plan even if can’t understand how.
o And that simple decision to trust God frees us to stay faithful to Him and to serve Him even in the midst of our circumstances.
o In the frigid waters around Greenland are countless icebergs, some little and some gigantic.
o If you’d observe them carefully, you’d notice that sometimes the small ice flows move in one direction while their massive counterparts flow in another.
§ The explanation is simple.
§ Surface winds drive the little ones, whereas the huge masses of ice are carried along by deep ocean currents.
o When we face trials and tragedies, it’s helpful to see our lives as being subject to two forces--surface winds and ocean currents.
o The winds represent everything changeable, unpredictable, and distressing.
o But operating simultaneously with these gusts and gales is another force that’s even more powerful.
o It is the sure movement of God’s sovereign hand and the deep flow of His unchanging love working just beneath the surface of my life moving us in the current of His will.
2. An Historical Reality (vs. 2-6)
“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
· Paul here is reiterating for the believers in Ephesus the plan of God to bring Jewish people and non-Jewish people together to create one new people who, regardless of their background are now joined together through repentance and faith in God’s Son Jesus.
· In verse 2 Paul refers to this plan as “the administration of God’s grace.”
o The word administration is the Greek word Oikonomia which means stewardship.
o It’s the word that is used in the New Testament to refer to the management of resources that belong to someone else.
o Paul is saying that he has become a manager of something that belongs to God, namely His plan of grace, His unearned love and favor made available to all through faith in Jesus.
o And indeed every Christian is a manager of God’s grace through the unique resources, callings, spiritual giftings, opportunities, skills, and knowledge that God gives us so that God’s plan to create one new people can be fulfilled through our lives as well.
o Paul had the unique calling of being an apostle, or ‘one sent’, to the Gentiles.
o And in this way the management of God’s grace, was given to him.
· Paul also refers to this plan as “a mystery.”
o Paul’s not comparing God’s plan to an Agatha Christy or Nancy Drew movie where something has happened and we don’t know what it is or who did it and we’re not gonna find out until the very end.
o The word here is musterion which refers to something previously disclosed but now made known.
o And this mystery, according to verse 6, is that both Jews and Gentiles would be united together to form one body, one people, in Christ.
o In verse 5 he says that this mystery was not made known to other generations but had now been revealed by the Holy Spirit.
o You see, the body of Christ, the church, was not foreseen by the people in the Old Testament.
o It was a surprise reserved in the mind of God for the right time.
§ Some people like surprises.
§ I love surprises.
§ My wife can’t stand surprises.
§ She wants to know.
§ If I get her a present, wrap it up and stick it under the tree before Christmas, she’ll figure out a way to know exactly what’s in there. She can’t stand not knowing. It’s gotten to the point where I just ask her what she wants and I go out and get it. But she still wants me to wrap it up, even though she knows what it is, so that she can open it up in front of the kids and act surprised.
· Well that’s the church; it’s God’s surprise.
o It’s His surprise to the Jewish nation.
o It’s His surprise to the world of humanity.
o It’s His surprise to all of His Holy Angels.
o It’s even His surprise to the devil and the demons of hell.
o It doesn’t seem like a surprise to us because with the help of the Holy Spirit we can look back on the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament and see where God left a lot of hints… the first one being Genesis 12:3 where God said to Abraham, “all people of the earth will be blessed through you.”
o But when the day of Pentecost came in Acts 2 and three thousand people responded to the preaching of Peter to repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
o And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” surprise, surprise, surprise.
§ They never saw it coming.
§ The Jewish nation never saw it coming.
§ The Roman Empire never saw it coming.
§ The angels of heaven never saw it coming.
§ The demons of hell never saw it coming.
§ It was God’s surprise, which He kept hidden until the proper time.
o And when Paul in verse 3 says that “This mystery was made known to me by revelation,” he’s saying, “God let me in on the surprise.”
o And when he says in verse 2 that “The administration of God’s grace was given to me,” and a bit later on in verse 8 where he says, “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things,”
o Paul is saying, “I get to share in the surprise.
o I get to be the one to peel away the wrapping paper and open the box!
o I don’t deserve it, in fact for what I’ve done I deserve it the least.
o But for one reason or another He’s let me do it.
o Perhaps just to illustrate how real this grace really is, He chose me… a murderer and a blasphemer.
· And I think what Paul is ultimately saying here to the Ephesian believers is, “Prison? No. Don’t worry about me being in prison.
o There’s something happening here… something amazing, something historical, something radical, something eternal that’s going on that’s so much bigger than me, and I get to be a part of it.
o I wouldn’t trade that for anything, even my own freedom.
o I will gladly deal with prison or whatever comes my way to be a part of God is doing in the world.
· And that leads us to the second lesson we find in our passage this morning.
o Keeping an eternal perspective means living with the big picture in view.
o And that’s exactly what Paul is doing.
o I mean the more I reflect on this passage the more I get the idea that Paul is so overwhelmed by this plan of God’s grace, this ancient surprise, that everything else, even the circumstances of his life, just pale in comparison.
· Sometimes we need a good dose of perspective.
o The kids are crying, the bills are due, the money is tight, the boss is grumpy, the gas is expensive, the earth is warming, the weather is freaking, the politicians are fighting, the nations are warring, but in all of that there’s something bigger going on.
o There’s something happening here, something that we get to be a part of.
o God’s plan of grace, His ancient surprise to create one new people in Christ, continues to unfold and be distributed to the nations through his servants until the day comes when every knee is bent and many will say, “I never saw that coming.”
o That’s the kind of perspective that does the heart good.
o I think that’s what the songwriter had in mind when (s)he wrote those classic words, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
3. An Eternal Reality (vs. 7-11)
“I became a servant of this Gospel (this good news of Jesus) by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am the least of all God’s people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that, now, through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
· Paul here is saying that the purpose of God’s revealing the mystery of the church is that the manifold (many colored, multifaceted) wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
o Paul uses these words to describe angels back in chapter 1:21.
o In chapter 6:12 he uses these words to describe fallen angels.
o God has brought His church into being for the purpose of manifesting His great wisdom before the angels, both holy and unholy.
o And this, Paul said, was according to His eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ.
o See, everything God has ever done has had the ultimate purpose of giving Himself glory.
o Paul is saying that God is not creating a new people called the Church for the Church’s sake but for His own name’s sake.
· The church does not exist for itself, nor does it exist for the purpose of preaching the Gospel and reaching out to people and saving souls.
o You say, “What? Did you just say the church does not exist for the preaching of the Gospel souls?”
o Yes. But before you get mad and call me a heretic, let me just say that yes, that is what the church is called to do, but in order to fulfill a greater purpose yet.
o Preaching the Gospel and saving souls is not the end but the means to the end.
o The supreme purpose of the church is to glorify God by manifesting His wisdom before the angels, who can then offer greater praise to God.
o The purpose of the universe to give glory to God, and that will be its reality long after God’s redemption plan has been fulfilled.
o Psalm 19:1 speaks of this purpose when it says, “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”
o Paul is saying that the church is not an end to itself.
o And he’s saying “my life is not an end to itself.”
o The real drama of redemption can only be understood, the real drama of life can only be understood, when I realize the glory of God is the supreme goal of it all.
· And that brings us to our final lesson in our passage this morning, and that this.
o Keeping an eternal perspective means remembering that I’m here for a reason and that reason is not about me.
o I’m not here in this world to achieve my personal fulfillment in life.
o It’s not about my sense of satisfaction.
o It’s not about the pursuit of my own happiness.
o Not that those things are not good.
o But ironically, those things can only truly come to me when I abandon the pursuit of those things altogether and pursue the greater thing, and that’s the glory of God.
o This is what C.S. Lewis had in mind when he said that true happiness comes into our lives not through the front door, by pursuing it as we might expect.
o But rather, true happiness comes unexpectedly through the back door, by pursuing something greater than my happiness.
o This is what Jesus was talking about when He said in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
o And see, this is the perspective that we all need to have in life, during the ups as well as during the downs.
o And this is not some Pollyanna mentality that minimizes the problems in life by trying to put a positive spin on everything.
o It’s not some classic case of denial that puts one’s head in the sand and pretends that problems don’t exist.
o Nor is it mere hopeless optimism that insists everything is just gonna get better.
o Rather, it’s an honest recognition that problems in life are very real, but even so there’s a much greater purpose for my existence than simply living a happy problem-free life, and that’s to bring glory to God in my life…. even in the midst of my circumstances.
· And that’s what Paul is getting at here.
o “God is being glorified, so don’t be discouraged because of my sufferings, because even in my sufferings God’s purpose is still being fulfilled.
o So it really is ok.
o Suffering is not against the rules.”
o Don’t be discouraged because of your sufferings; God’s purpose is still being fulfilled.
o His glory is why we’re here.
o And one day, one day soon, we’ll all share in that glory.
o How do we know? “For these light and momentary troubles are attaining for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Conclusion
· And see, that’s what keeping an eternal perspective is about.
o It’s about trusting the sovereignty of God in my circumstances… He’s in control even when I’m not.
o It’s about living with the big picture in view… not losing sight of what’s really going on in this world, and where it’s all heading.
o And it’s about remembering that until then I’m here for a reason… and that reason is not about me.
o Now I know that’s easy to say.
§ I fully recognize that having that kind of perspective and keeping it once I’ve got it is an entirely different matter.
§ I think it takes time.
§ I think it takes practice.
§ It takes the school of experience.
§ It takes other people in our life to help us in the journey.
§ But I think most of all it takes a deep and abiding relationship with God in Christ.
o And this is why in verse 12 Paul reminds us that “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and with confidence.”
o One day as followers of Jesus we’ll be with God forever.
o But until that day comes, we can approach God.
o His door is always open.
o And He invites us to come in, if for no other reason but to be with Him and to be changed by His loving presence.
o More than time, and practice, and experience, the real secret to cultivating this kind of divine perspective that Paul is talking about is drawing near to God Himself and staying close to Him in my life no matter what, and sometimes clinging to Him with everything I’ve got.
o Because apart from that relationship, centered in Christ, the circumstances of life will certainly give me perspective alright.
o But it will only be a tainted perspective, a warped perspective, and eventually a cynical angry perspective… anything but a divine perspective.
o And it’s that perspective and who we become because of that perspective that really makes the difference in the end between one who is ruled by their circumstances and one who is ruled by something much higher.