06PM January 29 Ephesians 3 1_13
January 29, 2006—Evening Worship
“The Glorious Grace of God” Series – Part 7
God’s Mysterious Purpose
Lessons You Must Learn in Following Christ
Ephesians 3:1-13
Intro: Several years ago, my family & I were at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant waiting for a table. & as most folks do, we were looking around at all the items they have for sale in what they call “The Country Store.” In one area of the store they have little games & puzzles. One of the puzzles has 2 horseshoes w/2 chains welded between them. Those chains run through a metal ring, making it look impossible to take that ring off – but that’s the object of the puzzle – to get the ring off the horseshoes & chains. It took me several trips to the Cracker Barrel to be able to figure out how to get that ring off those horseshoes, but I did it!
What is it about a mystery that draws our attention so? What is it that makes us keep looking, w/great intensity, at the mystery trying to figure it out? Well, just to be honest w/you, I can say that, “I don’t know why human beings are so intrigued by mystery.” But I do know that God knows that we are & He knows why we are.
So God uses our curiosity to draw us ever closer to the revelation of Himself from the Scriptures. The Bible is progressive revelation. It’s God slowly, deliberately, but surely – revealing Himself to man. & by the time we get to the 3rd chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul begins to briefly explain a mystery that’s been hidden since before time began. It’s a mystery that God revealed to the apostles & prophets so that, all the world may know the meaning & purpose behind it.
There are 3 paragraphs in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians, & tonight we will concern ourselves w/the 1st 2, in vv. 1-13. So let’s read our text & see God’s mysterious purpose as we find lessons you must learn in following Christ.
Ephesians 3 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles & prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, & partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness & access w/confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
- It is evident that the Apostle Paul was uniquely gifted by God to preach the gospel.
- Paul had a special calling on his life as a servant of God.
- But by applying the Scriptures to our own lives, tonight I want us to see that every believer is a divinely appointed servant for the purposes of God.
- Notice 1st of all that…
1. You are uniquely gifted to serve God. (vv. 1-7)
- You may ask, “How, am I uniquely gifted to serve God? I don’t feel adequate. I don’t feel able. I don’t feel especially gifted.”
- & you may not feel as though you are, but notice w/me the application of what Paul says.
- You are uniquely gifted to serve God…
A. By His Call. (v. 1a) “…Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus….”
- At the time Paul was writing this, he was chained to a Roman soldier all day every day; all night every night.
- Although he was allowed some privileges, like visitors, he was not a free man. He was a prisoner of Caesar; awaiting trial before Nero.
- However, you will never find any references in any of Paul’s writings describing himself as a prisoner of Caesar.
- Paul viewed himself as a prisoner of Christ Jesus the Lord.
- Every believer is, in one sense, a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
- Every believer is bound, not by physical chains, but by spiritual chains, to Jesus!
- He paid the debt He did not owe – He paid our sin debt!
- He paid the debt we could not pay – He gave Himself in our place!
- We are indebted to Him far beyond what we are able to pay!
- But Jesus simply asks that we follow Him; that we obey Him; that we serve Him; that we view ourselves as Paul did – a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
- Not in the sense that we are harshly treated, mistreated or neglected.
- But in the sense that we are under His yoke; working w/Him; pulling w/Him; serving Him.
Matthew 11 28 Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy & My burden is light."
- Did you notice that Jesus’ call to come to Him was also a call to serve & to study Him?
- He said those who come to Him would place His yoke on them – that’s service!
- He said those who come to Him would learn from Him – that’s study!
- So Jesus is saying that everyone who comes to Him will be workers who serve their Lord & grow in His grace!
- Paul viewed himself as under the yoke of Jesus Christ & if you are a truly born again, you are also under that same yoke; you also are a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
- & b/c you are, you are gifted w/grace; repentance; faith; mercy; love & eternal life!
- But not only are you gifted by His call but also…
B. Through His Command. (vv. 1b-2) 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you
- Paul knew that the Ephesians were concerned & confused by his imprisonment.
- If Paul was an Apostle; if he was such a great saint being used mightily by God, why was he still in prison; why had God not miraculously freed him?
- They believed that this made Paul look like an impostor; or a charlatan.
- He had served 3 years in the church at Ephesus. Was it all for naught?
- No! In fact, Paul tells the Ephesians that they were part of the reason he was in prison!
- He was under the command of Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
- While he was at Ephesus, the Jews there hated his preaching & hated him for saying that the ceremonies & rituals of Judaism were unnecessary for true salvation in Christ.
Acts 21 27 Now when the 7 days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd & laid hands on him, 28 crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, & this place; & furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple & has defiled this holy place." 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian w/him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 & all the city was disturbed; & the people ran together, seized Paul, & dragged him out of the temple; & immediately the doors were shut. 31 Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately took soldiers & centurions, & ran down to them. & when they saw the commander & the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came near & took him, & commanded him to be bound w/two chains; & he asked who he was & what he had done.
- & that’s how Paul was arrested & falsely accused, but God used even that situation in Paul’s life for Paul’s good & God’s glory!
- Many of the NT books were penned by Paul while in prison & Paul’s ministry continued even though he was bound to a Roman soldier day & night.
- Paul was under orders from the Lord to be the apostle to the Gentiles & we too are under orders from the Lord to take “the grace of God which was given to” us to world!
- The Commission Jesus left us was to go & make disciples of all the nations!
- You are under His command; you are soldiers in the army of the Lord; you are insubordinate if you do not obey!
- You’ve been uniquely gifted to serve God by His call, through His command &…
C. As His Child. (vv. 3-4) 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
- This revelation was given to Paul that he might better understand what God was doing in & through Christ.
- It was given to him to share w/others.
- It was given to him as a child of God, to be used of God, for the glory of God!
Matthew 11 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, & no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, & the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
- IOW you are a child of God tonight, b/c Jesus willed to reveal God the Father to you so that you might know Him.
- & once you became a child of God, the Holy Spirit, who is your teacher, began to reveal to you the deeper mysteries & truths of the word of God.
- Now as a child of God, you have the capacity to learn spiritual matters.
- & so, as you learn those matters of the spiritual nature, you are then able to relate those matters to others for their benefit.
- God uses you to share w/others; to guide others; to empower others; just as other people were instrumental in helping you & sharing w/you & guiding you & empowering you to a better understanding of the Bible.
- Now some of the things Paul has already written in this epistle are hard to understand b/c of the point of view we’ve been taught all our lives.
- But when we look at it; & study it; & ask the Lord to illuminate our minds to it; we can understand the knowledge that Paul gives in the mystery of Christ!
- You are not only gifted as His child, but you are also uniquely gifted to serve God…
D. By His Consecration. (v. 5) 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles & prophets:
- The revelation that Paul received as a child of God was not something old but something that had not been made known to men in previous times.
- & notice that it was made known, by the Spirit of God, but not just to Paul, but to all of God’s holy apostles & prophets.
- These were the men who proclaimed God’s word before it was in written form.
- These are those who “spoke for God” by the Spirit of God.
- These men were called holy. The word ‘holy’ in its highest application is to God Himself, in His purity, majesty & glory.
- But that word is also applied to us as “people separated to God’s service.”
- IOW God set you apart; consecrated you; & made you holy for the purpose of using you to accomplish His will & advance His kingdom!
- But you ask, “Does that word apply to me? I’m just a plain old, everyday, run-of-the-mill believer. Does the word holy apply to me?”
- & the answer is yes! 61 times in the Bible that word is also translated ‘saints.’
- That’s what we are in the eyes of God – no longer strangers & foreigners – but saints!
- God set us apart for His service & called us saints!
- You are uniquely gifted to serve God by His call, through His command, as His child, by His consecration &…
E. Through His Compassion. (vv. 6-7) 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, & partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
- That’s it! That’s the mystery! That’s the truth hidden from ages long ago!
- The simple truth is that God planned from the beginning to save a people for Himself.
- Those people were not of a particular segment of the human race, they were of every people, nation, tribe & tongue.
- It is true that God chose Israel as His own peculiar people; but that choice did not exclude any other peoples from coming to know God!
- God, in His compassion, chose Israel to extend the love of God to all the world.
- However, they did not. & so, God, not willing that any should perish, in His compassion turned to the Gentiles to give them the same great revelations of Himself.
- & the Gentiles responded quickly & positively when they heard the news of the grace of God.
- In fact, Acts 13 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad & glorified the word of the Lord. & as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
- IOW God purposed in His heart, by His grace & according to His will, to save people.
- Aren’t you glad you’re one of the elect tonight? Aren’t you glad that God determined beforehand what He would do – regardless of what man does? Aren’t you thankful tonight for the glorious grace of God?
- & just like Paul, God has made us ministers of the gospel “by the effective working of His power.”
- His heart is for people; lost souls; enemies of God; separated from Him; BUT in His compassion, God seeks out those people to be saved!
- The Apostle Paul was amazed at the grace of God!
- He was amazed at being used of God & gifted by God.
- Earlier in his ministry, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, b/c I persecuted the church of God.
- That statement made him #13 on a list of 13. “I am the least of the apostles”
- A little later in his ministry, in v. 8 of our text, Paul says he is, “less than the least of all the saints.” That puts him at the bottom of the list of all believers of all time!
- & in one of the last letters Paul wrote, he said in 1 Timothy 1 15b, “…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
- I’m sure you feel as Paul did, you feel you are either not worthy of leadership or not worthy of grace – & both are true – yet by God’s grace you find that…
2. You are uniquely gifted to share the Gospel. (vv. 8-13)
- God has gifted you w/grace, w/repentance & faith & therefore you are uniquely gifted to share the gospel by your own experience…
A. Through Proclamation. (v. 8) 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- The word translated ‘preach’ in that verse means “to bring good news, to announce glad tidings.”
- It’s the same word from which we get our word evangelize.
- Paul said, “I’ve been given the task, the privilege of sharing the gospel. Me! The one who is less than the least of all the saints! God has entrusted this honor to me!”
- & ladies & gentlemen, God has entrusted that same honor to us! He has given us the command to proclaim & the truth to proclaim – that Jesus saves!
- Oh, that we could be disciplined enough to take advantage of those glorious, divine opportunities to tell someone about Jesus!
- I know we have good intentions to do that -- but unless we do it, we are disobedient children of God!
- Proclaim the joyous truth of what Jesus has done for you! Tell it! Shout it! Do it! Daily!
- You share the gospel through proclamation & you share the gospel…
B. Through Demonstration. (vv. 9-10) 9 & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places,
- I don’t know how much clearer that can be!
- So that all can see the fellowship of the joining together of the 2 opposing groups into the 1 new man that Jesus made on the cross.
- IOW so the whole world could see the unity & the difference that being in Christ makes.
- But not only that, but also that the principalities & power in the heavenly places could see the manifold wisdom of what God has done -- & to see it through the church!
- In the words of a popular contemporary Christian song, “If we are the body, why aren’t His hands reaching, why aren’t words teaching, why aren’t His feet going, why is His love not showing them there is a way – Jesus is the way?”
- When we live out our faith, not only is the whole world watching; but there are principalities & powers in heavenly places that see & know the wisdom of God!
- I want to be one that opens the eyes of those in this world!
- I want to be one that lives out the faith that God has given me!
- I want our church to be the church that lifts Jesus high & sees Him glorified & watches as He works in ways that can only be explained by God!
- & then to see people – men & women, boys & girls come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord!
- Let me encourage you to demonstrate the gospel w/your life!
- You are uniquely gifted to share the gospel through proclamation, demonstration &…
C. Through Explanation. (vv. 11-13) 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness & access w/confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
- God’s eternal purpose was to save a people for their good & His glory!
- Those people would be from every tribe & tongue & nation.
- & He did that through the Lord Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross.
- & b/c of what Jesus has done, we now can come boldly to the throne of grace.
- We can come w/confidence, knowing that we will be admitted into the very presence of God!
- & not only that, but we also know that we can find help in our time of need; comfort in our time of distress; peace in our time of worry; friendship in our time of loneliness & on & on.
- & Paul tells his readers, b/c of all this – everything that’s been written in vv. 1-12 – don’t lose heart b/c I’m in prison!
- I’m going through these experiences for your glory! I’m going through these experiences as proof that what I’ve taught you is the truth!
- The world hates the truth; it hates the light & will not come to the truth or the light on its own b/c the truth & the light expose the world’s sinfulness!
- Therefore, Paul says, “I’m being persecuted for the faith; that’s what makes me a prisoner of Jesus Christ; that’s what makes me a symbol of hatred to the world & a symbol of faith to the believers.
- Don’t lose heart at my tribulations for you, & don’t be surprised to find that you may have to endure a similar situation.
- & if you do, remember that you are uniquely gifted to serve God & that you are uniquely gifted to share the gospel.
Conclusion: Thank God for the gospel! Thank God for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ! Every one of us have been gifted to serve God & to share the gospel. If it were not for someone sharing the gospel w/you—you would not be here tonight. If it were not for God’s grace—you would not be here tonight. But you are & God’s mysterious purpose has been revealed. All people everywhere are candidates for the gospel; candidates for grace; candidates for salvation. Are you serving & sharing—or are you lazy & silent? Which does God demand of His children? What will you do?
Invitation: If God has spoken to you about the eternal destiny of your soul & shown you your need of the Savior, would you come in repentance & faith to Jesus Christ?
Or maybe God has spoken to you about your lazy attitude toward His service or your silence toward the lost. Would you come in repentance & find the strength to serve & the joy to share once again?
Let’s commit to being the church that God desires & to being the people that God desires & watch how He uses us & how much He can accomplish through us. & then let’s praise Him for He alone is worthy!
Hymn 330 Amazing Grace! How Sweet the Sound