An Example of Faithful Stewardship: Part 1: Ephesians 3:1-7

Introduction

Paul covered a lot of ground in his first two chapters of the letter. He spent chapter one praising the Triune God for arranging, accomplishing, and applying salvation to sinners and stating His gratitude for God’s work among those at Ephesus. He spent the second chapter showing how God’s grace has made dead sinners alive to God and how in Christ God has reconciled a people to Himself and each other that is made up of Jew and Gentile alike. As we read the first verse of our text, it looks as if Paul is going to wrap of the first half of his letter with a prayer, which He does in 3:14-21. Here, however, he shifts to discuss his calling as an apostle, specifically an apostle to the Gentiles. From the passage we just read and the one we will look at next week, we learn what it means to be a faithful steward of the gospel. This insight has ramifications for the church corporately and Christians individually, especially teaching officers in the church. From our passages this morning we learn four traits of a faithful steward of the Gospel.

Body

1. A faithful steward of the gospel endures suffering for the sake of others: 1, cf. 13

Exposition

Read verse 1: “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles.” Paul by saying, “For this reason,” points back to the preceding passage. In fact, Paul does not finish his thought in verse 1 until verse 14. Instead he digresses into a discussion of the nature of his ministry. That said, the reason for both the discussion of His ministry in verses 2-13 and the prayer in verses 14-21 is that God has reconciled a people made up of both Jew and Gentile to Himself and one another in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

I want you at this point, however, to notice the way Paul describes himself in this verse. He says, “I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” It is ironic for Paul to describe himself as the prisoner of Christ, when at the time he wrote these words he was literally the prisoner of the Roman Emperor Nero. Paul, though, sees beyond the physical chains and the Roman guards. Paul sees that He belongs to Christ and that he and whatever befalls him is under His sovereign control. Paul, also, understands that it is for the cause of Christ and His gospel that he is in prison. Put differently, Paul suffers earthly imprisonment because His master is not Caesar but Christ.

Furthermore, He suffers for the sake of the saints in Ephesus and those like them. He suffers for Gentiles to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that saves anyone who believes. He literally says he suffers for them in verse 13. How could he say he suffers for them or is prisoner for their sake? He can say it because it is in ministering the gospel to Gentiles that caused some Jews to attempt to kill him. It was their attempt that led to his Roman imprisonment (Acts 21:17-36; 22:21-23). He was called and sent by Christ to proclaim God’s love in the gospel to Jew and Gentile alike (Ephesians 3:8; Acts 13:47; 22:21; 26:12 ff.; Rom. 11:13; 15:16; Gal. 2:8, 9; 1 Tim. 2:7; Titus 1:7). This calling endangered His life and lead to his imprisonment.

Illustration

Sometimes it is required of a person to experience suffering for a good to come about. One such example is child birth. A woman goes through excruciating pain, anticipating holding a new born baby at the end. Indeed, biological women alone are created and called to such a noble and painful task. Similarly, Paul is called to a noble and painful task. He is called to preach the gospel to both Jew and Gentile alike. He, alone, was to be the main apostle to the Gentiles. This calling was noble but it lead him to experience much pain sprinkled with many great joys. What joy he experienced when some who he preached to were saved? What happiness it must have brought him to see churches planted in places where Christ formerly had not been preached? No, none of us have recieved the apostolic calling or office of our older brother Paul, but we have as a church and to some degree as individuals recieved a calling to proclaim Christ and with such a calling suffering will come.

Application

Vista Baptist Church, do we belong to Christ like Paul? Yes, we do. Have we been commissioned by Christ to proclaim the gospel? Yes, we have. Are you willing to suffer for Him? Are you willing to suffer for your lost family, friends, and neighbors? We need not look for suffering or pursue it. If we faithfully follow Jesus and the calling He has placed upon us, suffering will come. Some of that suffering will be persecution. Our neighbors may think we are weird when we take our faith seriously. Some may say we are arrogant when we demand that people repent of their sins and trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Let us not be ashamed of Christ. Let us not surrender to any Lord but Christ. Let us declare the gospel of Jesus Christ and demand everyone everywhere to believe it.

Christian, I want you to realize that the call to follow Jesus does not guarantee an easy life. It is not a call to keep the status quo of the present age. It is a call to die to self and live to God in Christ. It is a call to willingly suffer for Jesus sake. It is a call to serve Jesus in all of life and at all times. It is a call to be a faithful steward of the gifts and gospel that God has given you. If you call yourself such a Christian, would you say you faithfully steward the gifts God has given you? Do you faithfully steward your time, money, and family? Do you faithfully steward God’s glorious gospel that you claim to believe? Are you willing to suffer for Him? I pray that you are. If not, turn to Him. Repent of your poor stewardship. Ask for His forgiveness and help. Our Lord is gracious and He helps His weary people do the tasks He as called them too. If so, then press on Christian. Your reward may not be seen in this life, but you will have your reward in glory.

Transition

We learn from Paul that a faithful steward of the gospel endures suffering for the sake of others.

2. A faithful steward of the gospel receives the stewardship of it from God: 2, 7

Exposition

We now enter Paul’s digression in which he lays out His calling as steward of the mystery of the gospel. He begins by saying that this stewardship was not one he chose. It was given to Him by God. Read verse 2: “assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.”

Paul knows that they have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace given to him. This stewardship of God’s grace involved the mystery of the gospel alluded to in verses 3-5, said explicitly in verse 6, and can be seen in 1:3-2:22. Paul sees himself as a recipient of a high privilege and sacred trust. He had God’s grace shared with him and he is not the owner or source of it. Also, Paul, by calling it a stewardship of God’s grace, implies that it is not something he is to enjoy privately. He is to share it with others, particularly with the Gentiles.

Now jump down to verse 7 and read along: “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.” Paul is a servant of the gospel. He lives to serve for the spread of the gospel. He was made a minister of the gospel, so he was assigned this task. His assignment was given as gift of God’s grace and by the working of God’s power. God’s grace powerfully working in, on, and through the Paul is what made Him into a minister of the gospel.

As it took such grace powerfully working to transform him from a persecutor of the church into a Christian, it takes this same grace powerfully working to make Him into a gospel minister. His holy vocation as the apostle to the Gentiles finds its origins in God’s grace and power. This same power continued to work in and through Paul, resulting in the conversion of many people and the planting of many churches. It continues to work through the Words the Holy Spirit inspired him to write.

To summarize what we learn from verse 2 and 7, we can say God gave Paul a stewardship of the gospel of God’s grace to share with others, especially Gentiles.

Illustration

The nature of a stewardship is determined by the one who has given it. When I worked at McDonalds I was stewarded the responsibility of grilling hamburgers. The managers and owners determined how I was dispense of my stewardship. I was to cook hamburgers at a rate to where no one waited for one and that we had minimal left over. In Paul’s case, God was the one who had given Him this stewardship and God is the one who made him into a minister of the gospel. Again, it is true that none of us are called to the extraordinary office of apostle, but we are called to ordinary Christian Discipleship which carries on the the labors of the apostles in proclaiming Christ, planting churches, and growing churches in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application

What are the callings God has placed upon you? If you are a Christian, the first calling is to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are to follow, serve, and proclaim Him. In fact, this calling is your most fundamental calling and informs the way you carry out your other callings.

If you have a family, then you have a calling to them determined by your place and role in the family: Husband, wife, father, mother, son, or daughter. Each of these titles comes with a host of responsibilities. That said, one thing must remain clear, you are to honor Christ in each of these callings. If you are a husband and father, you must honor Christ in how you lead and love your wife and children. If you are a wife and mother you must honor Christ in how you love your husband and rear your children. If you are a child, you must honor Christ in how you obey and honor your parents and love your siblings.

Moreover, if you are a Christian there is a responsibility you have to Jesus’s people, the church. This is most immediately carried out by joining and loving a local church family.

You also have a calling to the civil state in which you find yourself. You must honor Christ by obeying His Law and proclaiming Him to your countrymen, starting with those in closest proximity to you like your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

As a Christian, you have be been called to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus. As His disciple, you are to join in His mission of making more disciples. This requires knowing and proclaiming the mystery of the gospel, as Paul lays it out in the first two chapters of this letter. Just remember that your stewardship as a Christian and disciple of the Lord Jesus has been graciously given to you by God powerfully working in you. You were lost and without hope. He has found you, given you hope, and called you to share that hope with others beginning in your house, then your church, then your community, and then the world.

Transition

We learn from Paul that a faithful steward of the gospel endures suffering for the sake of others and receives the stewardship from God.

3. A faithful steward of the gospel understands the awesome mystery of the gospel: 3-5

Look with me at verses 3 through 5: “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.”

The mystery that Paul recieved by revelation is implied by 2:11-22. It is stated explicitly in the following verse. A mystery in Scripture is something that apart from revelation would not be known. Paul had come to know this mystery through revelation, meaning that he did not come to know it from his own genius, study, or a mere human teacher. He recieved it directly from God. It was customary for the recipients of Paul’s letters read it aloud during the Lord’s Day gathering. Upon reading Chapter 1:3-2:22 with particular focus on 2:11-22, they would perceive his insight into the mystery of Christ.

This mystery of Christ that had been reveal to and by Paul, had formerly not been revealed with as much clarity. In the Old Testament, it was promised that God would have a people who came from every tongue and tribe. However, the time when this would come, how it would be accomplished in Christ, and how in Him there would be one people God made up of Jew and Gentile was not so clear. To the apostles, the twelve and Paul, and through prophets, those supernaturally gifted at understanding the written word, forthtelling the law and gospel, and foretelling future events, the mystery of Christ was revealed by the Holy Spirit. Further, it was revealed through them to others. Through the ministry of the New Testament apostles and prophets, Christ was declared as the way of salvation to both Jew and Gentile alike and the New Testament church was formed.

Illustration

To understand the progressive nature of Biblical revelation one pastor used the analogy of a dimmer switch. I found it quite helpful. As we read our Bibles from Genesis to Malichi, God turns dimmer switch up to make the room of His redemptive plan brighter and easier to see. However, the room remains dimly lit. But once we get to the New Testament and behold the person and work of Christ the dimmer switch is flipped all the way on and God’s redemptive plan is on full display. One thing we would see in this metaphorical room is that Christ, the Son of God incarnate, is the only savior and that He is the savior of all both Jews and Gentiles that come to Him in faith.

Application

I know I have said this with each point, but there are real differences between us, Paul, and the prophets he speaks of in verses we just looked at. The main differences is that we do not receive direct spontaneous infallible revelation from God. That said, we have the written infallible revelation of God given through Spirit inspired authors. Therefore, let us be tethered to this written infallible revelation we find in the 66 books of the Holy Bible. Let us know it in our heads and hearts. Let us listen to and meditate upon the Word of God read and proclaimed.

I encourage you that unless you are providentially hindered to gather with your local church family, sit under the ministry of the Word whenever it is offered. If you want to know the mystery of Christ, the best place to both hear about it and experience it is in the context of the local church. If you are a member and active in the fellowship of saints here, keep participating, keep loving your brethren, and keep growing in the knowledge of and love for Jesus.

If you are not a member of this church or any local church, I encourage you first to trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation if you haven’t already. Secondly, I encourage you to formally join a local church where mystery of Christ is proclaimed. Be a part of a church family that loves the Word of God in word and deed.

One other application specific to our congregation needs to be mentioned. Anyone we call to serve in an office of the church, especially the office of pastor must understand the mystery of the gospel. It is not enough to be nice or hardworking. It is not enough to be good in business or earthly trades. It is not enough to be articulate or passionate. They must have sufficient knowledge of the gospel to articulate it and to defend it from error. They must follow the teachings of the infallible and Spirit inspired words of the Holy Scriptures.

Transition

We learn from Paul that a faithful steward of the gospel endures suffering for the sake of others, receives the stewardship from God, and understands the awesome mystery of the gospel.

4. A faithful steward of the gospel reveals the awesome mystery of the gospel: 6

We now come to the portion of our text where Paul states explicitly what the mystery of Christ is. Read verse 6: “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.” If you were here last Sunday, or if you were to read 2:11-22, you would see many of the elements Paul states in this verse.

Gentiles who believe in Christ are not second class citizens to the Jewish Christians. They are one with them as the one body of Christ. They are not merely heirs of some random inheritance, but fellow heirs with the Jews to the one inheritance given to God’s one people in Christ. They are no longer separated from the promises of God. They are fellow partakers of the promises of God in Christ.

Paul’s life was aimed to carry out this one mission, namely to proclaim salvation of God in Christ to those who are not only near but also those who are far off, that is to Jew and Gentile, to the self-righteous and to depraved wretches. A faithful steward of the gospel does not hoard the gospel message of our Lord Jesus to themselves, they share it with others. Paul was such a faithful steward. His act of proclaiming the mystery of Christ will be further explored next week. For now, though, see that this simple and straightforward statement of the mystery is itself evidence of his work of revealing it to others.

Illustration

I have suspicion that many of us are inclined to treat the gospel like we treat other valuable positions. Is it not true that we are inclined to hide valuable things in safe places like a safety deposit box, a fire-proof safe, or in a bank to not see the light of day except for when we get the itch to see or hold this valuable position. The gospel however is not a treasure that we need to hide for fear of losing it or damaging it. It is an eternal and infinite treasure. No matter how much we share it with others there is more than enough of it left for us. We shouldn’t lock it up in our private devotions or church gatherings. We should as a church and individuals share it with others who desperately need it even those we deem to far off for it. In a word, don’t keep the gospel for your own enjoyment, peace, and salvation. Share it with others.

Application

Yes, though we are not the apostle Paul, we Christians have recieved the mystery of the gospel. We know the mystery because men like Paul committed it to writing and others proclaimed the same message as Paul to us, or we have read the very words of the inspired apostle. What should we do with the mystery we now know. We should share it, of course.

To whom? You may ask. Start with those closest to you and work out from there. Start with your household, then move to your church family because the gospel is for Christians too, and then move to your friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Begin by living a life that reflects the salvation that you have experienced. Next, learn how to share the mystery of the gospel from others who already know how to share it. Finally, share it with other people.

This week our church has the opportunity to share it with a host of children and hopefully their parents, let us do it with boldness and love. This calling to share the gospel is a calling given to us as a congregation. Some will be more gifted at sharing than others, but all are called to participate. Some may do so more by their prayers, some may do so more with their resources, and some may do so more by laboring in the verbal proclamation itself. Let us at the very least all be mindful of the opportunities around us to proclaim the gospel and take them.

Conclusion

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a gift and stewardship given to the church by the Holy Spirit through the ministry of the apostles. As a gift, it is not something the church or we as individuals gained through works or came to understand by human genius. It is God who has given it to us by grace and we have recieved it through faith, which is also a gift. As a stewardship, the gospel is something that we not only receive. It is something that we share with others and invite all to respond to it with faith. The apostle Paul serves as an example of a faithful steward of the gospel, as he endured suffering for the sake of others, received the stewardship from God, and understood and revealed the awesome mystery of the gospel.

Vista Baptist Church, let us a build upon the foundation laid by Christ, Paul, and the other apostles. Let us receive the gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves both those who are near and far off. Let us reveal it to others and be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ and others.

Unbeliever, you are not to far off for Christ to save you. If you, come by faith to Jesus who lived in perfection, died to pay the penalty of sin, rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, sat at God’s right hand, makes intercession for His people, sends His Spirit to call, seal, equip, and preserve them, and will return to judge His enemies and establish His people forever, then you will be saved. If you come to Him with faith, He will not turn you away. Your sin is great. The distance between you and God is infinite. But Christ who is true God and true man is able to rescue from sin and bring you into communion with the one true God. Come to Him.

To all of us, I say, let us follow our older brother Paul and be faithful stewards of the gospel. May God help us do so. Let’s pray.