God's masterpiece of His Mystery

Recap of Last Week (Ephesians 2:1-10)

You are dead in your trespasses and sins.

Nothing in your nature to cry out Abba Father to God

You are all by nature condemned / Children of Wrath / captive to sin and death

“But God” (to most significant words in scripture)

Being rich in mercy because of His great love.

He raised us up and seated us with Him in the heavenly places

By Grace you have been saved through faith.

This is not your own doing but the work of God.

We his workmanship created for God’s glory alone.

Ephesians 2:11–22 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Underline Far Off - Brought near - creates one - we have access - no longer strangers - have access - being built

We were far off alienated from the family of God.

God has now brought near those who were far off through the blood of Christ.

He creates one man in the place of two

We now we have access to the Father

You are no longer strangers and aliens but a child of God / Citizens.

We are being built into one Holy structure / a place for God’s spirit to dwell.

Historical Background

Remember that Paul was called to go to the Gentiles, those outside of the nation of Israel. Up to this point in History the promise was only available to the nation of Israel. Everyone else was alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.

Now there has been a circumcision of the heart brought through Jesus Christ alone. Now he has brought those who were outside of the kingdom of faith near to the throne of grace.

Now Paul is speaking of creating one man in the place of two.

Galatians 3:23–29 ESV

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Paul tells us in Acts 17:16 in his address to the Stoic Philosophers in Athens at the Areopagus that God made one man through whom all nations have descended, which is Adam. God chose one people for himself to fulfill his purpose of redemption which was the nation of Israel.

But now God is building one house of God with Jesus Christ as it’s chief cornerstone

Note: Now that we have established God’s plan of unifying His Church under one banner which is Jesus Christ I want us to read the focal text of the mission he is giving us this morning.

Ephesians 3:1–13 ESV

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 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. 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. 7 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. 8 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, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

The mystery of Christ was made known.

The mystery revealed by the Holy Spirit.

The mystery is that the Gentiles are now grafted into the same body.

The mystery of God’s plan is brought to light.

The mystery of God’s manifold wisdom is revealed.

The mystery of God’s eternal purpose of access to faith in Him is available.

Note: We are going to work backwards in this text this morning to gain a bigger picture of what God is doing.

The Great Painter

Picture this: Picture in your mind a great, wise painter, painting on a huge canvas with many brushes, most of them very ordinary and messy. The painter is God, so you cannot picture him. He is invisible. But he intends for his painting to be the visible display of his wisdom.

He knows that people cannot see him, but he wants his wisdom to be seen and admired. His canvas is huge. It is the size of the created universe. I know you cannot really imagine looking at that canvas because you are in it. But do your best. And God is painting with thousands and thousands of colors and shades of textures - a picture as big as the universe and as old as creation and as lasting as eternity - a picture we call history, with the central drama being the preparation, salvation, and formation of the church of Jesus Christ. And he is using thousands of different brushes, most of them very ordinary and very small because every minute detail is crucial in the painting, to display the wisdom of the Painter. These brushes are God’s missionaries.

Big Idea: God uses His ordinary Brushes to paint His manifold Wisdom across this world's landscape.

Now there is a reason in the text in the text that I want you to get this picture into your mind. It is in the word “manifold” in verse 10:” … 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 Greek word for “manifold” occurs in teh Bible only here. It is very unusual.

(write the word Manifold)

First Half (poikilos) used to mean diversified, intricate, complex, subtle.

The basic idea is of varied in Color.

The Prefix of the word means “many” (polupoikilos). So the emphasis is very many colors and variations and intricacies and subtleties.

Now I want you to think of the display of God’s wisdom as a universe-sized painting with innumerable colors and shadings and texture. it is unsearchable and intricate.

What is the Greatest Purpose God has for the Church?

4 Fold Purpose

1. Displayed through God’s Wisdom

"The Divine painter is displaying the varied infinite wisdom of God"

Notice that now God is drawing his holy army, the Church is being drawn from every tribe, tongue, and nation of the earth to display such wisdom.

Your Brain Has 500 Trillion Connections Your body, including your brain, is fearfully and wonderfully made. In the book Does My Goldfish Know Who I Am? science writer Joshua Foer explains to a nine-year-old boy named Tom how the brain can store so much information despite being that small:

An adult's brain only weighs about [three pounds], but it's made up of about 100 billion microscopic neurons. Each of those neurons looks like a tiny branching tree, whose limbs reach out and touch other neurons. In fact, each neuron can make between 5,000 and 10,000 connections with other neurons—sometimes even more. That's more than 500 trillion connections! A memory is essentially a pattern of connections between neurons.

Every sensation that you remember, every thought that you think, transforms your brain by altering the connections within that vast network. By the time you get to the end of this sentence, you will have created a new memory, which means your brain will have physically changed

God, Wisdom of - if our brains are this complex, imagine the depth and complexity of the “mind of God.”

Ephesians 3:8–9 ESV

8 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, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

Paul makes the point that he was the least of all the saints who God gave this great privilege to carry the banner of Christ to the world.

What is the plan for the immeasurable riches of God? We are to spread the gospel to “everyone”

The mystery that was hidden and veiled for the ages past is now available and open to the nations.

So, this is God’s goal. He created the world, and he redeemed a people through the death of his son (Ephesians 2:12-19) and now he sends missionaries and gathers his Church by the preaching of the riches of Christ “so that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” That is the goal and aim of all human history.

History exists to paint on the canvas of the universe the multi colored and intricate wisdom of God. Missions is the means that God uses to gather His Church. And that gathering from all the nations is the focus of this wisdom he is painting. Romans 1:20 All of God’s divine intricate attributes and nature have been clearly perceived and seen through His creation. It is our job to point people to that reality. So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known.

So if this is true, why is the mystery of Jesus Christ still a mystery to many people living in the world today. Why is has the spread of the Gospel of Christ come to a halt in recent years and modern generations today? Why are fewer missionaries and ambassadors for Christ going to the ends of the earth with the Gospel message?

Let’s stay with the idea of the Display of God’s wisdom.

Look at the audience be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. So, from creation to consummation, is meant to display the supernatural God and point out the supernatural evil forces that are continuing to attempt and blur the wisdom of God.

Here is the problem: We constantly loose sight and focus of the manifold wisdom of God that we are suppose to be displaying to the world. We get so focused on what are we getting out of the Church that we have lost our focus.

Angels Stand in Awe of God Mission: The mission exists for the ingathering of the called out elect of God to the extent that the angels would stand in awe of the wisdom of God.

The good Angels never fell into sin, and only marveled at the wisdom of God’s grace from outside, so to speak. None of these angels will every sing “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” They are not wretches and have never been lost.

This is our song and our joy, and they can never sing it or know it. But God wanted them to see it. And so his aim in history is to display the wisdom of his grace in the way he saves the church by justifying the ungodly from all nations by faith alone on the basis of Christ alone.

The angels long to stoop down and get as close as possible to the wonders of the redemption and how God prepared and saved and gathered his Church.

1 Peter 1:12 ESV

12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Demons - the evil principalities and powers - must look at this painting and watch the wisdom by which they were defeated in the very moment they thought they had triumphed - in death and the resurrection.

Just martyrs voices and blood cry out from the throne of God, how much longer will you wait to avenge us, Jesus reply is just a little while longer, Jesus tells us to be faithful and resist to the end and then we will gain the unfading crown of life. Just when God paints another dark color of the death of his witness and the devils begin to bloat, God picks up another brush and with orange and yellow and red makes that dark death serve the beauty of his wisdom. And the demons gnash their teeth.

Now the final painting “Missions” is that every brush stroke will add to the infinitely intricate display of God’s wisdom to the armies of heaven.

How is the manifold wisdom of God displayed to the World?

2. The Gathering of God’s Global Church (v.10a)

“The divine painter is displaying his wisdom to the armies of Heaven and Hell”

“To me though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles [Gentiles the non-Jewish nation] now to bring to light the unsearchable riches to everyone what is the plan of the mystery that has been hidden from them for all these ages.

Albert Einstein

I’m not an atheist. The problem is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages.

The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human towards God.”

*The church Gathers to Scatter

The weekly gathering of the Church is a representation of Jesus greater heavenly gathering or the universal Church. It is an embassy of Christ’s Kingdom.

Note: The present gathering is not only a temporary embassy of Christ’s kingdom displayed, it is also a mobilization of the church to fulfill it’s mission while we are here on earth.

A Church becomes the Church in it’s gathering. It is where believers:

Show what we are.

Learn what we are.

Become what we are.

Give praise to God for what we are.

We are the shepherds flock; we are the branches and He is the vine; we are a demonstration of the wisdom and grace of God.

It is not surprising that the principalities of Hell are mobilizing right this minute this morning to come against the Church and work overtime discrediting the church.

CHURCHES GATHER

Just ask the Chinese nationalist communist party who routinely breaks up Church gatherings, dispersing their members.

The Chinese communist party should cause us to pause and think.

Why would they and so many other oppressive governments throughout history feel so threatened by the Church gathering?

What does the Church gathering represent? Or what purpose does it serve that powerful governments feel compelled to shut it down?

What might an official of such a government, sitting at his desk pouring over his intelligence reports, find threatening with something as innocent and common place as a Church gathering.

WHY ARE CHURCH GATHERINGS A THREAT?

The threat does not begin with the gathering but with the message. Christians proclaim that their ultimate allegiance is to Jesus and His commands.

They proclaim that the great mystery is that he some how saved them and is now their Lord and King.

Not only is He their king. But they promise to prioritize Him over their fellow citizens, family, and friends.

If this were a few crazy sounding people, it would not draw so much attention. However, with every gathering another pin is put in the map, it looks more like a movement that is growing across the globe.

What if like cancer sells they continue to multiply and grow.

(1) Gatherings Represent God’s Heavenly Rule and Judgments - Like an Embassy

The concern of Governments and their officials are wholly without merit. They are off-base because 2,000 years ago God did not send Jesus into the world to overthrow the established government which was Caesar. And Churches do not gather to train insurrectionists.

If the officials saw things correctly they would recognize that the gathering represents the invasion of heaven, the invasion of the kingdom of God in this foreign land.

We should see the Church as an outpost each pin on the map represents another outpost for the Universal Church.

Hebrews 12:22–23 ESV

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Jesus Church represents His kingly rule and authority here on earth, every pin on the map whether its in Belgium, Germany, Russia, Iran, China, Canada, or Brazil.

Note: We here the expression that the Church is a people, not a place. While that is true, still, a church becomes a church by gathering in a place, and we can become members only by gathering with it.

Note: A basketball team doesn’t become a team until the team gathers to play basketball; if you never show up to the game.

Gatherings testify to the King - Like an Embassy Flag. (the church gathers to point people to Jesus)

Gathering identify Citizens of the Kingdom - Like Passports. (Churches testify to who belongs to the Kingdom)

Gathering forms a People - Like Citizenship Class. (churches gather to teach everything that God commanded)

Gatherings Mobilize a People - Like training Ambassadors (Christ has made his people ambassadors and giving them the ministry of reconciliation, gathering is where his preachers, commission his people to go.)

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 ESV

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

What method is the manifold wisdom of God displayed to the world?

3. The Preaching of Christ’s Unsearchable Riches

“The Divine Painter is using the service of His ordinary missionaries”

Ephesians 3:8–9 ESV

8 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, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

“The Unsearchable riches of Christ”

Remember that Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:12 that the converts from the nations, “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenant promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

In other words, all that God had ever promised in the Old Testament was not available to them all. They were once excluded from everything of God and His promise.

Jesus Parables of the riches of the Kingdom of God.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought the field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price, admission to the kingdom is of incalculable worth and it is Jesus Christ who grants admission. The unsearchable riches of Christ are on full display in every believers heart and life.

Paul describes himself in Ephesians 3:8 as “less than the least of all the Lords people.” This statement is contrasted with the boundless riches of Christ.”

Charles Spurgeon -

“The apostle Paul felt it to be a great privilege to be allowed to preach the gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, or a servitude, but he entered upon it with intense delight. All God’s truly sent servants have experienced much delight in the declaration of the gospel of Jesus; and it is natural that they should, for their message is one of mercy and love.

Although our apostle thus knew and confessed his weakness, there is one thing which never troubled him: he was never perplexed as to the subject of his ministry. I do not find the apostle in all his writings proposing to himself the question, “What shall I preach?’

*We must pray the Spirit of God gives us strength in our weakness.

(We must pray that the spirit of God gives us the strength to speak on the glorious person of Jesus Christ)

MUST EVERY CHRISTIAN EVANGELIZE

Evangelize: To preach the gospel with the goal of converting someone to Christ.

Arguments Not to Evangelize

The Great Commission was only given to the apostles and therefore does not apply to us today.

First, some argue that the Great Commission was only given to the apostles and therefore, does not apply to us today. While it is true contextually the Great Commission was given to the apostles, it was not only for the apostles. The command “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” certainly includes the commands to make disciples.

Jesus commanded the apostles to preach the gospel to the whole creation. So this command of Jesus given to the apostles also applies to every believer today. Jesus promises that he will be with us to the end of the age which is a promise to all followers of Christ.

2. Since only some people have the “gift of evangelism,” not everyone is obligated to witness.

First, evangelism is not listed among the common spiritual gifts listings in Scripture; instead, the office of evangelist is mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. Some (myself included) questions whether “evangelism” should be seen as a distinct spiritual gift, such as giving, serving, and so on.

In addition, even if evangelism is a spiritual gift, it is also a command for all believers, just like giving, serving, and so on. Not having the gift of evangelism does not excuse a believer from his or her call to share Christ with others. (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

Biblical reasons that every Christian should Evangelize

The Commands to witness are given to all followers of Christ - (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

The Example of Ordinary Believers in the Church - (Following the stoning of Stephen Acts 1:8 “And there arose that day a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” And what did these ordinary believers do? Acts 4 tells us: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching (evangelizomenoi) the word.” They went about sharing the gospel with others.

The Work of the Ministry in Ephesians 4 ( Consider what Paul calls “the work of the ministry” in Ephesians 4. In this chapter Paul notes different offices in the Church (Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers). He declared part of the reason God “gifts” the Church with such leaders is so that they will “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Eph. 4:12. And we should clearly include evangelism in “the work of ministry.”

The brushes that God uses are messy, ordinary people who have seen the unsearchable riches of Christ and are willing, and often eager, to take these riches to the nations. The brushes are broken, shinning, ordinary missionaries - of whom the world is not worthy.

Hebrews 11:38 ESV

38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Each one of us should repeat with Paul, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach the good news of the unsearchable riches of God to the Gentiles.”

There were two reasons Paul mentions that he is the least of all saints.

He was a Hater and Persecutor of the Church of Christ. He never got over that God had chosen him in spite of his horrible past.

To remind you today that if he can use Paul He can do the same for you and me.

So here is the great incentive to draw you into His missionary call. God intends to use ordinary, messy, broken, small paint brushes on the canvas of the history of missions because every minute stroke of his brush matters. Every bright stroke across the landscape of history triumphantly proclaims the unsearchable riches of God. Every bright stroke breaks the bounds of sin and darkness.

He is the infinitely wise painter. He knows what He is doing with your life. No stroke will be wasted. You can trust him with your life.

Oh What Riches we have to Give Away!

CONCLUSION

SERMON ILLUSTRATION The Amazing Skill of the Lowly Pigeon

There are 290 species of pigeons in the world, but only one has adapted to live in cities. But that one species has an amazing skill—the ability to carry an important message and then to find its way home. Recent studies have suggested that they navigate using human structures as well as natural ones: they follow roads and canals, and have been observed going round roundabouts before taking the appropriate exit. They can fly extremely fast—up to 110 miles per hour—and can cover 700 miles in a single uninterrupted flight. There are faster birds, but none can fly horizontally, under its own power, as quickly as a pigeon.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries they became important as messenger birds. During the Siege of Paris in 1870, pigeons were taken out of the city by balloon and returned carrying thousands of letters stored on microfilm and sewn into their tail feathers. During the First World War, soldiers at the front used pigeons to communicate with those behind the lines and with tank commanders when their radios failed. In the Second World War, most bomber crews carried a pair of birds in a specially designed floating cage. If they were shot down they would release a pigeon bearing a message detailing their position.

Major General Fowler, the British army’s chief of signals and communications wrote, “If it became necessary immediately to discard every line and method of communications used on the front, except one, I should unhesitatingly choose the pigeons. When the battle rages and everything gives way to barrage, machine gun fire … gas attacks and bombings, it is to the pigeon that we go.”

Possible Preaching Angles: In the same way, as a follower of Jesus, you do not need to be the fastest or most amazing witness for Christ. But we are called to be faithful and reliable to carry the message of Christ to others