A mystery-lover takes his place in the theater for opening night, but his seat is way back in the theater, far from the stage. The man calls an usher over and whispers, ’’I just love a good mystery, and I have been anxiously anticipating the opening of this play. However, in order to carefully follow the clues and fully enjoy the play, I have to watch a mystery close up. Look how far away I am! If you can get me a better seat, I’ll give you a handsome tip.’’
The usher nods and says he will be back shortly. Looking forward to a large tip, the usher speaks with his co-workers in the box office, hoping to find some closer tickets. With just three minutes left until curtain, he finds an unused ticket at the Will Call window and snatches it up. Returning to the man in the back of the theater, he whispers, ’’Follow me.’’ The usher leads the man down to the second row, and proudly points out the empty seat right in the middle. ’’Thanks so much,’’ says the theatergoer, ’’This seat is perfect.’’ He then hands the usher a quarter.
The usher looks down at the quarter, leans over and whispers, ’’The butler did it in the parlor with the candlestick.’’
Most of us love a good mystery, especially when the revelation of the mystery comes at the appropriate time. The Apostle Paul is about to reveal to the Ephesians the mystery, which had been hidden from them but now, at the appropriate time, God is revealing. As we open Ephesians 3, I want to provide you with information concerning this revelation, the mystery…
I. It Was Important to Paul. Lets look at the first 5 verses: For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 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
Paul informs us of his condition, he is a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial with the Roman Emperor Nero. No, it didn’t say all that there, I did some research. He was chained to a Roman guard, what a witnessing opportunity. It is interesting Paul said he was a prisoner of Christ rather than a prisoner of Rome.
Charles Colson in the Book God if Stones and Spiders tells of an episode in the life if anti-Communist Nein Cheng who was imprisoned by the Chinese in 1966. She was locked in a small, damp prison cell with a solitary light left on 24 hours a day, left to sleep on a bed caked with dirt. After weeks of imprisonment, Cheng watched a pea sized spider crawl threw the rusty bars into her cell and spin a spider web. She said, “I had just watched an architectural feat by an extremely skilled artist. My mind was full of questions. Who had taught the spider to make a web? Could it have really acquired the skills through evolution or did God create the spider and endow it with the ability to make a web so that it could catch food and perpetuate its species? “ She went on to say that it helped her see that God was in control.
What is it in your life that has you out of control? Like Cheng, Paul, imprisoned in Rome, finds hope in the fact that when one puts their life in God’s hands, the circumstances that swirl around, although of notability, are nothing compared to the circumstances of the heart. When you know that you are held in Christ’s hands, your life situation is brighter. You can grumble about your circumstances are look for the silver lining of God working through you. Paul chose the latter. What about you?
The Apostle Paul had come into his life one of the greatest revelations of God, the secret that the love and mercy of God was not just for the Jews, but for all mankind, that God was reaching out the Gentiles, the pagans of the world with the message of hope through Jesus Christ. It is called the greatest story ever told, and it is the greatest story we can ever life, a life with Christ at the center.
This was not only important to Paul, it also…
II. Was Important to the Gentiles. Verses 6-8, 6 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.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ
Can anyone say, Good News? We look to the cross and Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf as providing us with the potential for salvation, but it did much more than that. Paul points out is brought reconciliation between the Jew and Gentiles and between God and now the Gentiles who have stood outside the promise are now welcome in and the power available to the Jews is a power available to the Gentiles. Paul also points out Gentiles can now move into the unsearchable riches of Christ. That ought to give all of us something to shout about. Riches so vast there are no accounting for them all, riches that keeps coming and keep coming. Who could use access to riches like that? I certainly could!
The mystery is important to Paul, it is important to the Gentiles, and now, write this down…it…
III. Was Important to the angels. Verses 9-10. 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 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,
I want you to see this. God is educating the angels through the church. Angels are created beings just like we are. 1 Peter 1:10-12 tells us this: 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Even the angels are curious about God’s plans because there are parts of what God is doing which are not revealed to them just as they are not revealed to us. God’s plan concerning the church was hidden in the beginning, now Paul is making it known and with the knowledge comes responsibility. The devil developed a plan to defeat God and failed but for a season is still allowed to wreck havoc on this earth. A third of the angels in heaven defected joining Satan in his plan and now along with the angels of light, these fallen creations of God are able to see just how great God is as God has brought together both Jews and Gentiles as the Body of Christ, His Church, to spread the Good News of God’s grace and salvation to the lost of this world. You and I play a dynamic part in this plan as God’s witness, not only here on earth, but in the heavenlies as angels watch on.
So the mystery revealed to believers is important to Paul, important to the Gentiles, important to the angels and finally it…
IV. Should be important to Christians. Verses 11-13: according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
How amazing God would entrust you and I with such a privilege to share His mystery, the church, with the unknowing world. The sad reality is, this privilege is oftentimes lost in the day to day routine of life. Let me ask, who have you recently shared the Good News, the knowledge there is an eternity waiting in heaven for those who believe in Jesus Christ? Who do you know that is outside the promise of God and needs revelation of the truth?
A study of church history reveals that, one by one, many of the basic truths of the Word of God were lost during the centuries that followed. God had His faithful people—a minority—at all times, but many of the great truths of the Word were buried under man-made theology, tradition, and ritual. Then, God’s Spirit began to open the eyes of seeking souls, and these great truths were unveiled again. Martin Luther championed justification by faith. Other spiritual leaders rediscovered the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the glorious truth of the return of Jesus Christ, and the joy of the victorious Christian life. In recent years, the truth of “the mystery” has again excited the hearts of God’s people. We rejoice that we are “all one in Christ Jesus.”
Christians, church’s, see so many weak because so many believers don’t know what they have available to them in Christ Jesus. They lack the knowledge of the Word of God and therefore are anemic in their faith. That is why it is important to get involved in one of our community groups, so that you don’t go from Sunday to Sunday but have a pit stop during the week to get new tires and fuel to keep you rolling during the week. Without it, you risk the chance of going flat and when Sunday comes you don’t have enough energy to roll back into the pit.
Anyone here tired of being robbed of your spiritual blessing, missing out on your inheritance and running through life on empty? When you begin to understand God’s program, when you see the same importance on your spiritual life Paul understood it to be, then you will be revitalized and walk out your life in blessing not living under the curse.
In the Old Testament when the Jews followed God they were blessed and when they did not, they sustained a curse. In the New Testament when we walk in the ways of God we as believers are blessed and when we don’t, it isn’t so much we are cursed as that we lack the fellowship of Christ and the enjoyment we have being in His Company, living the Spirit filled life. Without it, we live life with a vacuum filled with us instead of God.
God has given us a road map to follow, His Word yet so many times we pull out another map instead of His and we wonder why we are so far off course. The roadmap for God’s work on earth is His church, when we are outside the church we are off track and out of His blessing. We must submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
God had a secret but now it is out of the bag. If you want to understand your position in Christ begin to walk and live in it, and share the blessing with others because it is a renewable resource. Lets make the mystery important to us.
Altar time
