INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• How loves a good mystery? For those who like to read, a good mystery is hard to put down, for moviegoers, it is exciting to what a mystery movie because you are always trying to guess, WHO DONE IT!
• There are several murder mystery and crime dramas that folks tune in so they can find out if the guy in prison is really guilty or is an innocent man cheated by the corrupt system.
• My youngest daughter Rachal and I stay glued to the ID Channel as we try to guess what happened.
• The police department should hire us a part-time C.S.I.’s ?
• Today as we continue with our series Masterpiece in Progress, we are going to talk about a mystery that God finally revealed in full to mankind through Jesus Christ!
• This mystery had been alluded to throughout the Old Testament.
• The Prophets of the Old Testament received bits and pieces of the mystery and longed to see it all.
• SLIDE #2
• 1 Peter 1:10 (CSB) — 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated.
• The long-standing mystery, the one of which the Prophets of old do desperately wanted to see, God has opened the door.
• The revelation of the mystery from God has some ramifications for us today.
• Since Jesus came on the scene, we have a more unobstructed view of God's plan than ever before.
• With that blessing comes great responsibility for us. Each one of us has a calling from God, a duty to perform on His behalf.
• We need to understand that God reveals the mystery of his grace through the Church.
• In the passage, we will examine, Paul explains that the turning point of history is God’s plan of redemption made evident by Jesus Christ.
• The mystery was built up for generations, revealed in pieces through the Law and the Prophets, and now the culmination is this, that God would send his own Son to live, die, and rise again to save humanity.
• Let’s begin by turning to Ephesians 3:1-6
• SLIDE #3
• Ephesians 3:1–6 (CSB) — 1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 you have heard, haven’t you, about the administration of God’s grace that he gave to me for you? 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. A mystery revealed.
• Paul takes us back to chapter two with his, FOR THIS REASON. The reason is God’s grace to the Gentiles that opened the door to having the division between Jew and Gentile torn down!
• As Paul expounds on the mystery revealed he is moving the readers from the make-up of the body of Christ (the Church) to praying that the readers will fully apprehend the blessed privileges that they have been made partakers.
• At this time Paul is in a Roman prison, it is from this time of imprisonment that the Holy Spirit inspired him to write what we call the Prison Epistles, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.
• For the cause of Christ, Paul says he is a prisoner of Christ. He does not blame the Roman government, and when he calls himself a prisoner of Christ, he is not lamenting the fact he is imprisoned.
• He is in prison as a direct result of his activity for Christ as an Apostle of the Gentiles.
• To Paul, the revelation and communication of the mystery were well worth the price he is paying for proclaiming the gospel to the Gentile world.
• What sacrifices are we willing to make for the cause of Christ? For Paul, no sacrifice was too high.
• In verse 2, he is not questioning if the readers have heard, but rather, it is an assumption that they had already heard about what he will share with them.
• Because of God's grace, Paul had a job to do. Grace, in this context, is related to Paul’s commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.
• Then in verse three, Paul explains that the commission and message he possesses was made known to him by revelation.
• 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above.
• Revelation is the act of the Holy Spirit, making known to God-chosen messengers, truths the messengers were incapable of discovering by unaided human research.
• Shortly after Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus after he was baptized into Christ, Galatians 1:11-18 tells us that Paul went to Arabia for three years, that is most likely where he received his revelation from God.
• SLIDE #5
• Galatians 1:11–12 (CSB) — 11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.
• God revealed to this former Pharisee his plan to incorporate the Gentile believers in the Church to be equal partners with Israel.
• This plan was hidden in the mind of God until it was revealed to Paul and the other Apostles and Prophets. Paul got the job to take that revelation to the Gentiles!
• He goes on to say we can gain insight into the mystery by reading what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write!
• Paul’s writing can give us intellectual understanding into God’s revelation!
• 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
• Those before Christ did not have this blessing.
• Verse 6 offers three aspects of the blessing of the revelation.
• 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• We are all one in Christ, we access Him the same way, and we equally share in the blessings!
• Let’s look at verse 7-9
• SLIDE #6
• Ephesians 3:7–9 (CSB) — 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.
• SLIDE #7
II. An unlikely vessel.
• One of the marks of all who serve the Lord is the mark of humility.
• When you look throughout the Bible, you see that when folks were full of pride, they end up falling.
• David, Eve, King Saul, the list goes on and on.
• Despite his background and status in Judaism, Paul saw himself as not worthy of the gift of God’s grace.
• If we were to take resumes for the position of Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul’s would get thrown out.
• Let’s see, a PHARISEE, they hated the Gentiles. Strike 1.
• This issue of persecuting the Church may have been seen as a problem. If folks are afraid of you, it is hard to win them to Christ.
• Paul was given a great responsibility, and from our perspective, he seemed like the most unlikely of candidates for the position, yet, look at what God did with him and through him!
• I love the way Paul describes his calling, to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.
• The mystery was not revealed until Jesus completed His mission, Paul was called to share the message.
• Here is what is important to grasp from God’s calling of Paul.
• Paul did not look or feel qualified to do the job God called him to do.
• To be honest, when I felt God’s calling in my life, I felt like there was no way I could do it, that God must have made a mistake.
• I did not come from a traditional background to go into the Preaching Ministry. What qualified me to lead one of God’s churches?
• I feel so inadequate, yet here I am.
• I know many of us are afraid even to try to share the gospel with folks because we are afraid to fail.
• We feel like we need to leave it to the professionals.
• In my personal experience, the ones who were the most unqualified were the ones who thought they were the most qualified.
• In Bible College, I could get a sense of those who were going to fail or wash out, versus those who had a great chance to do great things for the Lord.
• The difference, humility.
• God will use the humble. God will equip the called, and just so you know, if you are in Christ, you have been called! This fits with our last thought.
• SLIDE #8
• Ephesians 3:10–13 (CSB) — 10 This is so that God's multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the Church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. 13 So then I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
• SLIDE #9
III. A unified calling.
• This message of the Gospel was to be made known through the Church!
• Where was that message to be proclaimed?
• This is so that God's multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the Church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.
• God presents the Church as an object lesson to display his wisdom to "the rulers and authorities."
• This watching audience includes one or more of the following: (1) human leaders, (2) the angels of heaven, (3) the rebellious angels who side with Satan.
• An examination of other passages where “rulers and authorities” occur seems to indicate that these are the angelic hosts who are hostile to God. Boles, K. L., (1993). Galatians & Ephesians (Eph 3:10). Joplin, MO: College Press.
• In spite of all the issues that the Church can have, God planned to use the Church to spread the word.
• The call is unifying, to fulfill the calling, each one of us has to play a part, each one of us has to actively participate in the call!
• This is why Jesus died, so we could ALL have salvation!
• 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him.
• There is that word ACCESS. This is one of the reasons we need Jesus, He is our access to the Father!
• Back to Paul.
• Paul did not want anyone to be discouraged over his circumstances because he was in his circumstances because he was serving the Lord on their behalf.
• Our calling is one that nothing should stop us from doing, no matter what the cost.
• For Paul, it eventually cost him his life!
CONCLUSION
• We are called to make God's glorious riches known to others, even at significant personal cost.
• PRAYER FROM PAUL!
• Ephesians 3:14–21 (CSB) — 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.
• 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,
• 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love,
• 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,
• 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
• 20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
• AMEN!
