The Blessing of
Serving Others
Book of Ephesians
3:1-13
To understand this
passage, we must realize that we as Christians all have a personal
ministry after our salvation. There are none who are excluded!
The Apostle Paul,
even though he was bound in irons and limited by his cell, continued
in his personal ministry given to him by the Lord. The same ministry
given to us all.
Christians are to
make an impact in this world!
The Lord Jesus
Christ changed this world when He first came and when He returns the
changes to this world will be even more dramatic!
We must understand
that the "Gospel" will never lose its freshness, it will be
relevant in every age!
We must also
understand that the "Gospel" can never be exhausted because
God's "Grace" can never be exhausted.
We must understand
that the "Gospel" is for every human that breathes God's
air!
We must certainly
understand there will be great blessings come to those who serve the
"Gospel" to others!
*****Eph 3:1 For
this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
This cause, would be
the entire subject of the first two chapters but summed up in the
last verse of chapter two.
Eph 2:22 In whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit.
The Apostle Paul
clearly understood that he was to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, but
it did not stop his craving to reach out to his brother Jews. Had
Paul devoted his ministry to the Jews, he may have been honored and
beloved, but he would have been outside the will of God.
Since Paul took his
ministry to the Gentiles he was hated by his countrymen but inside
the will of God.
The absolute safest
place any of us can be is in the will of God!
This goes to show
us, being in the will of God may mean we will hated by our nation.
When we step out of
the bounds of our ministry, we are stepping out of the will of God
for us!
Paul was a willing
prisoner in bonds in a sense because he had taken his ministry to the
Gentiles.
As Christians we all
exist to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus Christ
who will set the bounds of our ministry!
Paul reached out to
the Gentiles, we are to reach out to all people after we have reached
out to our family!
Our family is our
very first missionary field!
It is God's purpose
to form a brand-new race of people which are called Christian by the
world but, are the "Body of Christ", "Born Again"
into the family of God!
The Lord Jesus
Christ suffered for His message.
The Apostle Paul
suffered because of his message.
As Christians, we
will all suffer as we tell the story of Jesus!
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any
man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him
glorify God on this behalf.
To be a Christian we
will have been touched by the "Grace" of God.
*****Eph 3:2 If ye
have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me
to you-ward:
Eph 3:3 How that by
revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in
few words,
Eph 3:4 Whereby,
when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ)
Eph 3:5 Which in
other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
The Apostle Paul was
called of God.
The Apostle Paul
existed to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and this by the ''Grace"
of God!
Most every minister
of the Gospel will suffer to bring the "Gospel" to God's
people.
Act 9:16 For I will
shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
The Apostle Paul
suffered greatly because he was a Jew who was called of God to preach
the "Gospel" of "Grace" to the Gentiles.
The Apostle Paul
existed to be a good steward of the Word of God!
This is the example
that all the teachers of the Gospel should try to meet, a good
steward of God's Word.
As the people who
sit regularly in the pews, we simply do not always realize the
responsibility God lays upon His Pastors!
Even in this, the
Lord Jesus Christ was the greatest example for the true Pastor.
Mat 20:28 Even as
the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and
to give his life a ransom for many.
To be quite honest
the Lord says for all of us to pick up our own cross and follow Him.
Mat_16:24 Then said
Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
In fact, the Lord
Jesus is very serious about this!
Mat_10:38 And he
that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, "is not
worthy of me".
The cross is an
instrument of death and Jesus was speaking to His disciples when He
spoke these words.
Every disciple of
God is to be a steward of God's "Grace"!
And again, we see
this word "mystery”, but we also see how Paul explains it.
A mystery in the New
Testament is something that God did not expressly make known in the
Old Testament. The information was there in the Old Testament but
just like today not many would study the Scriptures to dig out those
nuggets of golden information or some, such as the Pharisees and
Sadducees would interpret their own beliefs and keep the truth from
the people and the Essenes were just too legalistic to express the
real truth to others.
We could say that
these mysteries in the New Testament where things that God Himself
had to reveal to humanity.
If we go through the
Scriptures, we see repeatedly where God had to provide examples to
prove that His Words are all true!
God still says what
He means, and God still means what He says.
As sinners we have
by nature a veil over our eyes and we cannot see spiritual matters!
The Lord Jesus
Christ spent 3 and 1/2 years opening the eyes of His disciples to the
great mysteries of the Old Testament.
Even Paul spent 3
years under the tutelage of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gal 1:12 For I
neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
Gal 1:13 For ye
have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how
that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Gal 1:14 And
profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own
nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my
fathers.
Gal 1:15 But when
it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me
by his grace,
Gal 1:16 To reveal
his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately
I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Gal 1:17 Neither
went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I
went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Gal 1:18 Then after
three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him
fifteen days.
We should understand
there will be no new Scriptures other than we have now but, there may
still be some important jewel, locked away in the Scriptures that God
has not opened our eyes to yet.
It is only the pure
in heart who will be able to see the hidden mysteries of God!
The one pure fact
that we know for sure today is that God has totally revealed His is
plan of salvation, the most important promises in all the Scriptures!
The Scriptures were
opened up to some by the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ came
Himself to make sure there is no misunderstanding of the Scriptures!
*****Eph 3:6 That
the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
What are some of the
greatest benefits for accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal
Savior?
We will be
joint=heirs with the things of Christ, who is the Son of God.
We will be accepted
as the same "Body of Christ", the Church, the Bride of
Christ.
We will be partakers
of the promises of God to His Son!
It is the by the
truth of the Gospel which brings us to faith and a heavenly
inheritance.
Let's think on this
for a moment: Whatever God does throughout eternity, we will be a
part of it and we already know that there will be no sin and no
sinners around to mess things up!
Rev 22:14 Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For
without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
In the Old Testament
we know that the saved Jews are the apple of God's eyes but guess
what? God is no respecter of persons and we the saved Gentiles will
share in everything by Jesus Christ and be part of that apple.
We do not have to
approach God through Judaism with all its laws but by Jesus Christ we
can walk right into the throne room of God like it is our own home
and He who sits on the throne is our own Father! We may not realize
how great this privilege is, but it is true!
The "Body of
Christ" is alive because the Spirit of God dwells in each of us
and with one life and one purpose we are God's force against evil
until God takes us home!
Rom 12:5 So we,
being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of
another.
All the promises to
the Jews are just are just as true for the Gentile.
It will be the Jews
who will join with the Gentiles and not the Gentiles who will join
with the Jews because God will not deal with the Jews as the nation
of Israel until after the "rapture of the Church!
Tit 3:4 But after
that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he
shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being
justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope
of eternal life.
This is the ministry
and the message Paul had for the Gentile nations and this message
made its way to the United States of America because of the Apostle
Paul and those who followed in his footsteps.
*****Eph 3:7
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of
God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
We can only imagine
Paul as the glorious "Gospel" was opened to Him and Paul
understood the "Grace" of God better than most because he
had persecuted God's Church and had been forgiven.
Each Pastor may
differ in the gifts of God’s of "grace”, but the Apostle
Paul can be an example to them all.
We should also
understand that each of us have been given certain talents to be used
in our service to God and no matter what it is, it must also include
the "gospel" of Jesus Christ and the proof of our existence
by the 'Grace" of God.
2Co 5:18 And all
things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit,
that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the
word of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20 Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.
We are saved only by
the "Grace of God" but through "Faith" in the
"Gospel" of Jesus Christ!
The same power that
raised Christ Jesus from the dead was the same power that had allowed
the "Grace" of God to work in Paul's life and it had worked
so wonderfully that Paul preached the "gospel of Jesus Christ
with every breath he took.
Paul, like us all,
certainly felt unworthy to be used of God.
*****Eph 3:8 Unto
me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
Christ;
Eph 3:9 And to make
all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things
by Jesus Christ:
All his days Paul
carried a heavy burden because he had persecuted the church he was
now trying to build. The lesson for us is Paul's humbleness.
If we cannot humble
ourselves before the Lord, then we cannot be saved. If we can humble
ourselves before the Lord, He will forgive the most terrible of sins.
God can save any sinner, anywhere, at any time!
We can walk right in
to the throne room of God, but we better be humble when we get there
yet even a humble person can be bold!
Paul looked back on
the things he had done before he had asked the Lord to come into his
heart and when we look back we know there was nothing good about our
life of sin, nothing at all.
We should look back
on occasion, but we should also know that God has forgotten
everything that we have ask Him to forgive!
God took a dirty
rotten sinner such as Paul and made him into the greatest missionary
this world has ever seen.
And before we feel
so high and mighty we were all sinners such as Paul.
1Co 6:11 And such
were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God.
Paul was "washed"
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ but by the Holy Spirit.
Paul was
"sanctified" in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ but by
the Holy Spirit.
Paul was "justified"
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ but by the Holy Spirit.
These are the things
it takes to be adopted into the family of God!
Tit 3:5 Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
It is because of
God's "Mercy" that any of us can receive God's "Grace"!
And again God's
"Grace" is God's Riches at Christ Expense!
We know that the
calling of the Gentiles into God's Church was a mystery that the Jews
did not see coming.
The resurrection of
the dead was a mystery that the Jews could not explain.
The relationship of
the Lord Jesus and His Church is still a mystery to the Jews.
The mystery of the
seven stars and the seven candlesticks were a mystery.
The mystery of the
woman clothed in scarlet was a mystery.
The Anti-Christian
power at work in the day of Paul and continues today, was a mystery.
**The mystery of
blessings that come from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus
Christ, the greatest mystery of all and the free exercise of His
love, He showed to all humanity when He gave His life, so all His
creation could be saved.
1Ti 3:16 And
without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up
into glory.
Isa 44:24 Thus
saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb,
I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the
heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
Isa 44:25 That
frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that
turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
The Lord Jesus
Christ was certainly the cause of Creation because all things were
made by Him.
God wants a people
who have chosen, who have elected, who have been "Born Again"
just so they can spend eternity with their Creator who is also their
Savior and Redeemer!
And because the
Church has been formed and Christ Jesus has finished the work of
salvation, all of Heaven is aware of God's plan and the Church now
knows the plan for the New Heaven!
*****Eph 3:10 To
the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly
places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According
to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Surely as Heaven
looks down upon this earth and sees God's mercy shown to His
creation, it is a sight to behold.
We should understand
that there must be principalities and powers in Heaven that we just
do not understand the workings of.
We know that the
Lord is also Lord of the angelic host and those that remain in Heaven
have chosen to follow the Lord rather than follow Satan.
The angels did not
understand the Church until the Lord formed the Church, but the
angels have seen God's Church grow. This is something that the
angelic hosts cannot do. They have a set number even though it is a
large number.
There is not one
angel that can be filled with the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit!
1Pe 1:9 Receiving
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10 Of which
salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who
prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11 Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them
did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ,
and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12 Unto whom
it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did
minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that
have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to consider.
We can even see that
the Jews never understood the Church, nor the "Grace" of
God, but they had witnessed it many times.
We can see that the
angels do not understand the filling of the Holy Spirit and the Saint
of God who wears the seal of God, but they are also used as ministers
of the "Gospel" but without the power of the Holy Spirit!
Rev_14:6 And I saw
another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
What we see is that
God's plan of salvation toward those who choose to be the "Body
of Christ" is open for all God's creation to witness.
What does God say?
Rom 1:20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
God's purpose for
all those who choose to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and
Redeemer is eternal!
Isa 9:6 For unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the
increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish
it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The
zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
God chose the work
of redemption because in redemption it is the work of "perfection"
and we are saved by the Lord of perfection.
The boldness of the
Church comes by our perfect Lord Jesus!
*****Eph 3:12 In
whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
These gifts of God
are free to the believer.
The truth is as
believers, we can talk to our Father in Heaven without fear of
offending Him!
We have access to
the most powerful being to have ever existed and He will continue to
exist throughout eternity!
We have the liberty
to snuggle up to our Father in Heaven without rebuke.
Jas_4:8 Draw nigh
to God, and he will draw nigh to you......
We can approach our
God being confident that He will respond to us!
1Jn 5:14 And this
is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us:
1Jn 5:15 And if we
know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we desired of him.
When we come in the
name of Jesus Christ we will find nothing but success!
God is a God of
truth and when we come to Him in truth we have access to all the
wonders of God!
Heb 4:16 Let us
therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
By Jesus Christ we
have access to eternal life!
1Co 15:20 But now
is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them
that slept.
1Co 15:21 For since
by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 For as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Knowing all these
things, we must also realize just as Jesus Christ suffered in this
world, we will also suffer in this world!
*****Eph 3:13
Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you,
which is your glory.
Wherefore means in
view of these facts, the previous Scriptures:
The welcome of all
Gentiles of "faith" into the Church.
The Church is the
"Body of Christ"
This has been the
purpose of God from the beginning and throughout all the ages.
Heaven has been made
aware of the plan of God.
All the Saints of
God have free access into the throne room of God.
We will suffer
tribulations for doing the work God has given us to do until He takes
us home!
These sufferings,
not indicating defeat or failure but glory because the world has seen
those of faith to be like Jesus Christ and suffer as He suffered.
Luk_24:26 Ought not
Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
1Pe_5:10 But the
God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,
stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Throughout the Book
of Acts and the Epistles of Paul, we have seen the many places where
he suffered for preaching the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.
None of us will ever
suffer as Paul suffered for then he would no longer be an example,
but we can say that Paul suffered so that we here today will one day
be glorified!
Paul was willing to
suffer for the Church to survive!
As we who may suffer
some in tribulations we should all keep our mind on the glory that
lies ahead for the child of God!
To faint at the work
that God has given us to do means we are cowards!
Amen.
