TEXT:
“[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.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
How does Paul’s example in verses 7-9 demonstrate Christian humility?
Why is grace so essential to the Christian faith?
In what ways does verse 10 highlight the beauty of the church?
How do we have “boldness and access with confidence through our faith in [Jesus]?”
SERMON MANUSCRIPT:
In today's passage, we find Paul continuing to unravel the threads of God's mystery surrounding the gospel and all of its implications. If you remember, as we unpacked Paul's words at the start of chapter 3, we learned that God revealed to the apostles and prophets his mysterious will hidden from past generations. This mystery surrounded Jesus, primarily how the Gentiles would be grafted into the family of God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. What was once hidden has now been revealed to us through the apostles. What was once foggy has now been made clear to us through the prophets. We can now see clearly that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
Since Paul learned of this mystery, he has taken it upon himself to take it to all people. "If God loves the world, I gotta take this message to the world," Paul is thinking. By God's grace, Paul has been made a minister of the gospel. God has called and equipped him to go into the world proclaiming the mysteries of Christ to the nations. So, as we unpack these verses, we will be afforded the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of Paul's mission, allowing us to discuss the life of a healthy missionary.
Now, there's a temptation to check out when we hear the word "missionary." There's a temptation to think, "I'm not a missionary, nor will I ever be a missionary. Therefore, this message doesn't pertain to me, a non-missionary."
But that's the farthest thing from the truth. The reality of the Christian faith is that we are all called to be on mission for the gospel. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are. We are all called to be modern-day missionaries. Jesus calls us to "go and make disciples of all nations." Therefore, "missions" are something we're all called to.
So, today, we will further unpack what the life of a healthy missionary looks like. What does Paul's example in Ephesians 3 teach us about the mission we are called to as believers?
Let's dive in.
"[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 CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A LIFE OF HUMILITY
If you were to take your mouse and double click on the word "minister," you would see that this is the Greek word "diakonos," a term used to convey lowliness and service, similar to a servant or slave. It's the same word used to describe a deacon of the church. In its most literal sense, it refers to a servant or a waiter/waitress, someone who tends to the needs of another.
We see this word used in John 2 in reference to the servants (diakonos) present at the wedding at Cana. These were individuals responsible for tending to the needs of those at the wedding. Their primary responsibility was ensuring everything at the party went smoothly.
This teaches us that there is no position of prominence within the church. All appointed leaders within the church, Paul included, are nothing more than formally recognized servants. There are no ladders to climb up within the Kingdom of God, only ladders to climb down. The Christian life is a humble life of lowliness where we commit ourselves to serve in a way that reflects the humble service of Jesus.
Paul, however, describes himself as a minister/servant "of this gospel." He is a servant to a particular message for a specific people. Gospel means good news, primarily the good news surrounding Jesus' death on the cross for the salvation of the world.
Paul is saying that his responsibility and calling in life was to cater to the needs of this gospel message. His master is the gospel. And oh, the gospel message is a good master to serve. The gospel is not an oppressive ruler who seeks to destroy his attendants. The gospel is a loving master who takes good care of his servants. The gospel's greatest need is to be heard and embraced. It only has one desire, one rule: trust in Jesus so that you might be saved. Therefore, as a servant of the gospel, Paul must give his life to proclaiming its message boldly.
Church, listen. We may not be ministers of the gospel in a formal sense like Paul, but we're all called to be ministers of the gospel in a general sense. We're all called to humbly and boldly take the gospel to the ends of the earth. We should be servants of the gospel message, proclaiming it to those who need to hear it. The Christian life is a life of humble service to the gospel.
Now, look at how Paul describes himself in verse 8. He views himself as the least qualified person to be put in the position he's in. He says, "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints…"
He's essentially saying to the church, "Listen, I can think of a million people who would be a better fit than me. But God had a different plan and called me to this work."
In saying this, some believe that Paul is likely thinking about the many heinous sins of his past here—remembering how he actively persecuted the church, how he drove Christians out of their homes, how he killed Christians, and how he forced Christians to denounce their faith.
Listen, nothing can make you feel less qualified for the work of ministry than reflecting on who you were before Christ. There's nothing that can keep you up at night more than remembering all the people you hurt before you embraced Christ as Lord of your life. Thinking about your past hurts, and it makes you feel grossly unqualified for anything related to the Christian life. Nobody knows this feeling better than Paul.
Others think Paul could be reflecting on the sinfulness of his heart now— how he still doesn't do the things he wants to do and does the things he doesn't want to do. Nothing is more humbling than having to confess your sins to your brothers and sisters. Nothing keeps you grounded more than honestly surveying your heart and life and being honest with yourself about the sin in your life.
Whichever it may be, Paul is hyper-aware of his unfitness for ministry. Brothers and sisters, listen to me. A key element of humility is having a sober view of yourself. In fact, I would argue that those most unfit for Christian ministry are those who are most confident in themselves. Every one of us should scoff at Paul's words here and say, "You wouldn't say that if you had met {insert your name}."
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A LIFE OF GRACE.
We're all, like Paul, unfit to be servants of the gospel. We're all, like Paul, bottom-of-the-barrel Christians. The only thing that qualifies us is the grace of God. We are here today by God's grace, and by God's grace, we have a purpose today.
Look at the driving factor of Paul's words: "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. 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…"
These verses teach us that all of the Christian life is a life of grace. We never outgrow our need for grace. Grace is undeserved favor from God placed upon one's life. In Chapter 2, we see that believers are saved by grace; in Chapter 3, we see that we are called to a life of ministry by grace. Paul was called out of darkness into the light by God's grace. But he was also uniquely gifted and called by God's grace to preach the particular work of the gospel.
We have God's grace resting upon our lives to live a life effectively for his glory. We're all so unworthy, yet God has called us to himself, and his undeserved grace rests upon our lives for the work of ministry.
Grace breeds humility. Those who are humble are those who understand grace. Those who are humble are those who have experienced grace. Those who are humble are those who have received grace. Those who are humble are those who seek to extend grace.
The Christian life is a life of grace. By God's grace, Paul was made a minister of the gospel, and, as a minister of the gospel, Paul understood that his responsibility was to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. He knew he was to (verse 8) "preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," and (verse 9) "to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things."
The word "preached" means to declare or bring good news to someone. So, Paul knew that part of his responsibility as a gospel minister was to bring good news to the entire world. What was once believed to be only for the Jews is now understood to be for Jews and Gentiles. What was once understood to be for only one group of people is now understood to be for all people.
THE CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL.
Now, let's look at verse 10 for a moment. There are a couple of things I want to unpack.
The grace of God was given to Paul so that he might preach the mystery of the gospel to everyone, "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
Let's try to wrap our minds around what Paul is saying here.
First, he's saying that the fruit of the mystery of the gospel being proclaimed will be a diverse church. Paul describes the wisdom of God as manifold here. Manifold means multicolored. The root of this word was used to describe the coat of many colors that Jacob gave Joseph in Genesis 37:3. So, the wisdom of God that has been revealed through the church is multicolored. I believe Paul highlights the church's beauty that resides in its multicultural and diverse nature. Like a multicolored bouquet of flowers, the church is beautiful.
God's wise and mysterious plan was for the church to consist of folks from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The church's beauty comes not from our similarities but from our differences. In the words of John Stott, "The church as a multi-racial, multicultural community is like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide range of colorful backgrounds. No other human community resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique. It is God's new society. And the many colored fellowship of the church is a reflection of the many-colored wisdom of God." God's manifold wisdom for the church to be a diverse and united people in Christ.
Now, notice to whom this manifold wisdom is being revealed— "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." It seems widely agreed upon amongst scholars that this revelation is to spiritual beings such as angels or demons. God uses the church to teach spiritual beings his wise and mysterious plan.
If you're like me, this is likely a foreign concept to you. You have probably never heard anyone mention angels and demons when preaching on the importance of the church. In fact, the topic of angels and demons is a bit taboo within the church. It's a topic that "normal people" steer clear of to avoid being weird. Because of this, we likely don't have much of a theology of spiritual beings. Therefore, it might be helpful for us to spend a couple of minutes looking at what we can gather here about this topic.
First, we can safely conclude that angels and demons are real. This is an obvious and elementary point. But it's a point worth making. Sometimes, we would rather set aside and dismiss what we cannot see. But, the Bible is clear. A battle is going on in a place we cannot see. There are rulers and authorities in the heavenly places that we have not laid our eyes upon.
Second, we can safely conclude that angels and demons are spiritual beings. There are exceptions to this in Scripture (Heb. 13:2, Gen 18), where angels appear to take on human bodies and walk amongst humanity. See Hebrews 13:2, for example— "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." But, despite examples like these, it seems clear that there are cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. There are elements of the Christian faith that we cannot see. Paul tells us that we don't fight against flesh and blood; instead, we fight against the cosmic powers and spiritual forces in the heavenly places. In Psalm 91, for example, God commands his angels to "guard [his people] in all their ways."
Third, we see that angels and demons are not all-powerful. We often fear what we can't see. Therefore, we're afraid of demons. But we don't have to fear them because they don't possess all power; God possesses all power. Demons possess a power that can be withstood with the armor of God (Eph. 6).
Fourth, we see that angels and demons are not all-knowing. Here, we see that the manifold wisdom of God is being revealed to angels and demons through the church. Therefore, his mysterious will was being carried out without their knowledge.
The church is a declaration to the demons that they're fighting a battle that they will not win. What they intended for evil, God has intended for good. He is on the throne, and they are not. And the church is a declaration to the angels that Christ has emerged victorious. God's plan of redemption will ring true throughout all of history.
The mystery of the gospel was indeed a mystery. Not even the angels in the heavenly places could see what was coming. The spiritual rulers and authorities are now finally able to peek behind the curtain of God's mysterious will, which is that he created diverse and united people in Christ Jesus. As John Stott puts it, "History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and the church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play, and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene, the story continues to unfold. But who are the audience? They are the cosmic intelligences, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. We are to think of them as spectators of the drama of salvation. Thus 'the history of the Christian church becomes a graduate school for angels.'"
This reminds us once again of the importance of the church. The church is beautiful, and the church is necessary. But the church isn't just beautiful and necessary for you and me. It's beautiful and necessary for the spiritual beings in the heavenly places. Therefore, we should always maintain a high view of the church. God is revealing his divine plan to the spiritual powers through the church.
CLOSENESS WITH GOD.
Then, in verses 11-12, he says, "This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him."
God's eternal plan for the church was for his people to have direct access to the Father through Jesus. Through Jesus, we can have a relationship with God.
In Genesis, one of the first things we see Adam and Eve do when sin enters the picture is hide and cover themselves from God. Sin brings forth death, causing us to run and hide in shame. But, in Christ, our sins have been cleansed and removed far from us. Therefore, if we are in Christ, we don't have to hide in shame from God fearfully. Instead, we can go to him boldly in prayer with confidence.
There's no greater call one can have on one's life. There's nothing more extraordinary that one can devote one's life to than to take the gospel to those who need it. Therefore, Paul says, "So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory." We must never forget that suffering for Jesus is worth it.