Ephesians 3:1-6

Given on May 9th 2021

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Happy Mothers Day to all you Mothers out there!

God made mothers on purpose, and a man can never be a mother, regardless of how he feels about it.

BODY

Last week we finished up Chapter 2 of Ephesians.

And just like Chapter 1, we could have spent many many more Sundays within it’s verses.

When we preach through the end of the New Testament, and start back over in Genesis, and then make it to Ephesians again, we will be able to see even more in Chapter 2 than we saw in the past few Sundays.

Today were going to jump in to Chapter 3 and look at the verse 6 verses.

Ephesians 3:1–6

[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. (ESV)

Opening Prayer

#1) Salvation is open to all believers ------ this is the mystery

Last week we looked at the reality that animosity between races can only be solved by Jesus Christ.

Jew & Gentile divide

They tried to hold on to their power

They old way of doing things

How they had always believed----even though it was wrong to begin with

We are one family

One building

One entity

We fit in with eachother, regardless of personality differences

Regardless of gender or race

Regardless of income status or hobbies or tastes in music or food

All of our differences are the intentionally seasoning that God built within His Church

We need to come together and get along in spite of our differences -----

The world is watching

#2) Paul’s Revelation was written down, so that when we read it, we can perceive his insight into the mystery of Christ

Paul is claiming that God spoke to him

God revealed something to me-------

I had a revelation from God------

V.3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation ------

He didn't dial in the voice of God like it was a radio dial and he just had to tune it to the right frequency

He didn't spend hours and days and weeks in self denial fasting

He didn't say the right words at the right time and because of His efforts and his own holiness, he was able to hear from God

In fact, it was the opposite ----- he was a God hating pharisee who murdered Christians

The reality that salvation is open to all who believe, and not just the jews ------ was revealed to Him by the Spirit

It came upon him when he wasn't expecting it

Not looking for it

Not striving and stressing over hearing the voice of God and if I just try extra extra hard to hear from Him THEN God will speak to me

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Well then the question needs to be asked,

How do they know that Paul’s revelation was truly from God?

Not just the Christians in Ephesus, but the Christians in Rome, Corinth, Thessalonica, and all the other Greek cities that he wrote too…….

Paul was making the claim that God spoke to Him----- and people back then, just like people now should do------ said “prove it.”

Alignment with the Old Testament

Isaiah 49:6 - I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Genesis 12 - the seed of Abraham (Jesus) will be a blessing to all the Nations

Acts 17:2 it says this:

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (ESV)

Alignment with the other Apostles and Authors of Scripture

2nd Peter 3:14-17

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures

Miracles accompanied him

Casting out demons - Acts 16:18

His clothing could heal the sick and cast out demons - Acts 19:12

Raising the dead - Acts 20

The overall message that Paul said God spoke to Him, had to do with the overall redemptive history of mankind

It wasn't the minutiae of daily life

It wasn't if he should do this or do that

It was involved in the grand scheme of how God

What God was communicating through His revelation to Paul, was so important that he ensured that the only reason someone could deny it, was out of hardness of heart

No one could mishear

Misinterpret

Be confused

Attribute it to themselves

He was getting rid of all the “well what about this or what about that”s that people use to ignore the Word of God.

If we are going to claim that we are hearing from God, then we better make sure that it

Aligns with the prophecies of the Old Testament

Is supported and affirmed by the people who literally walked with Jesus and saw him with their eyes after the resurrection

Have there be miracles to provide further proof

#3) Living for God, by what He has revealed to us in Scripture, will put us at odds with the Earthly powers of our world

For Paul, that meant imprisonment

That is where he wrote the words we are talking about this morning.

From a prison cell

He was also tortured and stoned and eventually he was beheaded

When we live according to the Scriptures, being kind and bold

Being gentle and straightforward

Being humble and unmoving

This world will react

The powers in this world that don't know Him and aren't also living for Him, will get angry

Young men and women, if your parents don't have a relationship with God, then when you start to live yours out, they will get angry with you

The same can be said for husbands and wives

Employers and employees

Citizens and their governments

Every area of life that we exist in, and every role we fill------- when we live by the standard that God set-----we will face opposition

Prison

Death

Abandonment from family

Ostracized from your culture, job, social circle

But it isn't all doom and gloom-----

We don't have to leave society and go be a Monk ---- unless we want to, which is totally fine. Go for it.

But we do fit in, and belong.

In the family of God. that is why our first point is so important.

We need to lay our differences aside and come together, not only because the world is watching…..

But because the men and women for whom Christ died, that are living their life alongside of us ------ need help

Encouragement

Support

Guidance

Etc etc etc

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In closing -------

#1) Salvation is open to any and all who believe -----

We can never, and should never ----- look at a group or a type of people, and say “they will never know God”

Look at the way they act

Look at their skin color

Look at the way they dress

Look at how they sin and how openly and proudly they sin

Those people over there will never know God and are doomed

Remember, it is by grace you ave been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God

If you are saved, you didn't earn it

You weren't holier than those people that you look down on

You weren't closer to salvation than someone else who sins in a different way than you do

Salvation is open to all who believe

#2) He didn't earn or work towards, hearing from God

It was a revelation

It was confirmed by its alignment with Scripture

It was confirmed by the other Apostles as being inspired by God

It was accompanied by miracles

And he held it as true all the way to his death

#3) When we live by what God says, it will put us at odds with the Earthly powers of our world

Doxology