Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
There no longer is any difference between the Jew and the Gentile….
….we all have access to God through Jesus Christ and by His Spirit.
To whom is Paul speaking?
What are the four essentials to our salvation found in the first chapter of Ephesians?
-God’s Love
-God’s Mercy
-God’s Grace
-Faith
What would you say is the main focus in Ephesians?
-Is it on God and His abundant Mercy and Grace, or is it Us as people and Our
Salvation?
Ephesians 3:1-21
1 ¶ For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
What is this Mystery?
Part 1
Ephesians 1:7 In whom (Jesus Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
What is this mystery?
-we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ!
-there is deliverance from sin,
-there is forgiveness of sin,
-and His divine Grace enables us to live in harmony with Him.
God has made known this mystery as He purposed in Himself, according to His good pleasure……
Part 2
What is the part of this mystery that even the believing Jews did see coming?
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
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;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Part two of this mystery is that the Gentiles (who were not considered the children of promise):
-should be joint-heirs or equal participants of this inheritance.
-of the same body, or a fellow member of the children of promise.
-are partakers of redemption, freedom from sin, and can live in oneness and harmony with God.
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.
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;
What was Paul called to?
-He was called to be a minister of the Gospel.
What was Paul’s Mission?
-His mission was to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see the mystery of Redemption for all men.
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:
Did Paul fulfill his calling?
2Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Did Paul ever make any mistakes?
What was the secret to his success in the ministry that he was called to?
I believe Paul saw his own unworthiness and unrighteousness, but aside from that, he simply followed Jesus out of a heart of gratitude and brokenness, and the power of the Holy Spirit was upon him as he labored in the kingdom of God!
What is your calling?
Have you become discouraged because you have not answered the call, or maybe
you have put God off for so long that you don’t even know what the purpose of
your life is?
Are you in a situation where you simply can not seem to rise above a life bound by sin?
Maybe you feel guilt for not living out the purpose for which you were created,
and instead of allowing God to change your heart, you continue living a life full of
foolish distractions?
When I study the lives of early believers, there are two things that stand out.
- Their willingness to let go of earthly things.
- A genuine commitment to Follow Christ.
What do I mean by letting go of earthly things?
Am I willing to let go of my ___________ for the riches that are found in Christ Jesus?
-family
-friends
-wealth
-bitterness
-self
-pain
-and……
All these are a matter of your own choice!
What do I mean by a genuine commitment to Christ?
There are many who believe in Christ but are not willing to follow Christ.
Yes…..they know that they need the power of God in their life but they do not avail themselves to it.
They know what Christianity should look like and how it should work as a body but they do not participate or live out what Christ taught.
What is Genuine Commitment?
The world that we live in knows very little about a genuine commitment to Christ, and I am afraid that this attitude has found its way into “the church”….
…..I want what I want, when I want it, and God has been taken off His throne.
We live in a very self-centered culture but as children of King Jesus, we may not let the culture around us to control us.
Unless we are willing to let go of our past and commit ourselves completely to Christ, we will have very little, if any, positive influence on this sick and dying world.
Commitment…..
God is calling you to genuine commitment to Him!
What was Paul’s purpose in sharing this mystery of God?
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,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
-His purpose was to make known the abundant/everlasting wisdom of God according to God’s eternal plan.
-He was determined to know and follow the will of God!
Paul’s prayer for the believers….
14 ¶ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Paul starts his prayer by giving honor to God.
What is Paul’s desire and petition to God for believers?
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
That God would:
-give unto us according to the riches of His Glory.
-strengthen us through His Power by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
That Christ would dwell in our hearts by faith.
That as we are rooted and grounded in love, we would be able to understand the mystery of God and His greatness.
That we would know the Love of Christ, which goes far beyond our knowledge.
And that we would be filled with the fullness of God.
What comes to your mind when you consider being filled with the fullness of God?
-completeness
-at one with God
-rest for the soul
-at peace with God
-satisfied
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.