Ephesians 3:1-13

Introduction:

Back in the 2^nd century, the Roman Emperor forbod Christian gatherings, so the Christians literally went underground and met in catacombs.

     In the 50’s, the doors to the Chinese churches were closed and the buildings were converted to factories and warehouses. Christians began to meet secretly in their homes and in the rural areas to worship God. In the 80’s when the doors to the churches were reopened, they were filled to capacity. Several years ago when I was preaching in a church in Fuzhou, I was told that many believers would walk two or more hours to get to church. Half an hour before the service, the sanctuary was filled.

     Have you ever wondered why the visible church is so important to Christians? Despite its imperfections and problems, wherever there are Christians, there are churches. It may be inefficient and at times down right frustrating, yet it continues to exist. Why?

     In the passage of scripture we read today, we see a very simple truth regarding the church. That is, the church occupies a central place in God’s eternal plan, therefore we are to develop a high view towards her.

I.  A message revealed from God

After writing in chapter 2 about how Jesus brings about reconciliation between Jews, gentiles and God, and the creation of a new humanity, here in chapter 3 Paul turns to himself. Its like a testimony about his role in this reconciliation. In verse 1 and 2, he mentions about his praying for the gentile Christians. Then he gets side tracked and continues his thought in chapter 2. In verse 14 we’ll come back to the content of his prayer.

In vs3, Paul writes that God has revealed a mystery to him. What is a mystery? We tend to associate mystery with something we don’t understand. We all have said something like this. “oh, this passage of the scripture is too difficult and I can’t understand, it’s a mystery.” But biblically, mystery means something that was previously hidden, and now made clear. Previously people don’t know about it, but now they do.

So, what is this mystery Paul is talking about? Vs6 gives a clear and detail explanation. It says that in Jesus Christ, the gentiles, the non-Jews are reconciled with God. Moreover, the wall between the gentiles and Jews is also being torn down. Now, both Jews and gentiles have become members of Christ’s body. Together they share and inherit God’s promise of salvation and eternal life. Just imagine, for over 1000 years, they have been enemies with each other. Now with the death and resurrection of Christ, this animosity is abolished. And out of the two, God had created a new man, a new community, The Church. In this new community, the church, there is no distinction between slaves and masters, male and female, gentiles and Jews. We are all equal before God. This is the mystery, the message revealed to Paul.

This community, church, includes everyone everywhere who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ. This is the Universal, invisible church. But this universal, invisible church also finds its expression in the local, visible church.

In vs7 this mystery is also called the gospel, the good news. In vs 10, this mystery is being described as the “manifold wisdom” of God. The word manifold means multi-colored. The same word used in the OT in describing the coat Jacob gave to his favorite son, Joseph. When one sees this new community, the church, one sees God’s multi-color wisdom.

What does it mean to us? God has brought people literally from all parts of the world and from all walks of life, into this community, this church. We are a church with wide diversity. Looking at such diversity, we are not to treat it as a liability. Certainly we all prefer a more homogenous group. Speaking the same language, with the same background and education. How nice will it be that we don’t have to translate from one dialect to another? Sometimes because of our diversity, our ministry may not move as fast as we prefer. However, whenever we look at ourselves, it reminds us that this is a reflection of God’s multi-colored wisdom. This is the mystery Paul writes about in Ephesians and in other epistles in the NT.

II.  A message entrusted to a messenger.

What is his relationship to this message? In vs3, we learn that this mystery is revealed to him. vs7, he becomes a servant of this gospel by God’s grace and power. He is given this message. What kind of a messenger is he?

1.  The humility and authority of the messenger.

Vs8, he is the least of all God’s people. He is not indulging in hypocrisy or self-deprecation. He is deeply conscious of his own unworthiness. He ‘formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted’ Jesus Christ. He went from city to city, house to house to arrest the followers of Jesus Christ. He played an important role in the stoning death of the first disciple, Stephen. He realizes that there is nothing he could brag about himself. He is the least of all God’s people.

On the other hand, in 3:1 and 4:1 he twice uses the apostolic ‘I’. He is humble and yet he recognizes that God has called him. he is humble and has authority.

This is quite different from many of the testimonies we hear today. Individuals talk about their accomplishments: their success in careers, the Ph.D.s they have acquired. And then God calls them into full time ministry. They have to give up all these accomplishments. It sounds like how lucky God is to have recruited a man like me. Not Paul. He realized his unworthiness and hopelessness outside Christ. Yet God calls and gives him the message of reconciliation.

From this we also see how the messenger and the message are related. In our society, we tend to separate the two. We feel that as long as the message is good and effective, then it really doesn’t matter what kind of a person the messenger is. But here we see that the messenger is just as important as the message.

What is Paul to do with this message, this mystery?

2. To proclaim the mystery to all men.

Vs8 ‘to preach’, vs9 ‘to make plain this message to all men’. This message, the mystery, God’s manifold wisdom, the unsearchable riches of Christ is to be preached and explain to all men. The proclamation of this message involves preaching and also explaining. Besides,

3. To proclaim the mystery to the cosmic powers.

                Vs10 is a difficult passage. We must avoid reading too much into it and need to recognize our limitation in interpreting this verse. Basically Paul says that this message, this mystery is also made known to the cosmic powers. Most probably it includes the angels and the servants of the devil. And how is this done? Through the Church. Paul is thinking about history at this time. 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and the church was born. Since that day, the church has not stopped growing and expanding.

                By looking at the church, where gentiles and Jews, slaves and masters, women and men come to worship together and loving each other, the entire universe has now seen God’s wisdom. This mystery, previously hidden is now made known to all. This message in the form of the visible Church is a visible demonstration of God’s wisdom.

                What does this mean to us? 1Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Out of our spiritual poverty and unworthiness, God has also called us to be his chosen people. God has given the message and the mission. This forms the backbone of our motivation for evangelism.

                If we truly believe that this message of reconciliation is from God, is truth, is the absolute truth, and that God has given us this ministry of telling others about him, then nothing can shut us up.

III. A message to be lived out.

We have seen that this mystery is that through faith Jesus Christ, we are brought into God’s family, the church. In vs11-13, we learn that this message is to be an integral part of our lives.  What does it mean to us living in the 21^st century?

1. The centrality of church.

                Vs11, “according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here we see the church is a part of God’s eternal plan. Some people see Christianity purely as a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. Others may see the church as a corrupt and disappointing human institution. It is understandable that some of us may be critical of the church’s tradition or structure, including this church. In John Stott’s words, “Every church in every place at every time is in need of reform and renewal. Yet we must be careful not to despise the church of God.” As far as God is concerned, the church is at the center of his eternal plan.

2. The church is central to the gospel.

                To many of us, the gospel message is very personal. We claim that Christ died for me. I will spend eternity with God. this is true. But the gospel message is far more than this. In vs7, we learn that the full gospel concerns Christ and the mystery of Christ. The good news of the gospel is that Christ died and rose again not only to save sinners like me, but also to create a single new man, new humanity. He not only redeems us from sins, but also bring us into God’s family, not only to reconcile us to God but also to each other. Yes, when we believe in Jesus Christ, there is a new life, but we also become a part of a community, the church of God.

                For this reason it is important for us to help new believers to join a local church and become a part of that Christian community.

3. The church is important in our daily living.

                In vs13, “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.” Paul is so certain that his suffering is for the gentiles’ glory. Paul knows that God has given him the mission to tell gentiles about Jesus Christ, bringing them into God’s family. He is imprisoned for preaching this message of reconciliation. He is so convinced of this mission that he is willing to pay any price, including death, to see the gentiles become a member of God’s new community, the church. The church is also at the center of Paul’s life.

                Why do Christians throughout the ages take the church so seriously? Why did Christians in the 1^st two centuries risk their lives to meet in the underground catacombs? Why did the Chinese Christians meet secretly in their houses and in rural areas? The answer is quite simple, because the church is very important to them. The church is at the center of their lives.

Conclusion:

                In these 13 verses, Paul explains the nature of the mystery that God had revealed to him and the apostles. The mystery is: Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection has reconciled the Jews and the gentiles to each other and to God. And out of the two, God has created a new man, a new humanity, a new community, The Church.

                The scripture points to us that this church is central in the gospel. It is central in God’s eternal plan. Therefore it is also central in our lives. How so? May I offer you two suggestions:

1.             Consider church membership. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, God not only forgives our sins, but also bring us into his family. We do not necessarily think of church membership as bringing us any privileges but it is a way of expressing our commitment and identification with other members of God’s family.

2.             To establish high standards of church life. When we come to church on Sunday mornings, we are to prepare ourselves the night before so we can be here on time. Not only on time, but be prepared spiritually. We are to learn to come with a teachable heart, to listen to what God has to speak to me today through the music and the message. We are to do our best not to allow personality issues, misunderstanding and miscommunication to erect walls between us.

                The church leaders: pastors, elders, deacons, fellowship advisors and co-workers are to live lives that match God’s standards. We are to lead not by lording over others, but by being examples. Our ministry must be an outflow of our inner life.

Our commitment, attitude and conduct in the church will demonstrate the importance of God’s church in our lives.  

Rev. William Hsueh    Dec. 03, 2000    Houston Chinese Church,  Houston, Texas