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STEWARDSHIP EPHESIANS 3:1-13 Pastor Stephen Muncherian May 17, 2009 |
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Please
turn with me to Ephesians 3 - starting at verse 1. Think with me about times in our
lives when we lose heart.
When we’d like
to just throw in the towel and give up.
This is discouraging.
“Hi,
I’m Bill Gates - I decided I wasn’t rich enough. I also determined that the only
real competition was the government.
That’s why I bought the IRS last week… Windows IRS - It’s
intrusive. It’s
unavoidable. It’s gonna make
me Mega-Mega-Wealthy... What’s really great is that you have to buy
Windows IRS to file your taxes!”
This could be discouraging.
Coming home to this. On
August 24, 2001 - 293
passengers boarded an Air
Transat Airbus 330 - one of these - for a
flight from Toronto,
Canada to
Lisbon, Portugal. About
mid-way over the Atlantic Ocean - more than 1,000 miles from the coast of
Portugal - Captain Robert Piche/ and his crew noticed
a fuel leak. 23 minutes later - fuel almost exhausted - Captain Piche
issued a mayday emergency distress signal. 40 minutes later the right engine
lost power and went dead. 2
minutes later the left engine - the last of the two engines - lost power
and died. Still hundreds
of miles
from Portugal the airplane was without power and
helpless. As the plane dropped
through the sky - depressurized and jerking around - passengers panicked
and screamed - the flight crew became hysterical. Captain Piche/ - with only minimum
power - a control stick - and an emergency propeller - for 18 minutes
wrestled with the jetliner guiding it to Lajes Airport on Terciera Island
in the Azores. When the
plane landed it hit with such force that the tires exploded - bursting
into flames. One of
the passengers said, “It was a
miracle we survived.”
(1)
Do you
ever feel like that? Not
that
we’re 30,000 feet in the air and falling. But, like
things are out of control and very wrong. Like being
in
an airplane fuselage -
the tightness of a cylinder that we can’t escape from - helpless in the
circumstances around us - being carried along to a destination we don’t
want to go to. Charles
Spurgeon - wrote this - see if you can relate: “Fits
of depression come over most of us.
Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast
down. The strong are not
always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always
courageous, and the joyous not always happy. There may be here and there men of
iron...but surely the rust frets even these.”
(2) As
we’ve been looking at Ephesians - we’ve seen that we live in what kind of
world? Humpty Dumpty. We know this. The world we live in is
fallen - cracked - whatever all the kings horses and all the kings men
have tried to do - there is no way Humpty is getting put back together
again. There are times - in
Humpty Dumptyland - that it is very easy for us to lose heart. Yes? To really get
discouraged.
Ephesians 3 - starting at verse 1 - For
this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you
Gentiles - if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to
me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
Verses 1 to 3 are Paul’s
description of his circumstances. Let’s say this together,
“Paul’s
circumstances.” Circumstances
that would make most of us lose heart. First - in
verse 1 - Paul
describes himself as a prisoner. At the
end of Paul’s third missionary journey - Paul returns to Jerusalem with an
offering for the believers in Jerusalem. He’s in a hurry - rushing to
arrive in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost - to celebrate and to get the
offering to the believers - who are in great need. In the towns he visits he spends
very little time with the believers there. Other towns - like Ephesus - he
bypasses completely. He’s
rushing to Jerusalem. Along
the way a prophet named Agabus prophecies that when Paul reaches Jerusalem
he’s going to be imprisoned.
So as Paul travels to Jerusalem believers pray and weep for
Paul. They know - this side
of heaven - they’re probably not going to see him again. In Acts 20, Paul
says, “I
don’t know what will happen to me in Jerusalem, except that the Holy
Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and
afflictions await me.” (Acts
20:22,23) When
Paul gets to Jerusalem.
There’s a riot.
Accusations are made against Paul. Paul’s arrested - put on trial -
not for any crime - but ultimately because of his testimony of the Gospel
- because he’s being faithful to Jesus Christ - sharing the Gospel with
the Gentiles. So Paul is
arrested. Then Paul - as a
Roman - appeals to Caesar for justice. Ultimately he sent to
Rome. Think
with me about where Paul is at in all this. He’s given up a promising career -
great recognition - standing in the community. For 16 plus years - ever since the
Damascus road encounter with Jesus - for 16 plus years Paul has been
obedient to God - faithfully traveling around the Empire - at great
hardship - traveling the Empire sharing the gospel with Gentiles and
Jews.
He’s in
Jerusalem with an offering for the starving Christians there. This is a mercenary mission. At great cost to himself - he’s
rushed to Jerusalem for Pentecost - to worship God - to celebrate the
birth of the Church and to help the believers there. He’s done everything God has asked
of him regardless of the personal cost. Certainly God would be pleased
with all that. Then
everything just blows up in his face. He finds himself in the middle of
a riot - ends up in prison.
He’s bounced around in the legal system. Then he’s sent off to Rome. Finally - one shipwreck - a
venomous snake bite - and months of hardship later - Paul is under guard
in Rome - a prisoner of the Roman Empire. The
kind of circumstances that would cause most of us to lose heart. To get a tad discouraged. “Here
I am doing all the right stuff - whatever God’s asked of me - and this is
what happens.” Circumstances that - as the
Ephesian Christians heard about what had happened - Paul was concerned
that they would lose heart.
That they’d become discouraged in their faith. “If
that can happen to Paul what about us? Maybe this faith in Jesus thing
isn’t such a great deal.” Its so
easy for us to fall into the trap of expecting God to be like Santa
Claus. He knows who’s been
naughty or nice. If we’re
good God gives us good stuff - blessing our lives with good health and
happiness. Especially in this
country with all that we have.
We come to expect that all this is for us and we deserve it. This is the way its suppose to
be. Christians are God’s
people. As long as things are
going right we think that we’re doing what God wants and God is blessing
us. When
God allows adversity we struggle.
We’re tempted to feel like maybe we’ve failed spiritually. Maybe we’ve done something
wrong. We’re out of God’s
favor - out of His will. In
adversity God is against us.
We start to question God.
God is unjust. We
start to loose faith - to get discouraged - to lose
heart. First -
Paul describes himself as a prisoner. Second - in
verse 2 - Paul
describes himself as a steward of God’s grace. Usually
when we think about stewardship we think about what? Money. Tithing. Time, talent, treasure. To steward comes from a Greek word
that’s two words put together - house and manage. Managing someone else’s
household. Think
Alfred - Bruce Wayne’s butler.
Manages the affairs - the household. The day-to-day operations of the
estate are totally and confidently in Alfred’s
hands. Paul is
given stewardship of - what Paul refers to in verse 3 - as a mystery which
God has revealed to him. In
Scripture - a mystery is something that only God knows and only God
understands. We can take all
the theology classes - earn umpteen degrees - philosophize and analyze and
look crosswise - and yet we’ll never figure out what God knows unless God
reveals to us what He knows. Any of
you read Charles Dickens?
Dickens is great for having all these plots and sub plots and
personalities all moving seemingly random - but somehow related - and at
the end of the book it all comes together in one “ah ha!” moment. It all seems so clear. Makes perfect
sense. As
history unfolds God reveals more of what He’s doing in history. What was a mystery to us becomes
clearer. We begin to
understand more of God’s purposes for history - His plot - and how we fit
within God’s plot for history - God drawing us into relationship with
Him. God using us to share
His gospel with others. What
God has revealed to Paul is something that we’re going to come to in a bit
- down at verse 6 - which is the salvation of the Gentiles. But also - how Paul fits within
God’s plot - God’s plan of reaching the Gentiles with the Gospel. If we
see stewardship as only time - talent - treasure - we’re missing the core
of what stewardship is.
Stewardship - is what God called Paul to - what God calls every
believer to - that is - that stewardship is Paul’s life - everything that
he is and has - Paul - trusting God regardless of the circumstances - Paul
given over 100% to live out whatever God has called him to
do. Even
falsely accused - shipwrecked - in prison - Paul is still a steward
according to God’s great purposes for Paul - this declaration of God’s
grace - the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In fact, a stewardship that may have been even more effective
because Paul is a prisoner.
We know from history that because of Paul’s imprisonment many of
the guards and some in Caesar's own household came to believe in
Jesus. If we
start losing heart - when we get discouraged because were focused on
circumstances that can be very discouraging - like Paul we need to hang on
to God’s purpose for our lives - what God is doing in us and through
us. That purpose never
changes.
Coming to verse 4 - verses 4 to 7 are Paul’s
Opportunity. Let’s try that together. “Paul’s
opportunity.”
Verse 4: By
referring to this - this,
meaning what Paul has been writing about in himself and the mystery of God
- by
referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the
mystery of Christ - you
all will understand what I understand about the this mystery -
which
in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now
been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be
specific - here
is the exact explanation of what the mystery is - verse 6 -
to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of
the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the
gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s
grace which was given to me according to the working of His
power. First
- we need to understand what Paul means by the mystery of
Christ. God
revealed - way back as far as Abraham - that the Gentiles were going to be
blessed through God’s people - the Jews. All the nations of the earth being
blessed because of Abraham’s descendants. Men
like Abraham and Moses and David and Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel and
others - they understood so much about God - and God’s work in
history. God gave them great
insight into what was coming - even events that are still coming in the
future even for us today.
Events that are a mystery to us. But all these Old Testament giants
- generations past - didn’t understand the specifics of verse 6 -
specifically “how” all the nations of the world would be blessed through
Abraham’s descendants.
Not until Jesus - teaching in parables about the kingdom of God -
not until Jesus Himself brings God’s kingdom to the Gentiles - not
until Jesus’ death and resurrection - not until Pentecost - not until Philip
and the Ethiopian official - not until Jesus sends Ananias to Paul -
saying, “Go,
for he - Paul
- is
a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles…”
(Acts
9:15) Not until we get to the
New Testament do we begin to understand just how great this mystery really
is. The
Gentiles -
that’s us - the
Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow
partakers of the promise of Christ Jesus through the gospel. Speaking as Gentile. This is really
awesome. Last
Sunday we saw that Jesus - in His work on the cross - had broken down the
dividing wall between Jew and Gentile. Remember that wall in the
Temple? God creates a new
community. Takes Jews and
Gentiles and puts them together - creates something totally radically
different - a new international community of Jews and Gentiles -
organically the Body of Christ - spiritually without distinction - the
Church. What
that means - this is awesome - what that means is that we - the Gentiles -
share the promises made to Israel.
We’re not a parenthetical afterthought - a footnote on the text of
history - something less than what God has for His people - runner’s up in
a spiritual contest. We are
God’s people - with all the rights and privileges and promises and hope
and purpose and inheritance and relationship and future that that oneness
of God and His people has meant from Adam until today and forever into the
future. In Jesus all that is
ours. What
was a mystery to the Old Testament saints is made real - revealed - in
us. That’s awesome. Isn’t it?
Second - we need to understand what Paul when he writes that he’s a
minister of this mystery. The
word for minister in Greek is “deaconos” - which is where we get the
English word what?
Deacon. A
servant. Someone who serves
at the will of another. In
the Old Testament the word has the idea of a chief steward of a home. Stewardship. Paul - the Jewish Pharisee -
serving the Gentiles - according to the will of God. Paul
writes - verse 7 - Paul writes that to be a minister - a steward of the
mystery - is a gift of God’s grace.
God has been gracious to Paul - choosing him - empowering him. Paul - even in chains in Rome -
Paul understands that those chains are a gracious gift - a great
privilege. He’s the executor
of a great estate - an amazing truth - a mystery revealed . God has given him a tremendous
opportunity - a great role to live out - to minister - to serve - to care
for the other inheritors of the estate - that we would fully receive all
that is promised to us. How
incredible it is - in this Humpty Dumpty world - where so many people live
in the shadow of hell - wounded - broken - hopeless - searching - empty -
without purpose and meaning their lives. Where marriages and families and
communities are coming apart.
Where there is such lostness.
How incredible to be able to steward the mystery of God - to share
such an incredible truth as life in Jesus Christ - the promises of God
made available for each one of us. When we
find ourselves getting discouraged - losing heart - we need to see that we
are a part of something so much greater - so much more awesome - that
ourselves or our circumstances.
What a privilege is stewardship. What a great opportunity to be
used by God - to make a huge difference in the lives of those around
us.
Coming to verse 8. Verses 8
to 10 are Paul’s
Life. Let’s say that together. “Paul’s
life.” Verse
8: To
me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the
Gentiles the unfathomable -
endless - riches
of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery
which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the
manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the
rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. Do
you know “This Little Light of Mine”?
This
little Light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
Hide it
under a bushel, NO! That’s
Paul’s life.
Isaiah wrote “The
people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a
dark land, the light will shine on them. For a child will be born to us, a
Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders;
and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal
Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah
9:2,6)
Paul preached the unfathomable - the unending - riches of
Christ - the
Child born to us - a Son given to us. Who’s supply of our needs goes on
without end.
Paul brought to light the mystery of what God was doing. Where people had never heard the
gospel - Paul went and explained about Jesus and what it meant to know Him
as the Savior - the Wonderful Counselor - the Mighty God - the Eternal
Father - the Prince of Peace we all long for.
What was it Jesus said?
“Let
your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew
5:16) In the
darkness of this world Paul explained to people what God offers us in
Jesus. Ever where Paul
preached and explained about Jesus lives were changed - people were healed
- families were restored - people were set free. Hope - joy - peace - love came
into people’s lives.
Congregations of liberated healed people were formed. The unsearchable riches of Christ
- the mystery of the gospel - made real in people’s lives.
There’s
another dimension to Paul’s life that we need to grab on to. In verse 10 - Paul - by the
way he lived his life - Paul made
known the manifold wisdom of God to the
rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. Imagine
a theatre - the audience - row after row of angels watching what’s
unfolding on the stage - the drama of the church unfolding in
history. As God’s grace and
mercy and love is lived out in our lives - angels - watching what we do
learn about God and His plans.
Demons shudder and revile - angels rejoice and praise
God. Hold
onto that when you’re feeling discouraged. What we do has an effect on what
happens in the spiritual realm and in ways we can’t even begin to
imagine.
We may
not see it in our circumstances but its happening. God is at work involving us in His
great purposes - at work in us and through us reaching others with the
gospel - changing lives for today and forever - lavishing His love -
acting with grace and mercy - bringing glory to Himself such that Heaven
takes notice - sits up and cheers. Then
- verses 11 to 13 are Paul’s Encouragement. Let’s say that together,
“Paul’s
encouragement.”
Verse 11: This
was - what
was? Jews
and Gentiles coming to God through Christ. Oh my! The awesomeness of the gospel Paul
stewards regardless of his circumstances. This
was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ
Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through
faith in Him.
From
the perspective of how we get tempted to look at things - the Ephesians
are looking at Paul in prison - seeing him in serious trouble - his life
dangling at the whim of Caesar. Paul is
encouraging them - and us - that all this - God’s gospel - is unfolding
according to God’s eternal purposes.
Same God who gives us bold and confident access to Him - Who has
called us into an intimate and tight relationship with Him. That intimacy - God’s purposes -
none of that changes because of circumstances. Verse
13: Therefore
-
because God’s got it under control and He’s got us in His hands with great
purposes for our lives - therefore
I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they
are your glory. Life
isn’t about us. Its about
Who? God. Paul hasn’t lost heart because he
knows that his circumstances are according to God’s plan - even his
imprisonment benefits the Ephesians - testifies to them of who God
is.
Three brief thoughts of application…
what strengthens our hearts. First: Perspective. If we’re focused on what benefits
us - on how everything effects us - if our lives are all about us -
centered around our understanding of life - we’re always going to be
losing heart. When we begin
to understand life from God’s perspective - when our understanding of life
is aligned with God’s perspective of what life is really about - we gain
strength in our hearts. Second: Value. There are times when I have to put
down the newspaper - get away from the internet - stop listening to
Hannity and Rush. Floods and
famines and war and fires and which way the stock market is going and
what’s coming out of Washington.
Getting caught up in all that its easy to lose
heart. We need
to understand this. The world
values what’s dying. But God
values life - your life - my life - the lives of those around us - values
our living eternally with Him.
When we value what God values - living with the urgency of sharing
Jesus - sharing the awesomeness of the gospel - valuing what God values we
gain strength in our hearts. Third: Motive. Life isn’t about us. Its about Who? God. God and His purposes. If our motive is to please God and
not man - if our motive is live for God - to bring glory to Him -
regardless of the circumstances - we will gain strength in our hearts -
and God will be glorified. ____________________________ |