[Sunday School] Ephesians 5

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:32

Well yeah, first good morning. Uh happy Mother's Day to the mothers. And uh I uh not to not to brag, but I I did send my mother some flowers, so hopefully hopefully your kids did that too, and if they didn't, then they're not uh maybe they should step up their game. No, I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_06 0:53

My husband got me on. How about that?

SPEAKER_02 0:55

How about that? That's nice. There we go. Well, uh we're back in Ephesians, uh, and we were in Ephesians 2 wrapped up, or Alan and y'all were in Ephesians 2 uh last week. And um now we're now we're into um Ephesians 3 here, and we'll be looking at some of the first um 13 verses. As you know, we've gone what five weeks now? Four weeks?

SPEAKER_01 1:27

This will be the fourth week.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

This is the fourth?

SPEAKER_01 1:30

I believe it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

I think this is the fifth. I think it's the fifth. Anyway, either way. Um anything, maybe you know, as we're kind of midway through the through the letter here, is there anything specifically over all these first two chapters that you've been encouraged by through going through Ephesians and and things that you've enjoyed going through it so far?

SPEAKER_03 1:56

Ephesians 1, 13 and 14, the verse that's always gone on my mind that you have faith in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit within you until you make your Maker. Yeah. God will never leave us or forsake us. Never until put your faith in Christ, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing your inheritance into the day of Christ Jesus. Yeah. Not perhaps or maybe, but guaranteed.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Depending on the hope.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

Guaranteed. So one of the reasons why I firmly believe that we can't lose our salvation because we are sustained by the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

I I think that's a I think he's a Baptist pastor. His name is H.B. Charles Jr. Um he had this, you know, he posed the question, can you lose your salvation? And he goes, Well, it depends. What saved you? That's a good point. That's a very good point. If your work saved you, you you will lose your salvation. If uh if someone else or some other thing saved you, you will lose your salvation. But if it if indeed you were saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit, you will not lose your salvation. But yeah, I really like how he posed that question. Yeah, that's a that's a great point.

SPEAKER_04 3:13

Yeah, it's a great no, I was in church all my life. Yeah, but I sang. You know, if you like to sing, you go to the bars and you still got that 10 or 1 goes. As a young boy, oh my goodness, yeah. But when I was 35, I dedicated my life to the Lord. Yeah. Actually, he's been with me all the way through. Of course, you would have to know my mother. I mean, the pastors would come to my mother and they would be ministered to by her. She's an encouragement thing. Yeah, well, I am who I am today because of my mother's.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

Yeah, that that prom, you know, I mean, you you've celebrated now 60 years of being in the Lord, and uh over those 60 years, you know, you've I'm sure you've had your ups and downs and your your peaks and valleys, and yet verse 13 and 14 still reigns true that you know that the Spirit has sealed you and that he's guaranteed salvation for you. Sealed and guaranteed. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Love it. Any anything else that stuck out to you uh through as you as you've gone through Ephesians and um anything that you've been encouraged by?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

I think the idea of you know, Ephesians 2 chapter, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. You know, we're we're not acting, we're not acting acting. We're not God will shame in it, you know. We're uh we are in Christ Jesus. And God is uh God is even preached with the work that He says that we're going to do to do before I end. Yeah, you know, none of this is a mystery, you know. We're he's he's especially crafted us.

unknown 5:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

So uh Yeah, there's a it truly kind of puts into picture what does it mean that God is sovereign? Is and what is he sovereign over? Well, he's sovereign over everything. Everything in and around us. Um which is point uh to me, it just points to the the amazing power um that he has. I um we're gonna get into it a little bit today, but um, I wasn't here last week, but was encouraged going through the latter half of Ephesians 2 and just this unity in Christ that Paul seems to be really driving the point. Um and it made me think of a sermon that I had heard a while ago from uh the late Vodi Bacham, um, who was a Reformedish uh guy. And you know, this was at the height, he he preached this message at the height of kind of the Black Lives Matter movement and kind of everything talking about racial justice and social justice and all these things. He himself was a black man, yes, yeah, yeah, grew up in LA and Texas and as well.

SPEAKER_06 6:35

No, he was the guy that died at years or so.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

Yeah, from a year, health emergency, I think, something like that. Um he had had some health scares before. Vodi Bacham, V-O-D-D-I-E.

SPEAKER_06 6:47

I'm not familiar with him.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

He's he's great, yeah. Um he he's uh he's partnered with you know Ligoneer Ministries, RC Scorable, those types of folks.

SPEAKER_04 6:57

Well I followed his he followed my footsteps, born in LA and raised in Texas. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 7:03

Now he did go to Africa though, so I don't know if you uh yeah, but yeah, those uh he's he's uh he had a sermon on on this text and talking about kind of racial reconciliation was his kind of lens through this and um at the height of you know the the difference between but the difference between the Jew and the Gentile that was real. There was a huge we're gonna do that. That was a good answer to that. Yeah, that was a chasm that God had instituted, basically, had ordained, um, allowed to allow it to happen. And yet um, and and he's because he's brought those, you know, the Jew and the Gentile are now one, you know, what's what does that mean for for you know black, white, Hispanic, Asian, you know, that's that all that stuff is arbitrary. And um it was he had a really good it also in the context of you know 2020, 2021, it was uh it was uh great sermon. But the unity there in Ephesians 2 is that the latter have of we are now one in Christ Jesus is uh right that's that's really verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus, you who are once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. So um yeah, that I've just been I've really enjoyed walking through Ephesians over this past month or so. But um yeah, you want to kick us off into chapter three?

SPEAKER_01 8:27

I'll read chapter three, one through thirteen. So Ephesians chapter three, one through thirteen. For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men and other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 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. 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, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 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. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. So the to start off today, a question that comes to my mind is how radical was the revelation of the mystery of Christ for the Jews and the Gentiles? Why was it so radical?

SPEAKER_06 10:33

Because they'd never been included in the household of faith before.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

They were maybe viewed almost as a fear, I think, of even though the disciples uh had racist views towards the Samaritans. Yeah. And I think many Jews were towards outsiders and gentiles, they probably I don't know. The word race, I guess racism would probably be the appropriate word.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Um probably.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

I think when we went through the study in Acts, like like in the early parts of like the Jews would not, uh they would not eat with a gentile, they would not enter their home, uh, gentiles were not allowed to go into the inner parts of the temple. Yeah. Um and and and the Romans even allowed that by law. Um there was a very clear divided line culturally, again it's like we we are the children of the promise, people are not. It's like and you know, you know, to associate with them beyond sort of the the forced good commercialization and and things of the Roman Empire was simply and you know, to do things that weren't Jewish.

SPEAKER_02 11:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 11:57

Wasn't it ingrained that they were the chosen? The Jews were the chosen ones, and they probably thought, well, has God changed his mind? We don't think so, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:09

Right. So that there was great hostility or enmity between man, Jews, and Gentiles, and it came from both sides. The uh the Greeks looked at the Jewish people as barbarians. There was a uh quote by Seleucus. He says uh the barbarians may have some gift for discovering truth, but it takes a Greek to understand. So they the Greek looked down on the Jew. What was the guy's name? Selsus. C-E-L-S-U-A.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

Seleucus? Was it what wasn't he is he the same guy who was a general of Alexander?

SPEAKER_07 12:48

Yes, I think so.

SPEAKER_03 12:49

So and he got the Seleucid in part of Alexander's empire after Alexander died, which was kind of now modern-day Iran and Iraq. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 13:01

But not only were the Gentiles included, they were considered heirs also along.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

And that that was part of the that we get to verse 6, and that's what you're alluding to is that's what's interesting about this. Paul begins to get personal about what God has given him to do. He says, a prisoner, he's a prisoner of Christ Jesus, first of all. And the reason he's a prisoner of Christ Jesus is on behalf of the Gentiles. So that's a little ironic in a sense. If you go back to Jason, you've alluded to Acts, and uh we look at Acts 21, 21. Acts 21, and we get a we get it fleshed out here a little bit more about some of the hostilities here. Um, you know, Paul is getting ready to go back to Jerusalem, but his Gentile friends and some of the um one of the uh prophets named Agabas in verse 10 of 21, while we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabas came down from Judea, and coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit. This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. So Paul didn't listen to what they said, he was he was uh fine with going on. And I don't think he didn't listen.

SPEAKER_04 14:36

Yeah, I think he realized he knew where he was to go, and right he was going regardless of what he was willing to die for his faith.

SPEAKER_06 14:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Right. So he was willing to go on, so he goes on to to Jerusalem, and while he's there, you know, it's well you can go a little bit further, you know.

SPEAKER_04 14:58

He mentioned that he's going to Jerusalem when he's still in Asia. Yeah, that I'm going to Jerusalem. Yeah. And he knew that definitely he was going, there's going to be trouble.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Yeah, in 13 he says, Paul answered, What are you doing? Weeping and breaking my heart, for I am ready not only to be imprisoned, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 15:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

So he goes on. And um what's interesting is when he gets there, some of the Jewish, the Jewish people from Asia see him in in the temple in uh in Jerusalem, and uh they know that he's begun to teach what we studied last week in ver in chapter 2, that God has broken down the dividing wall between Jews and the Gentiles, and that he's telling them to do away or not to follow Moses and the law. And uh when he gets there, he goes to the elders, and James tells him, This is what you need to do. You need to go and uh pay for the vow for these men and to show to them, and we see that in um Acts 21 there. In verse 17, when we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly on the following day. Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed? They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. So they they go on here and they they tell him what then is to be done. They will certainly hear that you have come. Do you do therefore what we tell you? We have four men who are under a vow. Take these men and purify yourselves among them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. So they they go ahead and they do that. And that's when the Jews see the Jews from Asia see Paul in the temple, and they believe they say that he took a gentile into the temple, and that's why he is. If we read on here, we see where they they call make a riot out of it, and the Roman soldiers come down, they take Paul, and then Paul, you know, tells him that he's a citizen of Tarsus, he's a Roman citizen, and he asks him to say a few words, and we flip on over there, and we see in later on in 27 through 36 that he speaks to them in Aramaic in the Hebrew language, and they become incensed at the very end because he tells them that, hey, God has called me to go to the Gentiles, and they say, Away with this man, he doesn't deserve to live. So the hostility was great, even among the, you know, they're calling for the death of a a fellow Jew who is teaching that Christ, in Christ, the Gentiles and the Jews are now one. And we see that in verse six of Ephesians chapter three.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

Yeah. So in verses four and five, when you know, Paul says, when you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men and other generations, as it has now been revealed to his apostles and prophets by the Spirit. I have friends from school, my the pastor that I interned under in college, he's more of a dispensational kind of guy, and believes, you know, people of the Old Testament were saved differently from how people are saved now. You shake your head. I shook my head, and I looked at him like he had four eyes. But he pointed me partially to this verse, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, um, as it has now been revealed to his apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Now he did acknowledge that that was obviously in reference to verse 6, but also in that this idea that kind of almost as if God changes, almost, it seems like. So how does how does this uh did God change his mind in terms of revealing? Or do can we even get a get us get a peek into why God would you know withhold this from other generations and waiting to reveal it now?

SPEAKER_03 19:47

Verse 6, well, to counter your old pastor friend says that the Gentiles are now fellow heirs, fellow members. That means we're one body. So, but no, in Old Testament times, the Jews were God's covenant people.

SPEAKER_07 20:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

And I think it's in Deuteronomy 6 or 7, it says that God chose them to be his people, not because they were better than anyone else, since it's because he loved them. That's grace right there.

SPEAKER_07 20:13

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:14

Um, that they weren't worthy of it. He just because he loved them. And there's a lot of prophecies in the Old Testament that talk about a coming Messiah. Genesis, I think, both 13 and 15. God gives Abraham a vision that says, Your descendants uh will be as numerous as the stars, and the nations of the world will be blessed to your seed. Yeah. So there's probably going back to Genesis 3. Yeah. It talks about that he will crush the serpent's head.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

It's and it's capitalized he, which is a little bit more specific in Genesis 12.3, where he talks about the blessing to the all the families.

SPEAKER_04 20:55

Yeah, then another way of looking at it is God is always intended to go to everybody. And if you come to think about it, where did he place the Jews in the one place where everybody has to go through? See, but they all heal and they don't pay any attention to those people that are down there going back and forth.

SPEAKER_06 21:18

See, I was gonna say basically the same thing that God didn't change his mind, he used the Jews to reach the Gentiles.

SPEAKER_03 21:25

Eventually. Yeah, but but they wouldn't do it. Well, it wasn't part of God's plan then, though, back in Old Testament times. God's plan just gradually unfolded, you know, more prophecies, Isaiah 7, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 52 and 53, coming Messiah, and the Jews were expecting this. Finally, Christ came, and the Jews began to recognize it, and then the promise God made well in Genesis 3, and then also to Abraham, the gospel finally goes out to the nation, to the ends of the world. And it's just a gradually God's covenant just gradually expands. And in God's timing, why did God choose the Jews to be his people? I don't know. Why does God shoot for us for salvation? For his glory. For his glory, ultimately.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

That's what God's plan has always been, I think, the enfolding of all people, peoples from all nations, tribes, tongues, language, to bring them in. But he started with he started with the children of Israel. They were called to show the glory of God to the nation. And drawn and to draw the nations to God to worship Him, but they've forgot God and turned their own way. And then God, through His grace, it's just like the shadows and types of Christ in the Old Testament. This is part of the shadows and types of what the purpose for what Christ was coming to accomplish, pointing to the New Testament. And then we find out that it's fulfilled here in the new Christmas.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

Have I brought up 2 Samuel 9? I can't remember if I brought it up here or bringing it up again. I get it mixed. But two chapters before the great fall of David with Bathsheba, you get 2 Samuel 9. In 2 Samuel 9, it might be one of my favorite passages in all the scripture. Mainly I point it to people who think there, you know, there's people well, the Old Testament, you know, it's there's no gospel, it's all law. Well, 2 Timothy or 2 Samuel 9 is great. It's the story of David and Mephibosheth. I think I brought that up. But in it just verse 6 makes me think of that again. Um that Mephibosheth, who was far off, who was forsaken, who was a dead dog, as he referred himself as, and now he's a fellow heir. He he is brought to the table. He is a partaker with David's meals and sitting with him. He's the son of Jonathan, son of Jonathan, the son of Saul. Yeah. Uh-huh. And so um yeah, he in for someone who was seemingly going there thinking he's dead, as he said, uh, he was also lame, so he knows as he referred to himself as a dead dog, and yet David makes him a partaker of uh, in this case, uh, a meal with him, and that he's always welcome at his table and within his courts. And that's that's us. Um and that's us now, and and in and the Gentiles now in six of we are fellow heirs and of the same members of the same body, partakers of the promise. And um that, as you mentioned, that's what makes that's why Paul's in prison. That's why he's killed, um, is because of the unity that Christ has brought through his body. That message, though, of unity and and reconciliation, because I think that we have this ministry of reconciliation too, right? 2 Corinthians 5, um, Paul is speaking on that. I'll flip to it quickly. Um 2 Corinthians 5, um, we'll start uh we'll start in verse 16 of 2 Corinthians 5. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God. So um and so when I hear this message of you know, fellow heirs, partakers, same body, um, those who have been brought near, they've been reconciled. Um and he doesn't just say in 2 Corinthians 5, reconcile the Jews, he's reconciled the world. Um he's reconciled all of mankind. Um that message, that what does that do for? I mean, I feel like that should just lead us then to obey in terms of uh in terms of sharing the gospel. Um and that God can save anyone. Um that's that's what I glean from that. But um this message of reconciliation, of hope, of you know, you're not too far gone, um, I think is a great message that we that we have to offer.

SPEAKER_01 27:21

Yeah. That's the interesting thing about this too, is Paul is writing to the to the Ephesians, and this is a secular letter that is going you know to all the churches in that area. And um he's he probably met some of these folks in in Ephesians, in in Ephesus and some of the surrounding churches, you know, two or three years earlier. But other other people have been brought into the church, other Gentiles have become believers in Christ. And, you know, as we look back at chapter two, he's telling, even in chapter one, he's telling them who you are, this is who you are in Christ. This is your identity. He goes on in chapter two to remind them that you know they were far off from, they were far off. They were without Christ in the world, they were without the promises, they were without the uh without God in this world, and um, and he's reminding them that don't let those Jewish people you know put you down and say that you're not circumcised, that you're not uh a full Christian, that you need to be circumcised and all that. But what he's doing, he's reminding them of who they were, their condition before salvation, so that it is understanding and remembering. They, you know, as the years go by, there's tend to be some drift away from. If we're not careful, we can drift away and forget. We're forgetful people, we forget what God has done. But he's reminding them you need to remember who you were before Christ. You need to know who you are now in Christ because it's the memory is linked to the um the motivating power of gratitude. If we forget what God has done when in Christ, what He's done for us. Can you say that again? Say that again. So the link, there's a link or a connection between memory and the motivating power of gratitude. And he's wanting to remind them this should make us grateful and thankful for what Christ has done and you know, God has done in Christ to reconcile us not only to him, but reconcile us man to man in Christ. So he's wanting to remind them this is the purpose for which you have been saved. You and the Jew, Gentiles and Jews, there's no first class Christian and a second class Christian. We're all one in Christ. Don't forget that. Because that's what motivates us to be obedient. Yeah, that you're talking about new obedience from, you know, that's what I 2 Corinthians 5, just before where he started a second ago, we uh think we might have touched on it last week, but it's for the love of Christ, for the love of Christ controls us. Yeah, because we have concluded this that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. We're new creations, and it goes back to that workmanship that Jason talked about earlier. We are created for new works in him.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

I liked what how you said that earlier of the link between forgetting our forget our forgetfulness and our um gratitude, our budding power of gratitude. All right, yeah. Have you guys heard it said, you know, the guilt, grace, gratitude? Basic kind of that way, that the guilt of our sin. We we understand the guilt of our sin, we receive the grace of God and we respond with with gratitude.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

I've been told that guilt is the gift that keeps on giving and giving.

SPEAKER_07 31:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

Well, maybe I digress, I'm sorry. Was that I didn't was that that I'm not being um sarcastic and stupid. Well, maybe sarcastic, I don't think stupid is. No, that that's from I don't know if you know what pray home companion is with Garrison Keeler. He was singing in a gospel quartet on a showman years back in. He was saying that guilt.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

Am I too young for this?

SPEAKER_01 31:43

Yes, you just need you just need to do some research.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Okay, copy. Siri, um so he was doing and he said what's the same.

SPEAKER_03 31:54

Maybe he was being sarcastic. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:57

Well, the yeah, the gratitude of God, we we don't respond with gratitude because we forget the grace that we've been given. And then we forget the grace that we've been given because we forget about our guilt and just how sinful we are. And um I think sometimes I there's sometimes when I think, especially us Presbyterians and us within the Reformed tradition, a lot of times we like to hone in and you know, remember just how sinful you are. Yeah, I get it. But I uh you know, and sometimes I you know you kind of almost can soak in that, you know, but and forget, like, hey, you're not supposed to stay in the guilt, go to the grace that you've been given. Um but there is a point to remember who, as you said, and as Paul does here in Ephesians, or later in Ephesians, back in Ephesians 2, remember who you once were.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

And there's a distinction too, I think, that we are to remember our condition that we were in without Christ before. But don't keep your mind focused on the sin that you were in in the sense of the things that you were doing that you might have found comfort in or you might have put in the place of God. You forget those, as Paul said, of you know, putting behind me what you know what was behind me and set my eyes to and that makes me think of verse.

SPEAKER_02 33:25

Oh, go ahead. Were you gonna say something?

SPEAKER_04 33:28

Well, I was gonna say basically is one advantage of coming to the Lord late in life, you know, you realize all those things ever done before. And and and at that point a point of conflict change. The change in my life was I kept saying, who is this guy? You know, you know, I couldn't believe the things that I was thinking, the things I was doing, yeah, once I accepted Christ as my savior, you know. Yeah. And I I keep thinking back to when I was growing up and the things that I went through. You know, that it there is a the mystery that they talk about here is not a magic thing.

SPEAKER_07 34:13

No. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:14

It's it's how do I explain the difference?

SPEAKER_07 34:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:20

I can't explain why I was this way, that way, and I'm this way now. You know.

SPEAKER_02 34:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

How am I going to explain it? It's a mystery.

SPEAKER_02 34:29

Yeah. Or as uh Paul says here in verse 8, uh, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Um, yeah, and this whole conversation kind of makes me think when you go on to verse 7, he says, Of this gospel I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace, which he has given me by the working of his power. Um and just the fact that verse 6 is good news, both for the Jew and the Gentile. It is good news for both. Whether they recognize it or not, whether they recognize it or not, it is good news for both. And to understand, like kind of what we've been talking about, but the understand the good news, you have to understand the bad as well. You know, it's what makes the good news so good. Um but yeah, going going through, so we go throughout, we we go through verse six, um, and a theme that I continue to see you know in throughout Ephesians and here too is again, it's centered on Christ. It's centered on the work of God. Um, right, verse 7, according to the gift of God's grace, um, this grace was this grace was given to me to preach uh the unsearchable riches.

SPEAKER_01 35:50

For the two purposes there that we see in verses eight and nine, yeah, to preach to the Gentiles unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring light for everyone. What is the plan of the mystery? Yeah. Hidden for ages in God.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Yeah. And then verse 11, this was according to the eternal purpose.

SPEAKER_01 36:09

No. Then he realized verse 10, the manifold wisdom of God. So that it may be known. That's the when you get there and you think about that, the um Paul is teaching the manifold wisdom of God not only to Jews and Gentiles, but he's also teaching it to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places because the angels and the demons did not know the secret counsel of God.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:39

So this is unfolding for all of them.

SPEAKER_02 36:43

The ver the beginning of verse 10, though, sticks out to me. I don't know if it sticks out to you too, but that so he we get to verse 9, and to bring to light to everyone what is the plan of the mystery uh hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known. And is he talking church universal? Kind of, you know, the because when I hear that, I hear both kind of the the visible church, the institution, you know, Hickory Grove, but I also hear and see, you know, the invisible church, the body of Christ.

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Um I I kind of think it's both, but um in the the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth. Yeah. So that's the that wisdom comes from from that knowledge and understanding of the mystery that is being proclaimed to men and to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. So I I think it like you said, it's both. It's the visible church and the invisible church.

SPEAKER_07 37:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

But the the visible church is the one that's proclaiming it on earth right now to all who are all who are living, and the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places are the ones that are looking on, seeing this unfold throughout history.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

What kind of responsibility then does that that puts a that's a heavy weight? I think, I mean, it's heavy to me, um, that God is using us, the church, um, to make known this mystery uh to the world.

SPEAKER_05 38:38

I like in the message um probably down between 11 and 13. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said and bold to go wherever we need to go. I like the message. So that that's part of my life. Helps me somewhere to realize that it's I can be God will provide what is needed in that time. But because I'm not bold in that area. So then Legend says you're free, you've got to be free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever. What is that like Star Trek or something? But that encourages me.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

Yeah, yeah, kind of almost kind of makes you sit higher and share. Oh okay, here we go. Let's go and do this.

SPEAKER_01 39:24

Um that ties back to that motivation, yeah, remembering what this is, who we were, but remembering what we've been purposed with, the purpose that we as a church body or the the the body of Christ is to go with boldness and confidence to preach the word.

SPEAKER_07 39:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

To live it.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

We were when we were talking about this, it can't I it came to mind for me, and um I'll I'll turn to Jude, because I think that's really kind of that's a in that in that you know what 25 verses of Jude, that's a big portion is is remember. Verse 17 of Jude. Um, but you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. And these, it is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt. But this this idea from Judith just one, remember remember who you are in Christ. Remember what Christ has said, what he has promised.

SPEAKER_04 41:05

Well, he actually and Jew there, even though he said that wasn't what I intended to write. What's that? Jude says that wasn't what I was intending to write. Sure. He was going to write something different, and God told him not. And he wrote that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:22

The yeah, this, and I think Ephesians, going again, going back to Ephesians 2, just when we forget who we are or who we once were, Ephesians 2 is a great place to be. Remember, you who were once far off have been brought near. And um in that the church is making this manifold, is spreading this message through uh throughout the world. Um so then, yeah, we get to the end here of Ephesians 3, or not Ephesians 3, but this section. All of this, verse 11, 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. Um boldness in terms of what? Like confidence in terms of what? Um confidence to do or say whatever we want, or confidence to boldness to what's that what's that boldness relating to?

SPEAKER_05 42:38

To tell it is about Christ. Because we trust in him and we've been bold to go that, and he will be there to supply through the Holy Spirit what we need to say and do, and and and um sense the timing, I think, even so many times I think it I want to be bold to do that, but I'm afraid I'll say the wrong words and won't get it out quite right. And I know there's many times in scripture that it says that I will be there with you and I will give you, you know, Holy Spirit will give you the words. And that happens to me a lot. Have no clue what to say. But then all of a sudden, blah.

unknown 43:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 43:20

Um that's what I dread it to be. For me, I don't know if that's a correct interpretation.

SPEAKER_02 43:28

No, I I think in light of yeah, I think in light of verse of verse 10 of making known the the manifold wisdom of God um to all people, to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places, but in in our in our context as well, just making it known to others. Yeah, I think I think that um certainly is the case. Uh you were gonna your point of that. Go ahead, yeah. No, go ahead, Jason.

SPEAKER_00 43:53

I I think on verse 10, because I think what sort of struck me in my study bottle uh helped me because it's the idea that the church would make the manifold wisdom of God be made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. And I I I I guess that prepositional phrase in the heavenly places just sort of struck with me because it didn't seem to me like that that that doesn't mean like I'm going to go the like you know, go tell the county commissioner, you know, about the wisdom of God, though I suppose I could. The phrase also. Pops up in Ephesians 6 when he talks about we put on the armor of God. He says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This idea that as Paul's talking about unity to this church, he says, remember, your opponents are not, are not, it's not the person on the other side of the congregation. He says, we speak wisdom, God's wisdom, versus evil. He's gonna build this to like that's what you're equipped for. Versus the hateful things out there, versus the evil things, versus the things that are not God. That are dividing things. It's like that's Paul's challenge to this church. Know who you are the church and know and also know what you are know that you are equipped by God and what you are being equipped for. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:00

Right.

SPEAKER_02 46:01

Yeah, that's great perspective.

SPEAKER_01 46:03

And also on that point of boldness and access, I think we can all recall Hebrews 4, 16, where he says, Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. So it's the boldness and confidence to go to the throne of grace, to God's throne. And then we we do this as we learned last week in uh chapter 2, verse 18 for through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. So we are dependent on God to be able to do, to be bold, and to speak the word, speak the truth to others and to evil. And we'll get to that, like you said, Jason, in Ephesians 6 when we talk about putting on the armor of God.

SPEAKER_07 47:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:06

I once had to, at a vacation Bible school, I had to dress up as a knight because we were going, the whole theme was the armor of God. And uh no one, you know, I had to put on this port, you know, this facade that you know the kids were like, You're the knight. And I'm like, what are you talking about? Me? I'm out here doing the games. What are you talking about? I'm not I'm not the knight. And uh and then some of the kids tried ribbing off all my gear to try. I was like, okay, we're getting a little violent here. Um anyway. The uh well any any lasting notes that that I mean I verse 13 I think speaks kind of in part goes back to verse one. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. Um what what do you what do you mean he your glory? What what do you what does he mean by that?

SPEAKER_03 48:11

Was this a prison epistle?

SPEAKER_01 48:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 48:13

Okay, so Paul was in Rome at this point. Yes, and he was um cracking something happened to Titan.

SPEAKER_02 48:32

Oh no. Oh paper towels. Why why why would is encouragement here to to the Gentiles though to not lose heart over what I'm suffering for you? What I mean, I'm trying to put myself in their shoes.

SPEAKER_06 49:04

Um sharing the gospel with me.

SPEAKER_07 49:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:17

Doesn't mean this isn't working. You know, it's he's like, I'm a prisoner. That's because I'm part of Christ.

SPEAKER_02 49:27

Right, yeah. He he calls himself a prisoner of Christ of Christ Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 49:33

Yeah, but thank you both these three led four lovers while he was in prison. Right.

SPEAKER_01 49:38

You know.

SPEAKER_04 49:39

But they're all joyful, yeah, yeah. Particularly.

SPEAKER_01 49:45

His desire was to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, and at that time to be able to proclaim to the that the known world, he appealed to Caesar. Read you on the other side.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

Child proof on that on that door handle.

SPEAKER_01 50:06

What were you saying? No, no, just uh he was appealing, he wanted to preach the gospel to all the take it to the world, to all the Gentiles. And he was a prisoner of Christ. Nero was the Caesar at the time.

SPEAKER_07 50:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:24

He didn't say he could have said, I'm I'm a prisoner of Nero, but he knew that it was for the sake of Christ that he was going to the Gentiles, and he identified himself as the prisoner of Christ.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

Well, and that's why he says uh, you know, that you know, for but for me, but to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Right. Um, partially because of where he is, and then going back to Acts 21, where he says, you know, I'd rather, even if I die, right, for the sake of Christ. And um, yeah, Jill, you can almost kind of feel guilty, right? Like he was just sharing the gospel with me, and now he's in prison, like, you know, and you feel like he shouldn't, you know, he shouldn't be there. I I you know, I you know, or or maybe, um, maybe what he's saying is not good news. He's saying it really is bad, right? And uh in the sense of don't lose heart, don't lose, don't lose uh don't let my suffering cause you to lose faith in this uh in this mystery that has been revealed to you. That you are indeed heirs to the promise, um members of the same body. Um yeah, it's it's encouraging. Well, good deal, anybody, everybody? Um any final thoughts or any um final little pieces that you can gain from these 13 verses? Good deal. Well, birthday boy, Travis, you mind praying us out uh as we head into service? Sure.

SPEAKER_04 52:16

Oh dear Heavenly Father, God. So great being able to be together, Lord Jesus, just for the express purpose of studying your word, Lord Jesus, because your word is our guidance and our direction. So, Lord, I'd like us as you open our hearts and our minds, Lord Jesus, to interpret your word in the way that you want us to do, Lord Jesus. But above all, Lord, we just thank you for the church and the direction that it gives us, Lord Jesus. And I pray, Lord, as we can now go to the worship service, that Lord Jesus, it would touch our hearts and our lives in a way, Lord Jesus, that will glorify you. So, Lord, I just pray for each one of us here today, Lord Jesus, that Lord, the Lord will speak to you in any way that you can understand, Lord Jesus, the blessings that He provides for each one of us, Lord Jesus. And just allow us to use this time to thank you and to give you celebration, Lord Jesus. Let it be a celebration. Or we ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen.

SPEAKER_07 53:15

Amen.