WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:05.120 Ephesians 3, verses 1 through 5 is their text this morning, Paul begins. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:19.359 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. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:32.560 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 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. 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:42.000 He was not always so. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:44.640 He was not always a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:47.280 He was not always even the Apostle Paul. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:48.799 He wasn't always Paul. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:56.719 If you're familiar with his story, the story of the man who wrote the book of Ephesians is one of the most staggering reversals in all of the Bible. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.039 It is the stuff of fairy tales, or more accurately, providence. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:03.920 Only God could make this kind of story up. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.040 Before he was the Apostle Paul, he was Saul the Pharisee. 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:13.280 He was a leader of a strict Jewish sect. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:17.519 Radical Jews, if you will, he was one of their leaders. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:21.120 He, by his own admission, was a Pharisee of Pharisees. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:25.760 He was named Saul after Israel's first king. 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:31.359 He loved Judaism, especially his own interpretation of Jewish law. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:34.799 He loved his own understanding of what we now know as the Old Testament. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.040 He was devoted to it. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.560 Pharisees and scribes were experts in the law. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:45.680 They knew the numbers of words in each book of the Old Testament, for example. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:47.760 They could write it out. 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.519 I mean, these people were as expert as expert comes. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:55.840 They had a worldview that divided the world between clean and unclean. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:00.400 Clean, of course, was the Jews, and unclean, of course, was the Gentiles. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:05.120 Everything in the world was divided, such, though, the division went to food. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:15.039 Some food was clean, some was unclean, to what you could do on days of the week, things you could touch, places you could go, and strictly off limits, of course, again, were Gentiles. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:24.400 What clothes you could wear, how you wore your hair, everything was connected to this concept of cleanliness, uncleanliness. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:26.400 Pharisees were experts in the system. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:32.000 They were the judges, they were the rulers, they rendered verdicts about what was acceptable and what wasn't acceptable. 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:35.439 That was the former life of the Apostle Paul. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:41.520 When he was Pharisee, Saul was devoted to such things with a zealous fever. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:50.000 And it was one that eclipsed even the fever of the other Pharisees, even their fervor was eclipsed by Saul. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:55.840 And so when Christianity started, Saul had a front row seat. 00:02:56.080 --> 00:03:01.120 He heard the preaching in the temple that first Pentecost morning. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:07.520 He heard the testimony of Stephen before Stephen was executed for his faith by people throwing rocks at him. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:12.639 This is described in Acts chapter 7, and it says that Saul had a front row seat to it. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.879 He held the jackets of those who threw rocks at Stephen until he died. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:23.120 The first Christian martyr was done not just with the purview of Saul, but with his approval. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:26.080 And that sparked something in him. 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:37.360 Saul became convinced that Christianity was a threat to the entire Roman Empire, but specifically to the Judaism religion that he so passionately loved and embraced. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:49.599 If Christianity was allowed to expand, then Judaism would wane, and Christianity was expanding on this preaching that God had torn down the dividing wall between clean and unclean. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:56.800 The very pillar, the very foundation, if you will, of the Jewish worldview was being eroded by the Christian preaching. 00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:02.800 And so Christianity for Saul was more than just another religion that was contrary to his. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:06.080 It was antithetical to everything he believed in. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:13.919 He saw it as a threat, and he responded to that threat by embracing the martyrdom, the execution of those that held it. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.439 And he set off to do just that. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:25.120 Now, after Stephen's death, the Bible says many of the believers scattered out of Jerusalem, and some of them went to Damascus. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.439 And so Saul took it upon himself to likewise go to Damascus. 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:39.040 He got orders, papers from the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem authorizing him to arrest and imprison Christians who had fled to Syria. 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:41.439 Syria also under Roman rule at the time. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:44.720 Those papers would have been effective for Paul. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.800 He could have even possibly turned over those Jewish converts to Christianity to the Roman authorities. 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:52.959 They could have been put to death themselves. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:59.519 Or at the very least, the Jews could have put them to death, like they did Stephen, with Roman approval. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:01.839 That was Saul's mission. 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:11.040 Viewing Christians as a heretic and a threat to his worldview, he threw his whole life, his whole body, his whole self into shutting down the whole thing. 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:14.319 He was zealous with bloodlust. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:18.639 But on his way to Damascus, of course, you know the story. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:21.839 He had an encounter with the resurrected Lord. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:26.879 The Lord blinded him and then revealed himself to Saul. 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:32.240 And that's the order, of course, would be reversed if we were charting this out. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:35.680 But in God's working, that's exactly how it happened. 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.519 Saul was blinded by a blazing light. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:41.519 Lord Jesus appeared to him. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:45.839 Saul was able to perceive and understand who it was, of course. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:50.160 Remember, Jesus asked him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.399 And Saul said, Lord, who are you? 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:58.720 You know, his salutation betrays that he knew exactly who he was talking to. 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:04.399 The Lord Jesus sent Saul away to Damascus. 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:07.040 Didn't even have him do you turn and head back to Jerusalem. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:08.560 Said, no, you keep trucking, my friend. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:09.519 You get to Damascus. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:11.759 You go find those Christians you're after. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.639 And so Saul is now forced, blinded. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:18.560 His companions had to lead him by the hand to Damascus. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:20.399 And then they left him there in a house. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:23.680 They didn't want, once they delivered into Damascus, they didn't want anything to do with him. 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:28.399 I mean, they were on their way to kill Christians, and the head Christian, Jesus, struck their leader blind. 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:30.000 So they're out. 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:31.600 Package delivered. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:33.839 If you need us, we'll be back in the temple in Jerusalem. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.600 Good luck, Saul. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:42.720 And you remember the Lord appears to Ananias, who was a Jewish convert to Christianity. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:43.680 He was a member of the way. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:57.439 At this point, the Christians were known as the way, based off of Jesus' words in John's Gospel, which had yet to be written, of course, one more of the authenticating factors of Scripture, that the believers were known as the way, which comes from something written in John's Gospel. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.120 John's gospel wasn't going to be written until 60 years after this. 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:04.639 And yet it accurately contains the words of Jesus. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:11.360 The believers understood that Jesus described himself as the way, the truth, and the life, and so they called themselves followers of the way. 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:21.360 One of the leaders of that group, a man named Ananias, Jesus appears to him and says, You know Saul, the one who was there putting Stephen to death, go to him. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:24.959 Ananias says, No, thank you. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:29.279 And Jesus politely tells him, you know, consult the flowchart, Ananias. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:31.920 You work for me here, my friend. 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:37.439 And so Ananias goes to Saul and prays for him. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:41.600 And Saul is soundly converted to faith in Christ. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:43.839 The scales fall off of his eyes. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.439 This is described, by the way, in Acts 19. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:58.000 The Lord said to Ananias, Go, for Saul is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:03.040 And you can just, as you're reading that, pause there and just think how insane that is. 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:12.240 Saul, who is wanting to put to death Christians, is not just that God's going to save him, he's going to make him, quote, a chosen instrument. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:18.000 Paul will become the apostle to the Gentiles, which is another radical reversal. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:29.199 The one who was so angry at Christians for saying that the separation between clean and unclean was torn down, is now going to be an apostle to the very people who were defined as unclean. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:41.840 He was so hostile towards Christians for saying these kinds of things, and now he's going to be a messenger to the very people who were outside of Judaism before. 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:47.039 And he will go before kings and before the children of Israel. 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:52.080 Speaking of Gentiles and Jews, children of Israel being Jews, of course, kings. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:54.159 There were no Jewish kings then. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:58.159 This is obvious that he's going to be a missionary to Gentiles, specifically kings. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:02.399 And by the way, his name does not become Paul when he gets converted. 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:04.799 He goes by Saul still in his Christian life. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:11.440 His name becomes Paul when he witnesses to his first Gentile king who becomes a believer. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:15.120 The first king who hears Paul's preaching and gets saved. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.120 That king's name was Paul. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:21.519 Paul took the name of the first king who was converted from his preaching. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:26.399 He was no longer be Saul the Pharisee putting to death Christians. 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:32.320 He would now be Paul, an ambassador to Gentiles. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:40.480 Jesus continues in Acts 9, verse 16, for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:44.639 That is so unlike the kind of gospel presentations here today, isn't it? 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:51.840 Often the gospel presentations today consist of, you know, health and wealth. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:57.840 You want your problems solved in life, you want your difficulties in life to get away, you want a better family, you want better kids, you want a better dog. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:01.919 Well then come to faith in Jesus. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:07.919 Look at the gospel presentation that Saul heard. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:11.759 First of all, I'm the Lord, and I made you blind. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:18.320 I alone can make you see, and also you will go through great suffering for my sake. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:20.080 You want in or not? 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.559 And if you remember how this plays out, Saul believes. 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:28.320 He puts his faith in Jesus. 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.600 And remember, the scales fall off of his eyes. 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.360 And he can now see. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:36.399 Ananias came and prayed for him. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:40.480 And scripture says, quote, something like scales fell off of his eyes. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:41.679 I mean, you can picture Luke. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:47.279 Luke, who is a physician, Luke, who is a doctor, understands medical terminology here, and he says, I've never seen anything like this. 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:51.440 Something, let's call him like scales, fell off of his eyes. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:52.639 He regained his sight. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:54.799 He was immediately baptized. 00:10:55.600 --> 00:11:04.720 Remember when the Pharisees tried to be baptized before, back in Matthew chapter 3, they came out to John the Baptist to be baptized before, and John said, You brood of vipers, who told you to repent? 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.120 I thought you were the ones who added all together. 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:09.120 If you want repentance, then repent from your sins. 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:12.399 If you want to come out here for some kind of show, go away. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:27.279 Well, Saul, when he gets converted, immediately is baptized and becomes the apostle to the Gentiles, sees a king, Paulos converted, changes his own name to Paul, and submits his life to the Word of God. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.759 The scales that fell off of his eyes illustrate his approach to the scripture. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:35.039 When he was a Pharisee, he viewed the Old Testament very closely. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:38.320 He saw the details of the Old Testament, but he didn't get the point. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:42.960 Now that he's a believer, he goes from blindness to sight. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.759 Now that he's put his faith in Christ, he can actually perceive the truth of the Old Testament. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:50.720 And this is the great reversal. 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:56.320 The Pharisee who persecuted Christians becomes persecuted as a Christian by the Pharisees. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:00.720 The one who was opposed to Gentiles saw Gentiles as his mission field. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:03.600 And this is the great irony behind Ephesians 3, verse 1. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:07.919 I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.840 This is the reversal. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:16.399 He's in prison, if you remember, because his exact charge was bringing a Gentile into the temple court. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.720 We'll look at that at the end of this morning's service. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:24.399 So he was a prisoner for the specific charge of bringing Gentiles into Judaism. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:26.960 And of course, that's not what he was doing. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:37.600 He was bringing Gentiles into the faith of the promised Savior, the Savior who was promised to Adam and Eve and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the Savior who's in the line of King David. 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:38.559 That's the Savior. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:40.480 And yes, he should be a light to the nations. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:42.159 Yes, he should be a light to the world. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:43.919 This is 1 Kings chapter 8. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.840 Solomon, David's own son, prayed that the Savior would be a light to the nations. 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:52.080 Moses in Deuteronomy 4 prayed that Israel would be a light to the nations. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:53.600 Of course the nations would come. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:56.480 This is the prophecy in Psalm 90, the nations would come. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:00.720 Haggai chapter 2, the nations would come to faith in the Savior. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.799 And so it's obvious that when the Savior comes, Gentiles would be converted. 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:09.120 But this is something so obvious that the Jews could not perceive it. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:18.320 I'm looking forward to our time in Ephesians 3 because Ephesians 3 is its own really special and unique chapter. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:22.080 Ephesians 1 is all about the truth of salvation from God's perspective. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:26.080 Ephesians 2 is the truth of salvation from man's perspective. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:32.000 Ephesians 3 is Paul's prayer for salvation to work itself out in your life. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:34.399 God predestines you in eternity past. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:36.399 Christ dies for you before you were born. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:39.759 His Spirit saves you in your life and seals you for eternity future. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:40.639 That's chapter 1. 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:43.440 Chapter 2 is you were dead in your sins and trespasses. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:49.120 Jesus caused your eyes to be opened through the preaching of his word, and now has given you good works to walk in. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.720 It's the same story as chapter 1 and chapter 2, except from different perspectives. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:54.399 They converge in your heart right now. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:55.440 That's chapter 3. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:00.480 Paul's praying for this truth to work out in your heart right now, but his prayer is interrupted. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:04.000 He doesn't get back to his prayer actually until verse 14. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:11.279 If you notice the way Ephesians 3 works, he says, For this reason, I, and what he wants to say is, I'm praying for you. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.639 For this reason, I, I'm praying for you, I, Paul, I'm praying for you. 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:19.200 I bow my knees before the Father, he says in verse 14, but he interrupts himself. 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:28.720 For this reason, I, Paul, comma, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, and you want to get into his prayer, but he doesn't go there yet. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:35.120 He puts a parentheses there in chapter 2, verse 13 is just one long parentheses, one long interruption of his prayer. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:40.000 And if you roll your eyes at that, I mean you if you're honest, you probably pray like that too, don't you? 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:46.559 You pray, you're like, God, I have just one request, and then you before you almost justify your request. 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:49.679 Like, this is what I'm actually at, because I know you're a good God and you're holy and you're pure. 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.080 And I know I'm a sinner and I've sinned in all these different ways. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:56.480 I know I don't deserve this, but you told me to bring my request to you, and but I really want this, but I trust you no matter what. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:57.919 Okay, now we're to it. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:01.919 Well, Paul's praying the same way, which encourages me. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.759 It encourages me that Paul interrupts his own prayer with some commentary here. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:07.919 His commentary is inspired, and so we're gonna look at it. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:12.159 In fact, we're gonna spend the next four weeks looking at his interruption to his prayer here before the prayer. 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:14.480 So this is kind of the intro to the prayer. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:22.159 And uh it's the Holy Spirit saw fit to inspire this, and so we're gonna see fit to study it over the next three or four weeks. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.720 This morning we're just gonna look to the first part of this, verses two, three, four, and five. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:33.600 And this is all, this whole interruption, by the way, is about the mystery of the gospel, the mystery how Jews and Gentiles will be part of the church together. 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:37.759 But we're gonna hold off on looking at the mystery itself until next week. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:43.679 But for this week, just almost the interruption to his prayer, the introduction to the mystery, it's verses two through five. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:49.279 And the language that is all over this is about the importance of scripture. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:59.440 Paul readies our hearts for the mystery, the revelation of the mystery, this foundational and radical shift in God's redemptive program. 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:05.200 He readies our hearts to receive it by speaking and hammering home the authority of Scripture. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:07.600 It's like he's tilling the soil in your heart. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:12.799 What's going to happen in verses 6 through 13 is so profound, it changes world history. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:15.440 It's so profound it will radically change your life. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:27.360 To get you ready for that, he spends these verses, verses two through five, tilling the soil in your heart, turning it over to help you get kind of the ground of your heart ready to receive the seed of the word. 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:35.360 There are nine references, and these verses we're looking at this morning, verses two through five, there is nine references to scripture. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:42.399 He tells you, he speaks of the mystery as that which you have heard, a reference to scripture. 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.279 By revelation, a reference to scripture. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:48.320 I've already written briefly a reference to scripture. 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.840 You'll read this, a reference to his own letter, which becomes scripture. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.559 You'll perceive my insight, a reference to scripture. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:57.200 It's been made known, another reference to scripture. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.240 It's now revealed, a reference to this very book. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:10.319 By the prophets, a reference to the Old Testament Scripture, and now by the Spirit, a reference to the inspiration behind this book, which would become part of Scripture. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.640 Nine references to this. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:16.000 Paul's very aware that he's writing scripture as he's writing this. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:21.519 He's aware that this is inspired, and he's reminding the Ephesians, this is the inspired word of God. 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:26.640 Now, what he's doing here, he's preparing them to receive the mystery. 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:28.880 We'll look at the mystery next week, but understand this. 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:34.960 What he's describing is the mystery, something that was hidden and now revealed, is really earth-shattering. 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:43.119 It's worldview altering, and he is making sure you're ready to receive it by reminding you of the importance of the word of God. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:47.200 That's why nine times he's telling you, the word of God is what teaches this. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:53.759 You won't understand how radical of a change this is until you understand the power of the word of God in your life. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:18:01.759 And so, for an outline this morning, I want to look at, I'm gonna give this heading, a mature Christian's posture before the word. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:06.000 He's preparing the Ephesians to receive this mystery. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.920 He's telling them to kind of work on their posture before you get the word. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:14.720 Look at how you're approaching the word of God, look at how you're receiving the word of God. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:17.039 Posture, I think, is a good word for it. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:28.000 Posture, you know how we mean by that in English is how you're sitting when you're at work or if you're parenting a teenager, you understand that the outside of them reveals the inward attitude. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.480 You know, they're listening to you like this. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:34.559 I feel like you're not really listening. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:36.640 What gave you that idea? 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:38.319 I don't have a teenager yet. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:42.880 I can use I can use that for one more year before it is too close to home. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:47.599 The posture for how you receive the word. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:49.039 So we'll talk this morning about that. 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.599 Next week we'll get into the mystery itself first. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.240 You're supposed to read the word with open eyes. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:55.759 Read the word with open eyes. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:02.400 Paul tethers his description of this mystery to the fact that the Ephesians are receiving inspired scripture describing it. 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:04.960 And he's banking on the Ephesians' hunger for the word. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:10.720 That's why he's telling them, I'm assuming you've heard of the stewardship that God's grace was given to me for you. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:13.839 He's saying, I'm assuming you've heard about me as an apostle. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:16.799 The mystery was made known to me. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:24.640 So he's telling them, I'm going to tell you something that's worldview-altering, and I know you're going to receive it because you received the word with open eyes. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:26.720 You received the word with hunger. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:30.799 He's trusting that they have a hunger for the word because they are believers. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:36.880 He's rooting their acceptance of this revelation into the fact that God is revealing it in God's word. 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:42.799 And so, my question for you this morning is pretty basic. 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:46.799 Do you approach the Bible with that kind of eagerness? 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.720 Do you approach the Bible with an eagerness to receive the Word of God? 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.519 Are you hungry for the Word of God? 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:59.279 As the Israelites needed manna in the wilderness, we need the Word of God. 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:02.240 And the Israelites needed manna in the wilderness daily. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.640 We need the Word of God daily. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.799 It is food for our soul. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.000 It's what the sheep eat. 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:11.680 The Bible describes us as sheep. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:12.720 Sheep need food. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:14.240 Our food is scripture. 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:17.440 Our food is to do the will of God who sent Jesus Christ. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:20.079 That will is revealed in Scripture. 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:27.759 Man does not live on bread alone, Jesus said, but rather on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:30.000 That is our food. 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:40.000 So as Paul's reasoning with the Ephesians here, he's trusting that because they are believers, they will have an appetite to receive God's word. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.599 This is a telltale sign of believers. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:48.319 They want the Word of God in their heart. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.640 They want the Word of God in their mind. 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:56.640 This is a very basic and practical way to fight sin in your life, is to memorize Scripture. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.920 So that when you're tempted to sin, you can bring Scripture to mind. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:03.039 This is a very basic way to fuel your worship. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:08.319 You memorize Scripture so that you are just reciting scripture in your mind as an act of worship. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:10.319 It's a way to power your prayer life. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:14.480 You memorize scripture so you can pray through parts of Scripture. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:21.119 In your devotional life, you can open the Word of God and read a passage of Scripture and pray through that passage. 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:22.799 Ask questions about that passage. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:26.000 I mean, this is the basics of the Christian life here. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:33.920 There was an old word, it's not used often anymore, but just the word quiet time. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:40.799 When I first got saved, my pastor said, you know, a basic part of being a Christian now is you need to have a quiet time. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:42.960 And that word is fallen out of style now. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.680 I don't I don't hear it very often anymore. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:49.119 But it's such an important concept. 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:51.119 Devotional life is kind of how we call it now. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.279 But devotional life is a little bit broader. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:58.400 Like devotional life often includes like listening to Christian radio for devotions. 00:21:58.960 --> 00:21:59.680 E-gads. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:19.279 Quiet time is this idea that you sit down and you open your Bible and you read it and you pray through it, you ask questions in your mind about it, and you sit there quietly until you're able to answer the questions with yourself and your Bible. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:22.319 Not with texting a friend. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:28.880 But you pray to the Lord and you work through a passage and then the next day you work through the next passage. 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:31.440 And that becomes a basic part of your life. 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:33.920 That's feeding your soul the word of God. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:36.559 That is like Christianity 101. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:40.559 I'm afraid that often people are missing that in their Christian life. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:45.279 But Paul banks his conversation here with the Ephesians on this reality. 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.640 This is the Word of God, so you're going to want to hear it. 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.119 And so ask yourself: do you want to hear the Word of God? 00:22:54.559 --> 00:23:01.200 Not scripture on coffee cups, which is fine if it reminds you to go have your coffee in your Bible. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:07.440 But scripture in your heart, scripture from the pages of the Word of God into your heart. 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:10.079 Do you read the Word with open eyes? 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:15.440 John 6, verse 66, after Jesus just ruins his best evangelistic opportunity. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:20.480 You know, there's a massive crowd that's all out there to hear him, and Jesus gives them commands that are too strict for them. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:24.319 He says, you know, you've got to eat my flesh and drink my blood, and they all leave. 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:31.440 What's left is the apostles there, one of them who's a devil himself. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:34.720 And Jesus asks them, Are you guys also gonna go? 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:36.400 And what a great response from Peter. 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:38.960 Peter says, I don't know where else we would go. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:40.880 Why not? 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:41.680 Jesus asks. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.920 And Peter says, Because you alone have the words of life. 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:51.839 We've all believed, Peter says, so we've all come to know that you are the holy one of God. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.279 Notice Peter's connection. 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:58.480 You are the holy one of God, which means you have the words of life, which means we can't leave you. 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:00.240 Why can't they leave Jesus? 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:02.960 Because he has the words of life. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:08.319 And so Jesus, after his resurrection, does leave us. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:09.920 He ascends up to heaven. 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:13.519 We don't need to hang out on a hill in Galilee with him to receive his words anymore. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:14.079 We can't do that. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:14.960 He's in heaven. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:21.200 Instead, he has given us his spirit, which exposes us to the word of God. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:27.839 So we read the word with his spirit which dwells in us through faith, brings the word alive to us. 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:32.880 We have spiritual life, or we have what Peter referred to as the words of life. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:36.720 That's reading the word with open eyes. 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:38.079 It requires faith to do that. 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:40.559 It requires what Peter said, that you are the Holy One of God. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:43.839 Because you're the Holy One of God, I can hear your words as the Word of life. 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:45.839 And there is a uniqueness to the Word of God. 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:47.680 There is no other book like the Word of God. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:50.319 I mean, I hope you're reading other Christian books. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:54.640 Because that will fuel your devotional life also, and that will build out your mind. 00:24:54.799 --> 00:25:01.680 But those other Christian books are all secondary to the Word of God, because the Word of God alone is the perfect revelation of God. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:03.680 It's the only authority. 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:07.119 Every other book you read is all secondary to the Word of God. 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:11.039 Every other book you read is judged through the lens of the Word of God. 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:15.039 The Word of God alone has ultimate authority over your life. 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:17.200 There's no salvation without the Word of God. 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:19.599 There's no spiritual growth without the Word of God. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:24.160 And thus Paul's approach to the Ephesians is rooted in their faith. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:36.400 If they have faith, he says, I'm a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming you've heard of God's grace that was given to me for you, so they know God's grace, so that you will receive the Word of God. 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:41.440 As I'm writing to you briefly, he says in verse 3, I want you to receive the Word of God through your faith. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:47.839 It requires faith to open your eyes to see the Word of God. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.400 Did Paul read the Bible before his salvation? 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:51.359 Absolutely. 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:53.039 He was a Pharisee. 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:55.920 But did he read the Bible? 00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:56.559 No. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:04.640 He couldn't understand what it was saying because he had exalted himself in his own religion above the very teaching of God's word. 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:06.799 This is the nature of man-made religion. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:09.359 It interprets God's word through its own lens. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:13.119 God's word is not the authority, their own rules and regulations are. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:20.720 And so to really understand the word of God, you have to humble yourself and put yourself under the word of God. 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:26.240 The non-Christian's posture before the Word of God is his eyes are closed, even if his eyes are open. 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:37.599 I mean, even if he's getting a PhD in, you know, from in literature studying the Bible, and non-believable, it's amazing to me how many non-believers will get PhDs in biblical studies. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:39.440 It's really astonishing. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.799 They can be experts in the Bible and not know that Jesus Christ is the Lord of the universe. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:48.079 Because they're reading blind. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:49.200 You know, it works better. 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:51.599 Reading works better with your eyes open. 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:53.200 It really does. 00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:56.000 This is why Paul's conversion comes back to it. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:00.000 For you to be a recipient of the Word of God, you need to be converted. 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:03.119 You need, and when he gets converted, remember the scales come off of his eyes. 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:04.319 Now he can see. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:07.759 That's just not that's just not like a cool thing that happened. 00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:09.599 It's a metaphor for us. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:11.359 And what's a metaphor for? 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:13.279 To teach you the truth behind it. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:14.880 Your conversion is the same way. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:17.200 You know, scales fell off of your eyes in your conversion. 00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:21.519 You went from being blind to the truth of the Word of God to being able to read it and perceive it. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:26.000 So eyes open here is a metonym for having faith. 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.720 When you have your eyes open, it's because you have faith you can now perceive the truth of Scripture. 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:33.200 And listen, this is not beneath you. 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:46.240 You might be educated, you might be influential in politics or influential in government or influential in law enforcement, you might be wealthy and wise and importance and all that, but you're nothing unless you humble yourself before the word of God. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:51.119 You have to have a contrite spirit and submit yourself to God's word. 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:55.839 A passage that speaks to this so perfectly also in the book of Acts, Acts 17. 00:27:56.079 --> 00:28:00.400 Speaking of the Berean Jews, these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:11.119 Which, by the way, the Jews in Thessalonica, Paul specifically esteems them in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, I think, for receiving the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it is the very word of God. 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:16.480 So those in Thessalonica did receive the Word of God, and Paul commends them for it. 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:20.960 Nevertheless, there was a class of people that was even better than them at this, the Bereans. 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:25.599 They were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the Word of God with eagerness. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:29.200 The Thessalonians received the Word of God and said, This is God's word, amen. 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:32.559 And they were believers, but the Bereans went further. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:40.480 They received the Word of God with eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.400 They both came to faith. 00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:56.240 The Thessalonians heard Paul's preaching and said, That's the word of God, we believe, and Paul commends them for it. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:04.400 The Bereans heard Paul's preaching and they said, We believe that because it matches the word of God. 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:15.279 Both paths are salvation, but Paul here in Acts 17 says the second path is even better than the first because it pushes Scripture up higher and higher and higher. 00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:25.119 Many of them, Paul says, Acts 17, verse 12, believed with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:27.200 I love that phrase thrown in there. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:29.920 You see the difference between the Jewish world and the Greek world a little bit too. 00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:38.240 And some of them got saved through Paul's preaching. 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:43.440 Because they heard his preaching and they checked the word of God and they saw that it was true. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:49.359 This is Greek women who are hearing Paul's preaching, Old Testament prophecies fulfilled, and they're saying, What's Old Testament prophecy? 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.559 Show them to me. 00:29:51.039 --> 00:30:02.319 And so you picture these Jewish people having to like walk these Gentile, prestigious, wealthy, Gentile, influential women through 2 Samuel chapter 7 in the Davidic covenant. 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:03.519