8/21/2011

There is nothing worse than waiting for orders. I was reading a biography about Robert E. Lee. At one point he was stationed in Texas in command of the army there. They were waiting for orders. Days turned into weeks before any orders came. The men became bored and tired. There wasn’t very much to do. Even Robert E. Lee became bored and tired. You can’t have an effective army, unless the army knows it’s marching orders.

Now what are the marching orders for us a Christians. After all, we are in a battle against the Evil One. But what are we to do? In Eph.3:1-13, Paul helps us understand our role and gives a larger picture of the theater of battle. What we find is that the marching orders for the church are rooted in the Gospel.

I. THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO ADMINISTER THE GRACE OF GOD. Eph.3:1-9

In Eph.1:9-10, we read, “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Last week we were reminded that for centuries, the Gentiles were excluded and alienated from God, and the blessings that God lavished on his chosen people, Israel. From time to time we get hints in the Old Testament that God had plans to include Gentiles. The book of Jonah is a very clear example.

When Jesus came he spoke about having other sheep not of the Jewish sheep fold. In Acts we read of the conversion of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. But it’s not until we come to Paul that God’s plan to reach the Gentiles is put into full swing. Just as all things will be brought together in Christ, so we see here that part of that “all things,” includes Jews and Gentiles. In Christ, Jews and Gentiles have been brought together into the Church, the body of Christ.

In v.2 Paul refers to the administration of God’s grace that was given to him. We are familiar with this concept. President Obama refers to his administration. He administers or manages the country. He’s been given a responsibility to lead this country. Here Paul says that he was given an administration from God. His calling was to proclaim the mystery of God to all people, especially the Gentiles. What is the mystery? It is that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Jews and Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise found in Christ. You notice in v.7 that Paul says he became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace. For Paul, proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ was a gift! I mean, Paul saw himself as being less than the least of God’s people. Why would he be given such a gift from God? Why would he be chosen to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ?

Receiving the grace of God in Jesus Christ is not like signing up for an insurance policy. It’s not like making a will. These are things we do to prepare for the uncertainties of life. These are good things to do and after we’ve done them we don’t think about them from one day to the next. We just pay the premium or every so often update the will. Receiving the grace of God in Jesus Christ is like being rescued from certain death at the very last moment by a benefactor that we have arrogantly rejected. The Bible says that we have all turned aside to follow our own way. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” We have turned away from God, our Creator and Sustainor. When a person recognizes his absolute need for Jesus Christ and receives his grace and mercy in salvation, that person is blown away by the grace of God.

You cannot receive God’s grace and remain the same. Those who receive God’s grace are given an administration. We become servants of the Gospel. O you may not be like Paul, but no one is expecting you to be like Paul. Just as God used Paul to reach others, so he wants to use you to reach others. You and I are the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.

But for many of us, there is something missing. We’ve turned to Christ. We’ve been saved by his grace. But unlike Paul, many of us do not have a sense that sharing Christ is an undeserved privilege. Why is that? Why is it that we can live our lives without a heartfelt awareness that we are in God’s debt and owe everything to him? It doesn’t really make any difference how many radio and television preachers you listen to. You may have a number of helpful study Bibles and a fine collection of Christian books at home. You may listen to Christian music regularly. Unfortunately, as good as these things are, they can sort of numb us to grace of God.

Do you see yourself as a minister of the grace of God? Do you administer God’s grace to others in your conduct and speech? Are you kind to others within the framework of God’s desire to reach others for Christ? How does knowing Christ impact you and your relationship with others?

 

II. THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO DISPLAY THE WISDOM OF GOD. Eph.3:10-11

In the Sermon on the Mt. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world.” Clearly Jesus anticipated that his followers would impact the world by following him. Here in Ephesians, Paul expands the horizon of our impact. He says that God’s intent is for the Church to have an impact on the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.

Who are these ruler and authorities? A number of suggestions are made. Many believe that Paul is referring to angels. In 1Pt.1:12 Peter is writing about how the salvation provided by Christ was prophesied in the Old Testament. The prophets of old did not understand all that they were prophesying and longed to understand more. Then Peter writes, “Even angels long to look into these things.” Others observe that in Eph.6 P refers to the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world, referring to Satan and his army of demons. And still others think this refers to human, political institutions such as governments.

I think that the first two options make the most sense. The angels of God look at the Church and they marvel at what they see God doing through Christ. The angels look and learn more about God and his grace in Christ. Likewise, Satan and his demons look at the Church and they cower at the wisdom and power of God They see the risen Christ reigning over his Church, his people, knowing that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the Church. They are defeated.

Paul says that when the angels look at the Church they see the manifold wisdom of God. The word, “manifold” means, “many colored.” God’s wisdom is magnificent in splendor. Now how does the church display the wisdom of God? Well the Church displays the wisdom of God just by being the Church. I believe the wisdom of God that Paul is referring to has to do with the mystery that God has revealed in these last days, namely, that Jews and Gentiles have been brought together in Christ. Christ is the great Reconciler because through his death and resurrection he has leveled the playing field. Everyone is invited to come to Christ. Whosoever will may come. Christ alone is the way to God and no one has a corner on that market.

So as the angels look at the Church, what do they see? They see a beautiful tapestry of ethnic groups and cultures. They see different hues of skin and hear different languages all praising God. They see the Holy Spirit bringing together congregations of people from every tribe, tongue and nation and they rejoice in the wisdom of God who made it all possible in Christ.

But what does this have to do with us? Well, it means that we are part of something much larger than just our corner here on Harlem and Dixon. Our corporate worship and service contributes to the display of the wisdom of God. And if you know Christ in a personal way then you are part of this. The way we live and the way we treat one another, the way we conduct ourselves in the church and in the world has bearing upon the display of God’s wisdom. I mean, this is BIG!

 

III. THE CHURCH IS GIVEN CONFIDENCE FOR THE WORK OF GOD. Eph.3:12-13

Talk with many pastors and you will find that on any given day, especially Mondays, there is often a feeling of discouragement. Sometimes there is discouragement about the effectiveness of one’s preaching. Sometimes there is discouragement because of a lack of growth. Sometimes there is discouragement about oneself or in regard to the direction of the church. I mean, discouragement is one of the primary tools of the Devil.

I see in v.13 that Paul was asking the believers in Ephesus to not be discouraged because of his situation. Now what was Paul’s situation? Well, Paul was in prison in Rome. Paul had been in prison in Judea because the Jewish leaders were bringing charges against him. As a Roman citizen, Paul appealed to Caesar. So he was sent to Rome and was kept under house arrest until his trial before Caesar came up. If anyone had reason to be discouraged, certainly Paul did. But Paul was not discouraged. In fact, in Philippians Paul tells us that his time under house arrest was very profitable. As various Roman soldiers were chained to him he took the opportunity to tell them about Christ, and many turned to Christ. So Paul wants to encourage his fellow believers.

Notice what Paul doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “Hey why so glum? Chin up. It’ll get better.” No. In v.11 Paul reminds them that the purposes of God has been accomplished in Christ. And then he reminds his readers that through his death and resurrection Christ has brought us free and confident access to God. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to come boldly before the throne of grace that we might find help in time of need. There is nothing that God will not help us get through. They key is to go to him. We seek his face and his strength and his courage.

There are a number of dangers that local congregations succumb to. For example, many congregations become so adept at running the church that they see little need to go to God. O they pray. They ask for God’s help and provision, but the church functions like a well oiled machine. The underlying assumption is that if God has something to say he will tell us. Otherwise God is just not needed. We are doing okay.

Another common danger is for the majority of members and attenders to sit back and let a minority serve and keep things running. Both of these dangers are rooted in the thinking of this world. Instead of looking at life and at the church from the lens of Scripture we look with the perspective of the world, which focuses on personal accomplishment, comfort and individual privacy.

But we cannot accomplish the work of God on our own. The key is to go to God and to seek his face. God what would you have us to do? God how can I be involved? God how can I be an encouragement at the church? If anything is going to be accomplished through the Church, it is going to be accomplished in Christ. This is why we must seek the Lord. It is often the very thing we struggle most to do. For some of us, praying about the church is not even on our radar. We don’t think about it. Paul says, the person who accomplished the purposes of God has made it possible for us to boldly approach God for his wisdom and strength. Interestingly enough, in v.1 Paul begins a sentence that he interupts and doesn’t get back to it until v.14. When we get to v.14 we see what Paul was about to say in v.1. He was about to say, “For this reason, I kneel before the Father.” In other words, Paul was taking advantage of the access we have to the Father, in prayer for the Ephesian believers. Should we not be praying for the church?

 

So what does all this mean for you and me? How can we administer the grace of God in Jesus Christ? How can we be a part of displaying the wisdom of God? Let me just mention of few things. We can be praying for the church. We can pray that God will bless our congregation with willing servants and that God will honor himself through our efforts. We can attend Prayer Meeting on Wednesday nights. We can take the 12/12 challenge in which we seek to speak to one person a month about Jesus Christ. We can be a part of the teams that go to Pacific Garden Mission and Belmont Village. We can volunteer to be a part of the Homework/Tutoring Center that we are looking to start in a few weeks. We can be faithful in corporate worship and giving.

You say, “None of that really interests me.” Men and women, think about your family. Most of what families do is not very interesting. It’s necessary, but not interesting. What makes it meaningful is keeping the big picture in mind. We are raising our childrn to know Christ and to become mature adults. As Christians we are part of God’s work in this world, and God works through his Church. It’s keeping the big picture in mind that encourages us in the work of the Church. It’s engaging God’s people in relationships that encourages us in the work of the Church. We have our marching orders. Are you marching in step with the people of God? Amen.