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None are Excluded Ephesians 3:1-21 by Cooper Abrams |
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None are Excluded Ephesians 3:1-21 by Cooper Abrams |
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It is embarrassing to eliminated or not included with other people. It is hard to not be allowed to participate with others simply because you are different. Prejudices, whether because of one's financial status, race, looks, dress, and the many other things that divide people can deeply hurt us.
God in Ephesians 3, is explaining that all men in this age we live, stand equal before our God and Creator. The Gospel of Christ, referred to as the mystery of Christ in verse 4, explains that God's love and offer of salvation is to all men without prejudice. Rich or poor, as the children's song says, " red, yellow, black or white we all precious in His sight."
God choose Abraham and through his descendants He made the nation of Israel. It was through the nation of Israel that God brought the Savior, Jesus Christ into the world. Israel was God's special chosen people and in the Old Testament times God spoke and worked with and through the Jews. God did not choose an existing nation, but made a special people He created to be the nation through which God would give the world its Savior and Messiah.
I. The Dispensation of the Grace of God.
They looked down on other people calling them the "uncircumcised ." In their pride they distorted God's word and their position in God's program for salvation. They failed to see what God's program and plan was and their part in it. Rather than give the honor to God and accept His plan, they let their pride lead them. They thought they held some special place with God simply because of their birth as Jews. They refused to accept the Messiah and further distorted God's plan of salvation for all people. Paul in Ephesians 3 explains this.
They accepted the first part of God's promise, but ignored the last part.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
In 1 John 2:2 God tells us that Christ died for the sins of the whole world which includes you and I.
"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
In simple terms this means that Jesus Christ, God incarnate in flesh, loves all men equally and came to this earth, suffered and died for the sins of the WHOLE world that He might offer us salvation freely to all who will believe and accept His offer of grace.
There were Gentiles who were saved in the Old Testament. For example, the Ninevites to whom God sent the reluctant Jew, Jonah.
When Jesus returned to His home in Nazareth and on the Sabbath was in the synagogue He read to them from Isaiah 61:1-2 which was a Messianic prophecy foretelling of His coming. Those there were offended at His teaching and claiming to be the Messiah. He rebuked them reminding them that in the days of famine there were many Jewish widows, but they would not believe. Therefore God sent Elijah to the widow at Sarepta, a city in Sion and she was delivered though a miracle because she believed. The widow was the widow of Zarephath, a Gentile.
When the spies when to Canaan to spy out the land that God promised to Israel, God saved the Rahab, the harlot of Jericho who believed.
However, only a few Gentiles were saved in the Old Testament.
The Gospel of Good News is that all men every where can be partakers of God's promises through Jesus Christ. ( Eph. 3:6)
Paul was made minister. The word translated "minister" is the word "diakonos" (dee - ak'-on- os ) and means a servant. It is the word that was transliterated into "deacon" in our New Testament. One who ministers is a servant. Paul then and all Gospel preachers are called to be servants fo the Lord and servant to those around us in presenting the wonderful truth of God's word.
In Romans 15:16, Paul states, "That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:16)
Here the word translated "ministering" is the word that means to officiate as a priest or temple worker. It means to assist people in worshiping God.
In verse 9, Paul speaks of the "fellowship of the mystery."
The word "fellowship" refers to the partnership that all believers have in Christ. It is an important part of God's plan that believers assemble together and have communion with each other. In our present day it is near impossible to get church some church members to come together and meaningful fellowship.
I do not mean simply having a meal together, but I refer to sharing our lives together. Many times the only time we see each other is a church. That is important, but God's will is that we be closer and server each other, giving ourselves to support each other as we live our lives. There is great value in Christians who share their lives with other believers.
This is part of what Ephesians 3:11-12 says, "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him" (Ephesians 3:11-12)
The first thing is accepting that we have this responsibility and privileged to serve one another. You will cannot be a blessing to others without effort and wanting to. It takes sacrifice on our parts to be an encouragement to other believers.
We must remain faithful in our attendance. One of the most disappointing things a pastor faces in knowing the great value of being faithful in one's attendance at church....and yet seeing some many put about anything at all in place of it.
What did Jesus mean when He said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
I have caught a lot of bass since I was saved and a lot of other fish also. But you know....but not on Sunday. That God's day and a day of rest. I can tell you that since 1972....January 22, I have not misses anything of any value because I chose to be in church on Sunday. Sunday morning for Sunday School and then the morning service. Then at night for the Sunday night service and then Wednesday for Bible study. What a terrible waste it is when people will not chose to fully participate in the services of their local church.
B. The verse says that we are strengthened with the might of God by God's riches. How we all need God's strength. Yet, often we wane in our faithfulness and that hinders God from helping us.
Often people email me, through my web site https://bible-truth.org. Often they are struggling with various problems in their lives and asking me for a solution. It is easy to see from their email message that most times the problem they are having is because they are not faithful to the Lord.
I quoted Hebrew 10:19-25. I told him to God had a plan and way to solve his problems and to help him overcome the sins and difficulties he was having. I send the email prayerfully. He called me a couple of days later, from England and we talked further. What a change occurred in his life by simply doing what Christians are supposed to do. That was several months ago and he calls me still once in a while and he is so upbeat now. You know what he did? He obeyed God. He stopped drinking, and the sins that were destroying his life. He got his life in order and began attending church, praying and serving the Lord. Interestingly he has had two other people, friends of his, who were also having problems call me for help. Folks....the word of God is that....THE WORD OF ALMIGHTY GOD. His promises and instruction to us is real and comes from His very heart....His very deep love for each of us and His desire that we have the peace and joy of the Lord.
That we might be able to comprehend the with all Christians, the breadth, length, depth and height of the LOVE OF GOD.
Dear Friends, fellow believers....is there anything more important than this in your life? To be filled with ALL the fulness of God.
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Folks, we can only have God's blessings when we really want them and then in obedience to God live our lives as He directs. There is no better life that the life lived for the Lord Jesus Christ....being faithful in all things to Him.
"He is no fool, who gives us what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose." (Jim Eliot, missionary in Ecuador who gave his life for Christ)
May I add this....A man is a fool who will give up the blessings of God, for the temporal and vain pleasures of this world.
Introduction: When I was in the third grade my family moved to Pinetops, NC and I began to attend Pinetops Elementary. Several of the younger grades were to present a Christmas music special to the school in a special Christmas program. We all went to the auditorium to audition. At the time I did not really know what was going on or even what an audition was. We lined up in front of the stage and began to sing Christmas songs. The teacher then walked around and began to point to several students telling them to leave the group and go sit down. She pointed to me and told me I was "eliminated." I did not know what the word meant, but I obeyed and went and sit down. Several others also were eliminated. It took a little time for me to figure it out, but I finally got it. To be eliminated meant I was not good enough to sing in the choir. I will never forget how bad I felt when I realized what had happened. I was in a new school, with new students whom I did not know. Most of the class came from well to do families and I did not. It was a difficult year for me and even though it has been 58 years since it happened I still have vital unpleasant memories of that year. By the way...I failed my grade that year and had to repeat the third grade.
A. Paul reveals the Good News that the Gospel is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. However, like most of God's word, the Jew perverted God's word and gave it a false meaning. The Jews considered themselves God chosen people and everyone else were "infidels." They were very proud of their Jewish heritage and thought themselves superior to other peoples.
II. The Mystery of Christ. Eph.. 3:4.
B. Like so many today, they chose to ignore the parts of God's word that did not fit their own ideas. When God called Abram, the father of the nation of Israel, He said:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:3)
C. In John 3:16, Jesus explained to Nicodemus the proud religious Jewish Pharisee that although he was a Jew and a member of God's Chosen nation, he needed to be born again. That meant that he didn't the spiritual new birth and Nicodemus' physical birth (of water) as a Jew would not save him.
Jesus then stated this most quoted verse in the Bible:
A. Paul was the "Apostle to the Gentiles." "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office" (Romans 11:13)
III. Paul's example in serving his fellow believers. Eph.. 3:13f
"Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." (1 Timothy 2:7)
B. Everyone who is not a Jew is a Gentile. That means that God called Paul to be a special messenger to we Gentiles and to reveal to us that God loves each of us and wants to forgiven our sins and give us eternal life. The Gospel is for all men.
The Apostle John said of John the Baptist, "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:7-9)
C. Paul explains that in times past, meaning the Old Testament salvation through Jesus Christ was not made known to the whole, but is not revealed through the apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit.
D. But in this present dispensation, that means the time you and I are living in God has revealed that the Gentiles who believe and put their faith in Jesus Christ are "fellow heirs" with the Jews and all who receive Christ in faith. All the first believers or Christians were Jews. Cornelius was the first Gentile saved after God instituted the local church. (Acts 10)
E. Paul says that he was made a minister of the grace of God. (Eph.. 3:7-12)
A. It will cost you something to serve others. It will take time, money and real effort to be a blessing to other believers.
IV. The Riches of His Glory. Ephesians 3:16-21.
ILLUS: It is interesting that at the moment God was bringing me under conviction and I was seeing plainly I was a sinner and needed God's forgiveness the thought popped into my mind. If I become a Christian I will have to go to church on Sunday and that will mean I will not be able to go bass fishing which was what I did many times on Sunday. We all go to such great lengths in planning our activities....yet often do not even consider that God's will is that we worship on Sunday and assemble together in God's name.
A. God desire is that each believer have the "riches of God's glory." This is God's plan and His will for every Christian. But like salvation receiving God's riches not something God will not force on us. We must by faith and through our faithfulness receive the riches that is in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion:
ILLUS: One man wrote stating he was despairing of life itself. He was thinking of suicide. I really do not like to receive emails of this nature. The consequences of my answer could go either way. Yet, prayerfully, I generally began by addressing their faithfulness to the Lord. I ask them are they in church, faithful in their attendance, giving, prayer life, and Bible study. Almost every time the answer is no. This man I spoke of, I honestly told him I did not have a magic answer. But I began by telling him that God's cannot bless or help those who will not follow God's instructions.
C. That is what Ephesians 3:18-19 is saying. READ.
God wants to dwell fully in our hearts, that we be rooted and grounded in love....
I cannot end this message any better way that did God, through the Apostle Paul.
It is always encouraging to receive email from those who find the messages helpful, or who have comments.