Sabbath 9/1/18 Alfred Station Seventh Day Baptist Pastor Ken sermon “Unlocking the Door of Mystery” Ephesians 3:1-16
Paul, in this letter to the Ephesians, said that he was a prisoner for Christ. He was actually imprisoned in Rome by the emperor Nero for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul says he is not a prisoner of Nero but is a prisoner of Jesus Christ. He’s an apostle, servant and prisoner of Jesus. He’s a prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles with a stewardship of Grace.
Stewardship is not all about money. Stewardship is about taking someone else’s things and treating them like it ours. It’s knowing that we will be accountable to that person for what they have given us. In the parable of the talents, it was money that they were supposed to double and not bury in the ground. Paul says he’s a steward of Grace. He has received Grace and its Grace that he’s supposed to do something with. We have received Grace so we are to do good with it. With this Grace, we are to live in it and to share it with others. That is our responsibility. That is what we are supposed to do with it. That’s how we are Stewards of Grace.
Paul says he learned about a mystery. He says the mystery came about from a revelation. Revelation means an unfolding or an unrolling of something. The mystery is like a scroll that was used in the synagogue. It’s unrolled to the place where it is revealed and now I can read it. Previous generations did not understand the mystery because it had not been unrolled and revealed. Paul tells us that the mystery revealed is that Gentiles that believe have become fellow members of the Body. The Body of Christ.
We are fellow members of the Body and we are also fellow Heirs. The Holy Spirit was given to us as a down payment on the inheritance we will receive in Heaven. Very similar, we are fellow partakers of the Promise. These three things (of the Body, Heirs, Promise) belong to us as Gentiles, if we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. They are ours! Amen. They belong to us! Gentiles and Jews are together. It doesn’t say it in the text but this means that if someone comes into the congregation/assembly of a different race or ethnic group than what we are but they know Jesus as their Savior, then they are fellow members and fellow partakers of the Promise. They are walking in fellowship with us. If a person comes from a different economic group than what we are and they know Jesus as their Savior, then they are fellow heirs just like we are heirs of the Promise and part of the Body. Same thing if they are a different gender from us. As long as they know Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are heirs of the Promise and part of the Body. Now if they don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, maybe we should be Stewards of Grace and introduce them to Jesus. If they already know Jesus then we should welcome them.
The Mystery of the Good News of the Gospel is simple. It is the news that Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ Jesus. All the other types of people I just mentioned are all one in Christ Jesus with us. If they know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then they are one in Christ with us. The Gentiles do not have to become a Jew to be saved and in the family of God. All we need is Jesus who died, was buried and on the third day rose up again for us.
AMEN
Paul, in this letter to the Ephesians, said that he was a prisoner for Christ. He was actually imprisoned in Rome by the emperor Nero for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul says he is not a prisoner of Nero but is a prisoner of Jesus Christ. He’s an apostle, servant and prisoner of Jesus. He’s a prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles with a stewardship of Grace.
Stewardship is not all about money. Stewardship is about taking someone else’s things and treating them like it ours. It’s knowing that we will be accountable to that person for what they have given us. In the parable of the talents, it was money that they were supposed to double and not bury in the ground. Paul says he’s a steward of Grace. He has received Grace and its Grace that he’s supposed to do something with. We have received Grace so we are to do good with it. With this Grace, we are to live in it and to share it with others. That is our responsibility. That is what we are supposed to do with it. That’s how we are Stewards of Grace.
Paul says he learned about a mystery. He says the mystery came about from a revelation. Revelation means an unfolding or an unrolling of something. The mystery is like a scroll that was used in the synagogue. It’s unrolled to the place where it is revealed and now I can read it. Previous generations did not understand the mystery because it had not been unrolled and revealed. Paul tells us that the mystery revealed is that Gentiles that believe have become fellow members of the Body. The Body of Christ.
We are fellow members of the Body and we are also fellow Heirs. The Holy Spirit was given to us as a down payment on the inheritance we will receive in Heaven. Very similar, we are fellow partakers of the Promise. These three things (of the Body, Heirs, Promise) belong to us as Gentiles, if we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. They are ours! Amen. They belong to us! Gentiles and Jews are together. It doesn’t say it in the text but this means that if someone comes into the congregation/assembly of a different race or ethnic group than what we are but they know Jesus as their Savior, then they are fellow members and fellow partakers of the Promise. They are walking in fellowship with us. If a person comes from a different economic group than what we are and they know Jesus as their Savior, then they are fellow heirs just like we are heirs of the Promise and part of the Body. Same thing if they are a different gender from us. As long as they know Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are heirs of the Promise and part of the Body. Now if they don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, maybe we should be Stewards of Grace and introduce them to Jesus. If they already know Jesus then we should welcome them.
The Mystery of the Good News of the Gospel is simple. It is the news that Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ Jesus. All the other types of people I just mentioned are all one in Christ Jesus with us. If they know the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then they are one in Christ with us. The Gentiles do not have to become a Jew to be saved and in the family of God. All we need is Jesus who died, was buried and on the third day rose up again for us.
AMEN
