 Let's begin reading here in Ephesians chapter 3. We'll begin at verse 1. I'm going to take you through verses 1 through 13 today, and we'll begin by looking at verses 1 through 7, and then we'll move on into verse 13. So beginning at verse 1 in Ephesians chapter 3, Paul writes, For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you. How that by revelation he made known to me the mystery, as I have briefly written already, by which when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power. So the first 13 verses here in Ephesians chapter 3 are an introduction to a prayer that Paul is about to pray for them. Now notice how he prefaces his prayer, he prefaces his prayer with a reminder to them concerning what they already have in Jesus Christ. He also wants them to realize that God's grace has placed them in his body, the church. So these verses that we're looking at are intended to reemphasize what he's already written to them, and this would help them to understand the things that he was about to pray for. Now he'd been saying that the Jew and the Gentile have been made one in Christ. So because of this there's no longer any spiritual distinction being made between Jew and Gentile. In Ephesians 2 13 he had written in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2 verse 19 he said, you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. So making such a claim was immense and I've been sharing this with you, let me repeat it. Making such a claim that the Jew and the Gentile would be one in Jesus Christ is an immense claim because Jews had no dealings with the Gentiles. When you read your Bible you look at the book of Acts in Acts chapter 21. That chapter records how Paul had been accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple and to do such a thing was was called defiling the temple and it was punishable by death. In 1871 two archaeologists, a man named Clermont and the other Ganot, discovered what is known as the Saurik inscription is a sign that warns non-Jews to keep out of the temple area and this is what the sign says. I've said it before but there's repetition. No foreigner is to enter the barriers surrounding the sanctuary. He who is caught will have himself to blame for his death which will follow and so they were pretty serious. If you were a Gentile you could go to a certain area it was called the court of the Gentiles but you can't go any further. You can't go any further than that outer court and so if you were to proceed into the court of the women or the court of the men or the court of the priests if you were to proceed or try to get further on you would be put to death. It was punishable by death and so Paul had been accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple in chapter 21 of Acts. In Acts 21 31 it reads that they were seeking to kill him because he was being accused of bringing Gentiles but Paul had been rescued by soldiers. In Acts 21 35 when Paul had reached the steps after such commotion had taken place the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers but he asked to make a defense and he said may I have permission to speak to these people and it was granted to him and he began to speak to them in Hebrew and when he began to speak to them in Hebrew it calmed them down for a while and he began to make his defense and he began by giving his testimony and as he gave his testimony this angry mob because he's speaking in Hebrew they quieted down and began to listen to the things that he had to say but when he got to the place where he said that he had been sent to the Gentiles the mood changed. The Bible says in Acts 22 verse 22 they listened to him up to this statement and then they raised their voices and said away was such a man from the earth he should not be allowed to live. That happens to me every Sunday and so the separation was so great that Paul had to make it clear to these Gentiles these Ephesians Gentiles you have access to God he had said in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 5 that we have as Gentiles we've been adopted as sons by Jesus Christ to himself in chapter 2 verse 18 he said through him we both have access by one spirit to the father. So this revelation is so wonderful that Paul has to remind them of what he has said and that's why he begins his chapter in verse 1 by saying for this reason for this reason as mentioned this is the introduction to the prayer that he's beginning to pray in verse 14 but before he prays he reminds the Ephesians interestingly enough of his ministry credentials he also reminds them of some of the spiritual truths that he's already shared with them and so just by thinking of that for a moment I decided to to share these kinds of things why is it necessary for him to repeat himself there are those who would say I've heard that before can't you say something fresh or something new why is it necessary to repeat yourself why did why did Paul know that it was necessary to say I've already said that I just said this let me say it again why does he have to do that it's obvious because we don't get it the first time we hear it for us to learn we often must hear some things many times you know I can't tell you how many times I have because I go to many services obviously the church services here and I hear the worship I can't tell you how many times I forget the words in the songs I can't tell you how many times why because I'm old yeah because things have to be repeated to me and I'm assuming that that would be true with all of us so if we have this idea that the first time we hear it we get it we're wrong things have to be repeated sometimes several times so that we finally get to understand the emphasis of it and begin to plumb the depths of what we're hearing and for us to learn we have to hear some things many times that's because again we don't always understand what we're hearing the first time you see spiritual truths are often revealed slowly and repeated often the most obvious spiritual revelation relates to Jesus's death and resurrection I'll give you this as an example as we've been going through mark we've seen this you'll see this again this upcoming Sunday but from the beginning of his ministry Jesus had spoken concerning this his resurrection more than once we saw that in John 2 19 when his ministry had begun he had said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up he spoke of the resurrection of his body I had pointed out in Matthew 12 verse 40 as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth so he's repeating himself he's saying it more than once Peter makes this great confession thou art the Christ the Son of the living God and after he makes that confession Jesus once again begins to share more about the resurrection in Matthew's account in chapter 16 verse 21 Matthew writes from that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem suffer many things from the elders the chief priests and scribes be killed and be raised the third day but he repeats that in Matthew 17 22 and 23 he repeats that in Matthew 20 verses 17 through 19 he repeats and repeats and repeats he says it over and over and over again in John's gospel in chapter 10 verse 17 he said this he said my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again over and over and over again the central the core thing related to our faith the resurrection the crucifixion burial death burial and resurrection of Christ the core of our faith is repeated over and over and over again why because he will repeat a single truth numerous times so that we might understand and so even though Jesus repeated this truth various times he was still misunderstood and again some things aren't understood the first time that we hear it so one of the responsibilities of a teacher is to faithfully remind people of the truth of God and that's most effectively done through the faithful teaching of God's word in 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 12 through 15 Paul Peter said it like this I will always remind you of these things even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have I think it right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body because I know that I will soon put it aside as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things how did you go about doing that Peter I wrote 1st and 2nd Peter so that you would remember these things so that's how the Lord teaches us and so Paul has just said something but he's going to reiterate he's going to repeat he's going to say it again and with that in mind he reminds them and he reminds some of his ministry credentials and he reminds them of his teaching now notice how he begins again he begins by identifying himself verse 1 chapter 3 for this reason I Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles he begins by identifying himself as a prisoner notice of Jesus Christ now Paul had been placed in prison by Rome but even though Rome had imprisoned him notice he didn't say Paul a prisoner of Rome he said Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ he's not a prisoner of Rome he's saying though I am in jail I'm still free I'm free in Christ because God is in control of my life it's been said we can take away a man's liberty but we can never take away his freedom and when you're free in Jesus Christ no matter where you are you're always free and that's what Paul is pointing to he's in jail he's a prisoner and yet he's free in Christ because God is in control of his life in 2nd Timothy he had said in chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 he said remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead descended from David this is my gospel for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal but God's word is not chained and so he had freedom he was in jail but he saw this and continued to see that as an opportunity to minister the word of God in Philippians in chapter 1 verses 12 and 13 he said I want you to know brethren that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ so he had an opportunity because the the guards who were there to to guard him would be often would be chained to him can you imagine that they'd have to have a shift where they were there chained to the apostle Paul what do you think he spoke about and they couldn't get away they were his prisoner they couldn't get away and he had the chance to speak to all of the guards and many of them came to faith in Jesus Christ because he didn't see his captivity as being a detriment but an opportunity he saw where I am at I can be used by God sometimes we we get upset because we may have a job that we don't like one we should be grateful we have a job but maybe we get upset because we have a job that we don't like and we fail to realize that that's the job we prayed for as I recall there were times I say oh God I need this job oh God I need this job then I got the job oh God I hate this job I hate this job right I got to get out of here and and and here's the here's the Lord he could speak to my heart your heart and say but this is what you asked for you prayed for this and when I gave it to you you rejoiced and what now because it's difficult you want to leave no look at your at your time there as your opportunity there that God will open up doors for you to share because who knows but that that person that you're working next to that you may not care much about or that boss that seems to be so difficult sometimes who knows but that you might have been sent there for the purpose of being a testimony to that person like when Paul and Silas were placed in jail in Philippi and they had been beaten they had been placed in stocks and and the scripture says at midnight they were singing songs to God and the prisoners heard them and that's when the Philippian jailer came and and and had a conversation with them and wanted to know how how can I be saved and and they said believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved in your house that was their opportunity and they rejoiced at that opportunity and so Paul is not a prisoner of Rome he's he's a prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles he's had an opportunity and will have opportunities to bring forth the gospel to those who perhaps have never heard the word of God and so he's preaching the gospel to Gentiles that's his ministry calling when he was writing to the the church of Galatia in chapter two verse seven he said the gospel for the uncircumcised has been committed to me as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter so he knew his calling was to minister to the Gentiles and so he's speaking concerning that and he says it he says for this reason I Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles verse two if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you and so if you have heard of the dispensation that word dispensation is a word that speaks of management it speaks of managing a business managing a household it speaks of being a steward or managing the affairs of someone else and so the manager the one who had this dispensation was the one who had responsibilities for for everything for the planting of seed for the harvesting of the seed for the storing of the seed for preparing meals for bookkeeping and and they had responsibilities and and he uses that word to speak of himself when he speaks of again in verse two of the dispensation of the grace of God that he has that was given to him for these Gentiles he is a household manager is what he's saying I'm a steward I'm a steward of the grace of God so what happens is God gifts us and we are to take care of those gifts those ministries those skills and that knowledge and we're to use those things when given opportunity we we speak to those who who can benefit from the gospel we minister to those who have a need and and that's what we do and we're caretakers all of us in this room if you're saved every one of us has been entrusted with gifts and opportunities and what we do as believers is we take opportunities as they're given to us and use them for the glory of God now I haven't always been a pastor of a church I I got saved at 20 and when in the military got out started going to school started a bible study and various things work jobs got married I wasn't a pastor when I got married Marie and I we went to church we served in church but I wasn't a pastor in a church and yet I use the opportunities that God gave to me whether as a college student or whether as an employee to to when given opportunity to share the gospel and and speak to the people that that were there and about Jesus and and no you know sometimes you hear these stories of these from these guys to talk about how they did these things and how God always moved through them and that's not that wasn't true for me wasn't true for me at all I got people up tight sometimes they got mad and you know it didn't always have a you know they didn't always come to Jesus sometimes they wanted to send me to Jesus they didn't they didn't necessarily always come to Jesus but I I saw it as opportunity see and this is something I'd like to be still on you something to think about pray about and perhaps even practice and it is this if it's not you then who if it's not you then who who's gonna share you're gonna pray oh god send somebody what if god says I did I sent you no no I'm talking about somebody else it's kind of like Isaiah in the year the king as I died I saw the Lord he was high and lifted up and in strange field the temple and there was glory in the seraphim were crying out holy holy holy and then he said then I realized that I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips and and and and a coal was placed on my lip and then that was sent forth and what I had said is he was he was saying I saw the Lord but he finally says here am I Lord because God says who will go for us here am I Lord send me have you ever thought about that yourself here am I Lord send me well no a lot of people say there he is Lord send him the adventure of faith that so many of us fail to enjoy until it's very late you could have had such a blast serving God but we put it off and put it off and we put it off until we're finally just burned out and hardly anything to offer anymore no get used by the Lord now make yourself available to God now ask God to use you now now if he tells you I'm not ready to use you well bless the Lord I'm ready I've got my glove I got my cleats I'm ready to play put me in but if he says I'm going to put you on the bench for a while because you've got to learn some things then you sit the bench when I was 10 years old I was put on a baseball team and I used to chew the edge of my glove you know I had the uniform but I in 22 games I played 10 innings 22 games they sat me and I was so frustrated because I didn't want to sit there in a clean uniform I wanted to play and get that uniform dirty I wanted to play so I learned a long time ago sometimes you sit the bench before you're on the field and if you wait for the Lord to teach you the things that are necessary to learn on the bench you learn your lesson he puts you in and when he puts you in then you find the place you were supposed to be all along but you were prepared for that Paul knew that he was sent to be a minister to the Gentiles Peter had received a ministry to the Jew but he said I have been sent to the uncircumcised the Ephesians were people who recipients of that particular gifting that God had given to him and he knew that that was what he had been called to do he said this dispensation has been given to me in 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 10 each of you he says should use whatever gift you've received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 Paul said I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me because he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry and so he speaks of that he says if you've heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you in verse 3 how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written already how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery the word revelation it's the way he's speaking of God communicating truth to him he's making it clear this revelation didn't come from other men this revelation is not the wisdom of other men this revelation is from God this revelation is from the Spirit of God it's like relations 112 where he says I didn't receive it from any man nor was I taught it rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 2 verse 10 he says God revealed it to us by the Spirit the Spirit searches all things even the deep things of God and so God had through the Holy Spirit giving him a revelation and notice in verse 3 by revelation he said he made he made known to me the mystery again I've shared this with you but it bears repetition for just a moment the word mystery is used in a different way in the Greek in the Bible and it is that we use it in the way that we use it today my wife Marie likes mysteries you know mystery shows in this and that you know she likes them you know mysteries are usually just things that are hard to find out how do you find well the biblical definition of mystery is that which at one time had been hidden that is now revealed that's what the word mystery speaks of that which at one time had been hidden but it's now revealed and that's what Paul is speaking about here when he speaks of the secrets of God they're the secrets of God that have been hidden from those who don't know him the ungodly but they are the secrets that have been revealed to those who know him also called those who are godly and so God had revealed a mystery to Paul and what was that mystery that Jew and Gentile are one in Jesus Christ this mystery was up until the church age hidden from men the mystery that the gospel would give Gentiles access to God had been hidden and he says that he had briefly written about this he says as I have briefly written already by which when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ so that refers again to what he's already been writing especially in chapter one let me read it to in chapter one verses nine and ten where he said having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together and one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him and then in chapter two in verse 11 through 13 again therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands that at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ and that's what he's talking about this is the ministry that at one time had been hidden but has now been revealed and that's why he says as as he's writing in verse four that's why he says by which when you read you may understand my knowledge now I'm going to develop this with you a little bit too because the word knowledge there I looked it up in the original language and commentators are pointing to it so I did my own research on it just to make sure what I'm saying to you is true that word knowledge is not the kind of knowledge that you gain particularly through your endeavoring to gather it yourself it it's something that the spirit gives you which would be really a spiritual insight so when you read you may understand my insight is literally what he's saying my insight he's saying is spiritual so I have a zeal he's saying and it's not just just a zeal it's a zeal for you it's a zeal for the gospel it's a zeal that I have because God has given it to me and I want you to know the source I'm not just an excitable man but I'm moved by a deep and spiritual insight that God has given to me you know there are those of us who have excitable personalities I I happen to enjoy those with excitable personalities a lot of fun to be around you know excited people were excitable it's better to have someone around you go then to have somebody's you know it's just you know so I like people who get you know are into what they're doing you know when I used to play ball a long time ago now I never wanted to be on a team with someone who was bored you know let's go out there and let's play hard let's enjoy the game but if if you're there I go sit on the bench you know have a snow cone do something but don't be on the you know don't don't do that see so he said I want you to know the source of my my my excitement it's not some fleshly excitement because when we have fleshly excitement even in things of the Lord when it's fleshly excitement it usually wears off it wears off that's why the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't go out there and and and provoke people to emotional excitement because emotional excitement wears off what he wants is the depth so that the excitement you have is is built on a solid foundation and so he's not just an excitable man but he's moved by deep spiritual insights one of the things that you might find interesting that he had to defend himself against one of the charges and you see this in the book of 2nd Corinthians I encourage you to read that that book and and you will find that no less than 22 times Paul defends himself against accusations no less than 22 times it is one of the most open-hearted books that is the most open-hearted book that Paul writes it's my favorite book to teach pastors it's my favorite book because from chapter one to the end of the book he defends himself against charges various charges he's in it for the money he's not anointed he sure is ugly various charges and you'll see that when you read that in his words are weighty but his presence is weak you know they say things about Paul and he because these these false teachers had infiltrated the church of Corinth and began to steal the hearts of the people in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 he says though you may have 10,000 instructors yet you have but one father I begot you in the gospel when you speak into the Corinthians and 2nd Corinthians he said like a father who has espoused his virgin daughter to a man I feel like your father and I want to protect your purity because these infiltrators had entered into the church and were undermining his ministry they were saying things about this great man of God from chapter one all the way almost the conclusion of the book if you read it you will see the things that he's saying are actually a defense of himself because of the assassination of his character that went on through these Corinthian infiltrators and every church every church that has a pastor that is trying to do the will of the Lord will always have people on the outside saying he's in it for this he's in it for that everyone does they all do because there will always be people trying to undermine it and one of the things they said about him is that he was crazy in 2nd Corinthians 513 he said if we are out of our mind as some say it's for God if we are in our right mind it's for you and so those were accusations that was one it wasn't just somebody who was emotional he was someone who was moved and his zeal was the product of God moving in him it was the product of God giving to him insight into the things of the kingdom and that's what he's sharing with them so he says again in verse 4 by which when you read you may understand my knowledge my insights in the mystery of Christ verse 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the spirit to his holy apostles and prophets which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men but it's now been revealed so Paul intends not only to speak of mystery but to clarify it and explain it and it's his intent to not only disclose it but he wants them to understand again that's the heart of a minister not just to give information but to give information that people grasp understand and the lives are changed by and that's what his desire is is for they must for them to know that he says notice in verse 5 that this was a mystery not not made known to the sons of men as it has now been in time past it was not completely revealed that's what he's saying no one fully realized for example that that Abraham was the father of many nations they didn't realize that though Genesis 17 4 makes that clear no one completely understood Isaiah's words in Isaiah 49 6 where it reads I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth they didn't fully understand that either these are still mysteries so God used Paul to reveal this truth preaching both to Jew and Gentile the grace of God in 1st Corinthians in chapter 1 verse 24 he said but to those who are but those called by God to salvation both he says Jews and Gentiles Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God to both the Jew and the Gentile this mystery has been made known in verse 6 here's your mystery that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promising Christ through the gospel they are fellow heirs of the same body they are partakers he says of his promise now we just read that in chapter 2 verses 11 through 13 they once were far off but now our regard is equal to Jewish believers that was completely unheard of that they would be equal to a Jewish Christian well in Galatians 3 29 it says if you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's offspring heirs according to promise you are equal and I'm telling you they they needed to hear that more than once because their traditions of hundreds of years centuries that there was a separation between Jew and Gentile to the degree as I mentioned earlier that should a Gentile wander into forbidden areas of the temple that they were they would be put to death it was that strong so that the apostle Peter when even commanded by God to go to the house of a Gentile and and you remember that it's in Acts 10 how how that the sheep descended while he she descended while he was there and and he sees that it has all manner of animals and creeping things and then here's so the voice of the Lord saying rise rise up slay and eat no no he says no Lord no no no oh I'm kosher I've never eaten anything unclean you know that story I'm kosher I have never eaten something like that it's unclean don't say what don't call something unclean that I have declared to be clean God says to him and that vision repeats three times and then there's three Gentiles downstairs there waiting for him and he starts perceiving they take him to the house of Cornelius a Gentile and he says I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons you know it is not lawful for a man of Israel a Jew to have any kind of dealings with Gentiles but God showed me that what he calls to be clean I am not to call unclean you see and yet later on Paul has to rebuke him because before certain people came who are Jews Peter had been eating with Gentiles but when they came he distanced himself and Paul said I had to address him to his face in front of witnesses because he was stumbling people with his hypocrisy so it was a strong thing something that we really don't have the same understanding of but that's what's so revolutionary here in the book of Ephesians you he's saying are of the same body he says in verse six you are partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel and his promises are those various blessings that he has been speaking of in 2nd Corinthians 1 verse 20 for no matter how many promises God has made they are yes in Christ and so through him the amen is spoken by us to the glory of God these promises are fulfilled through Jesus is what he's saying and he moves on in verse seven of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effect of working of his power the gospel is shared by those whom God has called to proclaim it Paul knew that God by grace had given him the honor and privilege of sharing the gospel so both the calling to proclaim it and the empowering originated with God and he's saying I know the calling and the power comes from God and it is simply my privilege to be able to serve him in 1st Corinthians he said it like this in chapter 15 verse 10 he said by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace toward me was not in vain when I grew up I used to watch Popeye and every time I read 1st Corinthians 15 10 I'm sorry I think a Popeye I am what I am that's all that I am so when I read that by the grace of God I am what I am well that's what he is by his grace I am who I am and I do what I do and Colossians 1 28 and 29 he says him we preach warning every man teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus to this end I also labor striving according to his working which works in me mightily I am attempting to proclaim this message to everybody but I am not striving in the flesh I am working through the energies of the Spirit just because you may have a burden the burden that you may have does not always mean that it's a call I've shared this with with pastoral candidates with people who who want to serve the Lord in full-time ministry and sometimes they'll have this idea that they want to go to a certain place and do a certain thing and all of that and when you ask them why I'll I just have a burden a burden isn't the call there needs to be a sense of leading there needs to be a confirmation not only the internal witness but also through a group of people that you respect who love the Lord who pray for you and encourage you and are listening on your behalf and seeing that the Lord may speak to their hearts in a certain way and should they say yes you know what I I think you ought to go then there's another witness and that is a witness of a congregation because you may have an internal witness a desire you may have other people saying you know what you're a great communicator goal for it and then you open up your Bible and you try to speak and nobody hangs around and maybe you're not called maybe that isn't your calling you know it's not that numbers always demonstrate a short calling but fruit does and when there are people that are coming and saying I can hear this and I want to grow and this helps me to know Jesus better that may be a confirmation but just because somebody has an energy in the flesh does it mean that that energy is the spirit and that's why and I was just sharing this with somebody more than once this has come up just this week and I said you know in my personal life as a minister the number one thing that that I rely on is besides obviously the word of God and and all but it is the prayer just because I might think something needs to be done doesn't mean I'm the one who's supposed to do that so I ask the Lord I say Father I see this and I'm and I'm waiting I've had this many times I'm waiting on somebody else to do this and nobody does and eventually the burden never leaves me and then then I'll then I'll go and take a step of faith and and then I discover that's exactly what the Lord wanted and so he knows that he doesn't do things in the energy of the flesh and and he knows that he's not doing this because there's something inside of him that just pushes him at his fleshly it's the Holy Spirit that is given to him this prompting he says to me verse eight who am less than the least of all the saints this grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ these are the words of a very thankful man these are the words of someone who has been forgiven much you know there are those that I can tell you I've been at at in ministry for a long time and I can tell you I've I've read you know I've I've read a lot of different books and materials and things over the years and and there have been those who have said Paul Paul was a very was he seriously had doubts and had self-esteem problems and then they point to the scripture in verse eight here in Ephesians three as a proof text notice how he says to me who am less than the least of all the saints see he he didn't know who he was in Christ that's nonsense this is the voice of a humble man yeah humility is something that today is probably missing in quite a number of us but but this is the voice of a humble man you have that woman who enters into that room my one of my favorite portions of scripture in Luke seven and she's looking around a room until she she sees Jesus and and with emotion she approaches him there as he's reclining at meal and she stands over his feet as his feet are out his elbow is resting in his feet are away from the table and and she starts to weep and as she's weeping her tears begin to splash on his dusty feet and she kneels down and she begins to take her hair down and and dry his feet with and and she kisses the feet and Simon who had invited him says if this man truly were a prophet he would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching him for Jesus sinner Simon a self-righteous Pharisee who had invited Jesus Christ not to receive from him the blessings of things of the kingdom but rather to judge him this man's not a prophet because he wouldn't let something like that touch him Jesus sinner she was well known in the city would be any moral Jesus says Simon I have something to ask you well say it what do you want to ask me I said there were two men two men who owed another man one owed him a great some and the other a lesser some but the man completely forgave both of them Simon my question is who's going to love him most how I suppose the one that has been forgiven the most and he's thin this is this is what I love about this passage how it says and Jesus said do you see this woman see that to me is very important because a lot of times we don't see people we just see that she's a such because that's what Simon had said such as these he called her a such he didn't even look at her as a human being you see this woman you know let's let's take those hypocritical eyeglasses off for just a moment Simon and take a moment to look at this woman take a moment to look at this woman you didn't give me the basic greeting that should be given to every man because the man who comes into your house is a guest you give him a kiss you didn't kiss me you didn't even take the time to to anoint my hair you didn't take the time to do the basic things that that are just you know the normal courtesies that this woman she she she has wept and she has washed my feet with her tears and and let me tell you something Simon the one who has been forgiven much loves much how much have I been forgiven sometimes people look at me and I hear it so I'll say it they say you know can't you can't you give a bible study without tearing up and I wish I could I'm going to do it tonight but when I start thinking of what I was and what he's done I was teaching at a pastors conference recently and one of the pastors had made fun of me there were friends had made fun of me for crying and so when I taught I said you know I said it's the question isn't why do I cry the question is why don't you because have you been forgiven much I have are you thankful I am when I consider the blessings the goodness the joy how can you not shed a tear of gratitude for what God has done right and Paul had that and he makes it very clear this is humility people aren't used to seeing it this is a man who knew he needed the grace of God in 1st Timothy 1 15 and 16 this is what he says he said here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst but for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me the worst of sinners Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life no when he says that he realizes who he was and God had given him a mission and that mission was to preach among the Gentiles verse 8 the unsearchable riches of Christ the word unsearchable means beyond tracing the inability to find something out completely the unfathomable he's saying I am to proclaim the incredible depth of God's grace towards undeserving sinners I preach I preach his mercy I preach his compassion I preach his love his kindness his generosity I preach his patience and I preach his glory and these are things that we're unable to actually grasp but there are ours because we have him in Jesus in Romans 11 33 oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments his ways past finding out and Colossians 127 to them God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory he says in verse 9 he says and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ to make all people see what is the fellowship that word fellowship again is a word that can be translated the administration or dispensation or the stewardship my call is to make all people see when he says to make all people see to bring to light my call is to bring to light that God makes the Jew and the Gentile one in Christ and this offer is contained in the message of salvation revealed to us by the gospel he says in verse 9 he goes which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created everything God's work of salvation through Christ is to be known by all in the end all will realize that God designed the church to include all who would believe Jew and Gentile are intended to live at peace and Jew and Gentile are intended to worship the same God and this was made possible by the message and reception of the gospel again in Ephesians 215 he said having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances so as to creating itself one new man from the two thus making peace notice verse 9 from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus this mystery from the beginning has had been formed but had not been known and God has created notice all things through Jesus Christ Colossians 116 says it like this in him all things were created things in heaven and on earth visible invisible whether thrones or powers or rulers authorities all things have been created through him for him all things would include the plan of salvation the plan that included both the Gentiles and the Jew he says in verse 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places now that's interesting how he puts that when he speaks concerning the manifold wisdom the manifold wisdom of God speaks of the various ways that his ministry is shown so God has brought forth the church and in doing so manifested his wisdom before all in verse 10 says that would include angelic principalities and powers this is interesting to point out for a moment angels don't understand salvation angels don't understand salvation why because the angels that fell remain fallen they're never redeemed the angels who did not fall wouldn't understand what failure and grace is they are ministering spirits who are sent by God to minister to those who are heirs of salvation sometimes people will say yeah so-and-so died he needs now an angel don't don't be one who says that because that's biblically incorrect and a lot of times i read that on facebook and the purveyor of all false doctrine i had somebody writing me from facebook who wanted to argue with me that satan could be redeemed yeah i haven't read the bible because in the book of revelation points out very very clearly that he ends up in the lake of fire so now he's never redeemed and so what you're doing is you misunderstand his scripture and you're emotionally kind of presenting it but in fact you're wrong and he wouldn't take correction so angels don't understand there's an interesting scripture is found in the book of Luke chapter 15 verse 10 where it says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God when it's in a repentance we all know that very often you'll hear somebody giving an invitation and they'll say right now there is joy because people got saved i've heard people again they write that that's not it that's not a correct interpretation of that if you look at the scripture it says there is joy in the presence of the angels of God the angels aren't rejoicing it's God it's God who has recovered his lost sheep it's God who has got the lost son it's God who rejoices not the angels why because the angels don't understand salvation how do i know that well scripture is very clear about that first peter chapter 1 verse 12 it was revealed to them the prophets that they were not serving themselves but you when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven even angels long to look into these things they don't understand they don't understand salvation and so this salvation is intended to be a display before angelic principalities and powers the bringing forth of the church is intended to bring glory to the god who created it in psalm 103 verse 22 bless the lord all his works in all places of his dominion bless the lord oh my soul in verse 11 according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in christ jesus our lord his eternal purpose was salvation of man again including jew and gentile verse 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him because we have a relationship to god through jesus christ we now have freedom of speech freedom of access and a confidence in salvation in Hebrews 4 16 the writers had let us then approach god's throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need you know before you got saved you might have prayed once in a while and you thought that your prayers were just going as far as your voice would carry and then falling to the earth unheard and unanswered but you don't have to have that anymore because you know why because we have access to god through jesus christ he is the way the truth in life no man comes to the father but by him so we go through him that's why people have the habit and glitter myself of saying in the name of jesus by his authority i can approach the throne of grace to obtain mercy in my time of need because jesus christ has made it possible i who was dead in trespasses and sins have made been made alive by the spirit of god i am now no longer a child of disobedience i am now a son of god himself as many as received him to them gave he powered has become sons of god even into those who believe in his name i believe in his name i've given my heart to christ i am his child and as a son i can approach my father and i can say father i have a need and that came through jesus christ that that didn't come by works of righteousness that i've done but according to his mercy by his grace and that's you too we can approach him that way we can approach the throne of god and we can obtain mercy and find grace in our time of need and then finally he says in verse 13 therefore i ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulation for you which is your glory don't pity me because of the suffering that i've gone through don't pity me because the fact that i'm in jail i don't want your sympathy and i don't want you to be sad you see my framework is larger than a jail cell my framework is longer than a lifetime my framework is eternity and the place that i will dwell is with christ in heaven so why are you pitying me i don't want you know that's what he's saying i ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulation for you which is he says your glory i am willing to go through this if you're set free i'm willing to do this i want you to know that i'm not going through anything i'm just preparing for something greater in roman's eight verse 18 i consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us and in first peter five verse four when the chief shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away and again second carinthians four sixteen and seventeen we do not lose heart though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we're being renewed day by day for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all don't pity me don't feel sad for me he's saying i'm going through this but i know where i'm going and i'm going through this in part for your sake so that you might know the things of god that is paul's heart the heart of a shepherd i am willing to do whatever i need to do if you walk away knowing jesus better that's the key and so he says do not lose heart of my tribulation this is really going to result in your glory what a beautiful man the apostle paul is what a beautiful man our father we asked that you would