Called By God Series

Scripture

Today I am starting a new series on Ephesians 3 that I am calling, "Proclaiming the Unsearchable Riches of Christ."

The ESV Study Bible notes: "There are two main themes of Ephesians: (1) Christ has reconciled all creation to himself and to God, and (2) Christ has united people from all nations to himself and to one another in his church. These great deeds were accomplished through the powerful, sovereign, and free working of the triune God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-and are recognized and received by faith alone through his grace. In light of these great truths, Christians are to lead lives that are a fitting tribute of gratitude to their great Lord."

In the second part of Ephesians 2 the Apostle Paul talked about our new identity in Christ (2:11-22). When Paul began chapter 3, he took up the report of his prayer for the Gentile churches (1:15-2:10). However, having introduced himself as the subject of the sentence, Paul broke off into yet another digression even before he got to the main verb! In today's text, Paul wrote about being called by God.

Let's read about being called by God in Ephesians 3:1-6:

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles- 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 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. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:1-6)

Introduction

"A boy grows up in a wealthy family in a major city of a sophisticated culture. As a child he is immersed in the orthodox religion of his country and attends one of the most well-known worship centers in the land. In that setting he becomes a disciple under one of the most influential leaders of his traditions. He becomes a zealot for his faith, passionately devouring its teachings and passionately pursuing its enemies. And, then, something amazing happens. Somehow, he becomes convinced that the very persons he has been opposing were right about their faith. And though they are small in number and despised by his religious leaders and culture, this young man joins the ranks of those he had so zealously opposed. He enters into a period of intense study, praying and fasting in order to fulfill a calling he believes he now has to take his new faith to others. In subsequent years, although his convictions and his actions cost him his reputation, his comforts, his freedom, and ultimately his life, this man of faith never wavers from his calling. What was his name?"

You may be thinking that I am describing the apostle Paul before his conversion, but actually "his name was…Jibreel al-Amreekee. He grew up in Atlanta and attended a well-known Baptist church before becoming a Muslim, joining allies of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda and dying in 1997 while participating in a jihadist attack intended to 'plant a flag for Islam' in Kashmir." This description was given by Bryan Chapell in his commentary on this passage in Ephesians that I am following closely for today's message.

The parallels between the Apostle Paul and Jibreel al-Amreekee are striking. Bryan Chapell says, "Each was from quite a different cultural and religious background than he eventually felt called to promote. Each was willing to study, strive, and sacrifice for the calling he believed his God had placed upon his life. But we also realize that these conflicting callings cannot both be of God. This realization presses us to identify what kind of calling is genuine and what is counterfeit."

Lesson

Ephesians 3:1-6 teaches us that God calls a Christian to die to self and to live for others.

Let's use the following outline:

1. A Christian Dies to Self (3:1-2)

2. A Christian Lives for Others (3:3-6)

I. A Christian Dies to Self (3:1-2)

First, a Christian dies to self.

Paul's description of himself indicates his willingness to die to self. You remember that prior to his conversion-which took place dramatically on the road to Damascus when he had a personal encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ-his name was Saul. He was a brilliant Jewish scholar, a fast-rising Pharisee, who was named after Saul, the first king of Israel who was chosen because of his supremacy and stature above everyone else. After his conversion, the Apostle called himself "Paul" rather than "Saul." Do you know what "Paul" means? It means "small." So, he went from "Tall Saul" to "Small Paul," and that name change was very deliberate. For Paul, it was an affirmation that he was dying to self.