Gathering For Encouragement Series

Message Title: “Gathering for Encouragement”

Text: Ephesians 3; Hebrews 10

Since the beginning of time, God has expressed His sovereign will through the action of putting-things together. And it’s good.

• Gen. 1:9, And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.

• God made man and put him in the garden together with the animals He had made.

• He brought the woman He had made to the garden and put her together with the man, Adom. Gen. 2

• In Gen. 3, Eve and the Serpent got together, and sin entered the world, that’s when both mankind and the Creation God had put together, they Fell Apart. (Man, and God suffered broken relationship)

• Later, Adam and Eve put 2 and 2 together and multiplied…

• Eventually, Jesus, as the promised messiah, possessing the natures of both God and man, together within his body, by way of his perfect sacrifice as the unblemished lamb of God; made way for man to be together again with his heavenly Father. 2 Cor. 5:19

Jesus having the same nature as His Father, he too was a Gatherer:

• Days before Jesus was crucified, he wept, and his disciples heard him say that he longed to gather the people of Jerusalem together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings: Luke 13:34

• The Prophet Ezekiel, speaking of Jesus when he said, God would also, as shepherd, gather his sheep: Ezekiel 34:11-12

• And before Jesus ascended to His Father he told his disciples that he would come back for them and receive them unto himself so that where is there they would be together with him again. John 14:3

Now I want you to consider something obvious: In order to gather something, in order to bring something together, it entails separating too, whatever it may be, you must separate it from other things in order to gather it together.

Speaking of the future, Jesus said He will gather and separate when judging the nations. Matthew 25:31-32 “But when the son of man comes in his glory, And all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him; and he will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

ILL: (Story about my dog Kona – the herder breed) rounds up the family into one room of the home. By nature, he wants to put us together;)

1. BE AWARE.

Let’s look together at our main passage, Ephesians 3.

Paul is about to revel two important things God wants everyone to know. He was given the responsibility to bring the news and he tells the believers in Ephesus that God didn’t reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. The message he brings will be a blessing to everyone, both Jews and Gentiles.

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

(Now notice where Paul mentions where a treasure is stored for them)

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

(now jump to vs. 10 to see God’s purpose)

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Okay so, he’s told us that God’s plan was to bring all people together through Jesus to glorify God in front of all unseen rulers and authorities in heavenly places! Man, talk about a show! We’re all a part of the biggest show in town!

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

So when we put them together, the PLAN and God’s PURPOSE tells us that, based on the finished work of Jesus, we can be put back together with God!

What Paul wants most for the believers in Ephesus is this. He wants them to tap into the provision of God.

He wants them to connect to all God has provided for them on a day-to-day basis, through Christ.

ILL: (Power ball winner who was unaware he had won.) Store owner sells winning ticket from his store and himself wins a $1,000,000. He takes a trip on a plane and doesn’t know he’s won! His family becomes awar and lets him know when he reached his destination. Such good news!