In Christ #6 (1 Of 2 Of Eph. 1:15-23)

Have you noticed that one of the hardest things in this life to do is keep good news a secret?

Illus: Benjamin said, “Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”

Illus: Walter Winchell said, “I usually get my stuff from people who promised somebody else that they would keep it secret.”

Illus: This reminds me of the story of a Rabbi who was getting a hair cut one day. When the barber was finished cutting his hair, the rabbi reached into his pocket to pay the barber. The barber said, “Aren’t you the Rabbi from down the street?” He replied, “Why yes, I am.”

The barber smiled and told him there would be no charge for the hair cut. The next morning, when the barber arrived at his shop there was a thank you note with a big bottle of wine at the entrance of the barber shop.

The next day the barber was cutting a priest’s hair. As he finished, the priest reached into his pocket to pay for the haircut when the barber asked, “Aren’t you the priest from the church around the corner?” The priest replied, “Yes, I am.” The barber then said, “Then your hair cut is free.”

The next morning, at the entrance of the barber shop, there was a thank you note with a big bottle of wine.

The next day a Baptist preacher went in for a hair cut. When the barber finished the cut, the Baptist preacher reached into his pocket for money to pay when the barber asked, “Aren’t you the Baptist preacher from down town?” The Baptist preacher said, “Yes, I am.” The barber then told him that his hair cut was free.

The next morning, when the barber arrived, there was at the barbershop door - SIX MORE BAPTIST PREACHERS!

Good news is hard to keep quiet.

Illus: I hate it when someone says, “I have good news to tell you, but I want you to promise me you will not tell anyone...okay?”

Listen, it takes every fiber in our bodies to keep good news a secret. It is pure torture to know good news and not be able to share it with someone else.

The apostle Paul knew the Lord intimately. He knew the Lord like few men ever knew Him, and in the book of Ephesians he did EVERYTHING he could to share with the Christians in Ephesus what they had IN CHRIST!

Paul knew the Lord intimately and he was certainly qualified to teach others.

So that we also might get to know the Lord intimately, let us look at several things from this passage in this message, and in the following message. First, let us look at...

I. THIS CHURCH’S POSITION.

Look at verses 15-16. We read, “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” In verse 15 Paul shows us two things having to do with the church at Ephesus.

A. Look at his awareness. “...after I heard...” Paul had heard about this PARTICULAR church.

He said, in verse 15, “Wherefore I also, AFTER I HEARD of YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS, and LOVE UNTO ALL THE SAINTS.”

IS THAT IMPORTANT? Yes it is, because, if you recall I told you at the beginning of this series that since Ephesus is not mentioned in some of the ancient manuscripts that some Bible scholars believed this letter was sent as a “circular letter, to be read to all the churches in that region.

Since no two churches are the same, it appears that he is addressing a PARTICULAR CHURCH in verse 15, which many believe to be the Ephesian church. In verse 15, Paul lets us know he is AWARE of this PARTICULAR CHURCH.

Verse 15 tells something else relating to this church.

B. Look at his acknowledgment. That is, he ACKNOWLEDGES two things he had HEARD ABOUT THEM.

Look at verse 15 again. We read, “Wherefore I also, AFTER I HEARD of YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS, and LOVE UNTO ALL THE SAINTS.”

Notice, first he talks about their...

1. Faith in the Lord Jesus. Paul ACKNOWLEDGES they had FAITH, but notice he wrote who they had faith in. THEIR FAITH WAS IN THE LORD JESUS. “...AFTER I HEARD of YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS...”

You see, today the problem is not that the world and church people do not have faith. The problem is that they have faith in the wrong things. That is, many of them attend church, not because they are TRUSTING IN THE LORD FOR SALVATION, but for other reasons.

Illus: If you stood out in front of Wal-Mart and asked people why they had come there, some would say: