All Are Invited
Ephesians - Live Like You Really Are
Chuck Sligh
September 9, 2012
TEXT: Please Turn to Ephesians 3:11-12
POWERPOINT: There is a PowerPoint presentation for this sermon available by requesting it from me at chucksligh@hotmail.com.
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – When I was in high school, one of my classmates came to me in tears. I said, “Irene, what’s wrong?”
She said, “Why does Mrs. Sanchez hate me?”
Mrs. Sanchez was our Spanish teacher. I said, “She doesn’t hate you. Why do you think that?”
She said, “Because everyone was invited to the Spanish class party Friday night except me. She apparently doesn’t want me there.”
I said, “Irene, EVERYONE’S invited.”
“No, I didn’t get an invitation. Marie got one, and so did Glen, and you, and Wilf.”
I said, “Irene, you were late to class, remember? Just look on Mrs. Sanchez’s desk. There’s an envelope with your name on it.” She went up to the desk, and there it was.
I think we’ve all felt the sting of being left out of something. The Jews thought they were the sole recipients of God’s attention, and in their minds, the Gentiles weren’t invited!
THEY were God’s chosen people; He was THEIR God; THEY were the invited ones. But we have seen in our study of Ephesians 1:22–3:10 how Paul rocks their world with his teaching that the Gentile believers are joined with Jewish believers in the Church, the body of Christ.
Ephesians 3:11-12 is the climax of this passage and verse 12 is Paul’s summary statement.
So let’s read verses 11 and 12: “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
Now don’t miss what Paul is saying by imposing our modern individualistic focus on Paul’s thought on this verse. Paul had taught in 1:22-3:10 that it was true that God worked primarily through the Jewish nation up until the New Testament times, but that God had broken down the wall of division between Jewish and Gentile believers, uniting them into a wholly new corporate entity which would become God’s chosen people; namely, the Church, which he also calls the Body of Christ.
So Paul concludes in verse 12 that through Christ, ALL are invited; all who come through Jesus Christ by faith can have boldness and access with confidence to God.
The Greek word translated “boldness” here means “freedom of speech; unreservedness of speech.” – Paul is saying that just as Jews could talk to God and have a direct relationship with Him, so could Gentile believers.
The Greek word translated “access” was a word used in ancient times of having access to royalty. Even today, you can’t just walk in and talk to the Queen of England or the President of the United States because they have restricted access controlled by intermediaries you have to go through. Paul is saying to Gentile believers, “You don’t have to go through the Jews anymore to get to God or to have a relationship with God. You have the same access to God the Jews have because you and Jewish believers are united in the body of Christ. You’re one in Him.”
Now in this passage, I want you to see three things Paul says in his summary about the church:
I. FIRST, HE SAYS THAT THIS PLAN OF A NEW CORPORATE PEOPLE OF GOD CALLED THE CHURCH COMPRISED OF BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES WAS ALWAYS GOD’S PLAN. – Verse 11 – “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Warren Wiersbe says, “The great truth of the church is not a divine afterthought. It is a part of God’s eternal purpose in Christ.” It was ALWAYS God’s plan that the Jews would be the vehicle to bring the light of God to the whole world and unite Jew and Gentile in what he calls “one new man” in Ephesians 2:15, which Paul identifies in 1:22-23 as the church, or Christ’s body. This seems self-evident to us today, but believe me, it was mind-boggling in Paul’s day!
II. SECOND, PAUL SAYS THAT THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. – Verse 11b – “which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The noun “purpose” in the first part of the verse and the verb “purposed” in the second part of the verse are two totally unrelated words in the Greek. The first means “purpose” in the same sense we use it in English, of an “intention”. But the second word has an entirely different meaning. It means, “made, accomplished, done.” Paul is saying that what was intended from all eternity past was accomplished, carried out, done by God through Jesus Christ.
When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He not only paid the penalty for our sin personally, but He accomplished an eternal plan put into place by the Godhead whereby ALL would be invited to a union with Christ.
III. THIRD, AT THE END OF VERSE 12, PAUL TEACHES THAT THIS ACCESS TO GOD IS AVAILABLE BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. – Let’s read verse 12 again: “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
• First, Paul teaches that the way to access to God is THROUGH CHRIST ALONE.
The Bible is absolutely clear that all roads do NOT lead to God It is “in Jesus Christ our Lord” (verse 11) that all people can have “boldness and access with confidence” (verse 12). There is no other way to God but through Jesus Christ.
The New Testament leaves no doubt about this:
> On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to the Jews in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
> Paul said it this way to Timothy, who pastored a mostly Gentile church in 1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
> Jesus Himself said in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The ONLY way to God is through Jesus and what He did on the cross for us.
• Second, this verse teaches that the only way we can receive this access to God is BY FAITH in Jesus Christ. – “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
The phrase “by the faith of him” literally means, “by faith in Him.” It’s amazing to me that people can get so confused by this. Notice that this verse does not say that we have access to God and His church by being good, or by being a Baptist; or by obeying the Ten Commandments; or by being baptized or taking the mass, or by doing good deeds for others. It says this access is obtained only “by faith in him.”
You’re brought into a right relationship with God ONLY by faith in Jesus Christ. You can have you sins forgiven only by BELIEVING in Jesus Christ. You can only go to heaven if you have TRUSTED in Jesus Christ. There is NO other way to receive salvation.
Look back at chapter 2, verses 7-9 – “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Can you see why the Gospel is “Good News.”
> It’s bad news if I have to get to heaven BY MY GOOD WORKS.
> It’s bad news if my salvation is BASED ON MY PERFORMANCE.
> It’s bad news if my relationship with God is based on myself, on what I do.
The good news of the Gospel is that you cannot earn or merit salvation. No, it’s an absolutely free gift with no strings attached. It’s provided by God’s grace and kindness to us who are underserving. It’s received by simple faith, nothing more and nothing less.
CONCLUSION
Now, these truths about Christ’s Church and the invitation to ALL to come into union with Christ and His church are all good to know, but what do we do with these truths personally? Let me share two applications of these incredible truths to our lives personally.
• First: ALL are invited, so we as believers must GO and compel the lost to come in.
In Luke 24 Jesus told a parable of a wealthy man who held a great banquet for his son. When the meal was ready, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited that all was ready for them to come to the feast,
But they all made excuses and refused to come. When he told his master of the poor reception he’d received, Jesus said the master became angry and told the servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor, and the crippled and the blind and the lame.”
The servant followed these instructions, and then he came and told the master, “It’s been done as you commanded, and yet there is still room.” So the master told the servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”
This parable was primarily directed to the Jews in Jesus’s audience, the application being that the Jews refused to come to God’s table, so God opened the door to the Gentiles.
But there’s a message to you and me too. You and I who are Christ-followers represent the servant in the parable. Like him, we’re called to invite people to come to Christ and be united with the people of God in the body of Christ. We’re called to invite not just the spiritually healthy people, but also the spiritually poor and crippled and blind and lame. In other words, EVERYONE’s invited to the party; NO ONE, regardless of their condition, position, rank, or sinfulness is excluded, because the invitation is not based on merit or works; but solely on the goodness and graciousness of God.
In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter said that God is “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And in 1 Timothy 2:3 Paul said that God, “…will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
It’s God’s will that ALL people be saved, and He has left to us the incredible privilege to go out into our own streets and lanes, and into the highways and hedges of life to compel people to come in; to let them know there is forgiveness of sins in Jesus; to tell them of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross in their behalf; to share the joy of being in the body of Christ, in God’s church, in His family.
And my question for you as a believer is, Are you going? Are you telling? Are you compelling? Are you inviting? I know this is intimidating because of preconceptions we have about witnessing. But in reality, being a witness is simply using your own gifts and abilities to move people toward the kingdom of God, not using some canned presentation, or bashing people over the head with the Bible, or forcing your beliefs on others. The most effective witnessing is the kind that’s natural to you; that’s irrepressible because it bubbles up from a deep faith in Christ; that’s contagious.
In our evening services for six weeks beginning on September 23, we’re going to go through the series “Becoming a Contagious Christian” where you’ll learn how to share Christ naturally in a way that’s consistent with your personality and gifts and abilities, that’s not forced or unnatural, but is yet bold and effective. That’ll be followed by a 4-week series on how to actually lead someone to Christ titled “Share Jesus Without Fear”—a DVD study that teaches you how to do with by relying only on God and His Word, not a canned or memorized presentation,
Imagine that: CONTAGIOUS evangelism, and sharing Jesus WITHOUT FEAR! What’s the world coming to?!
Don’t miss these sessions; they’ll be a great blessing and encouragement to you.
But don’t wait until you go through a course to witness to others.
> If all you know how to do is invite people to church to hear the Gospel, then do that.
> If the only thing you know about salvation is how God saved you, then share that.
Let’s go into the lanes and highways and hedges and invite the lost to come in.
• My second personal application of this sermon is for you who are not in the family of God.
Dear friend, Christ died for you, and He invites you to COME to Him freely by faith.
In John 7:37, Jesus said, “…If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” Do you see the invitation?—It’s not a harsh command to “Do this or that or follow these rules or you’ll go to hell”. Rather, it’s a sweet invitation to come to Christ and partake of Him freely.
In Revelation 22:17, Jesus says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” – Being saved is not complicated; it’s simply coming to Christ and trusting in HIM for salvation.
In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
These are all gracious invitations from a loving God to come to Christ. And everyone is invited.
Illus. – Tony Campolo tells the story of a trip which he took to Hawaii. Jet lag kept him awake late, so he went for a walk on the streets of Honolulu.
At 2 in the morning, he found himself in a donut shop. Sitting at the counter, he overheard several prostitutes in a nearby booth. One of the girls named Agnes mentioned that it was her birthday.
After she had left, Tony turned to the cook and the other prostitutes and said, “Let’s throw a party for Agnes.” The other girls agreed to bring decorations and the cook said that he would bake a cake.
The next night, they all gathered at the shop and when Agnes walked in, they brought out the cake and began to sing, “Happy Birthday.” Tears streamed down Agnes’s face and when it came time to cut the cake, she just stood there.
Finally, she said, “Could I buy another cake and we eat that one? I want to take this one home and show it to my mother.” With that, she took the cake and left.
In the sudden silence that filled the shop, Tony bowed his head and began to pray: “Lord, we thank you for Agnes and for your love for her. You loved her enough to send Your Son to die for her on the cross. We thank you for the best present of all—the present of your own Son. Amen.”
When he raised his head, he saw that all of the prostitutes had their heads bowed and had been praying with him. The cook looked at him and said, “You’re a preacher!” and when Tony admitted that he was, the cook asked, “What kind of church do you have?” In a sudden flash of insight, Tony replied, “The kind that throws parties for prostitutes and gives invitations to sinners.” (Tony Campolo. The Kingdom Of God Is A Party. (Dallas: Word) pp. 3-7.)
Let me tell you something—EVERYONE is invited to come to Christ, to be united with Him and to be in His Church. COME if you’re not in God’s family; and if you are, GO and tell the lost the Good News of forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ.
