INTRODUCTION
• We are so glad you have chosen to worship with us this morning. We are in the middle of a series entitled “Reasons For My Heart To Beat.”
• In this series we are examining issues that can help revitalize of faith.
• The past reasons we have examined are To Praise His Glory, To Know His Power, the Show His Grace, TO Build His Church.
• If you want to listen to any in the series if you are having a hard time sleeping, check out our web site and click on the Audio Sermon tab.
• SLIDE #1
• Today we will examine another Reason for our Heart to Beat. “To Share His Mystery!”
• How many of us like a mystery? Many will read books and watch movies and television shows from the mystery genre.
• Mysteries draw is in as we strive to be the first ones to figure them out. My family used to watch CSI ALL THE ABOVE when Rachel still lived at home. We would guess how the person died. Of course we would put our own spin on it.
• Other shows keep you guessing until the very end. Shutter Island was one that kept you guessing.
• As you get deeper into the mystery and you start to think you figured it out you want to share it with others watching and then when the end comes you stand proud because you were the first to figure it out!
• In our text we will see that God had a mystery that was hidden for the ages. This mystery was not something HARD to know, it was simply not yet revealed in the Old Testament.
• The mystery was brought to light by God when the time was right.
• Today let’s look at some joyful thoughts concerning God’s mystery!
• Let’s turn to Ephesians 3, we will begin in verses 1-4
• SLIDE #2
• Ephesians 3:1–4 (HCSB) 1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 you have heard, haven’t you, about the administration of God’s grace that He gave to me for you? 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. God shows He is willing to use anyone to share His mystery.
• One of the things that’s’ always intrigued me about God is the people He has used to carry out His mission.
• When you look throughout both the Old and New Testament, you see God has always been a bit unconventional as to the people He would use.
• Would you have picked the shepherd boy David to be the next king? Would Peter have been one of the 12 that you would depend on getting the message out to the whole world?
• I mean we would look at many if not all the people that God used and wonder why.
• Paul says FOR THIS REASON he calls himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of the Gentiles.
• This REASON was the fact that Jesus opened the gates of heaven to all humans, He allowed ANYONE to be a part of His family in contrast to the Old Testament where the Jews were God’s chosen people.
• Last week I hope we understood how important and exciting the revelation should be to all of us who were not Jews.
• SO God locked him up and made him do what he was doing? NO!
• God won Paul through His love and forgiveness. Paul wore the chains of love, gratitude, duty and trust!
• Paul was SO grateful for what God had done for Him; Paul made himself a prisoner to God’s will!
• Paul wanted the message of the Gospel to reach everyone. Paul’s desire to carry out God’s will of taking the gospel to the non-Jews, or Gentiles got him into trouble at times.
• This but one of those times
• SLIDE #4
• Acts 21:28 (HCSB) shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has profaned this holy place.”
• Paul was in interesting choice to take the gospel to the Gentiles. After all, Paul was a Pharisee; would it not have been better for God to call him to a ministry to the Jews of whom he had great passion for?
• No, God used Paul and if He used Paul, he will use you also!
• We see in verse two that God was able to use Paul who used to persecute the church because of the grace God extended to Paul.
• Paul writes in verse 2, you have heard, haven’t you, about the administration of God’s grace that He gave to me for you?
• The word ADMINISTRATION speaks of one who administers the affairs of a home on behalf of another. God entrusted Paul with this all-important ministry to the Gentiles.
• The word MYSTERY is used about 20 times in the HCSB in the New Testament in Paul’s writing.
• God revealed the mission to Paul and Paul writes a good chunk of the New Testament so we too could follow his lead!
• It is worth taking note that Paul saw his job assignment as a matter of God’s grace toward him. Paul realized that receiving God’s grace was a free gift from God, but that gift carried some responsibilities with it.
• I know we can come up with a lot of reasons that God could not possibly use us for ANYTHING, but think of it this way; did you do what Paul did? Did you gladly arrest Christians; did you hold the cloaks of those who were killing a Christian?
• Paul did these things, yet God used him!
• It is time to realize that God can and will use you for His glory; we should be excited to know that we are not called to sit the bench! We are called to share the message of Jesus with whomever God opens the door for! God can and will use you!
• Let’s look at verses 5-6
• SLIDE #5
• Ephesians 3:5–6 (HCSB) 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• SLIDE #6
II. God revealed the mystery so it could be shared.
• We cannot really grasp the significance of what Paul shares in verse 5. The Old Testament Prophets were amazing but God never revealed the whole story.
• SLIDE #7
• 1 Peter 1:10–12 (HCSB) 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.
• These Prophets wanted to know more but God was not ready to tell them. Now we have the opportunity to share the mystery with all people!
• We can share teaching with people that folks like Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Elijah could only dream of sharing!
• WE have a message that God wants proclaimed! Our message was not revealed through the Apostles and New Testament Prophets only to be hidden.
• How will your friends and lost family members ever know about Jesus if you do not tell them?
• SLIDE #8
• Romans 10:14–17 (HCSB) 14 But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! 16 But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.
• Verse six shares the exciting news that both Jew and Gentile are able to be able to claim the promises of God.
• We need to do what we can to reach everyone we can, no one is beyond reach!
• For over 17 centuries only the Jew had access to God!
• SLIDE #9
• Galatians 3:29 (HCSB) 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.
• We can be members of the same body. In a world filled with rejection because the world perceives you are not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, tall enough, or for whatever reason they reject you, GOD will not!
• God is not in the rejection business! You can have fulfillment and purpose in life in Him!
• Let’s look at verse 7.
• SLIDE #10
• Ephesians 3:7 (HCSB) I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power.
• SLIDE #11
III. God will equip those who are willing to share the mystery.
• You may be thinking, ok, I am included with all the promises of God, I am a part of His family, I know He wants me to share that message of salvation to people I know and love, BUT I cannot do IT, I am not equipped!
• I have said this before, God does not call the equipped; He equips the called!
• Paul who called himself the worst of sinners in 1Timothy 1:16 was used by God.
• God by His grace gave Paul an assignment, grace is not being saved, but by God’s grace we are given both the privilege of serving Him, but also the POWER to accomplish the task!
• WE will not do a lot of things in life because we are too afraid to fail.
• Look at Colossians 1:29
• SLIDE #12
• Colossians 1:29 (HCSB) I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.
• When you are following God’s will, you are also going to be tapping into God’s power! God will equip you!
• No realize that when it comes to winning people to Jesus, not even Jesus had a 100% success rate, so do not be discouraged.
• Just know that God will guide and direct you, you just need to trust, pray and prepare!
• Plus you never know what your impact on another person will be even if you do not see immediate results.
• Think about this, even if you just win ONE person in your lifetime, is that one worth it?
• Fear not! God is on your side!
CONCLUSION
• I hope that we can all be energized by the fact that God has given us a great message that is meant to be shared! I pray that you will wake up each day and know that God has given you an assignment and that HE will equip you to carry it out!
