The Ministry Of The Gospel Series

Scripture

Today I am continuing my sermon series on Ephesians 3 that I am calling, "Proclaiming the Unsearchable Riches of Christ."

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 the first part of Ephesians 3 (verses 1-6), Paul explained the mystery of the gospel when he said in verse 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 3:6). Then he continued discussing in verses 7-13 the ministry of the gospel to which he had been called.

Let's read about Paul's ministry of the gospel in Ephesians 3:7-13:

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:7-13)

Introduction

One of the key themes of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians is that God is building a new society of people from all nations. In ancient times, God set his love upon the Jews and chose them to be his special people. All non-Jews-Gentiles-were not chosen to be God's special people. Over time, the division between Jews and Gentiles grew deeper and deeper. John Stott says that Paul's letter to the Ephesians…

…focuses on what God did through the historical work of Jesus Christ and does through his Spirit today, in order to build his new society in the midst of the old.

It tells how Jesus Christ shed his blood in a sacrificial death for sin, was then raised from death by the power of God and has been exalted above all competitors to the supreme place in both the universe and the church. More than that, we who are "in Christ," organically united to him by faith, have ourselves shared in these great events. We have been raised from spiritual death, exalted to heaven and seated with him there. We have also been reconciled to God and to each other. As a result, through Christ and in Christ, we are nothing less than God's new society, the single new humanity which he is creating and which includes Jews and Gentiles on equal terms.

I love the way John Piper recently stated this in his inimitable way of expressing biblical truth, "God is calling all people to move from the alienated bloodlines of race and ethnicity in to the one bloodline of Jesus Christ."

Lesson

Ephesians 3:7-13 shows Paul's ministry of proclaiming God's marvelous plan of uniting both Jews and Gentiles together in Christ.

Let's use the following outline:

1. The Ministry of the Gospel Is for the Gentiles (3:7-8)

2. The Ministry of the Gospel Is for the Church (3:9)

3. The Ministry of the Gospel Is for the Cosmic Powers (3:10-13)

I. The Ministry of the Gospel Is for the Gentiles (3:7-8)

First, the Apostle Paul teaches that the ministry of the gospel is for the Gentiles.

In the first part of Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul explained the mystery of the gospel when he said in verse 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." Then he went on to say in verse 7, "Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power." God first revealed the "mystery" to Paul (verses 2-3), namely, that he was creating one new society of people, that eventually came to be known as "Christians." Then, God called Paul to communicate this mystery to others through the ministry of the gospel. He had received this calling as a gift of God's grace, and he would exercise this calling by the working of God's power.