Introduction

We looked in depth last Sunday at the 8^th verse of Ephesians chapter 3, which is actually only the beginning of the sentence that begins with the 8^th verse and ends in the 12^th verse.

That 8^th verse talking about Paul’s humility

Perhaps his feeling of wonder at being given such grace to be give the stewardship of the gospel to the Gentiles

What Paul calls the unsearchable riches of Christ

The gospel of God’s Salvation by the Lord Jesus

Lets go back to the 7^th verse just to remind us of some of the context of his thoughts

Body

A reminder of Paul’s thought chain

of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. {8} To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, {9} and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

I have pointed out Paul’s humility before

The mystery of Christ profoundly affected Paul

Paul's greatest glory was God's call and God's work

The preaching and teaching of the mystery of Christ to the Gentiles

He saw and understood the dignity of the ministry, the dignity of being especially chosen by God

The ministry was a glorious privilege for Paul

God did not have to persuade him to be a minister

He did not have to be coerced.

Paul saw his call to be a minister of God as the greatest of all privileges

Something else of primary importance I alluded to in the last several weeks,

Paul says that his call to be a minister and a preacher was a gift, a free gift of God's grace

God had the right to call him simply because God has all rights.

God is God.

There was no merit, no worth, no value within Paul that caused God to choose him as a minister and as a preacher

Paul simply exclaims, "what a privilege!

What a responsibility! the least of the least called of God to minister and to preach!"

If we turn to 2 Corinthians

We will see another expression of Paul’s dedication and glorying in the stewardship of the gospel

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. {2} But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

The salvation in Christ caused Paul to become a preacher.

We see his utter humility.

He had what we all need: a deep, intense sense of unworthiness before God.

And yet, an intensity of purpose because of the salvation of Christ

Then in the 9^th verse we see even more

Paul’s belief that the gospel was to be universal

and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

The salvation in Christ caused Paul to become a dynamic witness or evangelist

His preaching and teaching, his ministry was to, notice the phrase in verse 9, make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery

Of course, no one can make everyone see the light of the gospel

Not Paul

Not me

Not you

Not Billy Graham

No one can

But, Paul could proclaim the gospel loud and clear and so be a light to who so ever will

We sang the old song, Brighten the Corner Where You Are

And this is exactly what we are to do, Brighten the Corner Where We Are

In Matthew 5:14 - 16, Jesus plainly tells His disciples and us that we are the light of the world

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. {15} "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. {16} "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

There are people in the world around us who never open, who never read His Book, the Bible.

But they are reading each of us.

Are they able to see God in our lives?

Are they able to say of us to others, "That man--or that woman--reminds me of Christ"?

Do we let our light so shine that men may see, not us, but our Father in heaven?

This is the real test.

I vividly recall working in the Office of Training Requirements in the USASA Training Center and School, there were about 14 military and civilian people working there. One day, a Master Sergeant was writing away, in a very agitated manner. He had a number 2 pencil and a long, yellow legal pad and every time he made a mistake or wanted to change a word he would scratch it out, furiously covering the errant word, phrase, or sentence with a copious amount to pencil lead. As I watched he looked up at me and I said, "Fred, if you just turn the pencil over and use that little rubber tip, you wouldn’t be wasting so much energy and paper." Fred looked up at me and said, "Vary, what makes you so different, how can you be so calm?" To my shame I was not prepared to give an answer for the faith that was within me. But, from that moment I knew my little light did shine.

There are people you know or have known, whose life was one of light

An individual who attracted others because of the inner glow that manifested itself in a life that brought glory to God

Verse 9 goes on to say more about the mystery

and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

Now we have already explained the mystery

The precious gospel of Salvation in Christ

The reason Paul calls it a mystery is that the gospel was not perfectly revealed before the cross

Not that God hid the means of salvation

Salvation was by believing God

In Romans 4:3, and three other places in Scripture, it plainly says

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness

Acts 16:31 tells us that salvation today is by the same means

So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

The mystery hidden in God was the truth of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection

Then Ephesians 3:9 also tells us that this the work of the creator

And that the creation was done through Jesus

As I have said before, all three persons of the Godhead were intimately involved in creation

Just how, I cannot say

The illustration I have used in the past is that God the Father is the architect

God the Son is the general contractor

And God the Holy Spirit was the laborer

No matter, in our passage, Paul includes God and Christ as creator

God through Christ created us to be lights, lights to the world

Simply put, we are the wick, the indwelling Holy Spirit is the oil

We light as we allow the Holy Spirit to permeate our lives and shine forth

If we do as Paul says in Ephesians 5:18

but be filled with the Spirit

We must give Him leave to illuminate the corner where we are

Now, lets move on to Ephesians 3:10 - 12

Verse 9 says, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery

The Intent of the Wisdom of God

to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, {11} according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, {12} in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places

First we need to understand the term principalities and powers

Some say that principalities and powers refers to heavenly angels, and they are probably right, except, if you turn to Ephesians 6:12 we find a very telling passage concerning principalities and powers

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Do we wrestle against God’s loyal heavenly angels?

I think not, here Paul is quite clear, he is talking about Satan and His demons

Why, then, does it say, "In heavenly places?"

We know that the devil, Satan, is, at times, in the heavenly throne room accusing the children of God

We know that Satan and his minions will one day be thrown out of heaven permanently

And so, it is not beyond our understanding that our God and Savior wants to see His omnipotent wisdom in the salvation of humans is made manifest to the serpent of the garden

Satan thought he had ruined God’s creation there in the garden

Even after the serpent was cursed, can’t you just imagine Satan laughing

Its like an old hen, "LOOK, LOOK, what I’ve done."

Now the mystery God kept hidden is revealed in the salvation of fallen men, women, boys and girls

And the institutions of the church

And, I imagine that God wants, if you’ll pardon the expression, to shove it up Satan’s nose

The church proving that God has already won

Continuing on to verse 11

The Eternal Purpose

according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord

Pulling the continuing idea together, it goes like this, "To me this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord

God’s purpose, His glorious purpose, in salvation and in the church is to show His love and wisdom to the whole of creation, the universe, and beyond to the heavenly places, even to His loyal angels.

One commentator says the showing of God’s manifold wisdom is to stir every creature to stark amazement at what God is doing.

In Romans 11:33 Paul says

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

That same commentator continues the showing of God’s manifold wisdom is to stir every creature to stark amazement at God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus

In 2 Timothy 1:9 Paul says

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

And again, the showing of God’s manifold wisdom is to stir every creature to stark amazement at the believer’s ready access to the throne of grace, God’s very presence, by faith in Christ

In Ephesians 2:18 Paul says

For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

And God wants the church to prove His mercy, His grace, His love, His wisdom in the salvation of human souls to His glory

And this was God’s plan and purpose even before time began

And then continuing to verse 12

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Now we have to reflect back to verse 11 so that the whole idea here is Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Paul, here, specifies, Christ Jesus our Lord

This term Lord, then, means

Master

Sovereign

Liege

The word here, Lord, is the New Testament equivalent of Jehovah or Adoni

And mind you, Paul says, Our Lord

His Lord

Your Lord

My Lord

Our Lord in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him

The writer to the Hebrews in chapter 4 and verse 16 says

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Conclusion

This passage from verse 1 to verse 12 is absolutely loaded

But, we have covered this morning verse 8 through 12

Beginning with the humility of the minister, preacher, and teacher of the gospel

Also covering the privilege and responsibility of being a minister of the gospel

Shining the light of the gospel to every creature

To brighten the corner where we are

Manifesting the simple truth of salvation in Christ

Being, in the church, a shining proof of the wisdom of God to every creature, to heavenly angels, Satan and his demons, to the universe, and to every man, woman, boy and girl

Then by the wisdom of God through faith in Jesus, we have access to the Holiest of holies

The very presence of God

Which is to the utter amazement of all creation

So much opened to our eyes here

And yet, it all boils down to one simple thing

We are to show all creation the eternal plan and purpose of God

Salvation by the simple idea of believing and personally accepting the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for ourselves

And every man, woman, boy and girl must look into their own heart and ask one simple question, "Jesus, are You there?"

If the answer is yes, then we have to Brighten the Corner Where We Are.