The Mystery, the Ministry, and Me, Part 3

Today on Insight for living with Chuck Swindoll. Life is not a bed of roses. Our Lord never promised us that he said he would be absurdly happy, completely fearless and in constant trouble and you know what the world notices Martyn Lloyd Jones says we have not merely been saved, that we might escape hell, we have been saved in order that God may present a people which will astonish the whole world.

He managed to exhibit a spirit of grace and dignity defies human explanation in his own words. He was a prisoner in chain to whom grace granted today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll helps us understand how Paul rose above unsavory circumstances and how we can do the same. We're looking at Ephesians chapter 3 the eloquent manner in which he describes the privilege of his spiritual calling you find yourself fighting against the uncomfortable opposition of our day.

Chuck titled today's message the mystery the ministry and one digression Paul refers to the missed missed.

What is the mystery point out before I identify it, that it was revealed to Paul in the special revelation verse three by revelation.

The mystery was made known to me when was that I'm guessing here, so your gas would be probably as good as mine, and I'm thinking when he was stoned at this and left for dead.

When he went into an unconscious state. I believe he was taken up to the third heaven and in his third heaven experience explained in second Corinthians chapter 12 the first nine verses the apostle received special revelation from God. God gave Paul an understanding of the body of Christ, the mystery, and he said I wrote before about it. In brief, the end of verse three commercially relentless verse nine of chapter 1 he made known to us the mystery of his will. That's why refers to writing about it.

In brief, in chapter 3 in verse three. The Bible ties together if you think of gears matching you will understand how Paul writes his words like no other writer of the New Testament dovetail. They work like gears smoothly together and he's moving in a direction he never forgets where he was in the previous chapter, or worries going in the next chapter.

This is all part of it. That's why the words for this reason I am so beautiful when he gets to verse three talks about this mystery and he said you can by reading this, understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. Verse four which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the spirit and to be specific, he says the Gentiles are gutter pencil ready again fellow players, fellow members, fellow partakers three times the same word is used fellow fellow fellow Gentiles and Jews are together in one hope in one body and one active experience of sharing this is the mystery now. I loved it when I came to verse seven in my study because now he talks about being the messenger here we have the declaration of the mystery of which this is referring to the mystery that mystery I was made a minister of according to the gift of God's grace, which was given to me according to the working of his power to say some things about preachers. First of all those who are truly ministers or ministers because they were made that by God, I was made a minister God's grace reaches into the ranks of humanity and picks out a few who are to be his Oaks men and women we didn't look for. We haven't prayed far and we had a long forward.

We probably didn't even want in the Lord's is provided. All you wish your mind you're going to do what I'm telling you to do so.

We stepped into it.

It was by his grace we didn't deserve it. Certainly not in fact look at verse 81 of my favorite lines from Paul to me the very least of all Saints declines the word that we could render lease this. Don't you love that I am least worthy to be a spokesman for Christ.

When it came to his sinners. He was the most is when it came to preachers. He was the least both sides. Grace personified.

He says I was made a minister, according to grace, according to his working.

The working of his power. He gifted me to do this to me the least, this grace was given, and what was he given to do. Look closely to things look verse eight to preach to the Gentiles, so he was the Gentiles minister. He was, if you will. The chaplain to the Gentile race. The unfathomable riches of Christ, and second, if you're noting verse nine to bring to light the mystery which for ages has been hidden. It is the job of the minister to bring light to the truth of Scripture and for Paul it was in the area of the mystery whenever you heard Paul teach you understood the body of Christ better if you were Gentile you felt a part of it. If you were to your prejudices were lost in the midst of your gratitude to God for his grace in saving Paul did that but he doesn't stop with a human audience.

Look at verse 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to whom to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. Did you know that the ultimate result of the preachers message the teachers message the evangelists message. The ultimate result is that angelic hosts learn about the church.

Nobody is getting excited about it about these angels that don't know about the whole message of salvation so they bring great where my going. They have been created.

These angels have been created by God to run his messages and his errands there there carrying on this magnificent supernatural work. It's invisible and they don't understand the gospel. Salvation not saying they're not lost. They don't have souls, and there they are learning about all the excitement of salvation from the church. Look at first Peter one. Don't say honey wanted to turn it going too long to turn to first Peter chapter 1 verse 10, 11, 12.

I want you to see this. Want to get excited about the first Peter 110. As to this salvation look the prophets who prophesied of the grace it would come to you made careful search is an inquiry see they didn't get it either. They prophesied it, but they didn't get it clearly they were seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It wasn't clear it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things into which angels long to look to see him look at Gabriel, do they observe which you believe I just did that literally. Peter says they do they demand out and they peers so as to look intently into something that's the word Peter uses for the Angels looking John Stott said it this way, the history of the Christian church is the graduate school for angels I give you one better when I was a young kid I sang in the boys quartet in the church that I attended and one of the songs that I would sometimes solo singing was the song that said, holy, holy is what the angels sing, and I expect to help the courts of heaven ring, but when I sing redemption story they will fold their wings for angels never felt the joy that my salvation that's good theology when I tell redemption story they will fold their wings burn angels never felt the joy my salvation brings you what you got it one up on the Angels they stare in amazement because they never knew the joy of the kind of salvation that's made us into a church they go to school on us. We hold a clinic every Lord's day, and they discover what salvation and spiritual enlightenment is all about. It's like it must've been just occurs to me for those dear sleeves. The 19th century as they heard the song's coming from the master's house. I must've wondered what it must be like to be in there more comfortable. The Angels missing out on salvation learn of it from the proclamation of the mystery you get to the truth like that you just think for not go home now.

That's it that unsatisfied.

That's when the great things you can discover, but there's more preachers as always know there's more of our lines. You know verse 11 verse 12 verse 13.

Let me give you three comments of encouragement. The first is this the message of the church has eternal roots verse 11.

The message of the church has eternal roots. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which he, God carried out in Christ our Lord way back way back before the earth was created the way back before there was matter low back before there was darkness and light go back before there was earth and water will back before there were days vegetation creatures.

Animals man, woman, back before all time you come to the place when the Godhead put together the plan for this whole world think with me here in putting together the plan for the whole world, God the father arranged for there to be the message of the church. The mystery of Christ, and he said to the sun, you will be the one who will carry it out. The father planted the son implemented the spirit empowered it. That's what verse 11 is saying this message was in accordance with the eternal purpose which God carried out in Christ our Lord. So the message of the church is eternal. Don't tell me you don't need to church. Don't tell me you don't need what the church can provide. Don't tell me you don't need to be a part of a family. This family has eternal's. The second those roots give us a secure relationship with the father. Verse 12 in whom that's Christ in Christ is carried out the plan. We have boldness and confident access through faith in him because of Christ who has brought us into the same family. We have a secure relationship with the father. Maybe you never had that with your father. I will get it all of that. That just leads to a dead end street. Let's just go to our heavenly father you got it with him. You got it with him. You've got what is he say boldness and confident access, you can wake up at 105 tomorrow morning trouble with something instantly. You can say father I have this on my heart.

I can't keep going on.

I'm struggling with it. I can't sleep. Take it and he's there and he takes it and what's amazing is 8 million other people are awake at 105 in the same morning and they're making the same request is that everyone of everyone using God he can handle it you want I will take a number that would doesn't know that he's a loving heavenly father loves it when you take advantage of your bold and confident access wonderfully. We have this relationship with him. Now here's the third that relationship guards us from discouragement before God is verse 13.

Therefore, I ask you not to lose heart word means to faint.

Don't get discouraged at my tribulations on your behalf while they are your glory. The old veteran preacher may be under arrest, the champion of the Gentiles may be set aside.

The Outlook may seem bleak, but the look is clear and God is inviting his nails what Paul was going through had to happen in God's mysterious plan and they would reap the benefits of Paul's time in the prison life is not a bed of roses are Lord never promised us that he said he would be absurdly happy, completely fearless and in constant trouble and you know what the world notices it Martin Lloyd Jones says we have not merely been saved, that we might escape hell, we have been saved in order that God may present a people which will astonish the whole world how you come along with your astonishment message. Anybody can grouse while under the pile, but if you go through it like the apostle is a prisoner of Christ. It's amazing how many will want to know how and you could tell them why because you're going through what I got a letter sent to me by a man I've never met in another city. He sent it to our church wrong address. So I was just handed this as I came in today by someone who had founded in another mailbox since dear Dr. Swindell in May of last year.

My life was turned upside down. I was wrongly accused of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable to a father and imprisoned for two weeks before being released on bond since that time I have been unable to have any contact with my wife and children in my life is in legal limbo. My attorney tells me he has worked cases like this that drag on for two or three years. Needless to say, this has been a trying time. I tell you this because the evening before I was to turn myself in on the arrest warrant. I went to the neighborhood grocery store looking for a good book to take to prison with me. Isn't that a line I selected your book come before winter because it seemed that winter had descended on my life with full fury. I was immensely encouraged by your insights and says a lot of exaggerated things in the Though the winter still rages. Listen to this though the winter still, this is perspective this is attitude.

This is under the mighty hand of God. Though the winter still rages I am closer to God than ever before in my life I build new friendships and relationships that sustain me. I have a bigger perspective on God's word and his plan for my life. I see how God is using as God is going to use this for his glory understand what Paul meant when he said to Gloria my reflections God will save our family and because of what has happened.

We will be stronger and our love for each other and devotion to him just as the Canaanite nations looked at the Israelites deliverance from Egypt as proof of God's power. Others will see our life as a testament to God's love and deliverance. Even today, your book came at a time of despair when I could've easily given up but you encouraged me to keep the faith and for that I say thank you and he signs his name want you to bow your heads perfume. Just close your eyes should sit before the war here we been talking about another person in another place at another time.

We we don't even know Paul, we couldn't pick him out of a lineup never seen don't know what the house looked like where he was under arrest those two years don't know where it was located in Rome, even if we visited.

We couldn't find it places an important perspective. This is where we need to go right now you have any perspective. If you don't have the Savior have nothing to praise because your life is empty and hollow in futile and full of disappointment and angry moments and unfair treatment and resentment range. This is a great moment for you. You may have just come out of a desperate situation. You may be just on the verge of stepping into one some legal threat may be on you. I don't know what your situation is but nothing touches you. That doesn't first flow through the fingers of God you can be absurdly happy, completely fearless know in constant trouble and only the Christian can say that only the Christian that means you, you come to know Christ means that Jesus is alive and well in your interbeing because you've invited him to take residence there. You've never done that. No wonder you can't sleep. No wonder you're on those those pills. No wonder you're drinking like your drinking wonder life is turned upside down. The hounds of heaven are after you suggested a simple prayer, Lord God, I'm on the center of my sin separates me from you.

Your holy and and I'm not your fair and gracious and good and I'm none of the above select from Littlechild come to the cross Jesus paid for my sins. I take him now.

Right you you may know the Lord, but you know what's happened over these past few months or maybe years drifted your hardly on speaking terms. He hasn't forgotten you belong to the father today would be a great day to renew acquaintance and spring before him. The things that have separated your relationship asking for great grace to see you through where you are. I pause because I sense that some of you need to come to terms with this and I want you to do it before you leave Lord of thank you for communicating in your word through this great letter to the Ephesians is like it was written yesterday from my friend who knows us well in his says one thing to one person something altogether different to another, and so today on this given moment in life. I pray for this dad who's going through this hellish experience there in another city being accused for something he didn't do and I pray for dozens of people in those unfair situations right now, mainly for these here who here this message today. We are where in the middle of a world it's lost its way. It's easy to get swept along with some help us to know what it is in the midst of the trial depreciate in Jesus name. And we all said and summarizing Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Chuck Swindoll titled today's message the mystery ministry and me your listening to Insight for living.

To learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org it's our hope that today's study has piqued your curiosity to learn more about Paul's letter written while under house arrest. In addition to the rich theological truths that Paul describes.

He is also shown us what it's like to rise above unfavorable circumstances, while written in the first century. Paul's letter is relevant to our times and preparing to present this teaching series. Chuck handpicked a devotional book the ties in naturally with Paul's letter. It's called to cover finding peace in God's protection is about surviving unexpected conflict and unwanted surprises Philip to Corsi is a Bible teacher and pastor, but before God's call on his life to serve the local church. Philip was a police officer in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As a result he's able to address tough issues. Realistically draw encourage from God's promises to purchase a copy of to cover today. Call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to Insight.org/store. Grace is a major theme in Ephesians and it's a motivating force it inside for living as well. Those who give month by month to Insight for living ministries have a ministry all their own, bringing God's message of grace to their community.

Through this radio station. These monthly companions are helping us deliver checks Bible teaching all around the world vision 195 to become a monthly companion right now go online to Insight.org/month companion or to give it one time donation call your listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 that's 1-800-772-8888 nine Dave Spike tomorrow will find Paul on his knee again here a practical lesson on prayer Tuesday on Insight for living with Chuck Swindoll the preceding message.

The mystery ministry and me was copyrighted in 2000 2001 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited