Welcome to the preaching ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler, Arizona. Our desire is that God would be magnified through the preaching of His Word, and that Christians would be challenged, strengthened, and edified in their personal walk with Christ. I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me again to Ephesians, but to the third chapter. Ephesians chapter 3, as we continue our study in this letter, Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, as he begins to unfold the mystery that he has talked about earlier in this letter. As a boy, I remember reading the Hardy Boys Mysteries. These were stories about two brothers, Frank and Joe. They were teenage amateur detectives who were able to solve cases that had stumped others. including their adult counterparts. Their detective father would at times ask them for help to solve the crimes. And while I devoured these stories, it wasn't until much later that I realized that they were really boilerplate in their structure. you're gonna find the same thing, some crime's gonna happen, and how it would just kind of flow out. But I still enjoyed the intrigue and plot twists as they would solve these crimes. The Nancy Drew series then developed for the female counterpart to the Hardy Boys. It never dawned on me that their town of Bayport seemed to experience a significant amount of crime, felonies for such a small town. Later, my parents introduced me to the Danny Orlis series, published by Moody Press, which had Christian values and topics that were added to the adventure, the mysteries, and the suspense. You know, the draw of mystery literature, that genre, is the desire to really solve the riddle that is laid out. the crime that is really, the riddle that is put out there, and then to try to glean from the details that are given, the story that is unfolded, and try to figure out the solution, and hopefully before it's actually revealed in the book. I have a friend that his philosophy of reading mysteries is read the last chapter first. Then he can relax. as he's reading the book. And you know, in some ways, I like his reasoning. You know, for me, Wordle holds about all the suspense I want at this point in my life. You know, when the Bible talks about a mystery, though, it is something totally different. It's not speaking of some story that we can decipher. If we just get the clues and in our human intellect, we can put it together. That's actually not what the Bible refers to. In fact, there's an illustration in the Old Testament in Daniel chapter 2 where King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. And his spirit is anxious because of this dream. He's uncertain as to what the meaning is. So he calls for his magicians, his astrologers, his sorcerers, and this pagan nation, and he asks them to interpret the dream for him. And their response is, King, that's not a problem. We'll be glad to do it. You tell us the dream, we'll give you the interpretation. And he says, no, that's not how we're gonna do it. I'm not gonna give you the plotline the characters and the clues you tell me the dream and the interpretation Says that's how we're gonna do it. I Personally suspect that he didn't really trust them That he think you know, he probably figured they're just making it up as they go along. I And the magicians come back and say, King, that's not how it works. Those aren't the rules for dream interpretation. The rules are, you tell us the dream and we give you the interpretation. And he, in essence, in Daniel 2, accuses them of being liars and manipulative weasels. I think that's what it says in the Hebrew. But he says, no, you're gonna tell me the dream and the interpretation. He says, let me explain to you the new rules for how this works. He says, you tell me the dream and the interpretations and if it's accurate, I will give you honor and gifts and rewards and you will be set in the kingdom. So if you do it, then it's gonna go well with you and if you don't, you will be torn apart limb from limb and your house will be turned into a pile of rubble. I mean, this is a high stakes mystery. I mean, there's a new level of intensity for this escape room for them. And the magicians complain, and they come out and they say, that is humanly impossible. They said only the gods could do this. And so word comes to Daniel, and he asks his companions to pray, and God reveals the dream and the interpretation to Daniel. So Daniel goes to King Nebuchadnezzar and he declares that the God of heaven is the one who reveals the deep and secret things. That's a mystery as it's laid out in scripture. Something that had been hidden that is now being revealed. And it's not because of human ingenuity or human understanding or comprehension that we figure it out, it's God revealing it. And this is what Paul is talking about when we come to Ephesians chapter three. In fact, in the opening verses, Paul is so excited about the mystery that God has revealed and that he has a part in it that he actually has to stop. He's beginning to pray, and he's gonna tell the church at Ephesus about his prayer, and he digresses from verses 12 to 13 before he even gets to his prayer. That's how excited he is. He's not just excited that God has revealed it and in the mystery, he is amazed that he has part in telling the mystery. And I want you to see this digression because it really flows out. If you have your Bibles open to Ephesians chapter three, look with me at the first verse. Before we read the text, I want you to see this. Notice how he begins. Paul's heart is overflowing with what God is doing, and so in verse one, he actually breaks off from where he's going. It says in verse one, for this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, and now he's gonna digress, and he's gonna return to this in verse 14. Look down at verse 14. He says, for this reason, I bow my knees to the Father. So the very beginning of this chapter, for this reason, now he digresses, and that's what we're gonna consider this morning. Why is this so important to Paul? Because what I want us to consider this morning is the excitement that Paul has to display God's plan and then expand upon this sacred secret that has been revealed even before he gets to telling them about his prayer. Because what I want us to understand is that when we recognize the greatness of God's plan, as it's revealed through the church, it ought to cause us to serve the Lord with joy and conviction. that it ought to motivate us that we get to be part of what God is doing at this time in history. If you have your Bibles open, follow with me now as I begin reading in verse 1, we'll read down through verse 13, but I wanted you to see how he's going to digress and then we'll expand on that digression as he talks about the mystery this morning. For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power. 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, 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. to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulation for you, which is your glory." Let's look to the Lord. Father, as we look into your Word this morning, we pray that you truly would open our spiritual eyes, that we would behold wonderful things out of your Word and apply them personally to live for your glory. For it is in Christ's name we pray, amen. As we consider these verses this morning, I want us to see God's plan, the greatness of that, and that we would be motivated to serve. The first thing that we see is the mystery is being explained, and I've mentioned this already, but understanding that a biblical mystery is a truth that was previously hidden and is now revealed. Paul is laying that out, he's bringing that out in these verses. In fact, a very clear statement of this is one that we find in Romans chapter 16, verses 25 and 26, where it says, now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began, but now made manifest, and by the prophetic scriptures, made known to all nations according to the commandment of the everlasting God for obedience to the faith. Paul was saying, look, these things were hidden. Now they're revealed. And so when we look at chapter three, he begins in verse three by saying that now by revelation he made known to me the mystery, and then there's a parentheses. And he picks back up what he's saying in verse five, made known to me by the mystery, which in other ages was not made known, but now has been revealed. Previously hidden, now revealed. That's the biblical definition of a mystery. It's not us trying to read the story and pull the clues together and follow the plot twists and we figure it out. No, without God revealing it, we would never get it. And so this biblical mystery is something that was previously hidden. And Paul is consumed with this. He is just amazed at what God is doing, and so he mentions, and if you look at the parenthetical statement at the last part of verse three, he says, as I have briefly written already, by which when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. Well, where did Paul write this? Back in chapter one. Back in chapter one, verse nine, he mentioned what God is doing, and now he expanded upon it in chapter two. And understand that this letter, when it would arrive at the church at Ephesus, they're gonna read this publicly. And so as Paul starts to drop these clues about this mystery in chapter one and then in chapter two, by the time they come to this statement in chapter three, I mean, it'd probably be about eight minutes of time in reading. not the eight weeks it's taken us to get here. And so it's fresh in their minds and they're saying, Paul, what is this mystery you keep talking about? Well, he had finished describing it in chapter two when he talked about how Christ redeems sinners and then unites Jews and Gentiles together, removing this barrier of hostility that was humanly impossible to change, and God creates this new humanity, this new creation. The theme of the first ten verses of chapter two was that of redemption. Those who were dead in trespasses and sins, defiled and defiant, deserving of doom because of the mercy of God, can have salvation. And then he continues and talks about the reconciliation in verses 11 through 22, and he emphasized this by pointing out that he made both one, that peace came as they became one. He created in himself a new man, reconciling them into one body, and providing equal access through the Holy Spirit. This is the end of chapter two as he's bringing these clues together. And then he concludes by pointing out that Jews and Gentiles have one citizenship. They are fellow citizens, one family, members of God's household, and part of one temple, the dwelling place of God. And so the point is God has brought peace to those who were formerly enemies. They were gripped with hostility. In fact, a good Jew would not allow a Gentile into their home lest it become defiled. And if the Gentiles were to cross into the Jewish area of the temple, that Gentile could be killed. That was the barrier. And now God has taken enemies and made them family. No peace treaty could do that. God did that. And in doing so, he displayed his wisdom and his glory. And understand that Paul was no friend of Gentiles. God didn't pick Paul because he was somehow predisposed to be more accommodating. That wasn't the case at all. In fact, it was just the opposite. Because Paul was one of the leaders. He was kind of their enforcer. that was bringing pressure and trying to destroy the church. Paul or Saul was sent to weed out Christ's followers. And he had no qualms about arresting them and dragging them away in chains and throwing them into prison. In fact, he stated in Philippians, he said that his testimony was, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was blameless when it came to righteousness of the law. And he was known for persecuting the church. So it wasn't like Paul somehow was looking for opportunities to have everybody get together. No, he was glad to be part of causing this division. And that's why he's amazed that he can have part in sharing this message. So understanding what that mystery is, I want us to consider how it's applied. And looking at this, because when you understand the greatness of God's plan, it will impact your life. The first thing that we can see is that you can face difficult circumstances with a confident assurance that God is in control. That when trials come, we can see that God is in control. And again, understanding what is taking place here. Historically, the letter to the church at Ephesus is known as one of the prison letters. the prison epistles. That means Paul wrote it while he was in prison. So why was he in prison? Well, apparently he considers the Gentiles to be culpable in this. Because notice what he says in verse one, he says, I am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. It's because of the Gentiles that he's a prisoner. And we find the historical details back in Acts chapter 21. In fact, in Acts 21, I alluded to this several weeks ago when we mentioned the barrier in the temple. But Paul had come to Jerusalem, he met with the church leaders and he told them what God was doing among the Gentiles, and they were thrilled. The folks in the church glorified God for what was taking place among the Gentiles. But they also expressed some concern to Paul. They said, Paul, there's kind of a thought out there that you have abandoned your Jewish heritage. Now, that wasn't true. But they said, Paul, it would be good if you would take some steps to purify yourself ceremonially, and then there are some men who have taken a Nazarite vow to show their devotion to the Lord. If you would actually supply for them, you would pay for that, and really, you would sponsor their vow, it would show that you've not abandoned your Jewish heritage. And Paul agrees to do that. Because he writes to the church at Corinth, he says, I don't want to cause a barrier to the Jews or the Gentiles or the church. He said, I don't want there to be an offense. So he does this, and it was a lengthy process. It took an entire week, and so at the end of seven days, Paul goes to the temple. He's purified himself, he's sponsored these other men, he goes to the temple to worship, and on that same day, some Jews from Asia show up. They were probably from Ephesus, because they recognized a man from Ephesus, a Gentile named Jason. They saw him in the city with Paul, and they wrongly assumed that Paul took him into the temple area. Now, it's false, it's speculation, it's wrong, but false speculation doesn't usually stop with people who are predisposed to believe the worst. I mean, it happened in Paul's day, it happens in our day. And so they stir up the people. And they say, Paul took this man in, and because of that, they grab Paul, they drag him out, they start beating him, and they want to kill him. And this is what's happening in chapter 21. While the Roman centurion sees the uprising taking place in the temple area, he doesn't want this to happen, so he comes down and grabs Paul, arrests him, starts taking him away, thinking that Paul is an Egyptian terrorist. That's what verse 38 of Acts 21 tells us. And when Paul starts speaking to him in Greek, he's like, you know Greek? He says, you mean you're not that Egyptian that created this insurrection? And Paul says, no. And then Paul says, can I talk with the people? And so the centurion gives him permission, and Paul begins speaking to them in Hebrew. And that's actually what takes place in Acts 22. So Acts 22 is Paul's speech to the Jews in the temple area. And he tells them how he was the one who persecuted the followers of the way, even to death. And they would bind people, he would drag them away into prison, both men and women, and then he tells them what happened on the road to Damascus. He said, I was going to Damascus to arrest more Christians, and that's when he encountered Jesus Christ. And he lays all of this out, and they are listening until he makes this statement in Acts 22, verse 21. He says, the Lord said to me, depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles. And when he tells his Jewish audience, the Lord is sending him to the Gentiles, I mean, that goes over like bacon for the breakfast at the temple fellowship meal. I mean, it just does not go well. And they cry, and here's what they say, away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live. They want him dead. That's the division. And so, because of this, Paul gets transferred to Caesarea, he's under protective custody, He tries to plead his case to the leaders. He realizes he's not going to get a fair trial, so he appeals to Caesar. That's in Acts 25. So from 21, Acts 21, all the way to chapter 25, he's in Israel, he's under arrest, and it says he spent two years in Caesarea before he's finally transferred to Rome, and in the process, he's shipwrecked, he arrives in Rome, where he's also under house arrest for two years. And that's how the book of Acts concludes. In Acts 28, he's writing his letters, and the book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome. Why was he under arrest? Because of the Gentiles. He's arrested by Gentiles because the Jews hated the message that was going to go to the Gentiles. And so he's telling them in the opening verse of chapter 3, I, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you, Gentiles. How do you think he felt about that? That's not what he anticipated when he went to Jerusalem. But he's not upset. He's not frustrated. He's not blaming them. He said, well, this wasn't what I expected. No, he's really not complaining. In fact, he tells them he doesn't want them discouraged. He says in verse 13, therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. He said, these circumstances have come because I'm serving Jesus Christ. And while the book of Acts closes with Paul in prison, under house arrest, he's still able to preach and teach to anybody who will come to him. And what we really see is that, and it says at the end of Acts that no one, no man prohibited him. And so what we see is, well, while Paul is confined, the gospel is not. The word is free. In fact, it even went into Caesar's household, because he's being guarded, and now Paul has a captive audience for sharing the gospel. Who's really the captive here? Let me tell you about Jesus. Who are you guarding today? Oh, I've got Paul duty. Oh, have fun with that. Why, is he violent? Nobody's gonna talk to you. He's gonna tell you about Jesus. And Paul is saying, look, these are my circumstances for Jesus Christ. In fact, he writes elsewhere, pray that the Word would have free course. The idea there in the Greek term is that it would run and that God would be glorified. See, the point is, difficulties came because of the opportunities that he had. Is that how we look at our circumstances? When we're seeking to serve the Lord, when we're doing what God has called us to do, when we are being faithful in our home and our work and wherever it would be and we're serving God and problems come, do we see that as of God? I mean, we live in a fallen world. There are gonna be problems no matter what just because of sin. How much better to have it as being invested in something that's eternal? I mean, we are in a spiritual battle. Do we really think that the enemy isn't going to oppose us? I mean, this is why we're called to walk in wisdom. And Paul was so thrilled to be able to proclaim the great plan to those who had been afar off that he can't even get to his prayer yet. He said, I just have to tell you what God's doing. And he marvels at this mystery. See, part of the confidence that you can have as a Christ follower is knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Say, well, I don't see how this can work for good. No, that's part of His mystery. And you're not gonna figure it out until He reveals it. I don't think Joseph was gonna figure out the mystery that he's going to rule, his brothers are gonna bow down to him, and then they sell him as a slave, and he gets accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison. How is that gonna work? He's not gonna figure it out until God reveals it. We can trust God that all things do work together for good. and understanding the circumstances, and when we recognize that, then we see that there's a bigger picture of what's taking place, and that's the second thing I want us to see, that you will recognize your place in the greater context of what God is doing in this new creation. We see this especially in verse six, as he's talking about this revelation that's been laid out, and then in verse six it says to the Gentiles that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel. There's three compound nouns that are used here to define the mystery of Jews and Gentiles, that they are together, heirs together. Fellow heirs, as it says. If you remember back to chapter 2, verse 19, where he mentioned that we are members of the same household. Or in chapter 1, verses 4 and 5, that we are chosen by the Father and adopted as children into God's family. That makes us heirs. We're fellow heirs. The second one is they're members together of the same body. The idea here is that they are co-members. In fact, this is the only use of this Greek word in the New Testament, and some commentators think that Paul coined the term to describe this unique relationship in the new humanity. Because after we find it here, the only place that it shows up in Greek writings is by Christian writers. and as believers we're part of the same body, that all of us as members have one place in the body of Christ, we have a place in the body of Christ, we're part of God's program. That's the picture that's used in 1 Corinthians 12 of the body. And it makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit places us in the body and then provides each of us with spiritual gifts so that we will serve the Lord. And it says that no member can say, well, I don't need you. The hand can't say, I don't need the foot or the eye. And this is the illustration that's used in 1 Corinthians 12. And I think we have to be careful that we don't ever diminish our ministry or somebody else's by saying, well, they're not doing what I'm doing. No, they're supposed to be doing what God has them doing. And say, well, they're not as important. Well, yes, they are if God's placed them in the body. And so don't diminish and say, well, they don't really minister like I do. According to who? It's the Holy Spirit that gives the gifts, not us. And we're called to be faithful men and women. And so don't diminish your ministry or anybody else's as lesser, the differing gifts, but the same spirit. And then the third thing that we see is that they are partakers together, partakers of the promise. I mean, this is that major plot twist, that those who had been a far off, strangers and aliens, according to chapter two, verse 12, without the covenant promises can now share equally in Christ's promises and have equal access to the Father. That barrier is removed. The veil in the temple was torn. The wall between the Gentiles and the Jews has been removed. and together they are part of a new humanity where God dwells. No one saw that coming. You have to read the last chapter to get that. You know, I wonder if sometimes the reason that we don't get excited about what God is doing today is we don't really get it. We don't really sense what it was like to be far off. I mean, we're pretty much all Gentiles. And most of us are Americans. Why wouldn't God want us? I mean, that's almost our mentality. You know, don't we have a right? We're all about our rights, so shouldn't I be part of the same family, the same body, have participation and get the same promises? And when we realized the greatness of God's plan revealed through the church, we realized, no, we don't have that right. It's God who was rich in mercy. because of his great love. And what it ought to do is bring us to the third realization that we will serve in a humble reverence because we recognize the grace of God. You know, I already mentioned that Paul was not chosen because of an inclination to be open and receptive. And he marvels that God would use him. I mean, he is amazed. In 1 Corinthians 15, 9, Paul refers to himself as the least of the apostles who's not worthy to be called an apostle. And he explains why. He said, because I persecuted the church. But now he broadens out his point of comparison. It's not just the apostles. At this point, it's all Christ followers. And he says, I am least of all. In fact, when he compares himself with other believers, he considers himself to be, and literally he's saying, I am leaster of all. He said, I don't deserve this. In fact, it says in 1 Timothy 1.15, Paul says, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. See, Paul remembered where he came from. I don't know when Paul first heard the gospel, but I knew he heard it when Stephen was killed. Because when Stephen shared the gospel, and then he was martyred, stoned to death, the Bible tells us they laid the coats at the feet of Saul. He was actually the one giving the go-ahead for the killing of Stephen. He heard Stephen's message. Here's one of those who is at the beginning of the church, and Paul says, I don't deserve this. I persecuted the church. I killed believers. I was giving the approval for that. And when he realizes that, he is amazed, not only that he can be saved, but he can share the good news with others. Paul wasn't a live and let live kind of guy. He was aggressively opposed to the gospel. Can you imagine the ripple that must have made through the Jewish leadership when Paul trusted Christ? Say, hey, you know, we don't really have to worry about the church. We got Paul on our side. Saul. You mean you haven't heard? Well, Paul had this experience on the road to Damascus, and now he's on their side. You gotta be kidding. We don't have Saul anymore? And Paul says, I'm the least of all saints. I don't deserve this. He wasn't demanding certain treatment, he said it's the gift of grace that was given to him is what he says in this passage. And when you read Acts 21 through 28 and you see what's taking place, he's excited that he can be serving the Lord. Whether it's in prison, whether he's shipwrecked, he said the things that have happened to me have fallen out for the gospel to go forth. And so he writes to the church at Philippi and says, my bond's in Christ. He said, I'm the prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. Is that how we serve? Or do we serve with stipulations? Well, I'll serve God if. Here's my contract. Paul said, the things that happen, it's because I'm serving the Lord. You know, well, I'll serve as long as it's not inconvenient, if I get enough rest, if things go my way, or if I get recognition. God calls us to serve. Are we overwhelmed with the opportunity and say, God will use me? There's no sin too great that you cannot come to Jesus Christ. Paul was attacking the church, and Jesus said, why do you persecute me? And none of us are too good that we don't need a savior. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. We live in a sin-cursed world. There are gonna be problems, but how much better to face those as we're serving the Lord? Because then we can, the fourth thing we can do is we will strive to display God's wisdom. Paul considered it an honor to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, is what he states here. He said, I get to share this good news, and the idea of the word unsearchable, It's unfathomable. You can't trace it. If you're trying to follow the path, you're not going to be able to. It's unexplorable and it's inexhaustible. And again, it's this mystery that we can't solve. We're not going to be able to dig into it to figure it out. Because the unsearchable riches of Christ are infinite. It's the spiritual wealth that's available to us as believers. And we fully, we can't fully grasp it. So what are these riches? Well, it's the saving riches. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It's the sanctifying riches. It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, to live soberly and righteously godly. So there are practical riches. And then there are the eternal riches. laying up treasure in heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt it. It won't be destroyed. Understand the unsearchable riches of Christ. Christ always enriches life. He never subtracts from life. How many times do people say, and maybe you thought it before you were saved, or maybe you're here today and don't know Christ and are thinking, well, if I get saved, I have to give up so much. No, Christ never takes away from our life, but what he gives is so much better. Yes, there are things that we give up, but we get so much in return because Jesus said in John 10, 10, I am come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. I mean, we live in a miserable world. People are not happy. Why? Because they don't have the life of Christ. There's not the joy of Jesus. That's why Christ came. And as a church family, we have a responsibility and opportunity to declare and display the multifaceted wisdom of God. to a needy world, that Christ ought to be attractive because of us. Our attitudes, our life, what we see, there's a desire, we ought to communicate the untraceable, unsearchable riches of Christ. The church is central to the gospel of Christ. It's also central to Christian living. Folks, we need the church for our spiritual growth because we have to display the transforming grace and God will develop us through the church. See, God designed for people to live in a community, both physically and spiritually. You know, one of the first verses, the first thing that God said was not good, it's not good for man to be alone. And the same's true for a church family. You know, the health of our children, their well-being, their development is often dependent upon the family atmosphere. Well, so is our development. How's our family development within the community? How important it is that we serve one another because spectators tend to become critics. And the opportunities that we have to grow, and when you read Ephesians, and we're in the first three chapters, but what you find is that new life that comes in chapter four, the putting off, the putting on, the changing of our thinking is built on the foundation of the church. In chapter five, the instructions concerning marriage and husbands and wives and their interaction is in the context of God being glorified in the church. The admonition to parents in chapter 6 and children obeying their parents and fathers in particular not provoking their children is on the amazing mystery of what God is doing in the local church. And our victory in our spiritual battles that comes in Ephesians 6 of the armor is all based on the outflowing of the unsearchable riches of the amazing ministry opportunities in the context of the local church. The first three chapters of doctrine provide then the practical application. And I wonder if sometimes we struggle because we have the head knowledge, but we don't have the heart of Christ for His church. You know, coming to church ought not be a drudgery or an obligation. It ought to be our desire that we will learn and grow and serve others and encourage them because we need the strength that we get from one another to go through this world. You know, that it would be our attitude that this is our excuse for missing everything else, as Pastor Dave often puts up on Facebook. I like what Ted Tripp says in his book, Instructing a Child's Heart, that I think is good for us and our families. He says this, schedule entertainment pastimes and free time are really all really a discussion of priorities. Your family life is shaped around the activities you believe are the most desirable and will accomplish your goals to be a healthy family, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now, this is what we can do for one another as a church, and I appreciate so much those who work with our children and our young people. Folks, do we understand one of the dangers of having a Christian school is that it can be a subtle shift of focus that will let the school raise our kids spiritually? And school becomes required and church is optional? And we have to have the mind of Christ. Well, I don't see the church like you do, pastor. That's okay. Do you see it like Christ does? Because he's the standard. He said, I will build my church. And we want to grow together. Paul was passionate about proclaiming this because he had been a former enemy. Now he is able to advance the cause of Christ. And he delights to tell others. He's under house arrest, but he's telling those that are with him. And the fifth thing that we see is that you will rest secure through the work of Christ. Christ always enriches our life. When we fall into sin, we have forgiveness because of his unsearchable riches. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us. And we need a church family to encourage us and help us. When we get frustrated that we aren't growing, remember that God has an eternal purpose, he's not done yet, and he will accomplish it. The mystery will end as he would have. And so we see in verse 12, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith. This is the hope that we have, that God's pardon exceeds our sinfulness. And so we can come boldly before the throne of grace. So my question for you this morning is, have you experienced the relationship that is revealed in the mystery that we can have access to the Father through Christ alone? For by grace are you saved through faith. It's not of yourself, it's the gift of God. It's not of works, lest we would boast. That peace comes and we're placed into a body, the body of Christ, that we can together proclaim his goodness. Do you recognize the greatness of God's plan? It's been revealed in the church. If so, it will cause us to serve with conviction. that he's revealed the mystery. It changes our perspective on our circumstances. We see ourselves as something bigger than just us. We're able to delight and serve because of the mercy of God. We marvel at that. We walk in wisdom because we're secure in Christ alone. Do you have that security this morning? You can by turning to Christ. Let's pray together.