Draw your attention this morning back to Ephesians 6. Will begin reading in verse 17 Ephesians 617. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love. Our Lord Jesus Christ with love. Incorruptible. Let's pray. Our gracious Lord and sovereign ruler. Lord, we bow before you. Lord, with humility. With all. in who you are and what you are. Lord, we stand in awe of the fact that you have revealed yourself to us through your word. Lord, that we might come to know you. Lord, that we have seen in Jesus Christ the expressed image of the Father. That you've given us the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Enlightens us to your word. Who helps us in our prayers? Lord, what provision you have given us? When we are undeserving and unworthy of any such things. Lord, we ask that you would hear our prayer this morning. Lord, we have confidence to know that you do. Lord, we lift up all those throughout this land and throughout this world who are meeting together today to worship, to adore you, to look to your word. Lord, may the spirit be known to be in their presence. Give grace to your people this morning, Lord. Feed us from your word. It's in the name of Christ we pray. Amen. Well, it appears we're here, doesn't it? Very end of Ephesians. Very end. We started, I looked back yesterday, we started in August of last year, started going through Ephesians. Feel like there's a lot more to be covered here from God's word. It's almost like when you start into God's word especially in a place like Ephesians it's almost like going down into a deep cave and you're just exploring all this great room that lays before you and everywhere you turn you turn around a corner or or move something and here's another chamber and another chamber and you go into there and you start to explore and then there's more There's more paths leading off of that, and that's what Ephesians has been. There's so much here. So much of the doctrines, the teachings about who God is and what God is, and so much for us to understand, and so much for us to glean from this. It's an enormous. Benefit that God has given us in preserving and inspiring a word for us to know who he is. I pray that even though we've I feel like skimmed the surface of this. that this will be for each of us a blessing that we've undertaken and that that'll be a good foundation for us for the rest of our lives as we continue to go back in our reading to Ephesians throughout our lives. This letter is deep in the truths of God, what God has done, what God is doing, and ultimately what God will do. I have no doubt that we could spend the rest of our lives here and not come to the very depths of what we were trying, that the Lord is able to teach us through this. But as we get to this section this morning, beginning in verse 18, dealing with the last portion of this section regarding spiritual warfare and on into Paul's final greetings, his final greetings to those who he would send a letter to. If I remember correctly, William Gurnall, who I've mentioned before, spent 1,200 pages Double column, small print, 1,200 pages on the 10 verses dealing with the spiritual armor. Well, he spent 300 of those pages dealing with prayer. It's that important. James Montgomery Boyce, one of the great expositors of the 20th century, preached at 10th Presbyterian, I believe, in Philadelphia. 10th Street Presbyterian in Philadelphia. long since has died and gone to be present with the Lord. But he said our secret resource is prayer. And what makes it so important is that the weakest Christian can at any period of his life, at any moment of the day, and in any circumstance, cry out to God for help. and instantly have the resources of the infinite sovereign God at his disposal. What a privilege. Well, Paul writes to the church by inspiration of the Holy Spirit here in Ephesians 6, 18. And he says, praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. And we really need to see the context of what Paul is writing. That is, he has taken this up as part of the overall thought that he has had and what he has been dealing with. This doesn't start some new section here in verse 18 or some new idea. or some alternate line of thinking or reasoning. This connects directly with his writing regarding the armor of God. Some say that this is actually part of the armor, that prayer is part of the armor, that it's the last piece of the armor of God. I don't really think that I have a rejection to that idea, and I think that in one sense, although it's not directly given an analogous piece of armor like he does with the other things he brings up, I don't have a problem with people looking at it like that in any way, but I think that it's clear that Paul is saying that prayer is a gift that God has given us and granted to help us in the engagement of this warfare. I do think that it goes beyond a mere picture of something that is the armor of God. This is a call that Paul is giving us here, a call to urgent militant prayer in light of what is going on, what he's presented to us. We can't forget, we must always remember that war has broken out. War has broken out. When did it break out? We looked at this before, but I will draw your attention once again, back to Genesis 3, 15. After the fall, God appears in the garden and calls to Adam. And then what takes place is Adam makes an excuse and Eve makes an excuse for why she sinned. And then he curses the serpent, Eve, and man there in the garden. And listen to what he says in Genesis 3.15. Remember, war has broken out. War is broken out. Genesis 315, I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. War has broken out. Spiritual warfare has broken out and it has been happening since Genesis 315. We will look at this in more detail, I hope, in a minute. But let us say at least right here at the start that whenever there is a servant, wherever, and whenever, there is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, wherever there is a single heart that has been made new, wherever there is a single member of the body of Christ, there is war. Here today, Here today, there's war. China today, there's war. Israel today, there's war. Palestine today, there's war. Right now, in every corner of this place where God has created a dwelling place for man, there's war. If there is a Christian man, a Christian woman or a Christian child, there is warfare. And I'm not speaking in any way of nation against nation. That's not what I'm speaking about. I am speaking about exactly what Paul has told us. He said we. that is, Christians, members of the body of Christ, the redeemed of the Lord, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil and heavenly places. So Paul says, pray, pray. Paul says, pray at all times. Not just pray, but be praying at all times. Pray. This is not something we're to do if we think of it, not just when we have need of something, not just when it comes easy, not just when we feel like it, but be praying. Colossians 4.2 tells us, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Continue in prayer. Be praying at all times. Turn with me to Luke. Luke chapter 18, beginning in verse 1. Luke 18. And he, that is Christ, told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said in a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, give me justice against my adversary. For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says, And will not God give justice to his elect who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, he will find faith on earth. He told them a parable to this effect that they ought always to pray. Always. to pray. Paul already told us in Ephesians 1 16. We look back at Ephesians 1 16. He said, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. In Acts 1 verse 14, We read, all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer. Together with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus and his brothers, they were devoting themselves to prayer. They were praying at all times. and then in the next chapter, Acts 2, verse 42, and they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. They devoted themselves to this. Our whole life, in all of our activities, in peace and also in battle, we should be praying. We should be praying. Let's take this in the context of what Paul has been dealing with, battles, fighting, and warfare. The armor is from who? It's from God, our Father, right? It's the armor of God. It is from Him, and it is our Father to which we pray. R.C. Sproul would say in his commentary on this section of Ephesians, all our warfare and all our activity must take place in the context of constant unceasing prayer. Just as the soldier on the battle line has to keep in constant communication with his general headquarters and his commanding officer, so the Christian who is on the battle line must be in constant communication with his Lord. He might be fully equipped with all the armor, but if he is cut off from personal communication with his own commander, then he will be isolated and vulnerable. We should therefore be always in prayer, always in communication with our sovereign ruler. Well, what about where? At all times, well, what about where? I think that's included in all times. Wherever we find ourself, where should prayer take place? Is this in the prayer closet alone? Is this in the pew alone? Is this in the hospital room when things are going wrong with the body? Is that the only place to pray? This praying at all times is not confined to any one place or any few places. We are to be praying at all times, wherever you find yourself, find yourself in prayer. In John 4, we have an account of the woman of Samaria, Jacob's well. During Christ's interaction with her, she said, Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. And what was Christ's response? If you look at that passage in John 4, verse 21 through 24, Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth. For the father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. It is the same with prayer. It is not defined by a locality. It is not to be done in certain places and not in others. It is not for the mountaintops, but not for the valleys. No, prayer is to be done at all times in every place, in every circumstance, always be praying. Just as worship is done in the Spirit, what does Paul tell us to do here in prayer? Worship in the Spirit. What does he say to do in prayer? Praying at all times in the Spirit. Paul does not mean here that we are praying in tongues. This gift of tongues like we find in Acts, the gift endowed upon a man for a specific time and purpose has ceased. This is not what Paul means here when he says that we are to be praying at all times in the Spirit. What he means is that the Spirit helps us to communicate with the Father. Remember that John 4 account once again. Worship in Spirit. Paul here says to be praying in the Spirit, to pray with the Spirit's help, enlightening us through the Spirit's work with the Word, what is pleasing to God, the Spirit making known to us what is pleasing to Him, making real to us God's nature through the Word, bringing the Word to bear on all of our thoughts and all of our actions and placing burdens and holy affections upon us, that we may speak that which pleases God, that we might pray. according to that which pleases God, to plead with Him for the fulfillment of the promises that the Spirit has led us to in His Word. This is the power of the Spirit in prayer, praying always in the Spirit. Romans 8, 26 says, likewise, the spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what we, to pray for what we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The spirit using the word, revealing to us what we should pray for, to bring before the throne of heaven. How many times have you been burdened for something. And the Spirit recalls to your mind a promise of God from His Word. What are you to do with that promise? You're to pray that promise to the Father. Paul says, praying in the Spirit. Well, what does it look like to not pray in the Spirit? We have some examples of this in Scripture. Matthew 6, 5 through 8, Jesus says, and when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, This is marvelous instruction. When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him. We also have an example by way of parable from our Lord in Luke 18, 9-14. Luke 18, 9-14. He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves. that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, and even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. The Spirit, the Spirit led this publican, this tax collector, to come humbly before the throne of grace in his great need. He was a sinner. in need of the most amazing miracle that anyone in this world could ever have bestowed upon him. And the Spirit led him to come, not even be able to look up his eyes to heaven, but beat upon his breast and said, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. That's praying in the Spirit. But the other man prayed in his flesh. prayed in His flesh. What's the difference here? Well, it's the Spirit. Well, you might say this is the difference between a lost man and a saved man. And I'll grant you that that is the difference between a lost man and a saved man. But sometimes we, even those who have been saved, pray according to the flesh. We fight these remainders of indwelling sin. the fleshly nature, and sometimes we even pray according to the flesh. In James, in James 4, 3, James is addressing those he calls brothers, and he says, you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. How many times do we come before the Lord and ask for what we want? What does the Spirit lead us to pray? Your will, Lord, be done. We must not ask, we must not pray according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Set your minds upon the things of the Spirit and not upon the things of the flesh. Paul then goes on in verse 18 of Ephesians 6, praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. Well, what is prayer? And what are we to pray in all prayer and supplication? Prayer has been defined as communication with God. It is in prayer that we come before God with not just requests. I feel like sometimes my prayers, ashamedly, are like a petulant child coming and just asking, constantly asking. Give me, give me, give me. Far too often, this is how our prayers go up to the Father. But think just for a moment. Think just for a moment about the reality of what prayer actually is. It's communication with God. Communication with God. And when you think about what prayer actually is, you will immediately have this type of thoughtless prayer, this thoughtless rushing into the presence of God with selfish requests. They'll immediately be banished from your prayer life. What we are doing in prayer is actually entering into the very throne room of God himself to speak with the one who is God Almighty. Do you see and acknowledge this? When you offer up your prayers, you are offering them directly through Jesus Christ to the throne of heaven. Through Christ, the husband of the church, the redeemer of the church, the savior of the church, the purifier of the church, we are granted admittance into this throne room where God may be approached through our union with Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit. Any wonder that we read in Psalm 100, make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord, he is God. It is he who made us and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pastor. Pastor, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name for the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations. What a privilege it is that we might enter into communication with our Father. Joy. What joy that should bring our hearts to know that we have access to our father. So what is the method for prayer and what is it that is meant by all prayer and supplication? Well, since it is before the throne of heaven that we enter into prayer, it is proper and fitting and good for us to begin with adoration. Blessing and acknowledgement to who God is and praise befitting his holiness, acknowledging that he alone is worthy of praise. Adoration. It is then proper and fitting that we make confession to him of what we are and what we have done in light of the revelation of who he is and what he deserves. This is to at once bow before him in adoration. And as we see him, the holy one, as Isaiah cried out, holy, holy, holy. As we see him as he is, and then we see us who are unworthy of grace and mercy. It is then to confess to him our failings and to repent of those sins that we have committed against him and his holiness. It is then proper and fitting that we express thanksgiving for what he has done and what he is doing and what he promises he will still yet do. This is one of the bedrocks of what we see in the Old Testament of God's people laying before him their thanks for preservation in the face of countless enemies and enemies that were much mightier than they were. Do we not see this over and over again? Israel coming before nations that were mightier, stronger, more numerous than they were, and yet God gave them victory and they offered up thanks. Is this not in some way parallel what we're experiencing from Paul right here? Who is the enemies that we have before us? Are they not much mightier than we are? Are they not more numerous than we when we enter into this battle? Yet God provides. It is proper then that we give Him thanksgiving for His provision. And then it is in supplication that we make our requests of an infinitely wise, omniscient, omnipotent Father who rules all things and through the Son, who has been given authority over heaven and earth. It is here that we take our urgent request to him and to plead humbly before him for the needs in our lives and the needs in the lives of others as we make supplication in our prayers. Think about some of the prayers in scripture. Think about some of those and see if these things aren't present in those prayers. What about the model prayer that Christ gives for us? Matthew 6, 9 through 13, Christ says, pray then like this. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Psalm 51, we talked about, I think, a little bit a couple of weeks ago. One of the great prayers of David, one of great repentance and anguish of soul that we mentioned a few weeks ago, go back and read that and see if these things aren't present there in that prayer, that song of prayer. Psalm 90, we read in our congregational reading, prayer of Moses that is recorded for us in Psalms. a prayer of Moses. Did you see those things as we read that? Go back and read it sometime this week. In 1 Kings, just another example, we have Solomon's prayer for wisdom. 1 Kings 3, 7-10, And now, O LORD my God, You have made your servant king in place of David my father although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen a great people too many to be numbered or counted for multitude Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people that I may discern between good and evil for who is able to govern this your great people. And it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. We could look at so many other prayers that we have recorded in scripture and see these attributes as part of them. Paul himself Last one, Paul himself in Ephesians 3, verse 14. Think about what we've talked about, these elements of prayer. Not always in the same order, right? For this reason, Ephesians 3, 14, For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him. who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever, amen. Oh, that it could be said that we are a praying people. When you look back through history at certain times in history, God's church was known as a praying church, a praying people. How sad that we have fallen away from communicating with our God. Adoring him in prayer. confessing our sins and our unworthiness in prayer, thanking Him for what He has done in prayer, and making supplication for others in our prayers. Pray, Paul says. Pray at all times. Pray at all times in the Spirit. Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayers and supplication. Do you lack experience in prayer? Then pray. Then pray. Pray at all times. Do you lack confidence? Then pray. And pray at all times. And make that your request. that you might have boldness to come into his presence and pour out your heart to him. Do you lack time? Then pray at all times. Don't let a lack of perceived opportunity be that flaming dart of the devil that strikes at you and wounds you. Just pray constantly. Pray without ceasing. Pray at all times. Do you feel that God is far from you? Then draw near in the Spirit who has been given to you and through the Son who has redeemed you and plead before Him the promises that God has already laid out in His scripture for you. Just think about the promises we have that have application to that in this passage, this epistle of Ephesians. Do you see, do you not see these promises here? For when he feels far away, that is one of the things that I hear over and over again and have experienced in my life during times of prayerlessness. God just feels so far away. Listen. Cry out to the father. Cry out to him. You have forgiven me. Think about, go back through Ephesians. You've forgiven me. I've been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. I have been joined to the body in Christ. Your son is my head. He has been raised and you have seated him at your right hand in the throne room of heaven on heaven's throne. It is there that I would come before you and draw near to you to make my prayers and my supplications. And you have said, pray back his own promises. You have said through the word that I too, redeemed of the Lord, have been raised up with my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I have been seated with him in those heavenly places. God is not far from you. Pray at all times. The same Christ came and preached peace when I was far off. Isn't that what Ephesians 2.18 tells us? Look at that. Ephesians 2.18, For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. He came, verse 17, He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through Him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. Don't you see? If you are His, then He is not far off. Now then, let me draw your attention directly back to the context that Paul has been dealing with. Ephesians 6, 18, to that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. It's almost as if Paul is saying, open your eyes, stay awake, see all that is before you and all that is going on around you throughout the world and with all the saints. We have focused, as we've dealt with this, we focused on the battle that we individually are going through. Now, Now, look at not just the battle, open your eyes to the war. If this is happening to you, if this is visible to us in the lives of those that we know around us that are Christians, that they are engaged in spiritual battle, Is it not also then true that this is happening in every single place where the Christian man or woman or child stands against the evil one? Therefore, enlarge your prayer life. Enlarge your knowledge of God's promises in His Word. Follow His direction and make supplication for all the saints. all the saints. This is the desire of God to see his people pray in this way. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 2 1, first of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. Do you see this here? All. in verse 18. Four alls in one verse. Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayers and supplication, to that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. humbly yet boldly make your earnest pleas before the God who is able, before the God who is willing, and before the God who delights to answer the requests of his people when they ask according to his will. I wish that there was more time that we had to deal with these things here. But what I want you to know, what I want you to take away from this is that prayer is not a meaningless, pointless exercise that we do. It is a powerful and effective right and privilege to come before the throne of grace in the spirit to plead with God on behalf of embattled saints who are engaged in this warfare for which Christians have been completely armored and equipped. James says in James 15, 16, the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Or as the LSB puts it, the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 1 Peter 3.12 says, For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open. His ears are open to their prayers. It's no wonder that Mary, Queen of Scots, would say that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe. The prayers of one man. Why? Because they went up to the sovereign ruler of all things. He had a direct access through Jesus Christ with the help of the Spirit to God Himself. that is no different than everyone who is redeemed of the Lord. Paul then says, Ephesians 6, 19 through 20, And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. Paul asked that the church pray for him, that he may be given the words to speak and that he may proclaim those words with boldness, to proclaim the mystery of salvation in such a way that they would be pleasing to the one who sent him, for which he is an ambassador. Listen to what Jesus says when he sends out his apostles. He knows Jesus knows that difficulty is coming. He knows that hard times, that battles are coming. Spiritual warfare is coming as he sends out the apostles to be his chief ambassadors, and he will supply to them supernaturally through the coming Holy Spirit all that is needed. Matthew 10, 16 through 20. Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles, when they, when they, Not if when they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. It is certainly worth noting that we see evidence of this. in those apostles' lives recorded for us in Scripture. In Acts 4, 1-14, I'm not going to read this because of the time it would take this morning, and we're already out of time. But I would have you make note of Acts 4, 13. That says, Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. What was it that was the difference? Was it something in them? Or is it something that was imparted to them, given to them? And these apostles, found themselves praying for the very same thing that Paul is asking for prayer for from these saints in Ephesus and beyond, that they pray for him. Acts 4, 23 through 31, and in particular Acts 4, 29, and now, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. This was Paul's profession and calling, to be an apostle, to be an ambassador to the Gentiles in particular. And he finds himself in chains. An ambassador who is to... What does an ambassador do? They get up and they go, right? To share a message. What's Paul doing? He's sitting under house arrest in Rome. He's in prison. He's in chains. But what do we know of Paul? He writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He writes and instructs the church. And what is more, he boldly proclaims the gospel to everyone around him, soldiers, governors, and kings. And he recognizes that this is not something that he is able to do in and of himself. It's of the Spirit. Without the prayers of God's people in giving the Spirit for boldness in the words, Paul says, I couldn't do it. I'm unable. I'm weak. Paul then concludes Ephesians 6, 21 through 24, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. It's interesting to me that we find Paul sending his beloved brother Tychicus to the church with information and details that will be of benefit to them and to encourage them. It shows his trust in his brother, number one, and it then shows the care and love that he has for the church members here. And then it also shows, quite possibly, that this is a circular letter meant for just more than the church at Ephesus, because he has word that he wants the church of Ephesus to receive about how he is, but he doesn't put it necessarily in his letter. And it struck me as well that Paul, knew very well that what he was writing to this church was an inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He didn't include those things which were not inspired. He said, I'm going to send someone else to tell you those things. But what I've written is God's Word. It's not mine. It's God's. It's after this remark that Paul draws this letter to a close with some of his favorite concepts and words that he often brings close together in his epistles. And as he does this, we would do well to take heed to the fact pointed out by Sproul regarding this. Sproul says, when the apostle gives his apostolic benediction to his readers or to his hearers, he is speaking as an ambassador of the king. He is announcing God's benediction upon his people. So when Paul refers to peace and grace and love and faith, he is not saying grace to you and peace from me, but he is announcing that the promise of grace, peace, faith, and love comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He is therefore speaking for both the Father and for the Son. These concepts which he calls our attention to here at the close. And the promises connected with them run all through this epistle. And he says that these things are from God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They are the source of this. And don't try and write these down. I'm going to try and run through these very, very quickly. Just a few references to this. From just this one epistle to the Ephesians in regards to peace. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. For he himself is our peace, who made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two, so making peace. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. And he says, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace, Paul loved the concept of peace. Love. For this reason, Paul said, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." He says, rather speaking the truth in love. We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. He says, from the whole body joined and held together by every joint, which is equipped when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Husbands, he says, love your wives. As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, Couple verses later, in the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own body. He who loves his wife loves himself. Few more verses later, however, let each one of you love each one of you love his wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband. He says so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love. So many more. Love permeates, the concept of love permeates the writing of Paul all through what we've looked at in Ephesians. Faith. Faith. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith. For by grace, you have been saved through what? Through faith. in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, until we all attain the unity of faith. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith. He says, peace be to the brothers and love with faith. From God, the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and then he closes with grace. That great an inexhaustible warehouse, that storehouse where all the good gifts and blessings come from. God's grace, isn't that what we find? Ephesians 1. Verse 7. In him we have redemption through his blood and the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace. This is the very source of our salvation, is it not? Ephesians 2, 8, for by grace you are saved. You've been saved through faith. And here it is that Paul says this grace, this infinite great grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. Very, very quickly. Is there any other way to have love but by the sovereign grace of God? Is there any way? There's a lot of what people call love out here today. but it is not the love that we find in Scripture. In 1 John 4, 19, in the King James that most of us grew up hearing, we love Him because He first loved us. But a more accurate translation of that is found in the ESV and several other more modern translations in the King James. It's not just we love Him. It's we love because He first loved us. We don't know love until we have been given the love of Jesus Christ. We wouldn't have any concept of it had He not first loved us. And this is only and can only be the case to have this love that is incorruptible It can only be the case to those who are truly saved and who know this biblical Jesus, the truth of who Jesus is. There are many who have what the world calls love for a false Christ, one that's been made of their own imagination, a Christ that's been made like them, not the Christ that we read about in scripture. what a gift it is to have grace. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. Everything, all of this brought out in the fullness in the beauty of what is written for us in Paul's epistle to these Ephesians here. Faith, love, grace, bestowed on each and every one of God's people. We ought to spend a lot of time in Ephesians through our lives. ought to be something that we read on a regular basis. Now, let's pray. Gracious Lord and Heavenly Father, we thank you for the time that we've had to. Look to this epistle. It's inspired word that you've given to us through the pen of the apostle Paul. Pray Lord that you would strengthen us through it. Lord, that you would give us a more firm foundation through it. Lord, that we would find. Hope. That we would rest in it. Lord, these truths that we know these promises that are given to us. The things that are revealed through this epistle. Lord, may it do exactly what? What Paul represents for us? here in this epistle, these great truths that transform our lives. Not in a legalistic way, not in a way where we're trying to earn something, but in love and in gratitude, may we live worthy of the calling to which we've been called. Seeking to glorify God, to glorify the Son, to glorify the Spirit in our lives. Lord, may we spread this message far and wide. Lord, there are many who need to hear this. This mystery of the gospel. It's good news. Revealed to us through your word. Lord, be with us through this week. May you give us opportunities to witness, Lord. May you give us those words that you'd have us to speak. May the spirit remind us of what you've written to us that we might give comfort and consolation to those who are. Who are dying in trespasses and sense? It's the name of Christ we pray, Amen.