There we go. We're going to be reading in Ephesians 3 today. We're going to be hearing about the prisoner of Jesus Christ. So I'm going to start reading in verse 1. For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words. whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power, Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Wherefore, I desire that ye think not that my tribulations for you, which is your glory." Father God, Lord, I thank You, Father, for Your Word, God, that You preserved for us, Lord. I thank You for these epistles of Paul, God, and just all the things that You have for us, God, in the New Testament and the Old Testament, Lord. And I just pray, Father, that You would be with me as I preach tonight. that you'd be with my lips, God, keep me from error, Father, and help me to preach the truth, God. And Lord, I just pray you would open our ears to your word, Father, that you would bless us tonight with understanding. And Father, bless those who are not here, God. Anybody who's sick, Father, we pray for healing for them, Lord. And for those that are traveling, God, keep them safe and bring them back to us quickly, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Excuse me. All right. Well, Paul calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ. No doubt Paul is a prisoner. He's in Rome. He's not free to leave, although his living situation appears to have been more of the nature of a house arrest. He's not locked in a cell, but it seems that he lived in a hired house where he was able to receive visitors and preach and teach to all those who would hear him. But he is here in Rome because of his faith and his testimony of Jesus Christ, and thus calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ. And I think that it is an apt description of Paul, who started out as Saul, an enemy of Christ, persecuting the disciples everywhere he went as a devout Pharisee. Saul was taken prisoner by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. In Acts 9 we read, And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus. And suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Paul literally surrendered himself to Christ, not figuratively. He was captured and converted to become an agent for the Lord that he fought against. Once the truth had been revealed to him, what choice did he really have? It would have been just for God to cut Saul down right there. Jesus said, go into the city and it will be told you what you must do. Much like Moses at the burning bush, there was no asking from the Lord. Paul was told what to do and he did it because he was at the mercy of the Lord. Philippians 3 says, "...not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus." Apprehended means taken, seized, arrested. When he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Paul was apprehended of Jesus Christ. Paul considers himself to be no longer his own, to do as he would, but he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ and subject to the will of Him who has taken him. He is not only a prisoner in Rome because of his faith, but he is there because it is the will of Jesus Christ, and he must obey the will of Jesus Christ. He said, For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward... This is one of those sentences that Paul writes that takes up seven verses. The Ephesians have likely heard of Paul's conversion and his appointed purpose. In Acts 9 and 15 it said, This was Jesus speaking to Ananias, telling him that Paul was going to suffer great things, but he was chosen by God to do this and to take the gospel to the Gentiles, which is what he has done since then. He's gone from city to city preaching the Word everywhere he went, and has suffered persecution because of it from Jew and Gentile alike. And now he's been delivered to Rome to stand before Caesar for his supposed crimes. Verse 3 says, "...how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery, as I write afore in few words, whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." Paul speaks again of the mystery of Christ that he talked about in chapter 1. He said, "...having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself." This mystery, which is not unknown to those outside of the church, I'm sorry, which is unknown to those outside of the church, is not a mystery to the Ephesians because God has made it known to them through Paul and others who have brought the gospel to them. But Paul didn't receive the understanding that he had through other men, but primarily through the revelation of God, as did the other apostles who were taught by Jesus directly and filled with the Spirit of God. Paul says that between the times of his being converted and that he went up to Jerusalem and met with any other apostles, he spent three years in Arabia and back in Damascus. In Galatians 1 it says, But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me. But I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days. Presumably during this time he was being taught by the Lord, being given direct revelation of those things that he now delivered to the Gentiles as the Word of God. Verse 5 says, "...which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." That was the mystery that God had revealed, that the Gentiles would be brought into the household of God by the blood of Jesus Christ and made to be children of Abraham, heirs of the promises just like Israel through faith, and that they would be joined together in one body, the body of Christ. These things were hinted at, but it was a mystery before to even those who God used to bring the Scriptures of the Old Testament. 1 Peter 1 says, "...searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into." These things are now revealed unto us through the Holy Bible, but to them through the apostles and prophets that the Holy Ghost was using to bring forth the New Testament. Paul is going to conclude this first sentence of chapter 3 here in verse 7. He says, Whereof I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. whereof, referring again to the mystery that he just explained, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and partakers of the promise, and to that end, Paul was made a minister of the gospel to the Gentiles. Verse 8 says, Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world have been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." Paul recognizes the great honor that God has given him to be an apostle to the Gentiles and preach the gospel to them as he esteems himself to be less than the least of the saints. He understands what he has done to persecute the believing Jews was wicked and that he doesn't deserve to have any part in the ministry. And yet through the grace of God, he is not only forgiven, but he is placed in a position of honor with the apostles and prophets as part of the foundation of the church which God is building. He understands that God is using him to help spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire to all men everywhere. Paul writes at the end of his letter to the Philippians in verse 22, it says, "...all the saints salute you chiefly, they that are of Caesar's household." Paul was making converts even in the house of Caesar himself. And that was God's intent. We see in the next verse in Ephesians 10, "...to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him." God was making the gospel known to all His sheep wherever they might be found, whether they were a lowly beggar or a member of the highest governments on earth. And I think He says unto heavenly places just to emphasize that there was no place where God's wisdom, according to His purpose in Christ Jesus, would not be known by the church. and that his church would be everywhere. As Peter observed in Acts 10, it says, God was giving Paul access to these places in order to preach the gospel to them there that would receive it. Romans 10 verse 11 says, For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. Paul was sent to Rome to preach to that audience that God had prepared to hear the gospel, because without a preacher they could not hear it. Paul understood that his imprisonment was part of God's plan, and the things that he endured were all for the furtherance of the gospel. As he says it in Philippians, Ephesians 3.13 says, Wherefore, I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Paul is telling the Ephesians that these trials that he's going through, that he has gone through, all the things he endures for their sake are not something that should shake them. They should not faint because of them. Rather, they should understand that they have purpose. That God is using Paul to bring many Gentiles into the church is glorious. And Paul is willingly going through these tribulations. And make no mistake, it was for their sakes that he was being persecuted, as he preached the gospel of Christ to bring salvation to them, and because of it, was being accused by the Jews of being a rebellious cult leader. In Acts 24 it says, For we have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, who also hath gone about to profane the temple, whom we took and would have judged according to our law. Paul doesn't confess to these charges. He gives an eloquent defense of himself, and he has the opportunity to testify of Jesus Christ before governors and kings. But his accusers keep pressing, and he ends up finally appealing to Caesar instead of going back to Jerusalem to be judged there. Paul probably could have gotten himself released with money or some other way, but he was not willing to compromise, and he understood that these trials, some literal trials, were all in God's will. and that he was going to be appearing in Rome as the Lord had told him to preach there as well. So Paul was not afraid to submit himself to these authorities and go where he was taken. Paul is like Joseph, imprisoned for things that he didn't do in order to fulfill a greater purpose for God. Joseph had been sold into bondage by his own brothers because of their envy. He was accused by Potiphar's wicked wife and cast into prison. that he was able to be a light there and was used by God for his glory, and eventually he was released and rose to the highest seat of government in Egypt and was able to preserve his family through that time of famine that threatened the world. And Joseph never moaned about his plight. He did seek to be released, but he accepted that he was in a situation outside of his control and that God was ultimately in control of everything. He did his best to serve God wherever he was, and he was blessed for it. Joseph was reunited with his brethren in Egypt, and when their father passed away, they expected him to get revenge for what they had done to him. Genesis 50 says, And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee, now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin. for they did unto thee evil. And now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father.' And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Paul is also in a place where, like Joseph, people thought evil against him. The Jews that accused him to try to have him put to death were not doing this to further the gospel. But God had another purpose that was for good and for the saving of much people. Paul preached the gospel to many people in places that others could not go. He was a chosen vessel to the Lord to bear his name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. Paul is still reaching people today through the letters that he wrote that we now have preserved in our King James Bible. That is why Paul told the Ephesians to faint not at his tribulations. We are likely to find ourselves living in a time of persecution. We know that the last days are rapidly approaching and that perilous times shall come Countries like England are already passing insane laws. You may have heard of people recently being arrested for praying near abortion clinics. Read from this article called, British Man Convicted of Criminal Charges for Praying Silently Near Abortion Clinic. In Britain, it can be a crime to think the wrong thoughts in the wrong place. It sounds absurd, not to mention Orwellian, but a handful of people have been arrested or charged in the country simply for praying silently near abortion clinics. This month, a British man was convicted of criminal charges for praying silently near an abortion clinic. The man, Adam Smith-Connor, did not attempt to harass, intimidate, or interact in any way with those entering the clinic. Instead, he wordlessly prayed with his head bowed slightly. He wasn't even on clinic property. He was outside the sight line of the clinic itself, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious freedom group. As a result, Smith-Connor was questioned by police and later charged with violating a Public Spaces Protection Order, a PSPO, a broad censorship order enabled by the 2014 Antisocial Behavior Crime and Policing Act. Under this law, local authorities can obtain special status for some public places, allowing them to ban a huge range of conduct in the name of limiting antisocial behavior. British towns have obtained PSPOs to ban the homeless from sleeping outside or to ban swearing. Several cities have used this law to place buffer zones around local abortion clinics. The PSPO in Smith-Connor's case not only banned intimidating or harassing those working at or seeking services from the clinic, but also barred individuals from engaging in prayer, sprinkling holy water on the ground, and crossing themselves. Smith-Connor violated this order on November 2022. He was convicted and sentenced earlier this month to a conditional discharge, similar to probation, and ordered to pay approximately $11,709 in prosecution fees, according to the ADF. The court's reasoning betrayed the absurdly censorious nature of the local law. In its decision, the court reasoned that his prayer amounted to disapproval of abortion because at one point his head was seen slightly bowed and the hands were clasped, according to the ADF. He was capable of being seen. He was engaged in prayer, and it would have been perceptible to an observer," said Judge Orla Austin, The Telegraph reported. He said he would not be looking at anyone, so he could not breach their privacy. But I find his presence and the circumstances could cause detrimental impact. The world is growing increasingly hostile towards God, and Christians in particular. And these types of stories will become more and more common, and will likely come to our nation as well, even though we supposedly enjoy free speech protections through our Constitution. It's already common for people to be arrested for blocking access to abortion clinics if they are deemed too close to their facilities. But praise God that there are people willing to go to jail for these thought crimes, to shine a light on the disgusting practice of baby murder that goes on in those places. Those people know that what they are doing is right, and they aren't afraid of what the government might do to them. And that is how we should be as Christians. Like Paul, we should be able to consider ourselves to be surrendered to Christ, apprehended of Him, and if we must be imprisoned because of our faith, then it is to His glory. 1 Peter 4 says, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. but rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet, if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. Revelation 2 says, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried. And ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Fear is a common emotion to all men. Everyone fears something. Many people fear death. Many people fear pain. People fear being in prison. It's not strange to fear these things. The Bible says that the government bears the sword in order to discourage evil men from evil works. Romans 13 says, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. But the sword of government can often be used for evil, and when the government uses its powers to try and stop men from serving God, then it is wrong to fear the government more than God. Like Daniel, when the king made a decree that no man could pray to anyone but him, Daniel continued to do what he always did in spite of the sword, or in that case, the lions. Daniel prayed to God with his windows open for all to see, and God delivered him. from the lions and ended up delivering the wicked men that used the law against Daniel to the lions themselves. Psalm 25 verse 12 says, What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will show them his covenant. We should be like Daniel and like Joseph and Paul and not be terrified of the consequences of following our faith. We should be afraid not to serve God. What would be the result of giving our obedience to earthly powers instead of to the Lord?" Matthew 10, 28, Jesus says, "...and fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." But if we stay faithful to God in the face of imprisonment or the sword, whatever threats are brought to bear in order to make us afraid to do whatever it is that they don't want us to do. Whether speaking out for the unborn victims, praying to God for justice, or whatever it may be, God says that there's a reward to be gained. There's an inheritance given to those who will fear God and not man, and will stand for the Lord in the face of wicked men. And as Paul said, we must not faint when we see these things happen to others, those that we love. If they are being unrighteously condemned for serving God and suffering for the Lord, then we know that the Lord is going to use that for His glory. And they will be glad at His coming when that glory is revealed for all to see. These things are going to happen. Like Peter said, we need to not think it strange. but rejoice that God would allow some of us to partake in Christ's sufferings and be reproached for His name, because we know that it is the path that leads to the kingdom of God. Matthew 16, Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. I have no desire to die anytime soon. I don't think Paul had any desire to die, but he was willing to die if that's what the Lord required of him. Because Paul knew that the Lord was going to be the final judge of him, and there's no getting around death. It is appointed to man once to die, and then the judgment. If I have to die anyway, should it be concerning to me if my death be in service to the Lord? Would that not be the preferred way to die? If I had my proper perspective and my eyes set on the reward of the judgment seat rather than on my life here, the one that Jesus said that if I try to save it, I'll lose anyway. If I have to live in prison for a short time in exchange for an everlasting inheritance that fades not, wouldn't I be wise to make that trade? I think I would. And if I was really wise, I wouldn't even have to think about it. But what if I'm called to let go of someone dear to me, one of my children, perhaps, or my wife? Could you ladies let go if your husband was called to go to prison for God? And if I thought my wife was going to lose it if something happened to me in the course of my serving God, would that hinder me from doing what God had called me to do? Maybe similar to how Moses neglected to circumcise his child because of his wife. We need to reconcile with the fact that God might ask us to give up anything and be willing to give up whatever he asks of us. Remember when he asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham was willing to do it Praise God He didn't have Abraham go through with it. But because Abraham was willing to give his son to God, God said, Now I know that thou fearest me, Abraham. And it said that Abraham was called a friend of God. We want to be God's friend when we go to meet Him, don't we? So let's remember that whatever trials or tribulations we see our friends and family go through, we need to not faint, not lose sight of the reality that God is not going to let those things go unrewarded. He is going to reward us if we endure faithfully, and He is going to reward those that do evil to His saints unless they repent and become a prisoner of Jesus Christ like Paul. Father God, Lord, I thank You, Father, Your Word, God, I thank you for the blessed promises that you've given us, Lord. We know, God, that there are things coming, Lord, to this world, things that would cause strong men to tremble, God, things that are going to be hard to endure, Lord. But we have your Word, we have your promises, God. Lord, I pray you would help us, Father, just to be able to see by faith, God, that all those things are nothing compared to the glory God, that you've prepared for those that love you. Lord, we just pray, God, you would help us to follow you, God, help us to stand at the judgment, God, that we would be accounted worthy to enter into your kingdom, Lord. And Father, we just pray that you would also deliver us from temptation, God. We pray that you would just keep us from anything, Father, that we're not ready to endure, God. And Lord, I pray again for those who are not here, Father, just for a blessing on them, God, help them to get well, Father, and anybody that's traveling, Lord, keep them safe. And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.