Please be seated. It is good to see all of you here this day. And as we come now to a new chapter in our consecutive expositions to the book of Ephesians, I invite you, please, to turn with me in your copy of the scriptures to Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians chapter 3, as we come to take up the topic of Paul's ministry, our model. Paul's ministry, our model. Ephesians chapter 3, picking up at verse 1, and I'll read to verse 13 in your hearing. Ephesians 3 at verse 1, the Apostle Paul writes the following and says, 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 and the mystery of Christ. which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has been now 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 gift of 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. Verse 13. Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your Glory. Well, brethren, let's once again pray and ask the Lord's blessing upon our time. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you again for your great love, which you have showered and lavished upon your people. We thank you, oh great God, for your mercies, which are mediated to us through Jesus Christ, those mercies which are rich and new every morning. And so we thank you, our wonderful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for your eternal plan of saving a people for yourself, a people out of every tribe, nation, tongue, and kindred who would praise you And we are here this day, oh God, to praise you and to thank you and to worship you and to bless your name. For we who were saved know that salvation is of the Lord. From beginning to end, it's all of your grace and part of that eternal plan. And so again, we are grateful to be here this day, grateful to know you by virtue of the new birth, And Father, now as we come to your word, we ask that you would feed us from your word, that you would give us the truth that we need for this very day, that we might be established in your things and be found walking in those things all of our days. Our great God, we look to you now for help from on high. We pray, therefore, that you would send the Holy Ghost to us To fill us, to help us, and to empower us to receive your sacred truth, we pray and we ask all these things in that wonderful and exalted name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Now, as most of you will know, I'm sure, I am a great lover of the Apostle Paul. While, of course, I love Jesus above all others, Paul, in many senses, has become my mentor. And his various portraits from the Bible have been that which I've sought to model for myself as a minister of Christ. Now, Paul himself, by the direction and aid of the Holy Spirit, calls us to do this very thing. For example, in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, when he says there that we are to imitate, or we are to copy and model him as he also imitated, copied, and modeled Christ. And so, dear brothers and sisters gathered with me this morning, here is what you and I are to do by the help and grace of God. You and I are to follow the Apostle in his good example, just as he followed Christ in his great example. Now as we come for this morning to a new section in Ephesians, we have Paul giving us a wonderful, really a glorious description of his ministry, which indeed is worthy of our imitation, having just described for us in the previous chapter the new status and privileges that the believing Gentiles now had, who were part of the people of God, Paul gives us a self-description which was not some pointless digression in this letter, no, but rather it's a description which gives us very helpful lessons for our lives as believers Or as R.C. Sproul rightly says, quote, here in this chapter, we get a glimpse into Paul's character and self-understanding regarding who he was, what his task was, what his passion was, and what his mission was. And for this reason, it, that is to say, this section of scripture, remains of abiding significance to the Christian Community well as we come then for this morning to consider these things for our spiritual good. I trust I ask you please to note with me first in your bibles from verse one and then verse 13 of this chapter That paul suffered according to the will of christ paul suffered according to the will of christ now I'm dealing with these two verses together again, verse 1 and verse 13, because they really do form bookends to this entire section of scripture. And I say this because in verse 1 of this chapter, the Apostle Paul speaks directly to the Gentiles, as we will see in just a few moments. And then in verse 13 of this chapter, he does the same thing, as we will also see. As Paul begins here in verse 1 of Ephesians chapter 3, having again just spoken to the Gentiles and all of the glorious things that God had done for them, these Gentile Ephesian believers, Paul says again, look at the words, Ephesians 3 and verse 1, he says, for this reason. That is, because he preached the gospel to them, the gospel that was the instrumental means to which they were saved, Paul says, for this reason, or more literally, for this cause, I, Paul, or we could say, I, Paul, who became a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. For this cause or for this reason. I, Paul, the prisoner. Again, Paul, who became a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. Now, as you may recall from our earlier studies of this book, it was Paul who had preached the gospel to the Gentile Ephesians as we have it recorded for us in Acts chapter 19. At that time, Paul was on his third missionary journey, and he proclaimed Christ to these people, and many of them believed and were radically converted from their pagan lives, praise be to God. Well, after this, as you probably know, there was a riot in Ephesus so that Paul then departed and went to Macedonia as we're told in Acts chapter 20 and then after this in Acts chapter 21 we're told that he was later arrested in Jerusalem when some Jews from Asia, which most likely included individuals from Ephesus, when they recognized him in the temple, they stirred up the mob against him, and again he was arrested. Well, here is the apostle, now in our passage for today, and this was most likely during his first Roman imprisonment. This is the setting before us here, and as it is, he reminds these Gentiles that in the will of Christ, who back in Acts chapter 9 had commissioned him to go to the Gentiles, he reminds them that in the will of Christ he was currently in jail for preaching the gospel to them. He was currently locked up And yet, brethren, having said this, please notice with me here in our passage that Paul does not speak of himself in it as the prisoner of Rome. No. Nor does he speak of himself in our passage as the prisoner of Nero. No. But rather, look at it again with me in your Bibles, he speaks of himself as the prisoner of Christ. Jesus. He speaks of himself as the one who was ultimately the captive of the Lord and no one else. Now, To be sure, beloved brethren here this day, this is noteworthy, and I say this because it gives you and I a perspective on Paul's understanding with reference to this hard situation. You see, Church, even though Paul was in jail, and no doubt his situation was difficult, in understanding the sovereignty of God in all things, he was therefore enabled to submit himself to his circumstance. Because he realized that even his incarceration was connected to the Lordship of Christ, he could therefore take comfort in this fact knowing that all things were under his good governance. And so, in view of this, dear ones here this day, there is a first application from these words for you, and it is, in all of your hardship that you might go through in life, you must remember that God is sovereign over all things. First application that we take from the words before us. In all that you go through, you must remember that God is sovereign over all things. In all your difficulties, you must remember that God has good purposes for you going through them, and that in the end, he's going to work all things together for your good. Just as Paul says in Romans chapter 8, and all of this is because you are spiritually joined and united to Christ. Ah, but secondly then, by way of application at this point from these words. We also see that they teach us that gospel ministers, and yes, all Christians, will at times suffer for the sake of Christ, just as the Bible teaches us in many places. In fact, Paul could say in one of his epistles to Timothy that all who live godly, what will they do? He says, all who live godly will suffer Persecution. I mean, Church, if you know anything about Paul's life and ministry, then you know that this, in fact, was the case for him. Therefore, here's the application. You and I are not to be surprised when, in serving Christ, we experience this as well. Well, thirdly then. by way of application from these words. We also learn that God can make those who have been the most zealous persecutors of his truth to then become the greatest ministers of his grace, just as the case was. with Paul. So dear ones, the application is this. Listen, don't give up on praying for and sharing the gospel with those who at first are hostile to the things of Jesus and this is because you never know what God might do with them in the end. You never know. Parents here this day, some of you have got children who have stiffed arm Christ and the gospel. Parents, I say, never give up on your children, never give up on your neighbors, never give up on those whom you work with, no, because you never know what God might do in the end. You never know. For as we're told concerning Paul himself, in Galatians chapter one and verse 23, quote, he who formerly persecuted us now does what? He now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. Well, having said this, we ask next, what was at the heart, what was at the core of Paul becoming the prisoner of Christ, or we might say, who belonged to Jesus? Well, again, he answers the question when he says in 1B of this chapter that it was for, look at the word, it was for, Or better, translated from the Greek preposition, huper, it was concerning. I like that much better than the word for. It was with reference. It was on behalf of you Gentiles, that is to say, you non-Jews. Now, I love this language here. I love it. And I say this because from it we see that the apostle did not view his sufferings as random. as pointless or as tragic, no, but rather he saw them as having a great purpose and this was all connected to his great commission. It was all connected to and with reference to God's grand design for his life, which again, as he says here in our passage, was with particular to the Gentiles whom he described in the previous chapter as those who had no hope, those who were in the world without God. Now, concerning these Gentiles, as I mentioned earlier, the Apostle Paul speaks to them directly again in verse 13 of this chapter, and I ask you please to turn with me there in your Bibles, here as Paul concludes this section of scripture. Again, I said it forms a nice bookend. He essentially says to these believers while in jail, don't feel sorry for me in this hard situation. No. And this is because this is Jesus' will for my life. And it's for your good. Look at the words with me. Ephesians 3.13, he says, therefore, as he concludes the section, I ask that you do not lose heart. That is, I ask that you don't faint. I ask that you don't despair. I ask that you don't become weary at my tribulations or my current affliction in jail for, again the Greek word huper, for or concerning you which is your glory, which in this setting means which is for your good, which is for your benefit. And so brethren, simply stated, The point is, Paul is saying here to these Ephesians that his current situation was for their advantage, and they needed to get that into their hearts and minds. Therefore, there were not to be discouraged concerning Paul's imprisonment, since God had a purpose, a glorious purpose in it for them. them. Well, having seen firstly then from our passage for today that Paul suffered according to the will of Christ, notice with me secondly now from verses two to six of this chapter that Paul also understood the message of Christ, the message of Christ. Now it's at this point in chapter three where Paul breaks from his main train of thought in order to speak about the salvation of the Gentiles in connection to God's plan for them. Now I say that he breaks from his main train of thought, and this is because in verse 14 of this chapter, you can look at that verse with me there in your Bibles, Ephesians 3 and verse 14, Paul takes up his original thought from verse one of this chapter, When in using the same language as we have it there, he says here in verse 14, For this reason, again the same language as we have in verse 1, For this reason I bow my knees to the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ. So again, for this reason, verse 14, for this reason, and so in between this, he's taking a little digression, as it were, to speak about the salvation of the Gentiles. Well, even though this was the case, The Apostle, having mentioned the word Gentiles back in verse 1 of this chapter, and I ask you please to turn with me there in your Bibles once again, having mentioned the word Gentiles, he's now going to speak specifically about his ministry to them. He does, and so look at the words with me here again in Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 2. He says, if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you." Now, of course, clearly, plainly, evidently, these people had heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which had been given to him from God for them because, again, According to Acts chapter 19, the Apostle Paul had ministered among these people for an extended period of time, as I mentioned already. This was the case, thus, the better way to translate these words from the original language is since, or surely, or most surely, you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which was given to me for you. The word a dispensation here is not used often in the Bible. And for us who hold to covenant theology, it might make us feel a bit uneasy whenever we see it in scripture. Ah, but church, this word shouldn't make us feel uneasy. It shouldn't trouble us at all. And I say this because the word simply means stewardship. It means stewardship. It means administration, and in ancient times, the word was often used to describe the work of a person who cared for the financial affairs of a large household or business. And so you ask, Pastor V, what's the point? The point is, This language here teaches us that Paul was entrusted with the stewardship of God's economy, and this in order to spread the grace, that is to say, the free, unmerited, goodwill of God to the lost, and this by means of the glorious gospel of Christ. This is a beautiful language here to be sure, and it highlights to us that Paul was God's steward in charge of telling others about his wonderful grace, his unmerited goodwill and favor and kindness to the lost in Christ Jesus. Of course, as Christians, you and I have also been given a similar commission as well, right? I mean, church While clearly the Apostle Paul had a unique role in this regard in redemptive history, nonetheless, all of us are, in fact, commissioned with the task of telling others about God's great grace toward people like them, which is nicely summarized in the language of John 3 in verse 16, which says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Well, as Paul goes on then, next in verse 3 of this chapter, he highlights to us the mode of his divine calling. The mode of his divine calling, when he says, look at it with me there in your Bibles, Ephesians 3 and verse 3, he says, how that by revelation That is, by direct revelation, he, that is Jesus at Paul's commissioning, made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written already. Now, the apostle has previously mentioned this word mystery back in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 9, as you may recall. And when we looked at it there, we saw that the word mystery in the Bible doesn't refer to that which is mysterious or esoteric, no, rather, It refers to that which was previously concealed, but now has been fully revealed. This is the case, and concerning this revelation of this mystery, Paul says next in verse 4 of this chapter, look at the words with me there in your Bibles, he says, by which when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. And so, What then is his point here? Well, Church, his point is this mystery is knowable. It's knowable. His point is it's that which his readers were to understand and be thoroughly convinced of the fact that Paul had a full knowledge concerning it. Well, in speaking next then about the mystery and the way that I just defined it, Paul says in verse 5 of this chapter concerning it, look at it again with me in your Bibles, he says, which in other ages or generations was not made known to the sons of men, again it was hidden as I said in my definition, as it has now, that is now in the apostolic generation, as it has now been revealed, disclosed by the Spirit. to his holy apostles and prophets, that is, New Testament prophets who existed at this time. And so we ask, what was this great mystery all about? What was its glorious revelation? Well, Paul tells us next in verse 6 of this chapter, in no uncertain terms, when he says, look at it with me there in your Bibles, he writes, that The word that giving us the content of the mystery in the words that follow. What is it all about? Here it is. That the Gentiles, the pagans, those who once were far off from God, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs or equal participants of the same body. that is the body of Christ, both universally and locally in the church. And Paul's got more to say, partakers or sharers of his promise, which is to say the promise of the Holy Spirit, as Paul spoke of earlier in chapter one, which of course equals the promise of eternal life for all who believe. Where is it found? Paul says in Christ. How is it revealed? Paul says next, through the gospel. That is to say, the good news concerning Jesus Christ, our Lord. And so you see, dear brothers and sisters gathered with me this day, while for sure in the Old Testament, there were some passages that spoke about the Gentiles being saved. For indeed, as we're told in Genesis chapter 12 in Abraham, all of the nations and families of the earth would be blessed. The point here is the full understanding of Gentiles being saved and then becoming one with believing Jews under the same head of Messiah Jesus in the same family and partaking of the same grace and enjoying the same privileges was not fully known and experienced until New Testament times. For as the great Bible scholar named Clint Arnold rightly says, quote, when Christ appeared, the lights came on. The lights came on. Doing what? He says, clarifying Messiah's death and the fact that Gentiles do not have to become Jews and that Gentiles and Jews have equal access to God. Now, indeed, this is Glorious news. It's great news. That you and I in this church must not only read about and understand, as Paul says in verse 4 of this chapter, but brethren, we must also practice it and celebrate it. Practice it and celebrate it. O church, I say that you and I must rejoice in the fact that the church is one of racial inclusion. Therefore, no one who comes to God through Christ is ever to be considered too far or too different to be part of the church, even our own local assembly. Listen then to Sinclair Ferguson in this regard. In commenting on this point, he says, quote, praise God that every Christian believer from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people is in on this secret that Paul speaks of here in our passage. He says, what was hidden in God's eternal plan has now been realized in Christ Jesus and revealed to us through the apostolic preaching of the scriptures. Thus, it is a secret to us no more. And this mystery, says Sinclair, is not plan B, no, but rather it's the eternal plan, which is plan A, for there is no plan B. And now the secret is out, and this for everyone who knows Christ. Well, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson is absolutely correct. And so, having seen so far from our verses for today, that Paul suffered for the Gentiles according to the will of Christ, and that he understood the message of Christ, Come with me now thirdly to note that he also was struck with the amazing grace of Christ as he speaks of it in verses 7 to 9 of this chapter. Look again at his words with me in your Bibles. In writing with reference to the gospel, he says first in verses 7 and 8, of which I became a minister. How, he says, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power. To me, Paul says, who am less than the least of all the saints. This grace was given that I should preach, better understood, proclaim and announce among the Gentiles, again, the goyim, the pagans, what should he announce? The text tells us, the unsearchable, that is the inexhaustible riches of Christ. Now, since for today, Our primary focus is on Paul's ministry as our model. I'll continue to focus on him at this time. However, having said this, of course, the glorious words concerning the unsearchable, the inexhaustible riches of Christ must also be expounded, no doubt. And this is what I hope to do next week in our time together. God willing. And so again, concerning himself, Paul speaks here about becoming a minister. If you happen to be reading a Greek Bible, it's the word deacon, a servant. A servant. I become a servant of the gospel. And this again, he says, look at the passage, according to the Greek word kata, along the lines of the gift of the grace of God given to me, Paul says, by the effective working of God's power. Now, it's striking here that Paul speaks of, look at the language, becoming. Becoming a minister. He doesn't speak about making himself a minister. No, but rather he speaks about becoming a minister. And Church just highlights to us an important truth, which is all true ministers of Christ are God-made, not self-made. They're God-made, not self-made. Again, the Apostle is clear about this matter because he says again that all of this in his life was according to the gift of the grace of God given to him. That is, the gift of God's grace of saving him at conversion and then afterwards calling him into Christian ministry. Indeed, it was specifically then. When the Apostle Paul had experienced the effective working of God in his heart, saving his never-dying soul, to the end, the glorious end, that this former blasphemer and persecutor of the church was now saved. And then he became a mighty instrument for much gospel good. Ah, but having Said this, we should ask next, did all of this puff up Paul? Did it puff up Paul? Well, brethren, not at all. Why? Well, it's because in realizing what he once was, he knew that all that was true of him now was by the free grace of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Didn't puff him up, no. For again, in expressing this, he says in verse eight of this chapter, look at the language, to me, emphatic in the passage, to me, it's like Paul is struck out, to me, can you believe it, even me, the great persecutor of the church, to me, Paul says, who is less than the least of all the saints. I don't think you can get lower than that. To me, the great grace of God was experienced to me, even me, Paul says, who am less than the least of all the saints. And so what do we see here in these words? Well, we see that God's undeserved mercies to the Apostle had a great humbling effect in his life. Right? God's great, unfathomable, undeserved mercies to Paul had a great humbling effect on his life. It did, and dear ones, in truth, listen, whenever free grace is experienced by a hell-deserving sinner, it always produces this as well. Right? When someone has truly been saved by the grace of God, what does it produce in them? It produces in them lowliness of heart and gratitude. for all the mercy and kindness that God has shown that person in Jesus Christ our Lord. And so in light of this, I must pause to ask all of you here this day who name the name of the Lord, is this what's true of you? To me, Paul says, who am less than the least of all the saints, All the stuff that God did for Paul in his life, again, it didn't puff him up, it humbled him. What about you, my dear professing Christian, here this day? And I know I've said it before from this pulpit, especially for us who are reformed, for us who are Calvinistic and understand, as I prayed in the outset of the message, that salvation is of the Lord. It's not of man's will, it's of God's will. We weren't looking for God. God was looking for us. And bless God, He found us, and He saved us, and He set us in the direction of glory. Well, anyone who realizes that, that's what's happened in their life. They're not full of pride. They're full of humility. They say with the hymn writer, why was I made to hear thy voice and enter while there's room when millions make a wretched choice and rather starve than come? Why was I made to hear your voice? Answer, God's grace. God's amazing. Electing grace in Jesus Christ the Lord. And so when true, Grace has been experienced in the heart of a Christian, especially, again, a Reformed Christian, someone who understands the doctrines of grace, especially for us, brethren. It should produce in us lowliness and gratitude of heart. And so is this what's true of you? I ask you again, dear professing Christian friend, knowing what you have been saved from, all your lies, all your lust, all your fornication, all your idolatry, all your pride, all your covetousness and anger, et cetera, knowing what you've been saved from, do you therefore seek to walk softly before God and others? I ask knowing what you once were, not just saved from, what you once were. namely a wicked, vile, ungodly individual, do you now, by the grace of God, seek to obey the Apostle Peter when he said in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 that you are to be clothed with humility? Well, church, I say, may this always be the case for us. May it always be that as you and I seek to model the Apostle Paul more and more in this regard, that gospel humility will become the distinguishing trait for us in this place who name the name of the Lord. Well, having said this, we ask now, along with preaching To the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, what else was a primary responsibility, or we could say function, that Paul had as a gospel minister? Well, he answers this question next in verse 9 of this chapter, when he says, note the words with me there in your Bibles, he writes, and, the Greek word chi, joining his previous thought, and, to make all see, what is the fellowship, or the joint participating in, the mystery, again, as already discussed, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus." And so what is Paul's point in these words? Well, again, in speaking more fully about his ministry, he said it was given to him so that the whole race, all people, might see the glory of God in His wonderful plan of salvation for all kinds of individuals. Dear ones, I say that the point is a vital aspect of the Apostles' ministry was to show everyone everywhere that God's grace wasn't just for the Jews only, no. But it was also for the Gentiles, and that having saved people from both groups, God would then make them one in His Son. This, as the Apostle says here, was the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages had been hidden. Hidden where? Hidden in the mind and heart of God. God, who as Paul says in our verse, created all things through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our Lord? Well, having said this, we ask now, what was God's great purpose? With reference to saving different people from all kinds of backgrounds and then making them one gospel family. Well, let's answer this question fourthly now from our passage by considering that Paul had a high view of the church of Christ, a high view of the church of Christ. We're asking here, what was God's great design? What was his great end? With reference to all that Paul's been speaking about. Well, it was that his great work of redemption, salvation among people, might be clearly seen to all. Even, underscore it, even the ruling authorities above. Thus Paul says in verse 10 of this chapter, look at the words with me there in your Bibles, he says that God's intention was that his manifold, or we could say his multi-faceted wisdom in saving both Jews and Gentiles and bringing them together might be known how, how, the prepositional phrase answering the question, by or through the means of the church, the church. And this, he says, to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, which, as he says in verse 11 of this chapter, was according to the eternal purpose, which he that is God, the Father, accomplished in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now, dear friends here this day, listen. If you ever wanted to see how magnificent, how glorious the Church of Jesus Christ really is, well I say we see it in these words. Here Paul says that the church, that is to say the local church as we have it here in the church universal, which is made up of both believing Gentiles and Jews. He says that the church is currently making known to all the manifold wisdom of God. How? Through the salvation of all kind of sinners and then joining them together in the same household. Putting them together in the same Society? Yes, Paul says here that this is what the church showcases. And this, of course, to people on the earth, and also, again, as he speaks of it here, to spiritual principalities and powers in heavenly places. And so why is this the case? Well, church, the answer is, it's the case because the spirit realm is watching us. The spirit realm is watching us. It's because, according to the word of God, the church is part of God's cosmic drama. So, having said this, I must say to each and every one of you here this day, never forget, dear ones, that the church Even as we have it here today, the church is not just some ordinary gathering of people on Sunday, no, but rather it's God's great display window to all the universe of his amazing grace to all kind of sinners. Not just some ordinary gathering of people like they might do down at town hall, et cetera. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But this is God's great display window to all the universe of His amazing grace and love to all kinds of people. I say, brethren, it's His beautiful portrait. Showing us what? Well, showing us that there's a lot more going on here in this place than meets the eye. For as one writer correctly says, quote, if you are part of the church, then you are part of a cosmic sermon, a cosmic sermon that is being preached to spiritual rulers above and authorities. Well, this is the fact of the matter, a glorious fact. As Paul says in verse 11 of this chapter, that all of this, again, is according to God's eternal purpose or plan, which he accomplished in, he says, or through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Christ Jesus, in whom, as Paul says in verse 12 of this chapter, We have the unspeakable privilege of entering into the Father's presence at any time. How? Look what he says, verse 12. With boldness, or freedom of speech, having access, or more literally, a ready entrance, with all confidence, or better understood, with full assurance, through faith, in Him, That is, again, Jesus Christ our Lord. Well, here then is where we end our exposition of these wonderful, these most beautiful opening words in Ephesians chapter 3 concerning Paul's ministry, which indeed is a great and excellent model for us Oh brethren, I say it's a model for us first to trust God in all of our difficult circumstances. Second, it's a model for us to remember that at times you and I will suffer in the service of Christ. Third, it's a model for us to keep reaching out to the lost knowing that God can save anyone, even the worst persecutors of the church as Paul himself was. And then fifth, It's a model. Fourth, then, it's a model for us to be humble at all times as God's people. And then fifth, it's a model for us that teaches us to greatly love the church, even our church. For indeed, our church showcases to all the world the great transforming and unifying power of the gospel in the lives of all kinds of different people. So again, this passage is a wonderful model for us. Trust God in difficult circumstances. Remember that at times we'll suffer like Paul did. Reach out to the lost, because who knows but that God might save them even through our witness. It's a model for us to be humble at all times as God's people, just as Paul was to me, the least of all. And then fifthly, it's a model for us teaching us to love the church, even our own church. For indeed, she's showcasing to the world wonderful things. So, having spoken then to and trust in Him alone to be their Redeemer. So if you're here this day, you're not a true Christian, that is to say you haven't been born again because that's what a true Christian is. You don't have new life in Christ with the evidence that you love God and you want to serve God according to His Word. If you're not a true Christian, then follow Paul's model, cry out to Jesus to save you. That's what Paul did. Called upon the name of the Lord. Follow his example. Be like Paul. See yourself in truth. If you're not a true Christian this day, things are not well with you and God. God is angry with you. God is not happy with your life. That's the fact of the matter. But God would remedy all of this through His Son. God would joyfully receive you to Himself, but you must come to Him through the appointed way, and the appointed way is through Jesus. Christ came out to save sinners. How does He save them? What does He save them from? He saves them from the wrath of God. How does He save them? Answer, He takes the wrath of God, do them in their place. And that's exactly what Jesus did 2,000 years ago on the cross. He died as the just one for the unjust ones that He might bring them to God. At Calvary, He atoned for the sins of the guilty. His work was perfect, it was complete, thus he cried out saying, after the whole ordeal, it's done, I've accomplished it. The Bible says all therefore who now turn from their sins and look to Christ by faith and his finished work to be the only grounds of their acceptance with God. The Bible says all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. So if you're not a Christian here this day, a true Christian, turn from your sins, call upon Christ the Savior. Believe on Him, alone, as the only basis of your being made right with God. Might it be then that even some in our midst this afternoon will become true Christians, true Christians, Christians who know God, Christians who have the Spirit of God. Christians who walk with God. Christians who love God, love His Word, love His people, love His church. That's what Christians do. Because God's made them new people in His Son. And so call upon Jesus to save you. He's your only hope. He's your only answer. I'm not your answer. The church is not your answer. The Pope certainly ain't your answer. The priest ain't your answer. Only Jesus can do helpless sinners good. So come to Christ by faith. Right there where you are at this stage. Just come to Him, Lord. I just heard the good news that while I was yet a sinner, you died for people like me. You accomplished deliverance from God's wrath. Do me for my sins against him. You paid it in full on Calvary's cross. And now you call me to turn from my sins and to trust in you alone for my soul's salvation. You call upon me to call upon you. For whoever calls upon you shall be saved, as Paul says in Romans chapter 10. And so I call upon you, Lord, to save me. I'm tired of this. Life apart from God. I'm tired of this life of sin. This life of not really knowing what life is all about. I'm tired of it, Lord. The pastor said, you're my answer. The Bible says you're the answer for all who call upon you. The Bible says Jesus is the hope of the world. He's the light of the world. He's the savior of the world. for all who call upon him to save them. And so might it be that some of you will do this very thing this day. Some of you children here this day, you need to be saved. Jesus receives little children. He receives them. Let the little children come. Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. You say, where is he? He's in heaven. How do you get to him? By faith. By faith alone, he's ready, willing, and able to transform your life and to make you his ardent follower, just as Paul himself was. May God grant it to be so for some of you here this day, for your good, And for the glory of God, let's pray together. Our Father, again, we thank you for Paul as our model. O Lord, we've considered many things this day, good things, helpful things, encouraging things. Help us, therefore, to walk in these things. Help us, O God, to follow you as Paul did. Give us grace. Empower us by the Holy Spirit to this wonderful end. We pray and we ask all of these things through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.